An original wartime door. The total number of trains that pass through Ajit (AJIT) junction is 46. The surface remains of the eponymous Down Street. Cos nothing says romance like a claustrophobic tunnel and Winston Churchill, right? Set beside some of London's best parks and home to world-class galleries, luxurious hotels, and famed thoroughfares, the ultra upscale Mayfair is one of London's most exclusive haunts. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. This still remains with occasional entrances through to the section of the tunnel with the train tracks. Despite rationing, they were served cigars, caviar, vintage champagne andbrandy. Despite being directly underneath one of the busiest spots in the city, Down Street London Underground station was always a little-used station. Down Street opened in March 1907 as part of the new Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (now on the Piccadilly line). Well, you can. No one knew that Down Street was there, so staff would work and sleep in shifts so they didnt draw attention to the site by coming and going. Yes there's a whole secret underground world we don't know about! The bottom of the emergency stairs. It must have been difficult to work, and to sleep for those off shift during the time when trains would still be running. Were going to give you the total lowdown, just in case it pops up on any annoying pub quiz question or you want to knock out some fun facts about Londons underground and politicians getting together in tube-shaped rooms. Conversion began in 1939. The station had a kitchen capable of feeding the 40 staff based on site plus any visitors. 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Really good that the historic value of these facilities has been recognised with signs warning not to remove or damage these objects. It was also deeper than other stations in London . I took a trip back in time to find out its secrets. Stamp Q V 4d postmark Down St. Picadilly. Located in Mayfair, west London, Down Street is a disused station on the London Underground. The very reasons for Down Street's closure as a station made it ideal for a different purpose in the Second World War. Barely visible from the main road of Piccadilly, Down Street was an unpopular station right from the get go - the upper class residents of Mayfair didn't . Almost everything was stripped out at the end of the war, turning the tunnels back into ventilation shafts, but photos and documentary records have been used to piece together how the space was used. By Aditya Kalra and Yuvraj Malik. Dont worry we hadnt either until we stumbled across it on the interwebs. I'll get right on it. People passing through used the small walkway on the right and legend has it that it was built wide enough to allow a tea-trolley to fit through. So in 1939 the tunnels got a makeover converted into a network of offices and meeting rooms, with living accommodation for up to 40 staff. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. Passes are valid for unlimited entries within 12 months and kids go free! As a tube station, Down Street was completely useless. Bombproof, gas-proof and hidden away from prying eyes, it was seen as the safest place during the Blitz so was used by Winston Churchill as a shelter until the Cabinet War Rooms were ready (the off-ration supplies of caviar, Champagne and cigars might have helped). With its distinctive ox-blood red tiles, semi-circular windows and tiled ticket hall, it was typical of the style of Leslie Green, the Undergrounds in-house architect in the 1900s. We stopped about two thirds of the way down at a doorway to see a passageway that was unique in an underground station. 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. With nearby Green Park and Hyde Park Corner stations being enlarged for escalators to be built and the Piccadilly line extension in 1929 putting the pressure on to close quieter stations, Down Streets time was up. During repair works to the Northern line, City Road Station was deemed too costly to repair. The Down Street tour takes 90 minutes and costs 85 per person (80 concessions), including include a one-day pass to London Transport Museum. London Transport Museum Limited (LTML) is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. Well, it might be a little bit niche but Down Street station was actually the inspiration for the entrance to an underground labyrinth in the series. From fantastical futuristic inventions in the early days of electric travel to the transport innovations of today, spark your curiosity about how electricity revolutionised our city! Meta's India chief Ajit Mohan has stepped down and will join rival social networking company Snap, according to sources familiar with the development. These are the buttons inside the lift. 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. The passages at Down Street are very wide: reputedly built in error to running tunnel width instead of normal passageway width. Concept: Renovating a disused underground station into a tourist attraction. Seemingly ever since, little has gone on behind its tiled exterior. 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. cucala lyrics english translation The original facilities in Whitehall and the Cabinet War Rooms were not considered strong enough to withstand a direct hit by high explosive bombs and whilst new facilities were being constructed, Churchill needed a secure central London location and Down Street provided this service from October to December 1940. The sign on the wall indicates the depth below ground, with the height of the shaft being 22.22 meters. 