Highgate tube station
Encyclopedia
Highgate tube station is a London Underground
station on Archway Road, Highgate
, not far from Highgate Village in north London
. It is on the High Barnet branch
of the Northern Line
, between Archway
and East Finchley
, in Travelcard Zone 3
.
The present low-level station was built in the late 1930s as part of London Underground's Northern Heights plan. It is just part of the planned station but the advent of the Second World War
postponed parts of the project and eventually led to its cancellation. The low-level station was built directly below the existing high-level London & North Eastern Railway
(LNER) station.
Highgate station was originally constructed by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
in the 1860s on its line from Finsbury Park
to Edgware
. Before the line was opened it was purchased in July 1867 by the larger Great Northern Railway
(GNR), whose main line from King's Cross ran through Finsbury Park on its way to Potters Bar
and the north. The railway to Edgware opened as a single-track line on 22 August 1867.
Because of the hilly terrain, the station was built in a deep cutting excavated from Highgate Hill adjacent to Archway Road. Tunnels penetrated the hillside at each end of the station, leading to East Finchley to the north and Crouch End
to the south.
A branch line was constructed from Highgate to Alexandra Palace
by the Muswell Hill Railway (MHR) and opened on 22 May 1872. The new branch split from the original route north of the station in a wide arc around Highgate Wood. The next station on the branch line when it opened was Muswell Hill
, and in 1902 an intermediate station opened at Cranley Gardens
.
In 1911, the MHR branch was taken over by the GNR. After the 1921 Railways Act
created the Big Four railway companies, the GNR became part of the LNER.
Services through the tunnel to East Finchley started operating on 3 July 1939 although the Low Level station and interchange with the High Level station did not open until 19 January 1941. The station is unique in having platforms long enough to accommodate nine-car trains, being built to this length in anticipation of future extensions at other stations. An unusual relic of the abortive plan to incorporate the high-level platforms into the Underground system was the numbering of the low-level platforms as 3 and 4 until the 1990s.
Because of the war the full plan for the reconstruction of the station designed by Charles Holden
was not completed and parts for escalator
s intended for Highgate were used in central London stations. Works to electrify the LNER tracks from Finsbury Park, through Highgate to East Finchley and on the Alexandra Palace branch had been well advanced when war started but were postponed.
LNER trains continued to serve the High Level station, with services to East Finchley continuing until 2 March 1941. After that date LNER trains operated between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace only. The start of Underground services between Finchley Central
and Mill Hill East
in May 1941 was the last part of the Northern Heights Project to be completed.
During World War II
Highgate tube station was used, as many were, as a shelter from the bombing of London by the Luftwaffe
, and latterly V1 and V2 bombs. The politician and entertainer Jerry Springer
was born at the tube station.
After the war, maintenance works and reconstruction of war damage on the existing network had the greatest call on London Underground funds. Funds for new works were severely limited and the priority was given to the completion of the Central Line
extensions to West Ruislip, Epping
and Hainault
. It was announced in October 1950 that the extension to Bushey Heath would not be proceeded with, but that extensions to Brockley Hill and beyond Mill Hill East might still proceed. In February 1954 it was finally announced that the extensions beyond Edgware and Mill Hill East had been abandoned. In October 1956 the depot buildings that had been built at Aldenham, in anticipation of the Bushey Heath extension, opened instead as London Transport's bus overhaul facility.
After a temporary closure between October 1951 and January 1952, British Railways (the successor to the LNER) ended services between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace permanently on 3 July 1954.
The unfulfilled plans for the station involved a much more substantial station building than the inconsequental structures that were eventually built. A large building at the top of the hill would have been the main entrance with dual escalators in a stepped enclosure down to the level of the surface platforms where a secondary entrance would have provided access from the car park. The building would have been topped by a statue of Dick Whittington and his cat
by Eric Aumonier
who created the Archer statue at East Finchley. The current buildings were built on a much more modest scale and the escalator link to the high level exit was not built until 1957. This link is housed in a concrete box built up the side of the hill but was never completed as intended - no down escalator was ever installed although the foundations for it were completed.
The surface platforms and their buildings are still in place and are visible, where not obscured by trees on the sides of the cutting. A surviving station building from the GNR station, now a private house, may be seen from Priory Gardens. The surface station and overground tunnels have sometimes been used for filming and have appeared in several productions, notably the feature film Paperhouse
, the TV series Messiah
and the Steven Wilson
music documentary film Insurgentes.
The following London buses
serve this station
Night buses:
The following TfL buses serve Highgate Village, 950 metre (0.590304099817316 mi) away and a 25 metres (82 ft) climb via Southwood Lane.
