You know how we’ve (not us but scientists and stuff) only been to a tiny fraction of the ocean? The London Underground is a little like that. And we don’t just mean life beyond Zone 3. There’s a whole world of hidden stops, walkways, lifts, and lines down there. One such place you may have noticed is the red-tiled façade of Aldwych station, originally known as the Strand. Closed in 1994, this disused tube station is one of London’s best kept secrets, holding myths and memories of times gone by. A virtual tour by London Transport Museum with a real live guide gives visitors a glimpse of places that aren’t accessible in person such as the old ladies’ toilets and the upper ticket hall with its original ticket windows and telephone booths, some dating back to the station’s opening in 1907.
Cool right? Yeah! Well, there’s a lot more down there to discover too. Siddy Holloway from London Transport Museum, and railway historian Tim Dunn are unpacking it all in a brand new TV documentary, which airs from July 19. In the doc they’ll be visiting abandoned stations, old tunnels, lifts, and walkways which you may have stood inches away from and never realised.
Beyond the TV, you can also do a virtual tour of York Road Underground station (formerly on the Piccadilly Line) and an in-person tour of Kingsway Tram Subway. If you’d rather explore the history in a less abandoned space, there’s the Hidden London exhibition at the London Transport Museum. That’s more than enough secret tube information to wow your mates with the next time you’re all hopping on the tube.
