An early 1800s house survives near Waterloo Station, a relic from a demolished street replaced by railway tracks.
Some old places still exist, though. They become protected heritage sites. This is one such survivor’s story. It’s an old house near Waterloo station.
The house sits by the train tracks. These tracks link Charing Cross and Waterloo East. It’s at a busy intersection. Waterloo Bridge and Hungerford Bridge meet there.
The house looks out of place. It’s the only one left from a street. They demolished the street for the railway. Its neighbors were all destroyed, but 5 Whichcote Street survived somehow.
Whichcote Street is now gone. It’s now Tenison Way, a side road. This road runs by Waterloo Road. The house was number five on Whichcote Street. Houses one to four were not so lucky.
This cottage is from the early 1800s. It struggles with modern life. It’s between a roundabout and a railway. It’s not very peaceful there.
A bus stop is right outside the house. The Jubilee line runs beneath it. There is likely noise from the tube. A big drum acts as an air vent nearby. It serves the underground tunnels.
The house has two floors and a basement. It’s made of stock brick. A parapet fronts the building. It has only three windows and a boot scraper. The door has four panels.
The building is Grade II-listed. It gained this status in 1981. Now it is a protected landmark. The pub landlord uses the house. The pub, Hole in the Wall, is nearby. It’s across the train tracks.
You cannot go inside. You can see it from the outside. Think of all the people who lived there.