Night Buses:
The nearest station to Highgate Cemetery
is Archway tube station
.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station on Archway Road, Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, not far from Highgate Village in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is on the High Barnet branch
High Barnet tube station
High Barnet tube station is a London Underground station located in High Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles north north-west...
of the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
, between Archway
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
and East Finchley
East Finchley tube station
East Finchley is a London Underground station in East Finchley in north London. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Highgate and Finchley Central stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-History:...
, in Travelcard Zone 3
Travelcard Zone 3
Fare zone 3 is a zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services...
.
The present low-level station was built in the late 1930s as part of London Underground's Northern Heights plan. It is just part of the planned station but the advent of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
postponed parts of the project and eventually led to its cancellation. The low-level station was built directly below the existing high-level London & North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER) station.
High-level station
Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern Line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War...
in the 1860s on its line from Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park station
Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
to Edgware
Edgware railway station
Edgware railway station was a London and North Eastern Railway station in Station Road, Edgware, Greater London. It is not to be confused with the London Underground Northern line Edgware station approximately 200 metres to the north east.-History:...
. Before the line was opened it was purchased in July 1867 by the larger Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR), whose main line from King's Cross ran through Finsbury Park on its way to Potters Bar
Potters Bar
Potters Bar is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England, located north of Central London. In 2001 it had a population of 21,618....
and the north. The railway to Edgware opened as a single-track line on 22 August 1867.
Because of the hilly terrain, the station was built in a deep cutting excavated from Highgate Hill adjacent to Archway Road. Tunnels penetrated the hillside at each end of the station, leading to East Finchley to the north and Crouch End
Crouch End railway station
Crouch End railway station is a former station in the Crouch End area of north London. It was located between Stroud Green station and Highgate station on Crouch End Hill just north of its junction with Hornsey Lane...
to the south.
A branch line was constructed from Highgate to Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch)
Alexandra Palace railway station is a former station in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the Muswell Hill area of north London...
by the Muswell Hill Railway (MHR) and opened on 22 May 1872. The new branch split from the original route north of the station in a wide arc around Highgate Wood. The next station on the branch line when it opened was Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill railway station
Muswell Hill railway station was in the Muswell Hill district of north London just north of the road junction of Muswell Hill and Muswell Hill Place...
, and in 1902 an intermediate station opened at Cranley Gardens
Cranley Gardens railway station
Cranley Gardens railway station was a station in the Muswell Hill area of north London. It was located between Highgate station and Muswell Hill station at the junction of Muswell Hill Road and Cranley Gardens...
.
In 1911, the MHR branch was taken over by the GNR. After the 1921 Railways Act
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
created the Big Four railway companies, the GNR became part of the LNER.
Low-level station
The construction of the Northern Heights project extended tube train services from the Northern Line's terminus at Archway (then called Highgate) through a new section of paired tunnels under the High Level station to emerge north west of Highgate station, where connections to the LNER line to East Finchley were made.Services through the tunnel to East Finchley started operating on 3 July 1939 although the Low Level station and interchange with the High Level station did not open until 19 January 1941. The station is unique in having platforms long enough to accommodate nine-car trains, being built to this length in anticipation of future extensions at other stations. An unusual relic of the abortive plan to incorporate the high-level platforms into the Underground system was the numbering of the low-level platforms as 3 and 4 until the 1990s.
Wartime and after - postponement & cancellation
Charles Holden
Charles Henry Holden, Litt. D., FRIBA, MRTPI, RDI was a Bolton-born English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, for Bristol Central Library, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadway and for the...
was not completed and parts for escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
s intended for Highgate were used in central London stations. Works to electrify the LNER tracks from Finsbury Park, through Highgate to East Finchley and on the Alexandra Palace branch had been well advanced when war started but were postponed.
LNER trains continued to serve the High Level station, with services to East Finchley continuing until 2 March 1941. After that date LNER trains operated between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace only. The start of Underground services between Finchley Central
Finchley Central tube station
Finchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End area of Finchley, North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and East Finchley stations and is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East station...
and Mill Hill East
Mill Hill East tube station
Mill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
in May 1941 was the last part of the Northern Heights Project to be completed.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Highgate tube station was used, as many were, as a shelter from the bombing of London by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, and latterly V1 and V2 bombs. The politician and entertainer Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
was born at the tube station.
After the war, maintenance works and reconstruction of war damage on the existing network had the greatest call on London Underground funds. Funds for new works were severely limited and the priority was given to the completion of the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
extensions to West Ruislip, Epping
Epping tube station
Epping on the London Underground is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. The station before Epping is Theydon Bois, which is about three minutes travelling time away. Epping station is in the Epping Forest District of Essex...
and Hainault
Hainault tube station
Hainault is a London Underground station on the Central Line in Hainault in the London Borough of Redbridge. Since 2 January 2007 the station is in Travelcard Zone 4. This station is home to one of the three Central Line depots.-History:...
