Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross

In the film

In the opening titles, workers drift zombie-like between the old buildings, a running joke about how little separates commuters from the undead.

History in brief

The two long brick sheds were built in the 1850s and 1860s to transfer coal from railway wagons into carts for London’s homes. They fell into decline in the 20th century. The yard was redeveloped by Heatherwick Studio and reopened in 2018 as a shopping street, with the original buildings kept.

The place today

Now a busy shopping and dining street, very different from the derelict yard in the film.