Re: Parking for Kings Cross

On 8 Sep, 20:54, "David at brsince78 dot co dot uk" <da...@-notthisbit-
brsince78.co.uk> wrote:

"Recliner" <nig...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Mizter T" <mizte...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 7 Sep, 21:39, "David at brsince78 dot co dot uk"
<da...@-notthisbit- brsince78.co.uk> wrote:

Got a ticket to ride on one of 60019's forthcoming trips from KX....
Been a few years since I've travelled from the Cross.
Given the likely early start I don't have an alternative to driving
there. Researching Car Parks, this one looks the nearest:-
London Kings Cross (Nwr) Station
Kings Cross Station Sp
Battle Bridge Road
(Access Via York Rd & Goodsway
London
Nw1 2Tj

Anyone got any advice about parking around KX on a
Saturday..................?

This isn't exactly what you want to know, but I'll post it anyway.

I'm absolutely certain that until very recently that car park used to
offer free parking for up to 30 minutes (useful for a quick pick-up),
although the Network Rail KX webpage says it now costs a quid - the
full charges are also displayed here:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/867.aspx#facilities

So either it's wrong or I'm out of date, which might make the
following recollection duff - which is that the KX car park you
mention is (or at least was) cheaper than the one located underneath
St Pancras.

The car park is staffed by a security bod, and I've a recollection
that that's where the BTP park some of their vehicles too, so it'll be
safe.

Re on-street parking - it's quite possible that there might be some
streets in the vicinity that don't have restrictions during the
daytime on sundays and maybe even saturdays... but I don't know about
them, sorry!

I don't think there's free parking on the local streets on Saturdays any
more (there used to be a few years ago, before the St Pancras
redevelopment).

Thanks both..... Security and Proximity are my main objectives as I will be
travelling with my young son and won't be returning until late in the
evening..........



OK I can offer you some first hand reconnaissance of the area, as I
was en route across London town last night by bicycle and decided to
take a small detour to check out the parking situation. I can thus
offer you fairly comprehensive information about both (1) paid and (2)
free on-street parking.


(1) The Kings Cross NCP car park.

You have the right address for this one, but I'll provide a bit more
information as quite frankly it's a bit obscure! It is a barriered
(i.e. gated) car park rather than pay-and-display, and whilst I
couldn't see any BTP vehicles parked there it is staffed with an
attendant in a booth there (seemingly around the clock) to keep an eye
on your car.

*Prices at the KX car park*
First things first - prices. I don't think the price list displayed on
the NCP website (via the 'Car Park Finder' [1]) for this car park is
quite right - there are discrepancies between the prices on the NCP
list and those displayed on the Network Rail KX page [2].
Unfortunately my cameraphone had run out of battery and I had no pen
and paper so I couldn't note down the prices displayed on the NCP sign
there.

However I do remember the critical prices, and (somewhat counter-
intuitively) I think the Network Rail page might be more accurate than
the NCP page!

One thing both websites and the sign agreed on is that up to 12 hours
costs £18, whilst up to 24 hours costs £22. However the NCP website is
wrong in quoting special the rail user tariff is £15 for 24 hours -
the sign stated that it is in fact £16.50 (so the Network Rail page is
accurate on this one).

Regarding the rail user tariff - the NCP notices stated that this was
available to those with a valid rail ticket, and that this must be
paid for at the attendants booth rather than at the machine. I've no
idea whether the rail user tariff would apply to those with charter
train tickets - it could simply be a case of who's on duty that day of
course!

Also, I was right - the sign stated that parking for up to 30 minutes
is free! This is very useful for dropping off and picking people up
who have a lot of luggage, or meeting them off the train. I'm pretty
sure at least one the barriered GNER managed car parks used to offer
this facility, albeit seemingly undocumented as far as could I see
(whether they still do I have no idea).

The KX car park is also cheaper than the NCP operated pay-and-display
that exists under St.Pancras station which doesn't appear on the NCP
website. I'm pretty sure this used to be a Meteor operated barriered
car-park which was also more expensive than the KX car park, but the
situation is fluid as there's so much construction work going on
around there so I suspect this situation will all change by the time
Eurostar arrives in November (perhaps with a special tariff for
Eurostar passengers) Anyway as the road is currently being dug up the
entrance to this car park from Pancras Road is currently fairly
concealed.