23 Down Street London Transport Museum - Hidden London, London W1J 7AR England. Company: Old London Underground Company. Lawyers estimate the undisclosed amount of damages that Mr . Read more. As well as the Railway Executive Committee, Down Street also provided accommodation for Winston Churchill at the height of the Blitz. Tim Dunn explores disused tube station Down Street in Mayfair that played a crucial tactical role during WWII and tours Rotterdam's new Centraal station with the man who designed it. Keep your eyes peeled here for new tour dates. Down Street Exterior, July 1907 (c) London Transport Museum. Its neighbouring stations received new entrances closer to Down Street when they were rebuilt for escalator installation thus allowing for Down Street to be closed. As a result of the stations limited use, it closed on the 21st May 1932. Made up of representatives of the four mainline railway companies plus the Londons transport board, they needed a wartime HQ that was bombproof, had a central London location and was big enough to house an underground telephone exchange. Down Street in its Tube station days photo credit London Transport Museum. These days, the station isnt used for a huge amount. Posts Tagged A bar? It was fascinating to peer into these as they are in almost total darkness. Best of luck with your search. This is thetunnel that held the committee room of the Railway Executive Committee. 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. This map dates from the 1930s - both Hyde Park Corner and Green Park station now have entrances closer to the location of Down Street. Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships at Meta India, will take over on an interim capacity, a company spokesperson told Reuters. It must have been a fascinating place to work. The raised section was where the typing pool was located during World War II. 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. 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. But in 1941, an order from above came that a certain gentleman had requested his own personal quarters be constructed down there, and within six weeks they were ready. The REC had representatives from each of the rail companies and theLondon Passenger Transport Board along withtelephone communications with each of these organisations. Opened in 1907, Down Street Tube Station was like many others. Beneath the streets of London is a hidden underground world of abandoned Tube stations and deserted tunnels, each with their own story to tell. Green Park and Hyde Park stations were very close by, the station was in a side street rather than on Piccadilly, and the residents of this affluent area tended to have their own private transport rather than use the Underground. The abandoned station was bricked up from the rest of the Piccadilly Line and divided up into offices, meeting . The affluence of its local residents, many preferring private transport, also contributed to it being under-used. the war for the Railway Executive Committee and for the War Cabinet. It appears that there is a level below the platforms, which passengers can use. This led to its closure in1932. We did a couple of things then that I expect have been dropped now (not surprising, really, as youll see). After opening in 1907, Down Street was a little-known Underground station on todays Piccadilly line. It closed on 1 May 1938, when Aldgate East station was moved slightly to the east, rendering St. Mary's station redundant. 1) Hyde Park Corner station In November 1940 Churchill dined with members of the REC and War Cabinet in the executive mess room. Passageway over the running tunnel. An original World War 2 sign at the top of the stairs hints at the use of the station during the last war. Some stations only had a short lifetime such as King William Street station on the City & South London Railway line which lasted just 10 years from 1890 to 1900. The announcement means that the . 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. The Piccadilly line still passes through the station. The REC continued to use Down Street until the end of 1947. Down Street station lies between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly Line. man going down to the underground - down street tube station stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Although, our favourite fun fact about Down Street Station has to be from the song Hefner released (called Down Street) which tells the story of two people falling in love who meet at the station. The down must mean that there is a level below the sub-surface platform level. 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 . 3) Dover Street station (now Green Park) This map dates from the 1930s - both Hyde Park Corner and Green Park station now have entrances closer to the location . Bath in the photo above and sink in the photo below. 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. Do you have any idea how I might confirm that this was so? Also on the Piccadilly line, you can see Down Street station from the tube . Enter your e-mail address to receive new posts. Ajit Chambers entered the Den with a clear vision to transform Down Street Station - a disused tube station which had previously been used as shelter . 1) Hyde Park Corner station. The station features a red glazed terracotta facade, a common built by the UERL. Down Street: Directed by Lucy Bailey, Phillip Rashleigh. Mohan is learnt to have joined rival company Snap as the president of its Asia Pacific business. Down Street station is, as the name suggests, in Down Street which runs from Piccadilly to Hertford Street. The station howeverdid notmeet expectations on passenger numbers for a number of reasons. Many thanks in advance. Please note that visitors need to climb up and down 122 stairs on the tour theres no lift or toilets on the route and it can be dark and includes small spaces and uneven pathways. 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. 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 tour of Down Street is highly recommended to see the remains of the stations wartime use. Double sink unit. 