Piccadilly Line
 

 

DOWN STREET

(1907 - 1932)

 An unusual case of a central London station being closed completely without replacement of some sort: Down Street was built in a well-to-do area (such that local inhabitants were unlikely to use the underground), was too close to the stations either side of it (Hyde Park Corner and Dover St), and was in a generally low catchment area anyway.

Its neighbouring stations received new entrances closer to Down Street when they were rebuilt for escalator installation thus allowing for Down Street to be closed. As with Brompton Road, its patronage was so light that not all trains had been stopping there. The closure of the two stations allowed journey times on the Piccadilly Line to be reduced.

The platforms at Down Street were bricked up during World War II, so there is only a fleeting glimpse to be had from passing trains.

 


1) Hyde Park Corner station
2) Down Street station
3) Dover Street station (now Green Park)

This map dates from the 1930s - both Hyde Park Corner and Green Park station now have entrances closer to the location of Down Street.

 

 

 
Steps down to platform level.

 

 

 
The direction boards were installed to prevent contractors getting lost!

 

 

 

Alternative view of the location in the photo above.

Photo by Gary. ©2011

 

 

 
Platform level. Shuttered gates now provide access to the running tunnel as seen in this photo.

 

 

 
Looking through the gates. To disguise their location during the war, the platforms had brick walls built on the platform edges. The tiling rings on the station ceiling are still visible. This is the westbound platform looking in a westerly direction.

 

 

 

Track view from fractionally further westward.

Photo by Gary. ©2011

 

 

 

The western end of the westbound platform looking in a westerly direction.

With the expansion of the Piccadilly Line in the 1930s, a central London reversing facility was needed. A siding was built from Down Street as far as Hyde Park Corner, with junctions on both eastbound and westbound tracks. The western ends of the Down Street platforms were demolished and the space used for the step-plate junctions, as seen here (the right hand tunnel leads to the siding and utilises the former platform space). The siding to Hyde Park Corner can accommodate two full length trains and can be accessed, on foot, from Hyde Park Corner station.

 

 

 

The platform area segregated from the running tunnel.

 

 

 
There are several of these orientation diagrams located around the station site. This one is simplified to show only passages relevant for escape.

 

 

 
The telephony room was sprayed with paint from top to bottom in some strange post-war attempt to hide its original purpose. Someone has removed some of the paint to reveal this original way out sign.

 

 

 
World War II telephony equipment still in situ, albeit completely sprayed with paint.

 

 

 
World War II telephone terminating blocks still in situ. This space is the former platform space; the open door leads to the running tunnel.

 

 

 

View through the open door: looking westward from the western end of the eastbound platform.

The left hand tunnel leads from the siding mentioned above (trains would approach the camera en route to joining the eastbound track, seen on the right).

The original tiled rings around the ceiling are still visible (those rings, distinctive to Yerkes built stations, are still very much in evidence on the Northern, Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines).

 

Continues on next page...

(All photos on the page: 2009 unless stated otherwise)

 

 

Down Street pt.3 (Piccadilly Line)