*Getting to the KX car park*
Link to a Streetmap:
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/yqnemo>

You need to get on to Goods Way - whether from York Way (from the
east) or Pancras Road (from the west). Currently the short section of
Pancras Road leading down from the crossroad with Camley Road and
Goods Way is closed, so you'll need to follow the yellow diversion
signs and go down Haul Road to reach Battle Bridge Road. At the bottom
of Haul Road is a mini-mini-roundabout, follow the sign and take a
left down the cobbled Battle Bridge Road (perhaps taking note of the
empty Culross tenement building on the right, which might get
demolished as part of redevelopment plans) to the end of the road,
pass under the height restrictions and you're in the car park.

There is access to Kings Cross station by a walkway alongside the
station wall, which leads to the suburban platforms from where one can
walk through to the main trainshed.


(2) Free on-street parking

There is actually a cornucopia of free on-street parking near Kings
Cross and St. Pancras at the weekend if you know where to look, and to
be honest it all looked pretty safe.

*West of St. Pancras station / Somers Town side streets*

The first place I looked was just west of St. Pancras station, on some
sides streets in Somers Town. Because roads have been blocked off to
stop them being used as rat-runs, there's only one way to access these
streets and that's via Chenies Places off Pancras Road - see the
Streetmap here:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2yvkz6

The map doesn't show all the blocked off streets - not in particular
that Brill Place, off Pancras Road, is also currently blocked off
(possibly temporarily) , plus you can't get in via Goldington Crescent
either.

All the streets around here only have restrictions Monday to Friday
8:30am to 6:30pm - so at other times you can park for free in any of
the residents permit bays, pay-and-display bays, and AIUI on any of
the single yellow lines too (though there were so many bay spaces this
wouldn't be necessary).

There were *loads* of spaces on Perchase St, Goldington St,
Charrington St and surrounding streets. Indeed next to the school &
'learning centre' on Charrington St was a wide street and had loads of
'head-on' bays (i.e. where you park head on to the kerb), there'd be
absolutely no problem finding a space here.

Regarding security, it all seemed fine. The area was one of those
classic London mish-mashs of some rather uninspired low-rise council
houses, interwar council blocks and quite a few rows of expensive
looking Georgian houses, with some fairly smart cars parked outside.
Bearing in mind that I was there just after midnight, I didn't see
anything or anyone dubious at all along these quiet streets.

To get to Kings Cross one would need to walk along Pancras Road
underneath St. P station then take a right (whilst the road is
currently closed to vehicles you can walk down it). I think that at
present Midland Road is entirely closed, including to pedestrians.


*East of Kings Cross*

The second place I took at was the side streets in the triangle
between York Way Wharfdale Rd and Caledonian Road, which is closer.
These are nearly all residents parking bays, possibly there were a
very few pay-and-display as well. The restrictions here are in force
Monday to Friday 08:30am to 6:30pm and also Saturday 08:30am to
1:30pm. Note that these streets are all one-way, as can be seen on the
Streetmap:
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/2sk63j>

There were also residents bays on Wharfdale Road and whilst I didn't
look I'd be prepared to bet that the same restrictions would apply to
the streets east of Caledonian Rd.

Here however there were hardly any spaces. One thing to bear in mind
though is that the area around KX now has a busy nightlife scene, with
lots of bars and clubs - and I was there just after midnight, so it's
difficult to say how many parked cars belonged to residents and how
many to visitors - i.e. how many cars would be there early on a sunday
morning. I suspect they are somewhat busier than the Somers Town
streets.

Again I felt these streets were fairly innocuous. Personally I'd be
happy to park in either place and indeed I have often parked in
similar locations in London. My car isn't fantastically flash, but nor
is it some dented rust-bucket either, it's a respectable normal motor.
As ever you shouldn't leave anything on display in the car, and bags -
even if devoid of any valuable contents - are best left in the boot or
under a rug where they can't be seen. Or indeed taken with you as your
camera will be in it!

Having said all that, I will add that sometimes in central London
locations odd-characters crawl out of the woodwork and can be found
floating in the early-hours - as I wasn't there at such a time I can't
say for sure what it's like at either location. I note that your
charter train departs at 06:30am, which will be around sunrise, so if
you were to park there it would be dawn and getting light, along with
the early risers up and around leaving for early work shifts etc.

As a side note the free on-street parking available on the Somers Town
streets could, come November, come in handy for people wishing to use
Eurostar for a short weekend or day - trip, to the continent -
especially for those early morning departures.

Hope that helps.


-----
[1] NCP Car Park Finder facility
(doesn't work properly with Firefox so use Internet Explorer or
another browser)
<http://www.ncp.co.uk/multimapform.aspx>

[2] Network Rail - Kings Cross facilities (including car parking)
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/867.aspx#facilities

.

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