Completely underground stations

[ldn96]

Hi everyone,
I was wondering which London Underground stations are completely underground, including the ticket hall etc. For example, Chancery Lane. I'm having trouble Googling this information as Google can't differentiate between underground stations and these ''underground" underground stations

Thanks

 

[AM9]

Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, Gants Hill, Kings Cross/St Pancras, - there are many more.

 

[bluegoblin7]

The answer depends how specific you are with your criteria. Are we excluding stations that have any street level building rather than stairs directly from street? Are we excluding stations that within that street level building have more than just stairs at street level, e.g. shops and facilities (this excludes King's Cross for instance!). Or (again excluding King's Cross) what about any 'additional' entrances or exits that are only open during the peak (Pentonville Road entrance in this case).

 

[pdeaves]

Whatever the exact criteria, I would nominate Euston Square.

 

[Quakkerillo]

I think this would be a good start: http://www.steveprentice.net/tube/TfLSillyMaps/real_underground.jpg
But I don't think it includes the whole ticket hall, merely the lines/platforms. But at least you'll have a smaller set to look at now.

 

[AM9]

Was just checking on Bethnal Green using Google Maps streetview, (which does seem to be fully underground except access stairs) when the view was like this:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5272788,-0.0553295,3a,75y,135.53h,96.7t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sXToay9mGeGMknbjYnElO3w!2e0!6s//geo2.ggpht.com/cbk?panoid=XToay9mGeGMknbjYnElO3w&output=thumbnail&cb_client=maps_sv.tactile.gps&thumb=2&w=203&h=100&yaw=266.55853&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i13312!8i6656
That's the first time I've seen a streetview picture taken at night, and not really very useful, although the illuminated LT roundels help a lot!

 

[Clip]

Yeah dont think ive seen a night street view before

 

[bionic]

Charing Cross

 

[bionic]

Oxford Circus

I'm pretty certain Oxford Circus has a very nice oxblood red station building on the corner of Oxford Street and Argyll Street.

 

[Busaholic]

I'm pretty certain Oxford Circus has a very nice oxblood red station building on the corner of Oxford Street and Argyll Street.

Yes, and directly opposite, so on the north east side of Argyll Street, was another door that led to the control centre for the Central Line, itself completely underground from my memory. I worked there for a few months in the early 1970s. Next door opened as a Billy's Baked Potato restaurant, owned by the ex-boxing brothers George and Billy Walker, and was, I believe, the first ever of its kind in the country. A baked potato with butter cost the princely sum of twelve and a half pence: that's to eat in, sitting at a table a mere thirty yards from the London Palladium! Ah, inflation.

 

[bionic]

Warwick Avenue and Regents Park also spring to mind.
Old Street too.
And Notting Hill Gate (I think)

 

[Mikey C]

Pimlico springs to mind as a relatively recent example

Swiss Cottage also

 

[Bedpan]

I think this would be a good start: http://www.steveprentice.net/tube/TfLSillyMaps/real_underground.jpg
But I don't think it includes the whole ticket hall, merely the lines/platforms. But at least you'll have a smaller set to look at now.

The map looks quite fun to browse but I'm not sure what it is actually intended to show. Part of Liverpool Street (the western end of the Circle/Metropolitan platforms) are actually in the open air, but the station is shown as Underground. So then I thought that it might be intended more to show what parts of the underground were actually in tunnels - this seemed to be supported by the tunnel between hendon Central and Colindale being shown, but on the other hand the tunnels on the District Line between Southfields and East Putney, and the one coming into Fulham Broadway from the south, are missing. Nevertheless, it is as I said entertaining to look at and a reasonable source of general information. .

 

[Jack Barry]

Yes, and directly opposite, so on the north east side of Argyll Street, was another door that led to the control centre for the Central Line, itself completely underground from my memory. I worked there for a few months in the early 1970s. Next door opened as a Billy's Baked Potato restaurant, owned by the ex-boxing brothers George and Billy Walker, and was, I believe, the first ever of its kind in the country. A baked potato with butter cost the princely sum of twelve and a half pence: that's to eat in, sitting at a table a mere thirty yards from the London Palladium! Ah, inflation.

I did not know that the Central line control was at Oxford Circus, I thought it was at Leicester Square before going to Baker Street in 1979. I think the Green line had their control there though.

 

[Ken H]

Regents park. Never had any surface building- was totally underground on opening in 1906. Think this was unique at the time.

 

[Mojo]

I suppose it’s debatable, stations like Knightsbridge have some staircases that don’t have any buildings but also have one that comes up at street level within a building, but it is not an LU building, would this count?

