You can also take a special tour and cocktails package (104 per person or 99 concessions) which includes a gin or whisky cocktail at nearby Flemings Hotel in Mayfair as well as a sharing food platter not quite Churchills Champagne and caviar but a very good end to the tour! The abandoned station was bricked up from the rest of the Piccadilly Line and divided up into offices, meeting . Want to have a look for yourself? London Transport were responsible for structural changes and the Railway Company fitted out the tunnels so they were suitable to provide office and living accommodation for the staff of the REC. Photo showing how the tunnels werepartitioned to provide a narrow walkway past the facilities installed in the tunnel on the right. The tunnels were converted to provide accommodation for the REC by both London Transport and the London Midland & Scottish Railway. 3) Dover Street station (now Green Park). Well, Down Street is in fact one of the designated emergency exit points for the Piccadilly line and for this reason the staircase and corridors down to platform level are reasonably well lit. Facebook India head Ajit Mohan has formally announced that he is stepping down from his position at Meta. Compared to its vast history and all of the incredible conversations and decisions that were probably made at the tube station, its quite sad that the stop isnt used for more. NYC Subway: Chambers Street - The Most Rundown Station in Why has Chambers Street Subway station been left untouched The MTA said Friday that accessibility work at the station on the J and . And as we walked through the different sections, squeezing our way through tight spaces into different rooms, there were echos of what it must have been like living and working underground while London battled the Blitz. Passageway over the running tunnel. The white tape on the floor marks the position of the board room table. Double sink unit. Down Street station lies between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly Line. Eleanor Crosses Grantham, Stamford and Geddington, Eleanor of Castile A 13th Century Journey to London, G. J. Chapman, Penton Street and Chapel Market, The First East Ham Fire Station and Fire Brigade, Elizabeth Fry, Charles Brooking, a Church and a Hall, Campden Hill Water Tower, an Observatory and Sir James South, Two Cornhill Churches St Peter and St Michael, Cloak Lane, St John the Baptist, the Walbrook and the Circle Line. Once the war was over the tunnels were cleared and abandoned. . Thats because its Londons long-lost tube station with a secret second mission. Cheers! An alcove built during the war to accommodate additional communications equipment: Curving tunnels always fascinate. With Tim Dunn. It suffered from being too close to Hyde Park Corner and Dover Street (later renamed Green Park) stations. And they still run right past. tfl is inviting ideas for new uses for the space, including the circular well of the original lift shaft, from people with big ideas and deep pockets: there will be a considerable capital cost and. , 6 - ' 16 . The station howeverdid notmeet expectations on passenger numbers for a number of reasons. It only served the Piccadilly Line for a short period of time, but then played a key role in thewar, maintaining the efficient coordination and running of the countrysrailways. The station had a kitchen capable of feeding the 40 staff based on site plus any visitors. London Transport Museum Limited (LTML) is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. Bath in the photo above and sink in the photo below. We started by talking about Leslie Green, the architect who designed over 50 stations across London in the early 1900s, all of which have the uniform ox blood glazed tiles and a steel frame roof to support buildings on top, meaning railways could charge rent. Where to go Wild Swimming in London for a Refreshing Dip, Unusual London Book I Discovering Londons Secret Spots, Queen Carolines Sunken Bath: What You Need to Know, Exploring Erno Goldfingers 2 Willow Road, The Best Christmas Markets in London 2022, The Bumper Guide to Christmas in London: 24 Fully Festive Things To Do, The Hidden Secrets of Abbey Mills Pumping Station. Looking up the alternative emergency stairs which have partitioned to create" 2) Down Street station The station code name of Ajit is 'AJIT'. Also well worth a visit which I covered here. During World War II it was used as an air-raid shelter, notably by Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet. Posts Tagged Last week, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai signaled his intent to resign on January 20th, freeing his seat to be filled by the incoming Biden . Down Street is an abandoned London Underground station, formerly a stop on the Piccadilly Line between Hyde Park Corner and Green Park, which opened in 1907 and closed in 1931. It was latterly served by the Piccadilly line and was situated between Dover Street (now named Green Park) and Hyde Park Corner stations.. As part of one of the busiest and populated Indian states, Rajasthan, the Ajit railway station is known amongst the top hundred train ticket booking and train traveling stations of the Indian Railway. The station features a red glazed terracotta facade, a common built by the UERL. You will notice my email address as a railway conection, I also have a fine collection of Mail on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Hi, yes tours are available to book through Hidden London at the London Transport Museum these are the current dates https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/hidden-london/down-street, Many thanks for this. The steps down to platform level are behind and to the left of the camera. The door on the right hand side of the photo is the 'torpedo' lift