Station in the Crypt

The City has so many fascinating stories. This entrance (the right arched door) to Bank Tube Station leads you into what was once the crypt of St Mary Woolnoth crypt.
This spot has always been used for religious purposes. Bronze age man worshipped next to the holy spring that existed back then. The Romans built a temple here. In 1211 a Norman Church was built on the site. In 1711 coal taxes were used to build yet another church.
However in 1900 the church had to sell the crypt to the railways for the underground railways. The sum paid of £340,000 was a fortune back then. The railways built the fancy facade with the two reclining women figures. The woman on the left represents Electricity, surrounded by billowing thunder-clouds and shooting lightning bolts from her extended finger. Mercury reclines on the right, representing Speed. Scrolls above the figures where originally intended to bear the name of the company.
In the 21st century a Starbucks arrives alongside the entrance. What new religious purpose will appear in another 100 years do you suppose?

A Visit to Aldwych

Those of you who follow this blog will know that I get very excited at any opportunity to visit closed and secret places underground. Yesterday the chance to see the closed station of Aldwych tube (formerly The Strand Station) had me leaping out of my sick bed.

Opened in 1907 it was never really a success as a station as the original rail plans for this area never really took off. The most significant use of this station was as a bomb shelter during WWII. To start with 300 people took shelter but as the war continued and more Londoners (especially those in the east End) were made homeless, a reluctant government had to install chemical toilets and bunk beds. By then 1500 people were sheltering in this station.
After the war a very limited service was reinstated to the station. It was not on any main route, but a branch of its own from Holborn Station, known as a spur. Finally closing in 1994, it is now a Heritage II site with very limited public access.

Walk the Lines

I've just started reading Walk the Lines by Mark Mason. The book covers his adventurous journey above ground following each of the 11 tube lines, covering 269 stations, 403 miles, 912,384 footsteps, and finishes with a very battered pair of trainers.

He begins this amazing trek with the Victoria line. I thought I'd read this book in a few hours. One chapter in and I realise I'm going to have this book in my bag for months. No, not because I am a slow reader, but because already I can see not only will it be a great read but a wondeful reference book to have on hand on my travels. One chapter of Mark's adventures and already I want to trace his footsteps through places you won't find in any guide book. Better gossip than the red tops (trashy newspapers). History that isn't stuffy. If you want the real London then this book is a 'must read'.


Follow Mark on twitter.

Monopoly - Go

I will be travelling for a couple of weeks, while I'm on my adventure I am going to take you on your very own adventure.
The board game "monopoly" celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. The original design was created by Quaker Elizabeth Magie in 1903. She wanted to demonstrate through play that property enriched landlords and impoverished tenants.
However it was in 1935 that the Parker Brothers took the concepts of this design and created the game we now know as monopoly. As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of this later game, Ordnance Survey worked with monopoly to produce a bespoke map and discover where GO actually is.

Using this map you are going to travel around the monopoly board over the next few weeks.
We begin today with GO: Lambeth North Tube Station.

“By using Ordnance Survey’s latest digital product, OS VectorMap District, we were able to accurately locate “Go”. We mapped the positions of Mayfair and Old Kent Road, which sit either side of “Go”, and then accurately calculated that Lambeth North tube station was the central point between the two and therefore the location of “Go”
quote from - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/news/2010/aug/monopoly.html

Picture Postcard

Some days you see a spot you've been to hundreds of times at a slightly different angle. I came out of the tube station at Tower Hill to catch the last of the afternoon light. I think I've always walked the other side of the underground side as I haven't noticed this view before.
Perfect tourist postcard I thought.
May also be partly due to the Tower having no scaffolding on it. London is currently being spruced up for all of you coming to the Olympic games next year.

Endangered Art

Tottenahm Court tube station is about to undergo the next stage of redevelopment as part of the new cross rail work. The tiling created in the last renovation may be destroyed in the process.

An extract from TFL's site telling us the disruption we can expect here:

To enable the Bond Street station upgrade to get underway, Oxford Street will be closed eastbound between Duke Street and Vere Street for utility works from 14 February for nine months and several bus routes will be on diversion. From April, for eight months, the Northern line won’t stop at Tottenham Court Road station so that major structural works can take place in the platform tunnels. The Central line will continue to serve the station as normal.

You may like to revisit a post I did on this station last April

Just One of Those Days

Pouring with rain, the tubes are on strike, the Boris bike stand near me is locked and I can't get a bike out and the taxi got a flat!

Actually I made that up. Well not really. You see they all did happen. Just not today. Well actually not all exactly on the same day. They did all happen. I just rearranged the order. Well you do don't you when it's one of those days. Hope I haven't jinxed my train today.

I'm buzzing off for a few days. Not cold enough here thought I'd head north just to feel some real cold. Goodness this doesn't sound very jolly does it. I am jolly though in case you're wondering. Thanks for asking.
I will leave you with a few glimpses of London while I'm gone.

How Do I Get Home?

Tubes on strike yesterday caused chaos.

Strand Station

The Strand station opened in 1907 and closed in 1994. It was renamed Aldwych in 1915 as there was already a Strand station (what is now Charing Cross). In 1974 the Strand was renamed Charing Cross. All of this was to avoid confusion.
Oh and Embankment was part of the Strand station.
I'm glad they cleared up the confusion for us.

End of the Line - Amersham

Here is the first of an occasional series I am bringing you. I will periodically catch a tube to the end of the line to see what is there.
This end-of-the-line trip at the northern end of the metropolitan line (the oldest tube) takes you to the quaint town of Amersham.
The tube stops in the new town. Catch a taxi to the old town (approx £5).

A perfectly preserved 17th-18th century English village with origins going back to pre-Saxon times. Explore the old church and market building. Have a leisurely lunch at one of the many restaurants or one of the quaint old pubs.

Wander down the main street to take in the old cottages, the many antique stores, the museum and park.

Mid-Month Subway - East Finchley

The East Finchley station (Northern Line) was rebuilt in art deco style in the 1930's.

Designed by Charles Holden, influenced by Dutch architects of the time.

The Archer is firing his arrow toward London and its said that his arrow would reach the next station on the line before the tube.