March 13, 2008
Subterranean London Explored
Crossrail, the Channel Tunnel rail link, basement developments – underground London is growing as fast as the surface city.
The past, present and future of our subterranean spaces are celebrated in the latest exhibition at New London Architecture.
To be honest, you can enjoy most of the show from the comfort of your laptop by downloading the guide.
However, if you're in the Tottenham Court Road area, it's worth popping in to see the model of subterranean King's Cross. It's a tangled web down there. As well as Tube lines and Thameslink, the River Fleet flows past in its own conduit. And what's that mysterious 'other tunnel' running the length of York Way?
While you're there, check out the gallery of 'small projects', designs for the Olympic velopark and an update on Tegs Farrell's 'Manifesto for London'.
Underground: London's Hidden Infrastructure runs till 19 April. New London Architecture is at 26 Store Street.
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The mysterious tunnel is Maiden Lane Curve, which was a connection between the Circle Line and the mainline north of King's Cross. It was only open 1865-8.
There are another two tunnels that connect the King's Cross main line to what's now the Thameslink line to Moorgate, one of which is in the picture, which were closed ca. 1970 because they had very tight curves. The tunnel under St Pancras now used by Thameslink was another part of the scheme, and is the only bit still in use.
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I used to get the bus down York Way most days before I moved, and always wondered what line it used to be one... Would it have been from that connection?
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There are two old York Way stations - one was a tube station on the Piccadilly Line called York Road (the building's still there, on the east side of the road),
The other was on the connection to Moorgate, and was called King's Cross (York Way), and was only a short distance north of the main terminus platforms.
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Mr Thant, I salute your knowledge.
Look out for a map of subterranean London that I'll be putting on Londonist in the next few days. Sounds like you'll have lots of additions.