Speaking of the things that happen below London, the London Underground is one of the oldest continuously running subway systems in the world. It has a fascinating history from acting as a shelter for Londoners during the Blitz to surprising pedestrians as they pass by disused stations on the street that have been closed for decades. Because they are often not lit up at all, they can be easy to miss. Who has seen Aldwych Station on the Strand right in the middle of London? It’s staring you in the face just after you pass Somerset House. Keep an eye out for this one. Your first mission this week is to find a disused Tube Station, but not Aldwych, since I have just pointed that one out. Here is a link to a great website that has images of out of date Tube maps to help you along with this one: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/clivebillson/tube/tube.html. Don’t be deceived by stations that are still there but have changed names. Have a look at the outside of Gloucester Road Tube station the next time you pass by and notice that the top of the building says that the Metropolitan and District Railways go to this station. A lot has changed since this station appeared on one of the earliest Tube maps (1889) as Brompton Gloucester Road Station. Also, excitingly, there were plans on the 1949 version of the map to extend the Bakerloo line down as far as Camberwell! Alas, this would only have added to the paradise that Camberwell is!
Also, if you go to the northbound Piccadilly line platform, you can see the tiled sign on the wall saying that these trains go to Finsbury Park, as that is where the Piccadilly line once terminated |
Good luck!
-Elsie (who loves Camberwell!)
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