BBC: Controversial HS2 burial site dig at London Euston begins

[pt_mad]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-london-45971226

Archaeological work to remove 45,000 skeletons from a burial site to make way for HS2 construction has begun.

Some 61,000 burials took place at St James's Gardens between 1788 and 1853, beside what is now London Euston station.

Protests and a memorial service were held before the site was closed to create a new terminus station.

HS2 said the dig in Camden would "add to our understanding of how this city transformed".

The burial ground is one of 60 archaeological sites along the route between London and Birmingham which is being explored prior to the construction of the £55.7bn high-speed rail line.

HS2 said it was working with the Church of England to select a site where the skeletons will be reburied.

Head of heritage Helen Wass said the dig would "better our understanding of life and death in London's 18th and 19th centuries, shedding light on health and disease, social status and lifestyle".

Saw this on BBC newsroom live this lunchtime. They seemed to be saying some protestors had chained themselves near the dig in protest?

 

[Maurice3000]

I believe that chaining to a tree by protesters happened a few months ago when they were cutting a couple of trees in preparation. I am also not 100% that was at St James's Gardens, I seem to think it was in front of the station.

Edit, it appears my memory hasn't failed me. That picture of chained protesters is from January 2018 and taken in Euston Gardens, that small green patch between the station and Euston road. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42663805

 

[pt_mad]

I believe that chaining to a tree by protesters happened a few months ago when they were cutting a couple of trees in preparation. I am also not 100% that was at St James's Gardens, I seem to think it was in front of the station.

Edit, it appears my memory hasn't failed me. That picture of chained protesters is from January 2018 and taken in Euston Gardens, that small green patch between the station and Euston road. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42663805

It was featured again on the BBC 12o clock edition on the BBC News Channel. Not sure what today's significance is.

 

[greyman42]

Is it the BBC who think it is controversial? I would of thought the general public would realise that this sort of removal has to be done to make way for modernisation. I believe that there was similar work done with Crossrail.

 

[Fearless]

The route is shown as passing under Kensal Green Cemetery:

https://www.hs2.org.uk/where/route-map/#15/51.5266/-0.2272

I seem to recall conflicting views as to whether graves will need to be disturbed. If they threaten to dig up the Brunel family (it's not just Isambard, but many other family members too) I might just chain myself to the memorial stone.

 

[mr_jrt]

Surely the tunnels will be so deep they'll be well under any graves?

 

[Fearless]

Surely the tunnels will be so deep they'll be well under any graves?

That's the hope, but in the early days it wasn't the plan:
http://stophs2.org/tag/kensal-green-cemetery

Fingers crossed.

 

[Ianno87]

That's the hope, but in the early days it wasn't the plan:
http://stophs2.org/tag/kensal-green-cemetery

Fingers crossed.

I imagine the alignment is quite tight around there to line up with the Old Oak Common station box and to avoid pratting about excessively with the GWML.

 

[Maurice3000]

Is it the BBC who think it is controversial? I would of thought the general public would realise that this sort of removal has to be done to make way for modernisation. I believe that there was similar work done with Crossrail.

I don't think the word 'controversial' is referring to the dig, they always use the word 'controversial' when referring to HS2 in general. "Controversial HS2 burial site dig at London Euston begins" should be read as "Burial site dig begins at London Euston for controversial HS2". A lot of Conservatives are against HS2 (even though official government policy is in favour) and the Conservatives run the BBC so they escape political pressure from higher up by consistently referring to HS2 as 'controversial'. They've been doing that for years.

Interestingly enough, emotions are a lot more heated about it (and considerably more people will have very outspoken opinions about it) but the EU referendum and subsequent Brexit process are never referred to as 'controversial'. Likely also a reflection of who funds the BBC.

 

[DanDaDriver]

If they threaten to dig up the Brunel family (it's not just Isambard, but many other family members too) I might just chain myself to the memorial stone.

Oh the delicious irony.....

I think of all people he’d understand.

 

[Fearless]

Oh the delicious irony.....

I think of all people he’d understand.

Although he was sensitive to the environment - when he was informed that the building of Clifton Suspension Bridge would disturb a rare plant (autumn squill, I think), he had it carefully dug up and moved to a safer place.

Actually, come to think of it, isn't that what exactly what we're talking about at Kensal Green!

 

[Ianno87]

I don't think the word 'controversial' is referring to the dig, they always use the word 'controversial' when referring to HS2 in general. "Controversial HS2 burial site dig at London Euston begins" should be read as "Burial site dig begins at London Euston for controversial HS2". A lot of Conservatives are against HS2 (even though official government policy is in favour) and the Conservatives run the BBC so they escape political pressure from higher up by consistently referring to HS2 as 'controversial'. They've been doing that for years.

Interestingly enough, emotions are a lot more heated about it (and considerably more people will have very outspoken opinions about it) but the EU referendum and subsequent Brexit process are never referred to as 'controversial'. Likely also a reflection of who funds the BBC.

I agree - does tend to be a practice of appending 'controversial' onto any description of HS2 with very little justification.

 

[Pete_uk]

We're these bodies customers waiting for a train?

 

[randyrippley]

Well........at least the bodies should be in a safer state to move than the ones that had to be shifted when the Euston approaches were built - by all accounts that was a very grim task