shaft built for Churchill's use. Down Street Station History. BENGALURU (Reuters) - Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Inc said on Thursday that its India head, Ajit Mohan, has stepped down after four years, while a media report said he would join rival Snap Inc . The remains of these still exist, although the decay of the past 70 years is clearly evident. A lawsuit by former Dragon's Den star and Brighton businessman Ajit Chambers - who claimed that Boris Johnson "stole" his project to reopen 26 "ghost stations" as tourist attractions - also reveals how a pro-Putin Ukrainian oligarch managed to get his hands on a major public asset, even though he was under a global FBI indictment at the time. Down Street Tube Station. With its very distinctive oxblood tiles, it featured the typical design by Leslie Green the in-house architect of all Undergrounds in the 1900s. While much in favour of spending on London's transport infrastructure, it must be said that 695 million here, 695 million there, and you're soon talking serious money . These days, the station isnt used for a huge amount. Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships at Meta India, will take over on an interim capacity, a company spokesperson told Reuters. With its very distinctive oxblood tiles, it featured the typical design by Leslie Green - the in-house architect of all Undergrounds in the 1900s. Theres the original tiling from its days as a Tube station, the wartime signs and peeling yellow painted walls which were used to mark the public spaces, and the modern notices in case its needed as an emergency exit from the Piccadilly Line. Your email address will not be published. The bottom of the emergency stairs. Maybe the reason why it wasnt busy was that everyone who had enough money to live in that area probably had chauffeurs or some other private transport. Since then, there have been no other occupants of the station. And thats just how it happened, the narrow tunnel of Down Street station got converted into different rooms: Meeting spots, offices, telephone exchange areas, as well as accommodation for 40 staff including dormitories, bathrooms and dining rooms. It had a relatively short life, opening in 1907 before being abandoned in 1932 due to low passenger numbers- its neighbours could afford more luxurious modes of transport. Down Street: Directed by Lucy Bailey, Phillip Rashleigh. Many of the tunnels were plastered or boarded over, partition walls installed and furnished using stock from both the above ground office of the REC and from Railway Hotels, so the quality of furnishing was reasonably high. The station opened on the 15th March 1907 on the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (part of today's Piccadilly line), between the stations at Green Park (or as it was called Dover Street) and Hyde Park Corner. One of the side tunnels was converted to provide bathroom facilities for those who would work a shift of several days below ground. The Jack the Ripper stage as seen in the beginning cut scene and a playable map later in the game. Back up to the surface and heading towards the street: Down Street is a fascinating station. The lifts built for the REC have long since been removed, so we headed down 122 spiral stairs to reach the main tunnel. The amazing tube stop that was a critical part of Britain winning the Second World War is open for 90-minute tours. As well as this, the British horror film Creep was also set in Down Street station, although the real shots were from Aldwych station. Photo Credit. That at least gave the opportunity to convert them into decent living quarters. The very reasons for Down Street's closure as a station made it ideal for a different purpose in the Second World War. Visiting Down Street Tube Station is a must-see in London and a huge part of our history. Down Street station is, as the name suggests, in Down Street which runs from Piccadilly to Hertford Street. TheREC would coordinate the essential movement of troop trains, ammunitions and equipment,raw materials and othergoods critical to the war effort, and manage the impact of enemy bombing on the rail network. When it opened in 1907, Down Street Underground station was like many built across the network in that period. With this task vital to the war effort, a central headquarters was needed safe from the anticipated use . A hit-and-run was reported at 11:44 p.m. Nov. 6 at . A bar? However, its location at the heart of West London's affluent Mayfair district meant it was rarely used, as it was just a short walk to the more popular Green Park (then Dover Street) and Hyde Park Corner stations. It appears that there is a level below the platforms, which passengers can use. The narrow tunnels of Down Street station were converted into a variety of rooms. Meta Platforms Inc's India head Ajit Mohan has quit after four years in the role to join rival Snap Inc, the companies said on Thursday, a high-profile exit for the Facebook parent in its biggest . Colin Affleck. Despite its central London location near Green Park, the station closed in 1932 due to a lack of passengers. The London Transport Museum and the British Postal Museum have arranged a number of tours throughout the year, and lastThursday I took my lasttour of the year, to the disused London Underground Station at Down Street. It is one of the dozen tube stations which are no longer functional but still, it's one of the best known closed tube stations in London. You could argue that once you have seen one old underground tunnel, you have seen them all, however each location is unique and they have their own story to tell of Londons development and recent history. (All photos on the page: 2009 unless stated otherwise). 