Zoom in to Aldwych disused Tube station without even stepping outside your front door. New tour dates will be on general sale from 12 February on London Transport Museum’s website. Aldwych, originally known as the Strand, is one of London’s most secret places, holding memories of times gone by. Opened to the public in 1907, it was never as heavily used as originally intended and closed nearly 100 years later in 1994.
The station has had a varied history; from providing shelter to Londoners during the Blitz, to being used for film and TV shoots including The ABC Murders (2018), Darkest Hour (2017), Sherlock (2014), and Atonement (2007).
An expert guide – with the help of a gallery of rarely seen archival images, contemporary photos, videos and footage of the station – will lead guests through abandoned platforms and tunnels, lost-in-time ticket halls, original lifts and deserted walkways. Virtual visitors will find out why Aldwych station ceased to be a termini of the Piccadilly line.
Guests on the new virtual Aldwych tour will be permitted to see parts of the station that are no longer accessible on the in-person Aldwych tour, such as the upper ticket hall.
On the online tour visitors will be able to discover the original ticket office windows, the public telephone booths and the ladies’ toilets, which are just some of the features dating from the station’s opening in 1907. Public telephones were a prominent fixture of Underground stations at the start of the twentieth century, and Aldwych station sported no fewer than six.
The ladies’ toilets also contain some original features, such as decency screens and Edwardian wash hand basins. These items have long since disappeared at Underground stations that have remained open.
Chris Nix, Assistant Director of Collections and Engagement at London Transport Museum, said: “Our hugely popular Aldwych disused station tour has turned virtual, which means you can discover the secrets of its rich history from the comfort of your sofa.
“Our expert guides will talk you through how these hidden tunnels and frozen-in-time ticket offices and platforms once formed part of the Piccadilly line. Film fans will be intrigued to find out how the station has been used as a film location for recent blockbusters.
“Some parts of Aldwych are off limits to the public so the virtual tours are the perfect way to get as close as possible to the real thing.”
Holborn (Kingsway): three sites in one tour
In 1898 the London County Council (L.C.C) decided to completely redevelop the area in London we now know as Kingsway and Aldwych. The area, then known for its high crime rates, slum housing and establishments of ill repute, was to become a new business district for London with wide boulevards and grand office buildings. This required new public transport to bring people to and from work and in response the L.C.C. built a tram subway underneath Kingsway itself, to facilitate interchange between south and north London trams.
At the same time, the Piccadilly line was burrowing its way through London, with a station at Holborn to serve the newly constructed district, and a branch line down to Aldwych to serve the many theatres of Covent Garden. The Kingsway trio is a brilliant example of how public transport unlocked parts of London previously inaccessible at the turn of the 20th century, and how these spaces adapted and changed when they were no longer required to serve their original purpose, often in very unusual ways.
Brompton Road station
People can Zoom into Brompton Road station and discover, how, during the Second World War, the station was used as a top-secret control centre and bunker for Britain’s Anti-Aircraft Division.
Located between Knightsbridge and South Kensington stations on the Piccadilly line, Brompton Road station was closed in 1934 after the Piccadilly line was extended. It was closed along with stations such as Down Street and York Road as they were only lightly used.
King William Street station
Closed in 1900, King William Street was the first deep-level station to become ‘disused’ on the London Underground and guests can find out about its short life before it closed. The station was the original but short-lived northern terminus of the City and South London Railway (CSLR), which was the first deep-level underground railway in the world. The CSLR, which originally ran from King William Street to Stockwell now forms part of the Bank branch of the Northern line.
This special behind-the-scenes virtual tour lets viewers see what the disused station looks like today and how it is being used during the current Bank station extension project.
Hidden London Hangouts on YouTube – live new episodes each Saturday at 18:00
This Saturday the Hidden London Hangouts team will be joined by a special guest from across the pond, Polly Desjarlais, from the New York Transit Museum. Hidden London Hangouts give everyone a chance to learn more about the capital’s subterranean transport secrets, with a huge measure of wit and humour from four loveable Londoners and experts in their field. Each episode is hosted by self-confessed Tube geek and broadcaster Alex Grundon.
