This book is filled with haunting photographs of forgotten places in London. I enjoyed arm chair traveling while looking at the photos. There is some text to accompany the photos but the photos are the star. Enjoy

Navigating the haunting corridors of "Abandoned London" has been an otherworldly experience, a profound journey into the forgotten tapestry of a city that breathes with whispers of the past. This is not just a book; it's a spectral encounter, an eerie exploration of the hidden secrets concealed within London's abandoned realms. In the dim glow of history, I find myself compelled to share a resounding five-star review of this enigmatic masterpiece.

As someone who's never tread upon London's cobbled streets but has always sensed the pulse of its concealed history, Wignall's photographic odyssey became my ghostly guide through the forgotten chapters of a metropolis that thrives on contradictions. From crowded streets to hushed, forsaken spaces, "Abandoned London" invites readers into a clandestine world, shrouded in the remnants of time.

The book's central paradox — that in a city teeming with life, myriad spaces lay dormant — is the heartbeat of its allure. The narrative unfolds through the lens of architectural relics like the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, an 1858 creation to quell 'the Great Stink,' now an ethereal Italian-Gothic sewage cathedral. Wignall captures the essence of a structure that evolved from utilitarian necessity to haunting beauty.

The subterranean Finsbury Park underground reservoir emerges as a cinematic cavern, once a holder of five million gallons of water, now an occasional backdrop for movie magic. Highgate's overground steam railway station, veiled in the shadows, resonates with a bygone era, now serving as a protected haven for bats, guardians of an untold history.

The Clapham deep-level shelters, constructed during World War II, echo with the ghosts of a wartime London, designed to shield locals from the unforgiving aerial bombings. The Haggerston public baths, part of a hygiene-improving initiative, stand as relics of early 20th-century aspirations, frozen in the amber of neglect.

Wignall's evocative photographs transcend mere visuals; they evoke a spectral presence, allowing readers to traverse the corridors of time. Each frame captures the essence of spaces that have weathered neglect, standing as silent witnesses to the ebb and flow of history. In the solitude of abandoned places, I felt the eerie beauty of a city that, though left to decay, retains an indomitable spirit.

"Abandoned London" is a symphony of eeriness, an ode to the forgotten, a visual haiku of desolation. This book offers more than a glimpse into the past; it is an immersion into the spectral echoes of London's history, where every abandoned space pulsates with a life that refuses to be forgotten.

Such an intriguing visual guidebook - literallt what this book was like, a guidebook. I am glad I requested a copy of this. Many thanks for granting me a copy!

I love books that explore the way places used to be, the ghosts of a place - this is that book. The photos are beautiful and the historical, cultural, and social details are rich and evocative of another time. Living in London I found it interesting to think in a new way about places I've walked by without knowing the history. This book helped me imagine places' old lives, the people that used to live in or use the space. It's been a great resource for thinking of new places to explore in the city and also would make a great reference for anyone interested in history, or looking for inspiration for creative projects.

The past is often closer than you realize. Love London? Whether you are planning a trip (now that it is open) or travel vicariously via pages, Abandoned London is required reading! An invitation to step back in time from a true expert who is a London Blue Badge Guide and Founder of Look Up London, a multi-award-winning London history blog and walking tour company, one for the coffee table that guests will reach for.

I liked this but thought it just felt too much like a coffee table book. Although the photography was good I found a lot of it repetitive in the latter half of the book. This does highlight how much of the UK has abandoned and disused buildings that could really be put to better use and a lot greener to do. A nice quick book, but nothing out of the ordinary

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Capturing a moment in time

Thank you Netgalley and Amber Books for the opportunity to review this beautifully illustrated tome.
Written by one of London's most innovative Blue Badge Guides, Katie Wignall's Abandoned London takes you on a journey around forgotten, or unknown (at least to this cabbie) buildings and sights in the capital.
Each chapter covers a single theme, from transport to shops and retail.
Accompanying the images are descriptions by the author disclosing little known facts about the subject. Who knew that the decrepit Asylum Chapel in Peckham was, rather than a hospital for the mentally ill, a retirement home for pub landlords that is now a licensed wedding venue.
London is forever a city that reinvents itself and some of the buildings I discovered on the knowledge are, like the Hungarian Gay Hussar Restaurant in Soho, in business since 1953, are now featured here as derelict, awaiting reinvention.
As the Londonist website acknowledges, the title also holds a slight irony, given that the book was written during lockdown, when much of central London was all-but-abandoned.
This lavishly illustrated book with over 200 photos of abandoned places capturing a moment in time is sure to appeal to anyone who has a passing interest in London.

