Down street underground station london, england atlas. It opened in 1907 but shut again in 1932 because it was too close to other stations to attract. The station was constructed as a simple station served by two otis lifts from its entrance in a lucrative but secluded street just off piccadilly. Located in mayfair between hyde park corner and green park stations, down street had a short life as a working station from 1907 to 1932 but became critical to winning the second world war when covertly transformed into the railway executive committees bombproof headquarters. Churchills secret station tours will be run on mondays sundays. Down street london 2020 all you need to know before you. Armed police lock down oxford street amid panic uk news. A rare chance to tour down street ghost station londonist. Down street 1907 1932 an unusual case of a central london station being closed completely without replacement of some sort. Down street tube station ticket office by transport for london press images 2 down street tube station by transport for london press images 6 down street. In a similar vein, down street was on the piccadilly line between green park and hyde park corner. Down street tube station video reveals secrets of disused. Fortunately for us, he also took his camera click on. Down street london underground station may have seen no passengers since 1932, but transport for london would now like to see it come back to life tfl is.
It is one of the dozen tube stations which are no longer functional but still, its one of the best known closed tube stations in london. Explore forgotten parts of the tube network on atmospheric tours of disused stations and tunnels, go behind the scenes at some of londons busiest stations, and uncover some of the citys fascinating history with our expert guides. Nov 24, 2017 armed police lock down oxford street amid panic. Nearest tube underground station to down street, london. The london underground is a metro system in the united kingdom that serves greater london and the home counties of buckinghamshire, essex and hertfordshire. You may be surprised, therefore, to learn that hidden londons disused tube station tours sell out within minutes. This file is licensed under the creative commons attributionshare alike 3. Abandoned underground station to open again for business a disused tube station used by sir winston churchill as a hideaway during the war is set to reopen following a.
Mind the sixyear gap ghost stations have for a longtime been on my bucket list, so when the chance finally arrived to take the hidden london tour of down street station, even with the ticket price set at a staggering. Get an intimate peek into one of londons most intriguing hidden spaces. The mayfair ghost station which may become an art gallery. Winston though it was a show of weakness to be seen hiding but eventually agreed, spending his first night in deacons office in 1940 and affectionately calling down street the burrow. And im down in the tube station at midnight i said i was down in the tube station at midnight the last thing that i saw as i lay there on the floor was jesus saves painted by an atheist nutter and a british rail poster read have an awayday a cheap holiday do it today. It became disused after strike action from the power station supplying it caused it to shut down, and they simply never reopened. This time, he took a tour of one of churchills many secret underground facilities during ww2, the former down street underground station. Ghost stations plan on london tube faces legal challenge. This amazing footage gives a glimpse into an abandoned tube station in the heart of mayfair. Down street station closed on 21 may 1932, after only 25 years as a station. Aug 28, 2016 the rec persuaded a disgruntled churchill to use down street as a shelter. An interesting fact about every london tube station. Hidden london is our programme of exclusive tours and events at locations rarely seen by the public.
These offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. Tfl seeks partner to transform disused down street station. These small rooms had been built along the length of the westbound platform. Here are all londons abandoned tube stations citymetric. This cosy eatery is tucked down a quiet street in londons posh mayfair, a stones throw from the ritz and park lane. After his recent excursion down the clapham south deep level shelter, paul surma has once more been exploring secret underground london for us. Jan 19, 2015 down street, also known as down street mayfair, is a disused station on the london underground, located in mayfair, west london. Apr 14, 2016 forget big ben or the london eye, the real sights of this city are underground and we dont mean on the tube. It was opened in 1907 by the great northern, piccadilly and brompton railway.
The distant echo of faraway voices boarding faraway trains to take them home to the ones that they love and who love them forever the glazed. Nov 25, 2017 an armed officer runs down oxford street credit. The jam down in the tube station at midnight lyrics. The facade of down street station still exists in the street of the same name. During world war two, many stations were used as public shelters and underground offices for london underground and government staff. The down street underground station was practically doomed from the start to a short operational life. Just above the entrance, a small triangular fragment of the stations original bulls eye name board could be seen. Abandoned underground station to open again for business a disused tube station used by sir winston churchill as a hideaway during the war is. We descended into the bowels of down street underground, a station which closed its doors to. This would have taken the form of a red circle with a blue strip bearing the stations name down street for mayfair. Down streets ghostly tube station poised for new lease of life uk. Down street, formerly a stop on the piccadilly line between hyde park corner and green park, closed to the public in. London transport museum has announced its latest round of hidden london tours this summer, you can delve below the city and explore disused tube stations, including down street, passageways at. The rec persuaded a disgruntled churchill to use down street as a shelter.
