Evening all,

There's a building at 77 Charterhouse Street, in Smithfield, that has vast
and cavernous underground brick-built chambers. They're currently home to
the nightclub Fabric, but what were they before?

Since it's in Smithfield, it could be something to do with storing meat.
But since it's virtually on top of the Metropolitan line, i wonder if it's
something to do with that. There was a goods yard at Farringdon in the
early days, wasn't there? Where was that?

If it was railway-related, i am going to start a list of London clubs
based in current or former railway infrastructure, since The Cross in
King's Cross is in some sort of former goods building, and Fire in
Vauxhall is some arches. Hang on, i've just googled up another one in the
KX yards - The Key - and there may be more. I wonder if there's anything
in Stratford ...

tom

--
I am predictable. I worry about this, but then I think, "I am predictable
but right, so I don't care." -- coffeeandink

Tom Anderson wrote:

There's a building at 77 Charterhouse Street, in Smithfield, that has
vast and cavernous underground brick-built chambers. They're
currently home to the nightclub Fabric, but what were they before?

Something to do with fabric, perhaps?

In message , Tom
Anderson writes

There's a building at 77 Charterhouse Street, in Smithfield, that has
vast and cavernous underground brick-built chambers. They're currently
home to the nightclub Fabric, but what were they before?

The Metropolitan Cold Stores, serving Smithfield Meat Market just
opposite. Possibly under threat if Crossrail is ever built, as it would
be within permitted deviation of the extended Faringdon ticket hall.

If it was railway-related

The planning application at ...

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corpo...ta/24/2430.htm

.... says "Change of use from disused rail tunnel to an extension of
night club to provide cloakroom and storage".

I guess this would be a tunnel to one of the many goods stations
(possibly the L.N.E.) around Smithfield.
--
Paul Terry

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...
Evening all,

There's a building at 77 Charterhouse Street, in Smithfield, that has vast
and cavernous underground brick-built chambers. They're currently home to
the nightclub Fabric, but what were they before?

Since it's in Smithfield, it could be something to do with storing meat.
But since it's virtually on top of the Metropolitan line, i wonder if it's
something to do with that. There was a goods yard at Farringdon in the
early days, wasn't there? Where was that?

If it was railway-related, i am going to start a list of London clubs
based in current or former railway infrastructure, since The Cross in
King's Cross is in some sort of former goods building, and Fire in
Vauxhall is some arches. Hang on, i've just googled up another one in the
KX yards - The Key - and there may be more. I wonder if there's anything
in Stratford ...

tom

--
I am predictable. I worry about this, but then I think, "I am predictable
but right, so I don't care." -- coffeeandink

Most likely the tunnel on the south east side of the Farringdon Triangle
i.e. linking Blackfriars to Barbican or, as my 1909 map marks it, from
Ludgate Hill to Aldersgate. Don't know when it closed - 60s?

MaxB

On Sun, 8 Apr 2007, Paul Terry wrote:

In message , Tom
Anderson writes

There's a building at 77 Charterhouse Street, in Smithfield, that has
vast and cavernous underground brick-built chambers. They're currently
home to the nightclub Fabric, but what were they before?

The Metropolitan Cold Stores, serving Smithfield Meat Market just
opposite.

Excellent, thanks. Cue jokes about it still being a meat market etc.

And if i'd actually bothered to look at their website, rather than
assuming that it wouldn't have anything useful to say:

http://www.fabriclondon.com/club/history.php

If it was railway-related

The planning application at ...

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corpo...ta/24/2430.htm

... says "Change of use from disused rail tunnel to an extension of
night club to provide cloakroom and storage".

Interesting!

I guess this would be a tunnel to one of the many goods stations
(possibly the L.N.E.) around Smithfield.

Rather than an actual railway tunnel, which would have to be the
south-to-east curve, which is far too far away.

tom

--
In-jokes for out-casts

In message , Tom
Anderson writes

On Sun, 8 Apr 2007, Paul Terry wrote:

I guess this would be a tunnel to one of the many goods stations
(possibly the L.N.E.) around Smithfield.

Rather than an actual railway tunnel, which would have to be the
south-to-east curve, which is far too far away.

I don't know. I would have liked to be more precise, but most of my
historic London maps are currently inaccessible due to house
renovations. According to the Clearing House Map of London (one of the
few I can easily reach) the L.N.E. depot was immediately west of the
"triangle" - still under Charterhouse Street, but very close to
Faringdon Road. Is that the location of the night club?

I have failed to find any really detailed plan on the web of lines and
depots in this immediate area - which is a pity, because there are many
tantalising accounts of labyrinths of tunnels under Smithfield.
--
Paul Terry

Tom Anderson wrote:

If it was railway-related, i am going to start a list of London clubs
based in current or former railway infrastructure, since The Cross in
King's Cross is in some sort of former goods building, and Fire in
Vauxhall is some arches. Hang on, i've just googled up another one in
the KX yards - The Key - and there may be more. I wonder if there's
anything in Stratford ...

The Key was part of Bagleys which was split in two to make the Key and
the Egg

SE1 club. Hidden (formerly Studio 33/SSU/Chunnel Club), Cargo



tom

Tom Anderson wrote:

the KX yards - The Key - and there may be more. I wonder if there's
anything in Stratford ...

Canvas at KX too.

Also:

Factory, Vauxhall
SEOne, London Bridge
Crash, Vauxhall
Medussa, Brixton

I think are all under railway bridges/arches of some kind. Probably more
in Brixton too.

On Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:36:44 +0100, Dave Newt wrote:

the KX yards - The Key - and there may be more. I wonder if there's
anything in Stratford ...

Canvas at KX too.

Also:

Factory, Vauxhall
SEOne, London Bridge
Crash, Vauxhall
Medussa, Brixton

I think are all under railway bridges/arches of some kind. Probably more
in Brixton too.

There are certainly others in the London Bridge viaduct - The Arches
and Jack's are two that I know of.

I suppose viaduct arches make good venues for clubs, as they're not in
demand for residential or office use (due to the trains thundering
overhead), which means they're cheaper to rent (I don't suppose you
can buy them?), and there are no immediate neighbours to annoy.

asdf wrote:

can buy them?), and there are no immediate neighbours to annoy.

Oh, I dunno - I was out with a guy on Saturday night who said he lived
in a railway arch in Brixton.

On the other hand, the kind of person to live in one is perhaps not the
kind of person who minds a club being next door!