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 . The disused Down Street Station, with its tunnels 22m below ground and London location, was selected in March 1939. My visit was hosted by the London Transport Museum, but all views are my own. Located out of sight of Piccadilly in a residential area, it was often hard to find. So, who knows whats next for the Down Street disused tube station? Thats because its Londons long-lost tube station with a secret second mission. Despite being in the middle of a raging war and the entire country locked up and rationing, it was said they were served cigars, vintage champagne and caviar! During 1940, Churchill even went down to have dinner with members of the REC and War Cabinet in the executive room. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Could you tell me if I can go on a tour of Down Street station please? Down Street Station History. Stock in fellow TV station owners Gray Television , Nexstar . 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. . Reports; Images; Videos; Map; Written by Nick Catford/Andrew Emmerson/Hwyel Williams on 01 March 2009. It also provided shelter for Britains wartimeleader. During a critical phase of the near-continuous air raids of the Blitz in 1940-41, Prime Minister Winston Churchill temporarily used the REC headquarters at Down Street as a safe haven. . Located in Mayfair it was eventually closed in 1932 due to it's proximity to the other two stations and it's unique location in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Ajit Chambers, the man who wants to turn London's ghost stations into tourist attractions, is planning to launch a legal battle against TfL for "theft of intellectual property". 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. 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. Investment sought: 2m for 51%. Down Street Tube Station. BENGALURU/NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc's (META.O) India head Ajit Mohan has quit after four years in the role to join rival Snap Inc (SNAP.N), the companies said on Thursday, a. 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. What was the ticket office is now the Mayfair mini-market, but if you look up it still has that distinctive Tube station look, with its arches and oxblood red tiles marking it out as one of the 50 stations designed by Leslie Green in his distinctive Arts and Crafts style. Interesting about flagging down a train and taking that route back. The closure of the two stations allowed journey times on the Piccadilly Line to be reduced. Want to have a look for yourself? The video game Shadow Man also took inspiration from Down Street (although, the version they used was far bigger than the real one) as Jack The Rippers hideout. The people there worked around the clock to avoid getting caught coming and going and revealing the secret spot, and in fact, most of the staff never even left. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai will step down from his post on Jan. 20, the day President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated, he announced Monday. The History of Down Street Underground Station. JG: Ajit Pai voted against net neutrality in 2015. In a period when 10 Downing Street and the underground Cabinet War Rooms were undergoing repairs and reinforcement, Churchill utilised what his Assistant Private Secretary, John Colville, described as the safest place. BENGALURU/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - 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 . It was pretty close to Dover Street (these days known as Green park) and Hyde Park Corner stations. Lets go. An urban explorer on the Piccadilly line. 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. Our Down Street Tube tour started in an office building tucked down a side street in Mayfair, where we were kitted out with torches and given a safety briefing before heading to the station entrance. Discover Down Street Station, Londons abandoned Tube Station with a bizarre AF history. The door to its right is the alarmed LUL entrance. The platforms at Down Street were bricked up during World War II, so there is only a fleeting glimpse to be had from passing trains. Down Street is no exception and held a critical role in the running of the country's transport network during the last war. As well as meeting rooms, offices, a typing pool and telephone exchange, dormitories, bathroom, kitchens and dining rooms made it into a self-contained underground settlement. The station was little used; many trains passed through . Dear Sir, The station building itself was damaged by a bomb during the Second World War, then demolished totally shortly after. Shares of Sinclair, based in a suburb north of Baltimore, closed up 2.5% at $40.95 Thursday, extending its three-month advance to 22.8%. This year has been a good year for exploring disused underground tunnels. Bonus. In May this year, TfL opened a tender for converting Down Street station into an "an extraordinary world of unexplored and untapped potential, right beneath the surface of the most diverse, vibrant and exciting city in the world". The tunnels were converted to provide accommodation for the REC by both London Transport and the London Midland & Scottish Railway. 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. In the storyline of Shadow Man, Legion appeared to Jack, who was in the underground, telling him to commit suicide in order to cross the veil into Deadside and build him the Asylum . Opened in 1907 and closing in 1932, Down Street was never busy. London film locations: A self-guided walking tour. You will notice my email address as a railway conection, I also have a fine collection of Mail on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. 