29 Likes, 1 Comments - Ajit Chambers (@oldunderground) on Instagram: "Down Street Station. Well, you can. Sounds fascinating I might give this a go when Im next in London, I'm Lucy, I've been travelling for over 25 years and share guides, itineraries and advice on my blog On the Luce to help you create stylish, affordable and sustainable travel experiences around the world. It also provided shelter for Britains wartimeleader. My visit was hosted by the London Transport Museum, but all views are my own. These facilities are in individual alcoves along the side of one of thetunnels. We focus on four London transport workers who feature in this map, created in a collaboration between the Black Cultural Archives and Transport for London, using Londons iconic Tube map to celebrate the contributions of Black people to Londons history and culture. The emergency stairs with some remarkably intact original tiling. Meta confirmed the development to The Indian Express. Do you have any idea how I might confirm that this was so? There were other Tube stations that were easier to access, and people didn't bother with it. As part of the construction work to make the station suitable for the REC, a wall was built along the length of the platform edge. Are there any lists or government files that might be able to help? Every time a train passed we were told to turn out our torches so we didnt startle the drivers, and standing in the dark with trains rumbling past and dust and air swirling around gives you an insight into how disorientating it must have been to spend weeks at a time down there. Located in Mayfair, west London, Down Street is a disused station on the London Underground. An urban explorer on the Piccadilly line. Opened in 1907, Down Street Tube Station was like many others. However, in 1939, it gained a new lease on life- it was chosen to be an underground bunker for the Railway Executive Committee. I will try and do the tour. The London Transport Museumis performing an excellent service in opening up these old stations with well run tours and very knowledgeable guides. As the Blitz raged in the skies and streets of London, the relative safety of underground Down Street enabled a key organisation to work around the clock. The tour of Down Street is highly recommended to see the remains of the stations wartime use. Experience the super cool narrow tunnels where all the nations railways were coordinated and then explore the area, perhaps ending in a lovely afternoon too at a nearby Mayfair hotel. Remember the series Neverwhere? This map dates from the 1930s - both Hyde Park Corner and Green Park station now have entrances closer to the location of Down Street. Yet somehow, compared to the other stations, Down Street was never busy. The History of Down Street Underground Station. 1123122), Legacies: London Transports Caribbean Workforce, 19th Century London and Victorian Transport, My Visit to London Transport Museum trail, Interview with Siddy Holloway and Tim Dunn, Contemporary collecting: the Elizabeth line, Celebrating Black history through the Tube map, The secret wartime history of Down Street station, B/W print; Down Street Underground station exterior, 1907, B/W print; Meeting of the LT Executive in a room in the disused Down Street Underground station, Topical Press, 1940, Poster; Our heritage Winston Churchill, by Robert Sargent Austin, 1943, Highlighting Black womens contributions to London Transport, Joseph Clough: Londons first Black bus driver, New Londons Transport at War gallery opens this weekend, Keeping London moving: Londons transport workforce, Clocking off: Londons transport clubs and societies, Julian Hows: a Tube Guards pioneering LGBT+ gender protest, 10 designs Charles Holden brought to London, Hannah Dadds: the first female Tube driver, Charles Tyson Yerkes: the unscrupulous American businessman who transformed the Tube. 23 Down Street London Transport Museum - Hidden London, London W1J 7AR England. Interesting about flagging down a train and taking that route back. The passage was compartmentalised for World War II use to provide bathroom facilities. One of these was the Railway Executive Committee (REC) and they were in need of alocation which would protect the staff and their telephone communication systems. The REC controlled Britains railways during the war making sure people, weapons and supplies were where they needed to be. It was also deeper than other stations in London . The closure of the two stations allowed journey times on the Piccadilly Line to be reduced. Can I trouble you to point out where in Down Street was the Post Office situated. It was pretty close to Dover Street (these days known as Green park) and Hyde Park Corner stations. Power up for an electrifying night of interactive science experiments, talks and creative workshops. Facebook parent Meta's India head Ajit Mohan has stepped down from his position with immediate effect nearly after four years of joining the tech giant. The tour now gets as close as the photo of the tunnel through the gate. An original wartime door. The entire management of our countrys railways and the movement of troops was going on at that station and continued to do so until 1947. Lets go. Every tiny bit of space was made use of. So whats left of Down Street now? Down Street is no exception and held a critical role in the running of the country's transport network during the last war. Fingers crossed for a cool new restaurant. Really good that the historic value of these facilities has been recognised with signs warning not to remove or damage these objects. Ajit Chambers, 45, claims his idea to turn some of the many disused stations lurking below the capital into tourist attractions, bars and restaurants was "stolen" from him by Transport for London . 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