A really great visual guide to some really interesting places, it's amazing what can be left in plan sight in one of the world's most popular cities.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A gorgeous photography book of abandoned places in London. This is mainly a book of photographs with little bits of information sprinkled throughout. I love seeing photos of abandoned places. I find it both incredibly interesting and sad. I wish I could bring them all back to their original splendor.

**ARC Via NetGalley*

My love story with abandoned places dates back to, uh, the early ‘00.

Today? Welp, today it’s easy: just hop on Instagram, hashtag urbex and hey, you’re set. The world at your fingertips. Those days instead, when the internet was young and full of hic sunt leones, if I didn’t feel like (trespassing) exploring disused factories myself, I had to browse through endless webrings or Lj comms to see something new. Fellow enthusiasts used to tour derelict buildings, documenting their findings on cameras.

Abandoned London is all that and more. I don’t know if Katie Wignall shares my same habits, but her book is an ode to (London-based) urban explorers.


**

With 150 outstanding color photographs, Abandoned London presents a poignant pictorial exploration of the English capital—from forgotten railways lines and underpasses to lost industrial places, movie theaters, churches, and cemeteries.

London is both a bright, modern city with soaring skyscrapers as well as a metropolis hundreds of years old—and, despite its gleaming surface, there is another side to the city, one of secrets, dilapidation, and mystery. Wander through disused stations on the Underground; immense, ornate Victorian sewers and waterworks; crumbling but beautiful Art Deco cinemas and empty swimming pools; bombed-out churches and eerie docklands; and ruined mansions and overgrown cemeteries, all haunting relics from a time gone by. Arranged thematically from transport and industry to residential and recreational, these entries cover both the modern city and the historical metropolis.

224 pages
Photography
Amber Books Ltd.
Goodreads

**

Cover: Hm. I’ll be honest, I’m not wild about it. There are better pictures in the book – the ferry on the back cover, for example.

Yay!

- What an incredible selection of places! It’s a real feast for aficionados like me 😀 I found old friends and met new ones – yes, I’m aware I’m talking about buildings in various states of disrepair, haha. It just makes me happy to see a book dedicated to such things, and a good one to boot.

- As always, I appreciate the organization. AL is divided in 5 sections, each of them exploring a different side of London. There’s variety too: Victorian buildings go hand in hand with modern ones, old billboards or street art adorning them. Every picture depicts a slice of a life long gone, evoking a sense of nostalgia that may border into foreboding.

- Great, great pictures. It’s not easy to capture the beauty hidden within ruins, it takes a lot of talent. Boarded up, filled with trash and debris, fenced in – the essence of those buildings is not in plain view, you have to look for it.

- The blurbs are informative, offering tidbits of knowledge without stealing the spotlight. AL is a photography book first and foremost.

Special mention:

- Lowell’s Wharf, Greenwich. The woven pattern decorating the steps is amazing.
- Millennium Mills, Silvertown. Spiral slides.
- Down Street Station, Mayfair. Those oxblood glazed tiles remind me of a King’s short story. No reason. *cough*
- Woolwich Jetty. There’s nothing more decadent than a derelict pier.
- South Kensington Post Office. What a great shot, the lettering half hidden by– I don’t know, actually. Paint? Water stains?
- Pleasure Gardens, Silvertown. The wrought iron of the gate is a work of beauty.

Nay!

- The cover. It just doesn’t catch the eye.

TL;DR

5 stars on GR. Katie, you did an awesome job here!

