Leicester Square tube station
Encyclopedia
Leicester Square is a station on the London Underground
, located on Charing Cross Road
, a short distance to the east of Leicester Square
itself.
The station is on the Northern Line
between Charing Cross
and Tottenham Court Road
, and the Piccadilly Line
between Piccadilly Circus
and Covent Garden
. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
.
On early Tube plans, the station was listed as Cranbourn Street, but the present name was used when the station was first opened by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
on 15 December 1906.
Like other stations on the original sections of the Piccadilly and Northern Lines, the station was originally constructed with lift
s providing access to the platforms. The increase in passenger numbers in the 1920s as the Northern line was extended north (to Edgware
) and south (to Morden
) and the expected further increase from the 1930s extensions of the Piccadilly Line lead to the reconstruction of the station below ground in the early 1930s. New station entrances were constructed to a new sub-surface ticket hall. As with the similar sub-surface ticket hall previously built at Piccadilly Circus this was excavated partially under the roadway. From there banks of escalators were provided down to both sets of platforms. The redundant lifts were removed but the lift shaft remains in use as a ventilation shaft hidden behind a small door on the first landing of the Cranbourn street entrance stairs. The redeveloped station opened in 1935.
The escalators down to the Piccadilly Line were the longest on the entire Underground network, being 54 m (177 ft) in length, until the rebuilding and reopening of Angel
in 1992, which overtook Leicester Square with its 60 m (197 ft) escalators.
Offices above the red terracotta station building on the east side of Charing Cross Road are occupied by the Northern Line management staff. The building, known as Transad House, was in its early years, occupied by the publishers of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
and an image of cricket stumps appears above a door way.
The station is featured briefly during the introductory video sequence of the sixth Harry Potter film.
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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...
, located on Charing Cross Road
Charing Cross Road
Charing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus and then becomes Tottenham Court Road...
, a short distance to the east of Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
itself.
The station is on 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 Charing Cross
Charing Cross tube station
Charing Cross tube station is a London Underground station at Charing Cross in the City of Westminster with entrances located in Trafalgar Square and The Strand. The station is served by the Northern and Bakerloo lines and provides an interchange with the National Rail network at station...
and Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road tube station
Tottenham Court Road is a London Underground station in central London. It is an interchange between the Central line and the branch of the Northern line.On the Central line it is between and , and on the Northern line it is between and...
, and the Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
between Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus tube station
Piccadilly Circus tube station is the London Underground station located directly beneath Piccadilly Circus itself, with entrances at every corner...
and Covent Garden
Covent Garden tube station
Covent Garden is a London Underground station in Covent Garden. It is on the Piccadilly Line between Leicester Square and Holborn. The station is a Grade II listed building, on the corner of Long Acre and James Street...
. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
Travelcard Zone 1
Fare zone 1 is the central 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. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...
.
On early Tube plans, the station was listed as Cranbourn Street, but the present name was used when the station was first opened by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , also known as the Piccadilly tube, was a railway company established in 1902 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. The GNP&BR was formed through a merger of two older companies, the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus...
on 15 December 1906.
Like other stations on the original sections of the Piccadilly and Northern Lines, the station was originally constructed with lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s providing access to the platforms. The increase in passenger numbers in the 1920s as the Northern line was extended north (to Edgware
Edgware tube station
Edgware tube station is a London Underground station in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet, in North London. The station is the terminus of the Edgware branch of the Northern Line and the next station towards central London is . Edgware is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Location:The station is in...
) and south (to Morden
Morden tube station
Morden is a London Underground station in Morden in the London Borough of Merton. The station is the southern terminus for the Northern line and is the most southerly station on the Underground network. The next station north is...
) and the expected further increase from the 1930s extensions of the Piccadilly Line lead to the reconstruction of the station below ground in the early 1930s. New station entrances were constructed to a new sub-surface ticket hall. As with the similar sub-surface ticket hall previously built at Piccadilly Circus this was excavated partially under the roadway. From there banks of escalators were provided down to both sets of platforms. The redundant lifts were removed but the lift shaft remains in use as a ventilation shaft hidden behind a small door on the first landing of the Cranbourn street entrance stairs. The redeveloped station opened in 1935.
The escalators down to the Piccadilly Line were the longest on the entire Underground network, being 54 m (177 ft) in length, until the rebuilding and reopening of Angel
Angel tube station
Angel tube station is a London Underground station in The Angel, Islington. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line, between Old Street and King's Cross St. Pancras stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The tube stop serves as a portal to several Off West End, or fringe theatre, venues,...
in 1992, which overtook Leicester Square with its 60 m (197 ft) escalators.
Offices above the red terracotta station building on the east side of Charing Cross Road are occupied by the Northern Line management staff. The building, known as Transad House, was in its early years, occupied by the publishers of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
and an image of cricket stumps appears above a door way.
The station is featured briefly during the introductory video sequence of the sixth Harry Potter film.
Transport links
London bus route 14, 19, 24, 29, 38, 176, night route N5, N20, N29, N38, N41 and N279.See also
- Leslie GreenLeslie GreenLeslie William Green was an English architect known especially for his design of iconic stations constructed on the London Underground railway system in central London during the first decade of the 20th century....
- architect of original station building - Charles HoldenCharles HoldenCharles 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...
- architect of new ticket hall and entrances
External links
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- Underground Journeys Charles Holden's work for London Underground, from the Royal Institute of British ArchitectsRoyal Institute of British ArchitectsThe Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
- Leicester Square Design drawing and history
- Escalators