Is this the station that was featured in Billy Connolleys World Tour of England, Wales & Ireland, when he stopped the train to get on & surprised all the passengers.
Down Street is one of the locations in Neil Gaiman's book/TV series 'Neverwhere'. I don't know if the TV series was shot in the actual station, though.
I've been to Down Street and also the Aldwych Stations. Down Street has a bath which is reputed to have been used by Winston Churchill during the war. (smells like that was the last time it was used too!) There is also the remains of a wartime cinema and telephone exchange. It is rumoured the reason that Down Street has never been removed is because there is a secret tunnel that leads from there to Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family to escape in case of a revolution!
The cinema is now an empty room with no remaining evidence. The bath is still there but is dirty and in disrepair. There is no such secret tunnel to Buckingham Palace from this station and this is the first time I have heard this rumour. The telephone exchange still exists but is mostly useless wires and valves (and beyond repair).
there are soo many hidden little spots around london which has been built on top of itself for years.. i would love spending time down there. there are also massive storage spaces for god knows what, there might be a whole community down there for all i know
Creepy stuff, it reminds me of a true story I was once told of train that stopped at a disused LU station and a man - after a long days work in he city - believed it was his stop. He got off and then the train left him there. In this dark, diserted train station.
He escaped by following the stairs which lead to a shop that had been built over the station.
I read in my book about disused LU stations that it was South Kentish Town, on the Northern line. I think it also said (can't check 'cause I can't find the book right now) that there are two versions of the story.
Well if a shop was 'built' over it there would be no exit into the shop and therefore none from the station.
But I am not claiming that this story is untrue. As with most stories, an element of truth remains, however, security issues would disallow any access/egress - though do you know what is built over Brompton Road station?
Well what i meant was that the station was converted into a shop. And this is the bit of the story i left out...
He went up the stairs but came to a wooden wall. But he heard voices on the other side, he started banging and shouting on the wall, and the people inside heard him.
Not sure how it ends, I guess they called the fire brigade or someone cut a hole through to let him out.
It's not a case that this is no longer possible, but more of a case that you would have to be vetted and know the right people. You have to agree though, it's not the sort of place you take *anybody*.
Agreed, I wouldn't expect them to take just anybody down there, but it's a shame that such tours are no longer a part of the Transport Museum's offerings. More and more it seems our freedom to enjoy our heritage is being eroded by vague and unhelpful terms like 'security reasons'...
Unhelpful terms...Jeez! Try to think of other terms such as "shoe bombs" and bombs that can be smuggled in a drinks can or incendiary devices - then remember 7th June. Now talk about "freedoms to explore heritage" and "unhelpful terms like security reasons". Is your memory THAT short?
Look, all I'm saying is that terrorism is designed to surpress and restrict freedom, and that is exactly the effect it is having. All too often it's easier and cheaper to apply blanket security policies than it is to be a bit more sophisticated and be safe without spoiling it for everybody.
So what are you saying exactly? We shouldn't be taking the threats seriously? That there is no heightened risks to public transport that need to be dealt with at the current time? If so then you seem to know something that neither LRT nor the Met are aware of. I would like to be free of these security restrictions too BUT Public transport has been a key target - so I don't think you can justifiably complain about "blanket" security. Trains, buses , tubes are key strategic targets. Come on....
Of course we should take the threats seriously! Please don't twist my words around, I never suggested anything like that. I agree wholeheartedly that the risks posed by terrorism must be tackled with the utmost seriousness. What I am saying is in my opinion, there are ways of going about this without shrouding the entire country in an inpenetrable security blanket and shutting off access to everything.
An example is the spectators' viewing areas at Heathrow and Gatwick - these were immediately closed down by BAA for security reasons because it was easier and cheaper to do that than to have security measures put in place like CCTV and ID checks etc. From a business point of view I understand their reasoning, but Manchester has not closed its viewing area so clearly it's something that is possible to do. OK, perhaps this is inevitable, I just think it's a shame that's all.
Was it eery or anything in there?
XxJamesLegendxX 7 months ago
great stuff you can feel the wind and atmos in this clip thanks
terrysmith61 1 year ago
Is this the station that was featured in Billy Connolleys World Tour of England, Wales & Ireland, when he stopped the train to get on & surprised all the passengers.
SilsdenCougar 2 years ago
Sorry......I was thinking it was top secret and "Down Street" was an enthusiasts term for "underground" !!!!
samuitone 3 years ago
Aldwych ???
samuitone 3 years ago
Sorry to point out the bleedin' obvious but all the above conversations are regarding Down Street, not Aldwych
asparagustips 3 years ago
calm down
conradconrad12 2 years ago
Down Street is one of the locations in Neil Gaiman's book/TV series 'Neverwhere'. I don't know if the TV series was shot in the actual station, though.
ardwurk 3 years ago
how did u get there? are you a staff member or something?
b9y 3 years ago
They don't do tours anymore for security and terrorism reasons. But I know someone who works for LU and can get down there.
asparagustips 3 years ago
I've been to Down Street and also the Aldwych Stations. Down Street has a bath which is reputed to have been used by Winston Churchill during the war. (smells like that was the last time it was used too!) There is also the remains of a wartime cinema and telephone exchange. It is rumoured the reason that Down Street has never been removed is because there is a secret tunnel that leads from there to Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family to escape in case of a revolution!
