I was born and grew up in London working as an advertising photographer, living on the river with a view of Battersea Power Station. I witnessed it being ripped apart removing a wall and the roof. The building was then neglected for years. In 2010, I decided that I needed to record this piece of history. I finally got access, and in hardhat, protective boots and fluorescent jacket, spent a day photographing the wonderful art deco interiors.
Amazingly, being open to the elements, the Power Station had become a sanctuary for all sorts of wildlife. I was shooting alongside thousands of pigeons, families of foxes, rats and peregrine falcons, which had all set up home there.
The pictures went viral, and they became the inspiration for me to start a four-year journey of discovery, recording hidden London in the 21st century, for future generations. That's how my book Unseen London began. I shot 50 locations for the book and was put in touch with historian Mark Daly who tells the story of each one, which brings the book to life. Many photographs in my book will be the last record of a disappearing era. It is a real joy to be able to share my London with the rest of the world.
Images in this post taken from the book Unseen London. In the book Unseen London, photographs by Peter Dazeley, www.peterdazeley.com, text by Mark Daly, published by Frances Lincoln.