Lost Tube properties
EXPLORING OUR ABANDONED UNDERGROUND STATIONS
FOR Londoners, the Underground is such a huge part of life, whether you tolerate it at its sweaty worst or explore it with glee.
I you use it regularly you may well think you know the Tube map today.
But we guarantee you will be shocked to see what it used to look like.
There are so many old stations. Stations that were closed forever, stations that were moved elsewhere, stations that were bought by other train lines and left the Underground network for good.
Aylesbury
Yes, it is true, Aylesbury, way out in Buckinghamshire, was on the Underground network until the 1960s. This was back in the days when the Metropolitan Line had big ambitions.
And Aylesbury was only the beginning of the adventure. From there you could get to Waddesdon Manor and Quainton Road, with trains zooming off into the Bucks countryside on a line that nearly stretched as far as Oxford.
There was also a branch off to Granborough Road, Winslow and Verney Junction.
King William Street
This was originally the start of the City and South London Railway, which is the old Northern Line. It ran all the way from the City down to Stockwell, which is now on both the Northern and Victoria lines.
King William Street was situated between today’s Bank and Monument.
The station was only open for 10 years, from 1890 to 1900, closing on February 24, 1900 to extend the line upwards via Bank and Moorgate.
If you happen to pass by Monument station where the Little Waitrose is, you can see a plaque for the old station.
British Museum
The British Museum used to have its very own station. It was on the Central Line, west of today’s Holborn station. It was closed on September 24, 1933 and Holborn was expanded instead.
City Road
A fun fact for all you people in the Old Street and Angel areas.
There used to be a City Road station, which was on the Northern Line, though it closed in 1922. Would have been handy for stopping off at the Maccy D’s there.
Lord’s
In 1940 the new branch of the Bakerloo Line opened which went through to Stanmore and, confusingly, is today’s Jubilee line.
Lord’s station sat between what’s now Baker Street and St John’s Wood while Marlborough Road was a bit further on.
Aldwych/Strand
Aldwych is one of those place names I always think still has a station, but doesn’t. It’s ghost must be hanging around.
It’s a bit mind boggling but essentially Holborn was once the start of a branch of the Piccadilly line running to one station. It was known as Strand from 1907 to 1915. After being used as one of many public shelters during the Blitz, it has since found use as a popular film set.
Hounslow West and surrounding areas
The borough of Hounslow has a fair few lost stations.
The District Line used to go all the way to a nowclosed station called Hounslow Town, fairly close to where today’s Hounslow East is.
It closed in 1886, reopened again for six years from 1903 to 1909, then finally made its mind up and shut for good. The tracks serve today’s Piccadilly line.
Osterley & Spring Grove was also a stop which once existed on this line, but is no more.
Hounslow West, formerly known as Hounslow Barracks, opened in 1884 and closed on July 14 1975, so they could extend the line.
Park Royal & Twyford used to be a thing, again run by the District Railway, but it closed on July 6, 1931. Today’s Park Royal was opened so the station could be linked to the A40.
York Road
Now it’s such a long journey between King’s Cross and Caledonian Road
York Road used to sit between King’s Cross and Caledonian Road on the Piccadilly Line but its days came to an end way back on September 17, 1932.
Now it seems to take an age between the two stops, so maybe they should bring it back.
Tower of London
A lot of effort went into this station given it was only open for two years.
It closed in 1884 when Mark Lane station opened, and anything remaining of its existence was scrapped in 1967 when Tower Hill station became a thing on the same site.
South Kentish Town
When constructing this station, it was decided to change the name last minute, from Castle Road, creating loads of work for the poor builders who had to change the tiles.
It was opened in 1907 by the Charing Cross, Euston, and Hampstead Railway, which is now the High Barnet branch of the Northern line.
It closed on June 5, 1924 due to low passenger use. You can still see it on Kentish Town Road.
Down Street
For some reason, there was once a need to have a stop between Green Park and Hyde Park on the Piccadilly line.
But the need dwindled, and the station was closed on May 21, 1932.
Winston Churchill used it as a temporary bunker before his War Rooms were finished.
Brompton Road
Have you noticed you now have to walk quite a long way to either Knightsbrigde or South Kensington to find a Tube station?
That’s because Brompton Road used to be a station between them.
After closing in 1932, it became the Royal Artillery’s anti-aircraft operations room serving the Central London area during World War Two.