 

[bionic]

Yes this seems a grey area. Pimlico would fit the bill here. Mansion House too.

I suppose it’s debatable, stations like Knightsbridge have some staircases that don’t have any buildings but also have one that comes up at street level within a building, but it is not an LU building, would this count?

 

[simple simon]

The map looks quite fun to browse but I'm not sure what it is actually intended to show. Part of Liverpool Street (the western end of the Circle/Metropolitan platforms) are actually in the open air, but the station is shown as Underground. So then I thought that it might be intended more to show what parts of the underground were actually in tunnels - this seemed to be supported by the tunnel between hendon Central and Colindale being shown, but on the other hand the tunnels on the District Line between Southfields and East Putney, and the one coming into Fulham Broadway from the south, are missing. Nevertheless, it is as I said entertaining to look at and a reasonable source of general information. .

An old map - no London Overground!

Also misses out tunnels on the DLR at Lewisham, entire Woolwich Arsenal and Stratford International routes (both also have tunnels!), the tunnel north of Kensal Green on the Bakerloo...


re: Gants Hill, the station building is on the traffic roundabout island and whilst all access is via subterranean passageways the station building is tall enough to have skylights

 

[Busaholic]

I did not know that the Central line control was at Oxford Circus, I thought it was at Leicester Square before going to Baker Street in 1979. I think the Green line had their control there though.

At that time, there were 4 Underground control rooms:-
Baker Street for Met and Bakerloo
Cobourg Street, Euston for Northern and Victoria
Oxford Circus for Central
Earl's Court for District and Piccadilly.

This was 1970-2 period: no idea what happened after that.

 

[Bedpan]

There's quite an interesting video about Coberg Street on You Tube - one of Geoff Marshall's.

 

[AM9]

... re: Gants Hill, the station building is on the traffic roundabout island and whilst all access is via subterranean passageways the station building is tall enough to have skylights

But never the less, the whole station (except the staircases from the pavement) is below ground. The gate line and all ticket facilities are subterranean, it is only the (ex) booking hall which conveniently has a roundabout above it, that has daylight allowed through. That is analogous to many of the underground public conveniences in London where a glass tiles roof is under the pavement. As a splendid example of a Charles Holden station, it is likely that the rather more grand housing for daylight glass was included as an example of his attention to detail.
The same could be said for Canary Wharf station where the only real purpose of the street-level canopies is to keep the rain off the escalators.

 

[rebmcr]

entire Woolwich Arsenal and Stratford International routes (both also have tunnels!)

I wouldn't say any of the Stratford International route is in tunnel. The closest it gets is at Stratford station, but that's more like going under a rather long bridge, since it is at ground level throughout.

 

[gazthomas]

Waterloo and Bond Street?

 

[JackS]

However specific we're being, I think Hyde Park Corner definitely fits and hasn't yet been mentioned

 

[Bertie the bus]

Was just checking on Bethnal Green using Google Maps streetview, (which does seem to be fully underground except access stairs) when the view was like this:

That's the first time I've seen a streetview picture taken at night, and not really very useful, although the illuminated LT roundels help a lot!

They probably updated Bethnal Green as soon as humanly possible due to public demand, hence the night view from August, as I was captured on the May 18 one and they couldn’t handle my good looks. I was on the mainline station view as opposed to the tube station one but that is also an after dark image now.

 

[Bookd]

I b lelieve that Hyde Park Corner is now completely underground, although it used to have a splendid street level.entrance which is now Pizza Express. I think that there is still an emergency exit via the restaurant

 

[Mag_seven]

Euston?

 

[Mojo]

I b lelieve that Hyde Park Corner is now completely underground, although it used to have a splendid street level.entrance which is now Pizza Express. I think that there is still an emergency exit via the restaurant

It was never Pizza Express, it was an independent Restaraunt called “Pizza on the Park” but this restaurant closed down eight and a half years ago. It has been an ultra luxury hotel for the last six years though; the exit is not an emergency exit but secondary access to a staff only area.

 

[Jack Barry]

Waterloo and Bond Street?

I don't think Waterloo as the Jubilee line ticket hall is street level with Waterloo Road.

 

[Jack Barry]

At that time, there were 4 Underground control rooms:-
Baker Street for Met and Bakerloo
Cobourg Street, Euston for Northern and Victoria
Oxford Circus for Central
Earl's Court for District and Piccadilly.

This was 1970-2 period: no idea what happened after that.

Thanks for that.