Hi all !!
Right !! First thing to mention is please dont get too excited, this visit was a few years ago, long before i purchased a decent camera and learned any photography 'skills'. This was definately one (if not THE) visit to an abandoned place that REALLY kick started my passion for exploring............anyway read on............................
King William Street station lies 75 feet underneath a busy Central London road surrounded by modern faceless office blocks. There is only one trace that a station ever existed here and that is a blue plaque placed many many moons ago by The City of London Corporation !!
The station was a terminus on the first electric tube railway in the world-' The City & South London Railway ' Opened on the 18th December 1890 and ran to Stockwell in South London. Only ten years after opening the line was extended northwards to Moorgate using a new route tunneled from Borough stn, and King William Street stn and the tunnels under the Thames towards London Bridge Stn were abandoned on February 24th 1900 !!!
With the onset of WW1 fears grew that the abandoned tunnels could be used by invaders and as a result the track was lifted and the tunnels sealed in 1914. All then lay quiet until in 1940 the owners of Regis House the property directly above the stn acquired the tenancy of the underground area in order to build an air raid shelter for 2000 people !!!
The entrance stairwell
...this leads down to platform level where a lot of original tiling still exists
The entrance to the original platforms are now barely recognisable since the building of the shelter !!
However parts do exist and this is a side room (poss a toilet) Notice how all the original tiling was simply painted over with Sunshine Yellow when the shelter was erected !!
The shelter was built over the entire length of the platforms and out into the crossover tunnel at the stn throat. It consists of upper and lower sections which presumably were male and female areas.
This is part of the lower section with the door marked Gentlemen.
Upstairs now and into the female area. Notice the forced air ducting and toilet areas.
The station was approached by two single track tunnels on slightly differant levels which were used for toilet cubicles.
No idea what the purpose of these flaps was ?
Both tunnels then continue on for a short while until they are blocked !!
Remarkably a painted gradient marker still exists in one of the tunnels.
There are still a few odds n sodz around although the original wartime posters that lined the shelter well into the 70's have now perished. This is the forced air vent motor and fan assembly complete with starter switch and fan makers plate.
open and closed levers to control the flow still exist as do the conicle shaped vents themselves. I think that the fire detector is a slightly later addition.
Fire Reel !!
Broken light fitting
...and the Minerva fire alarm control panel all still exist.
As does one final notice from WW11. It reads ' Special notice to late arrivals and early risers. Please spare a thoght for your fellow shelterers and refrain from making any unnecessary noice. Please remember that others may be asleep although you are not !!!! Sound advise indeed !!
Thanx !!
Right !! First thing to mention is please dont get too excited, this visit was a few years ago, long before i purchased a decent camera and learned any photography 'skills'. This was definately one (if not THE) visit to an abandoned place that REALLY kick started my passion for exploring............anyway read on............................
King William Street station lies 75 feet underneath a busy Central London road surrounded by modern faceless office blocks. There is only one trace that a station ever existed here and that is a blue plaque placed many many moons ago by The City of London Corporation !!
The station was a terminus on the first electric tube railway in the world-' The City & South London Railway ' Opened on the 18th December 1890 and ran to Stockwell in South London. Only ten years after opening the line was extended northwards to Moorgate using a new route tunneled from Borough stn, and King William Street stn and the tunnels under the Thames towards London Bridge Stn were abandoned on February 24th 1900 !!!
With the onset of WW1 fears grew that the abandoned tunnels could be used by invaders and as a result the track was lifted and the tunnels sealed in 1914. All then lay quiet until in 1940 the owners of Regis House the property directly above the stn acquired the tenancy of the underground area in order to build an air raid shelter for 2000 people !!!
The entrance stairwell
...this leads down to platform level where a lot of original tiling still exists
The entrance to the original platforms are now barely recognisable since the building of the shelter !!
However parts do exist and this is a side room (poss a toilet) Notice how all the original tiling was simply painted over with Sunshine Yellow when the shelter was erected !!
The shelter was built over the entire length of the platforms and out into the crossover tunnel at the stn throat. It consists of upper and lower sections which presumably were male and female areas.
This is part of the lower section with the door marked Gentlemen.
Upstairs now and into the female area. Notice the forced air ducting and toilet areas.
The station was approached by two single track tunnels on slightly differant levels which were used for toilet cubicles.
No idea what the purpose of these flaps was ?
Both tunnels then continue on for a short while until they are blocked !!
Remarkably a painted gradient marker still exists in one of the tunnels.
There are still a few odds n sodz around although the original wartime posters that lined the shelter well into the 70's have now perished. This is the forced air vent motor and fan assembly complete with starter switch and fan makers plate.
open and closed levers to control the flow still exist as do the conicle shaped vents themselves. I think that the fire detector is a slightly later addition.
Fire Reel !!
Broken light fitting
...and the Minerva fire alarm control panel all still exist.
As does one final notice from WW11. It reads ' Special notice to late arrivals and early risers. Please spare a thoght for your fellow shelterers and refrain from making any unnecessary noice. Please remember that others may be asleep although you are not !!!! Sound advise indeed !!
Thanx !!
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