I found this a very interesting book. It was not quite what I expected - I would have thought there would be more historic buildings, but quite a lot of the photography is of more modern abandoned and graffitied buildings, which didn't interest me quite so much personally. Despite some of the pictures not being of something you would think of as being attractive, the photographer often captures a strange beauty in some of these settings. The photo captions provided interesting and sometimes quite thought provoking snippets of information - such as on one page an estate being demolished and all of its residents having to move elsewhere after being offered unaffordable affordable housing, while on the very next page half the houses on so-called Billionaire's Row are left to decay. I'd recommend this book for anyone with an interest in London or urban architectural history.

A bitter-sweet stroll through historic London…

I just turned the last page of this book and my feelings are definitely positive but the sense of melancholy after reading it can’t be ignored...

The star of the show, obviously, was the pictures and they really shined. Clear, raw in their simplicity, they offered an unretouched glimpse at their glory as well as their tarnish. While I was sad to see so many historical structures in almost ruin, there was a positivity to their stories as well. Whether re-purposed or being restored to their former glory, there was hope that the buildings and structures would have be rejuvenated and enjoyed again. And the places they visited had only a few familiar names and faces. So much was new to me, even though they traced their histories back many years – even a few thousand… Whether underground, near the Thames or even under your feet, there were incredible finds to be had and explored…

The only negative I had is a minor one. I read the digital edition which I found challenging when trying to match up the picture blurbs with the photo themselves. Overleaf, opposite directions didn’t work so It was awkward doing the matchy-matchy. The effort though was completely worthwhile…

I’m an armchair history student, lover of art, and someone who appreciates the intricacy of architecture. This book took me on a whirlwind tour of it all and only strengthened my wish to see London - I’ve added a number of new places to my ‘must see’ list!

I never get bored of photography books documenting abandoned buildings in London and this book is a particularly good example. It covers a wide variety of buildings and locations and it included many places that were new to me. This is primarily a photography book so the text is minimal but the captions included did give me a good overview of the history and current status of each building. The one issue I sometimes have with photography books of this kind is that they often love to play up the spooky nature of the locations. It can be rather overwhelming to flick through dozens of black and white photos of vaguely menacing buildings. I love the variety of photos in this book. There are plenty of photos that look like they could be of a horror movie set but there are also plenty of photos that are taken outdoors or are of quirky locations. I think this book will appeal to anyone who is interested in the history of London, architecture, or urban exploration.

Created by blogger and walking tour guide Katie Wignall, the founder of Look Up London, ABANDONED LONDON is a treasure trove full of beauties, surprises, and connections to times long gone. Striking photos and concise, informative descriptions paint a picture of London as it was in the past and display the ways that the city, like a palimpsest, builds the new without entirely eradicating the past. As a lover of all things nineteenth century, I particularly enjoyed the book's images of structures from Victorian London: an upholstery and sundries building in Shoreditch, the ruins of the Asylum Chapel in Peckham, the ornate facade of the abandoned Crown and Shuttle pub, and the ruins of Dollis Hill House near Gladstone Park among them. But all of the book's image-and-caption pairings tell fascinating stories, capturing quirky and often poignant details of London's landscape and evoking the change that is so constant in its history. Since some of the places Wignall depicts have been destroyed or reinvented since the photos were taken, ABANDONED LONDON is also valuable in preserving them in an accessible and engaging form . If you, like me, love London but can't get there to take one of the tours Katie Wignall organizes in person, this book is the next best thing. I can't recommend Abandoned London highly enough for lovers of travel, London, Britain, architecture and urban life; the book will also be hugely useful to writers and other creative artists whose work reimagines one or more points in London's past. ABANDONED LONDON isn't out in the U.S. until July 6 but can be pre-ordered now.

Fascinating. What was and what might be, graffiti and all, are artistically pictured complete with a potted history of each place pictured ( there are even WW2 tanks!). Sometimes it's the outsides that are featured and sometimes it's the insides of various levels. There are old posters, a few reinvented buildings, and as I really enjoy looking at old 19th and 20th century commercial architecture I really enjoyed it all. Great book for imaginative geeks like me!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Amber Books Ltd via NetGalley. Thank you!

