In the event you suppose you already know Holborn tube station, suppose once more. Even probably the most skilled tube historical past followers can be stunned in the event that they go on a Hidden London tour of the non-public areas away from passengers.
Holborn tube station may be mentioned to have had a really difficult historical past. It was initially opened for simply the Piccadilly line, with the odd spur right down to Aldwych, a legacy of the authorized powers that created the Piccadilly line. In-built a traditional early 1900s design, the station was considerably rebuilt within the Thirties so as to add the Central line platforms and change the lifts with escalators.
That appears pretty regular up to now, however it’s the disused Aldwych spur that complicates the historical past significantly and signifies that a few third of the station is now disused and sealed off from the general public.
It’s that third that the Hidden London excursions will allow you to see.
The tour begins within the ticket corridor, with a workers door that permits you to step proper again in time. The outdated emergency staircase continues to be within the unique tiles from the primary 1900s tube station. It’s additionally a really great distance down—a really great distance certainly—till you lastly attain outdated corridors now used, as so many are, for contemporary electronics and storage.
And likewise now, getting very heat.
A detour again into the brilliant world of the passengers earlier than an virtually invisible door is opened and down a warren of slim passages. Out of the blue opening up, you’re now standing on the unique platform that closed in 1914. Used throughout WWII as workplaces for London Transport workers, and, if it goes forward, may very well be used once more as workplaces for the Holborn station improve challenge.
It’s additionally right here that you just get an opportunity to stroll alongside the outdated railway tunnel – used throughout WWII because the kitchen, and stand the place few have stood earlier than and plenty of would need to — proper subsequent to the railway tracks resulting in Aldwych.
It’s additionally so much cooler now, fortunately.
Dotted across the route are Hidden London indicators telling the station’s historical past or exhibiting off the exceptionally difficult format of the tracks and platforms. Do search for the watertight doorways—not a legacy of WWII, the place bulkheads have been put in in tunnels subsequent to the Thames, however of the Chilly Warfare, for causes that the tour guides will elaborate on.
Because of the disused platform having had the tracks crammed in (pretty lately, in truth), there’s area down right here for a small film theatre and to study extra in regards to the historical past of the station and the way the passenger areas have been used for movies and music movies — together with the terrible Superman 4 film.
There are extra corridors and stairs, a cease to admire the stays of an early Piccadilly line map from the Thirties, after which into the opposite disused platform, which closed in 1994 and is now utilized by TfL to check platform improve concepts in a safe and sensible location.
From these quiet, eerie areas, you step by a small nameless door again into the noise and fuss of a busy tube station and, thankfully, onto the escalators to get again out of the station that you just’ve simply spent 90 minutes exploring.
It’s one of many bigger of the Hidden London excursions supplied by the LT Museum, and it takes in a greater variety of areas to discover in a station that appears difficult within the public areas, and much more so within the hidden elements. It’s additionally the one one in all their excursions that may allow you to get so very near the outdated railway tracks for that excellent selfie second.
Tickets are on sale now for excursions in August and September, and extra dates can be launched on Wed seventh August for excursions from October onwards.
This text was revealed on ianVisits
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