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. First, they let us stand down at track-level, where the tunnels a bit wider, as the trains thundered past: I didnt appreciate just how large the trains are until I was at wheel-level, but theyre huge! When it opened in 1907, Down Street Underground station was like many built across the network in that period. The black door on the left presumably leads to the upper level. Well at least until the Second World War broke out, when it got a new life as the secret headquarters of the Rail Executive Committee (REC). The steps down to platform level are behind and to the left of the camera. If you do visit Down Street, near by is Shepherd Market. Facebook India head Ajit Mohan has formally announced that he is stepping down from his position at Meta. 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. Some of the original station signage remains behind later paint, plaster and the accumulated dirt of many decades. It added: "For the first time in 90 years, Down Street station is considering new tenants for a prospective new lease of life." . We got on through the drivers doorway, much to the surprise of the passengers, as the platform isnt really visible and many people wouldnt have known it was there. The agency attracted. it was not part of the original structure, as this picture from the LT archive shows). Blast doors were installed, air-filtration systems added to protect from potential gas attacks . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Join me as I explore London past and present over the coming months. Down Street Located in between Mayfair's Hyde Park Corner and Green Park stations, Down Street was once part of The Great Northern Piccadilly and Brompton Railway. The Down Street tour takes 90 minutes and costs 85 per person (80 concessions), including include a one-day pass to London Transport Museum. Enter Down Street, whose deep tunnels and Mayfair location made it perfect. (All photos on the page: 2009 unless stated otherwise). Many of the partitions were removed to allow various elements of underground signalling and communications to be installed, but the rest of the REC facilities have been left in slow decay. It's amazing to think of how much is hidden below us when we're rushing around in London! To put the cost of re-opening the lost Piccadilly line stations in context, the refurbishment of Victoria Underground station is estimated to cost 695,000,000. Explore the time capsule of vintage advertising posters that lies below Euston Station. However, Chambers' bid through his firm, The Old London Underground Company, was ruled out of the bidding process. Down Street Tube Station first opened in 1907 and served the Piccadilly line. A section of the platform was left open so REC executives could signal to to picked up by passing trains which made me wonder about those unexpected mid-tunnel stops on the Tube these days? 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. A small corridor leading from the front entrance to the large intake fans, installed over the lift shaft. And were going to share our knowledge with you. It was in close proximity to Dover Street (now Green Park) and Hyde Park Corner stations, with its depth making it relatively inconvenient to use. The REC operated around the clock and to avoid attracting attention, most staff lived, ate and slept in shifts. C all times except late . So let's talk about net neutrality and what the concerns are on that front with Ajit Pai. Thursday 17 November 2022, all day. Your email address will not be published. Power up for an electrifying night of interactive science experiments, talks and creative workshops. Here is the original lift shaft. Down Street was under-used as an London Underground station and closed in 1932 after opening in 1907 But station became a vital Second World War operations hub to run Britain's mainline railways . Although every bit of space from the two main tunnels was made use of, when Down Street was converted there were strict instructions that the emergency tunnel was to be kept clear for ventilation. 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. 1.4M views, 49 likes, 0 loves, 3 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Dragons' Den Global: Ajit Chambers wants to transform disused tube. Land disputes and layout issues meant it opened late, and it never really caught up. Ajit Mohan, vice president and managing director, Meta India, has quit the firm with immediate effect, according to several reports. 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. Down Street is probably one of the best known of London's closed tube stations for although its life as a railway station was short and uneventful, it played a vital part in the war effort as an underground protected headquarters for the Railway . Get an intimate peek into one of London's most intriguing hidden spaces. The London Transport Museumis performing an excellent service in opening up these old stations with well run tours and very knowledgeable guides. The remains of these still exist, although the decay of the past 70 years is clearly evident. The trains pass just a few feet away, and when one slowed down we could see into the carriage at passengers who had no idea that we or any of the tunnels were down there. By the end of April work had begun on converting the abandoned Tube Station to house 40 staff in a bomb-proof, air-conditioned bunker. Well, this wasnt the end of Down Street station because the exact reasons why it closed made it a great place for a different purpose in the Second World War. It was latterly served by the Piccadilly line and was situated between Dover Street (now named Green Park) and Hyde Park Corner stations.. Image Credit: Tim@SW2008. During World War II it was used as an air-raid shelter, notably by Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet.
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