Down street tube station ticket office by transport for london press images 2 down street tube station by transport for london press images 6 down street tube station shaft by transport for london press images 4 down street tube. Does a tube station that was closed, but replaced by a new station thats really very close, by count as abandoned. Down street station londons abandoned tube stations. An interesting fact about every london tube station tube. Its first section opened in 1863, making it the oldest underground metro system in the world although in fact approximately 55% of the current network is above ground, as it generally runs on the surface in outlying suburbs. Down street tube station abandoned london underground. Down street was built in a welltodo area such that local inhabitants were unlikely to use the underground, was too close to the stations either side of it hyde park corner and dover st, and was in a generally low catchment area anyway. Visit the disused tube station where churchill sheltered. Down street underground station london, england atlas obscura.
Winston churchill frequented down street station as a temporary bunker, and referred to it as. So what exactly happens on a down street station tour. As a tube station, down street was completely useless. Does a tube station thats still used, but not by the tube, count as abandoned. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in. Nov 07, 2016 located in mayfair, west london, down street is a disused station on the london underground. Uncovering the wartime stories of churchills secret station on an abandoned london.
A disused tube station that was used as a secret underground bunker by winston churchill during the second world war could soon be transformed into one of londons most exciting commercial spaces. Down street is an abandoned station on the piccadilly line, which tfl is considering opening up to the public. We got to explore it, one of the many ghost stations on the network, discovering. Media in category down street tube station the following 8 files are in this category, out of 8 total. Down street london underground station may have seen no passengers since 1932, but transport for london would now like to see it come back to life tfl is inviting ideas for new uses for the. The residents of the wealthy mayfair area where it was to. One of the strengths of down station is the way the author takes time to introduce us to the characters. The london transport museum is putting on another round of its hugely popular hidden london tours, where youll be able to nose around a deeplevel world war ii. We descended into the bowels of down street underground, a station which closed its doors to passengers in 1932. Down street station was transformed into an underground facility with phone lines, and even hosted a meeting of the war cabinet. Mind the sixyear gap ghost stations have for a longtime been on my bucket list, so when the chance finally arrived to take the hidden london tour of down street station, even with the ticket price set at. Down street tube station, is located on a quiet residential street off piccadilly. Down in the tube station at midnight was the second single taken from the album all mod cons by the jam. Down street tube station where churchill hid from luftwaffe.
Down street station tour churchills secret station as. May 18, 2015 down street london underground station may have seen no passengers since 1932, but transport for london would now like to see it come back to life tfl is inviting ideas for new uses for the. First things first what is the deal with down street. Some copies of the single were pressed with down in the tube. A long closed underground station, down street mayfair, central london. There used to be a south kentish town tube station down the road. Down streets ghostly tube station poised for new lease of. May 14, 2015 down street is an abandoned station on the piccadilly line, which tfl is considering opening up to the public. From being an actual tube station for a quarter of a century to becoming winston churchills hideaway during wwii he fondly nicknamed the abandoned down street train station as the barn, the down street tube station has a pretty interesting history that makes it captivating for all those interested in ww ii. Located in mayfair, west london, down street is a disused station on the london underground. Down street station was opened on 15th march 1907, three months after the rest of that stretch of the piccadilly line. This would have taken the form of a red circle with a blue strip bearing the station s name down street for mayfair.
Jan 17, 2017 so what exactly happens on a down street station tour. What happened at the oxford circus station incident. Down street london 2020 all you need to know before you go. Quickest route and time from richmond to old street. Just above the entrance, a small triangular fragment of the station s original bulls eye name board could be seen. It was opened in 1907 by the great northern, piccadilly and. It was latterly served by the piccadilly line and was situated between dover street now named green park and hyde park corner stations the station was little used and trains often.
Apr 14, 2016 visit the disused tube station where churchill sheltered during the blitz. Down street london underground station may have seen no passengers since 1932, but transport for london would now like to see it come. Visit the disused tube station where churchill sheltered during the blitz. British transport police locked down the area around oxford circus tube station after an incident. Transport for london invites business proposals for disused down street underground station in. Down street tube station permission visit november 2016. Jan 09, 2020 hidden londons down street tube station tour. Winston churchill frequented down street station as a temporary bunker, and referred to it. Located in great college street, westminster, sw1, the buildings vulnerability to bombing and flooding led to a search for an alternative site deeper underground.