. It was announced in October 1950 that the extension to Bushey Heath would not be proceeded with, but that extensions to Brockley Hill and beyond Mill Hill East might still proceed. In February 1954 it was finally announced that the extensions beyond Edgware and Mill Hill East had been abandoned. In October 1956 the depot buildings that had been built at Aldenham, in anticipation of the Bushey Heath extension, opened instead as London Transport's bus overhaul facility.
After a temporary closure between October 1951 and January 1952, British Railways (the successor to the LNER) ended services between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace permanently on 3 July 1954.
The unfulfilled plans for the station involved a much more substantial station building than the inconsequental structures that were eventually built. A large building at the top of the hill would have been the main entrance with dual escalators in a stepped enclosure down to the level of the surface platforms where a secondary entrance would have provided access from the car park. The building would have been topped by a statue of Dick Whittington and his cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat is an English folk tale that has often been used as the basis for stage pantomimes and other adaptations. It tells of a poor boy in the 14th century who becomes a wealthy merchant and eventually the Lord Mayor of London because of the ratting abilities of his cat...
by Eric Aumonier
Eric Aumonier
-Life:Aumonier was born in Northwood, Middlesex . his family name is Huguenot . Eric's grandfather, William, founded the Aumonier Studios in 1876, an architectural sculpture firm in London, initially located at New Inn Yard off Tottenham Court Road, then at 84 Charlotte Street. His son, also called...
who created the Archer statue at East Finchley. The current buildings were built on a much more modest scale and the escalator link to the high level exit was not built until 1957. This link is housed in a concrete box built up the side of the hill but was never completed as intended - no down escalator was ever installed although the foundations for it were completed.
The surface platforms and their buildings are still in place and are visible, where not obscured by trees on the sides of the cutting. A surviving station building from the GNR station, now a private house, may be seen from Priory Gardens. The surface station and overground tunnels have sometimes been used for filming and have appeared in several productions, notably the feature film Paperhouse
Paperhouse (film)
Paperhouse is a 1988 British dark fantasy film directed by Bernard Rose. It was based on the novel Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. The film also stars Ben Cross as the heroine's father. Other actors of note in the film include Jane Bertish, Samantha Cahill, Glenne Headly and Gemma Jones....
, the TV series Messiah
Messiah (TV series)
Messiah is a British television drama series, broadcast on the BBC One network and produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland, although the series itself is set in England. Made up of a series of occasional serials, the first, with two parts subtitled The First Killings & The Reckoning, was...
and the Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree...
music documentary film Insurgentes.
Transport links
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
serve this station
- 43London Buses route 43London Buses route 43 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Friern Barnet Library-London Bridge Station) every 6–7 minutes - 134London Buses route 134London Buses route 134 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(North Finchley Tally Ho Corner-Tottenham Court Road Station) every 6 minutes - 263London Buses route 263London Buses route 263 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Barnet Hospital-Holloway Nag's Head) every 10 minutes
Night buses:
- 43London Buses route 43London Buses route 43 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(24-hour service, route as above) every 30 minutes - 134London Buses route 134London Buses route 134 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(24-hour service, route as above) every 15 minutes - N20 (Barnet Church-Trafalgar Square) every 30 minute from 0000-0530
The following TfL buses serve Highgate Village, 950 metre (0.590304099817316 mi) away and a 25 metres (82 ft) climb via Southwood Lane.
- 143London Buses route 143London Buses route 143 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Brent Cross Shopping Centre-Archway Station) every 12 minutes - 210London Buses route 210London Buses route 210 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. This service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Brent Cross Shopping Centre-Finsbury Park Station) every 7–8 minutes - 214London Buses route 214London Buses route 214 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Highgate Village North Road-Liverpool Street Bus Station) every 7–8 minutes - 271London Buses route 271London Buses route 271 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Highgate Village South Grove-Liverpool Street Station) every 8 minutes - 603 (Swiss Cottage station-Muswell Hill Broadway) 4 return journeys
Night Buses:
- 214London Buses route 214London Buses route 214 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(24-hour service, route as above) every 20 minutes - 271London Buses route 271London Buses route 271 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(24-hour service, route as above) every 30 minutes
The nearest station to Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
is Archway tube station
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
.
External links
- Location of the station on Multimap
- London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
- Buildings on Archway Road are visible beyond, showing depth of cutting in which the surface station was built.
- Urban75: The Northern Heights Parkland Walk
- Disused Stations - Highgate (High Level)