Oh I love browsing books like this. Incredible pictures and history behind the decay that we find everywhere. I love exploring difference, less touristy places when I go to London and whilst not all of these will be accessible to the public, or have been demolished, I will put some of them on my list to look at. A fascinating book that should be on the coffee table of all building enthusiasts and London enthusiasts everywhere.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

2/5 - It was okay.

I've recently moved to London and was excited to see this book approved in my NetGalley queue. However, it did not fully meet my expectations. I was hoping for an account of abandoned buildings in London, which contextualized these structures and went deep into their history and significance. This was the case for some entries - for example, I was fascinated to learn about the structure of Victorian water pumping stations and to learn that London has a bat cave in abandoned railway tunnels! However, a good portion of the book was an account of more recently abandoned buildings, such as shops, entertainment venues, etc. These did not have much historical or cultural significance - sometimes it would be hinted at, but the issue would not be fully explored (as for example, with the concept of social inequity in modern housing.

I would have preferred for the book to be structured differently - for example, by the time in which the now abandoned building was constructed, or by neighborhood. I also would have gladly sacrificed some of the pictures and sections for more in-depth history about just a few abandoned buildings or regions. Some sections felt very random - for example, pictures of fly-tipping. I guess abandoned furniture is abandoned, but I was really hoping to learn more specifically about abandoned structures.

That being said, I did enjoy some of the facts I learned from this book and the photos were interesting. I was glad to see London from a new perspective of structures which have not stood the test of time.

I really enjoyed looking through this ARC of abandoned buildings and places in London, it made me wish I was in London so I could go and find them and take me own photos. I was a bit disappointed that some of the places have since been developed so some of it did seem to be a tad out of date, but then London is changing at such an alarming rate, so maybe it’s not a surprise really. I loved the history of the places especially one particular doorway from the 1700s and a Victorian sewer that have been used in films. I definitely recommend it if you’re interested in photography or London.

Abandoned London: Discover the Hidden Secrets of the City in Photographs by Katie Wignall is curretly scheduled for release on May 14 2021. It seems bizarre that in a place as crowded, noisy and expensive as London there are still wasted unused spaces. The relentless drive for regeneration across Britain’s capital deceives us into thinking that every spare building and patch of ground is under development. But this vast metropolis of more than 10 million people hides many secrets and unexpected treasures from the city’s unique 2000-year history. In Abandoned London, read about the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, a facility created in 1858 to deal with ‘the Great Stink’, and now London’s Italian-Gothic cathedral of sewage; or the subterranean Finsbury Park underground reservoir, a space capable of holding five million gallons of water and today used as an occasional movie location; or the remnants of Highgate’s overground steam railway station, now a protected bat habitat; or the Clapham deep-level shelters, constructed in World War II and designed to provide protection for locals against aerial bombing raids; or the Haggerston public baths, part of an early 20th century building programme devised to improve London’s hygiene. These photographs of abandoned places capture a moment in time. Some of the buildings have since been demolished or refurbished, but many are still there, neglected and uncared for. These places have great value and a rich significance, offering us a glimpse of past worlds.

Abandoned London is a captivating look at the abandoned spaces in London. It was fascinating to see and learn about some of these locations, as every city and town has these types of location but few stop and think about the beauty and visual interest they hold. I have always had a love for the broken, abandoned, or simply slightly off kilter buildings or features of nature- so this collection really hit the sweet spot for me. There is a solemn beauty that can be found in the forgotten or neglected, and this book captures that idea while teaching readers a little bit about each of these places, and what the future might have in store for them. Those with an interest in the location, architecture, history, or the forgotten will all find something here that capture's their eye and their interest.

I am absolutely, completely in love with this book of amazing photography.

Anyone who has ever been fascinated by historic places will LOVE this book.

The photographs are all beautiful even as the subject matter is of buildings in decline.

I rate this book as 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I reviewed this book as an ebook but I love it enough that I am planning to purchase a copy for my coffee table and I will be recommending it to many of my friends.