St. Paul's tube station
Encyclopedia
St. Paul's tube station is a London Underground
station in the City of London
on the Central Line
, between Bank and Chancery Lane
stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 1
.
The station should not be confused with City Thameslink station which opened in 1990 as St Paul's Thameslink, but is some distance from the underground station. That station was subsequently renamed City Thameslink to avoid confusion for the emergency services, but for years afterwards many maps and guidebooks in circulation continued to carry the earlier name.
(CLR) on 30 July 1900 with the name Post Office, after the headquarters of the General Post Office on St Martin's le Grand. The station name was possibly chosen instead of the more obvious St Paul's to differentiate it from a South Eastern Railway
station of that name (now Blackfriars station
).
The station entrance was originally located on the north side of Newgate Street, on the west side of the junction with King Edward Street
, but was moved to the east when the station was modernised in the 1930s with a below ground ticket hall and escalator
s. A modern ventilation shaft in the centre of the traffic island at the junction indicates the location of the original lift shafts. Post Office received its present name after the other St Paul's station was renamed to Blackfriars in 1937.
At the end of the 19th century, Newgate Street was a narrow road with some of its mediaeval
character remaining. To reduce land purchase and compensation payments, the CLR routed its tunnels directly under public roads. At St Paul's the narrowness of the road required the tunnels to be placed one above the other with the westbound tunnel uppermost. The lifts
originally operated to a level between the two platforms, with stairs up or down to the platforms as necessary. A high-level access passage way is visible at the lowest level leading to the disused lift lobby.
During the Second World War the Electricity Grid Control Room, for London and the Southeast, was housed below ground in the lift shaft.
, Cheapside
and St Martin's le Grand and takes its current name from nearby St Paul's Cathedral
, a short distance to the south. Visitors should note that the main entrance to the Cathedral is at its west end, a few minutes' walk away. The station is the nearest one to the London Stock Exchange
and the recently-opened One New Change
shopping centre.
routes 4, 8, 25, 56, 100, 172, 242 and 521 serve the 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 in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
on 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...
, between Bank and Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane tube station
Chancery Lane is a London Underground station in central London. It is on the Central Line between St. Paul's and Holborn stations. The station is located at the junction of High Holborn, Hatton Garden and Gray's Inn Road with subway entrances giving access to the ticket office under the roadway...
stations, and 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...
.
The station should not be confused with City Thameslink station which opened in 1990 as St Paul's Thameslink, but is some distance from the underground station. That station was subsequently renamed City Thameslink to avoid confusion for the emergency services, but for years afterwards many maps and guidebooks in circulation continued to carry the earlier name.
History
The station was opened by the Central London RailwayCentral London Railway
The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...
(CLR) on 30 July 1900 with the name Post Office, after the headquarters of the General Post Office on St Martin's le Grand. The station name was possibly chosen instead of the more obvious St Paul's to differentiate it from a South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
station of that name (now Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
).
The station entrance was originally located on the north side of Newgate Street, on the west side of the junction with King Edward Street
King Edward Street
King Edward Street is a street running between the High Street to the north and Oriel Square to the south in central Oxford, England.To the east is the "Island" site of Oriel College, one of the colleges of Oxford University...
, but was moved to the east when the station was modernised in the 1930s with a below ground ticket hall and 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. A modern ventilation shaft in the centre of the traffic island at the junction indicates the location of the original lift shafts. Post Office received its present name after the other St Paul's station was renamed to Blackfriars in 1937.
At the end of the 19th century, Newgate Street was a narrow road with some of its mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
character remaining. To reduce land purchase and compensation payments, the CLR routed its tunnels directly under public roads. At St Paul's the narrowness of the road required the tunnels to be placed one above the other with the westbound tunnel uppermost. The lifts
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...
originally operated to a level between the two platforms, with stairs up or down to the platforms as necessary. A high-level access passage way is visible at the lowest level leading to the disused lift lobby.
During the Second World War the Electricity Grid Control Room, for London and the Southeast, was housed below ground in the lift shaft.
The station today
The station entrances are located around the junction of Newgate StreetNewgate
Newgate at the west end of Newgate Street was one of the historic seven gates of London Wall round the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. From it a Roman road led west to Silchester...
, Cheapside
Cheapside
Cheapside is a street in the City of London that links Newgate Street with the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Mansion House Street. To the east is Mansion House, the Bank of England, and the major road junction above Bank tube station. To the west is St. Paul's Cathedral, St...
and St Martin's le Grand and takes its current name from nearby St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, a short distance to the south. Visitors should note that the main entrance to the Cathedral is at its west end, a few minutes' walk away. The station is the nearest one to the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and the recently-opened One New Change
One New Change
One New Change is a major office and retail development in the City of London , London, United Kingdom. It comprises a total of 560,000 sq feet of floor space, including of retail space and of office space and is currently the only large, modern shopping centre in the City...
shopping centre.
Transport connections
London BusesLondon 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...
routes 4, 8, 25, 56, 100, 172, 242 and 521 serve the station.
External links
- Abandoned stations - Section on disused lift access passage
- London Transport Museum Photographic Archive