WiltshireNutty 3 years ago
The cinema is now an empty room with no remaining evidence. The bath is still there but is dirty and in disrepair. There is no such secret tunnel to Buckingham Palace from this station and this is the first time I have heard this rumour. The telephone exchange still exists but is mostly useless wires and valves (and beyond repair).
asparagustips 3 years ago
there are soo many hidden little spots around london which has been built on top of itself for years.. i would love spending time down there. there are also massive storage spaces for god knows what, there might be a whole community down there for all i know
jibberjabberman 4 years ago
cool!
stevenserrao 4 years ago
Creepy stuff, it reminds me of a true story I was once told of train that stopped at a disused LU station and a man - after a long days work in he city - believed it was his stop. He got off and then the train left him there. In this dark, diserted train station.
He escaped by following the stairs which lead to a shop that had been built over the station.
matsui90 4 years ago 5
I read in my book about disused LU stations that it was South Kentish Town, on the Northern line. I think it also said (can't check 'cause I can't find the book right now) that there are two versions of the story.
Kinrah 4 years ago
Well if a shop was 'built' over it there would be no exit into the shop and therefore none from the station.
But I am not claiming that this story is untrue. As with most stories, an element of truth remains, however, security issues would disallow any access/egress - though do you know what is built over Brompton Road station?
asparagustips 3 years ago
Well what i meant was that the station was converted into a shop. And this is the bit of the story i left out...
He went up the stairs but came to a wooden wall. But he heard voices on the other side, he started banging and shouting on the wall, and the people inside heard him.
Not sure how it ends, I guess they called the fire brigade or someone cut a hole through to let him out.
matsui90 3 years ago
@asparagustips yes it's the EARLS COURT complex...like an iceburg their is more of it under the ground then you can see from the surface
grahamkeithtodd 1 year ago
thats not true, it is a story written by John Betjeman
Deunansek 3 years ago
@matsui90 Allegedly happened at South Kentish Town Station in 1924, just after it closed "The Tale of Mr Brackett"
RichardHell1959 11 months ago
Cool... How did you get into Down Street? I thought the LU museum dont do tours anymore.
AppleOranges12 4 years ago
They don't do tours anymore for security and terrorism reasons. But I know someone who works for LU and can get down there.
asparagustips 4 years ago
it's such a shame that all these things are no longer possible because of terrorism.
tjf4375 4 years ago 2
It's not a case that this is no longer possible, but more of a case that you would have to be vetted and know the right people. You have to agree though, it's not the sort of place you take *anybody*.
asparagustips 4 years ago
Agreed, I wouldn't expect them to take just anybody down there, but it's a shame that such tours are no longer a part of the Transport Museum's offerings. More and more it seems our freedom to enjoy our heritage is being eroded by vague and unhelpful terms like 'security reasons'...
tjf4375 4 years ago
Unhelpful terms...Jeez! Try to think of other terms such as "shoe bombs" and bombs that can be smuggled in a drinks can or incendiary devices - then remember 7th June. Now talk about "freedoms to explore heritage" and "unhelpful terms like security reasons". Is your memory THAT short?
hoss1962 3 years ago
Look, all I'm saying is that terrorism is designed to surpress and restrict freedom, and that is exactly the effect it is having. All too often it's easier and cheaper to apply blanket security policies than it is to be a bit more sophisticated and be safe without spoiling it for everybody.
tjf4375 3 years ago 7
So what are you saying exactly? We shouldn't be taking the threats seriously? That there is no heightened risks to public transport that need to be dealt with at the current time? If so then you seem to know something that neither LRT nor the Met are aware of. I would like to be free of these security restrictions too BUT Public transport has been a key target - so I don't think you can justifiably complain about "blanket" security. Trains, buses , tubes are key strategic targets. Come on....
hoss1962 3 years ago
Of course we should take the threats seriously! Please don't twist my words around, I never suggested anything like that. I agree wholeheartedly that the risks posed by terrorism must be tackled with the utmost seriousness. What I am saying is in my opinion, there are ways of going about this without shrouding the entire country in an inpenetrable security blanket and shutting off access to everything.
tjf4375 3 years ago
An example is the spectators' viewing areas at Heathrow and Gatwick - these were immediately closed down by BAA for security reasons because it was easier and cheaper to do that than to have security measures put in place like CCTV and ID checks etc. From a business point of view I understand their reasoning, but Manchester has not closed its viewing area so clearly it's something that is possible to do. OK, perhaps this is inevitable, I just think it's a shame that's all.
tjf4375 3 years ago