English: King's Cross: Former railway goods yard coal drops. Amidst all the regeneration of this area of King's Cross the former railway goods yard coal drops building remains in a dilapidated state, although it is earmarked for development into retail units ultimately.

The coal drops were built as part of a system of distributing coal from the north-east and Yorkshire to the London market. Originally the structure carried 4 high-level railway tracks from which waggons discharged coal into storage bins on the mezzanine floor above cart-loading bays. A waggon traverser was provided at this, the southern, end by which empty waggons were transferred to a wooden viaduct west of the coal drops.

The building is Grade II Listed and the English Heritage website describes the exterior thus (additions in square brackets by the photographer):-

"Coal drops. 1851-2. Probably by Lewis Cubitt. Late C19 southern section [this end] converted into a warehouse. Northern, coal handling bays, damaged by fire, 1985 [the far end covered in scaffolding]. Multi-coloured stock brick supported externally and internally by a framework of cast-iron columns and beams in each bay. Slated hipped roof. Oblong plan. 2 storeys and mezzanine. South elevation with single storey extension above which main building with 4 lunettes, recessed oblong panels below and brick pilasters supporting iron gable end. Eastern elevation [this side] with segmental-headed ground floor openings (cart loading bays) [the one on the left of the photo is now bricked up], brickwork of arches extended and linking to give impression of arcading with inset cast-iron Tuscan columns. Metal framed windows with small panes. Occasional flat circular pattern in brickwork of spandrels. Mezzanine floor with half length segmental-arched windows and brick cornice, breaking at the window heads. 2nd floor (railway level), shallow brick arcading blind apart from lunettes in arch heads; recessed oblong panels at the base of each arch. Western elevation with similar arcading and remains of railway line on round-arched viaduct at top floor level."