The station had one large tunnel with an island platform
between two tracks (it was rebuilt as such in 1895 to allow two
trains into it - before that it only had one track with platforms
on either side of it). The curve of the wall and its tiles in
the middle of the photo indicates that it is one of the walls
of the original station (and not air raid shelter additions).
|
|
The height of the station allowed it to be split into
a two level shelter. This is the lower level - original station
tiles are on the right hand side wall.
|
|
Lower level and stairs to the upper level. The breeze
block walls visible in these photos were still in the process
of being built when these photos were taken but the presence
of the war-time poster indicates that the wall it is on is far
older.
|
|
One of the original war time posters, still in-situ
when these photos were taken.
|
|
The upper level.
The curve of the original station ceiling is clear
here.
|
|
Upper level with more of the war time posters visible
on the wall.
|
|
Closer view of the World War II posters.
|
|
One of the two original passageways that led to the lifts.
|
|
Staircase with tiling intact from its railway days.
|
|
An existing staircase at Elephant & Castle station,
the only remaining one on the Northern Line that still has a
section of the tiling dating from the opening of the line.
(Aug 2005)
|
World War II plans to convert the King William Street
tunnels south of the river into wartime air-raid shelter use,
had nine proposed entrances, although only six were subsequently
built. The tunnels north of the river were converted to private
air-raid shelter use by the owners of Regis House (built in 1933
on the site of the previous station building). One of the entrances
was the original emergency staircase down to the station. Another
was constructed on the other side of King William Street and
is the one seen here.
The southern section entrances were built at or adjacent
to:
- Marlborough Yard, behind 116 Borough High Street
- St Margaret's Court, 62-64 Borough High Street
- George House, 75-85 Borough High Street
- 9 London Bridge Street
- 143 Borough High Street
- St George the Martyr's Church, Borough High Street
All of these entrances were demolished in 1959/60 and the access
routes filled with concrete. Only the lower level of the London
Bridge Street one was kept in use to provide access to the tunnels
from London Bridge station.
|
|
Commemorative plaque on the building where the street
level entrance once stood. The current building is the second
one to be built on the site since the station's closure. The
original lift shaft was filled with concrete during construction
of Regis House in 1933.
(May 2006)
|
|
The commemorative plaque in its relation to the Monument,
another commemorative icon, the height of which is the distance
away where the great fire of London started in 1666.
(May 2006)
|
|
Interior of the one of the carriages used at the time
King William St was open.
This particular one was on display at the London Transport
Museum in Covent Garden and presumably will be on display again
when the museum reopens.
(Feb 2004)
|
|
Returning to the subject of London Bridge station
- this is the original (deep level) station building that was
opened when King William Street station was closed. It still
stands, albeit not for passenger use, having survived two reconstructions
of the station; one for the recent arrival of the Jubilee Line
extension and an earlier one for the introduction of escalators
to the station in the 1960s. The decommissioned lift shaft is
used for ventilation and is actually crossed by 'bridge' by passengers
between the bottom of the Northern Line escalators and the Northern
Line platforms.
|
|
For Frederick Delaitre's page about the history of
King William Street, click here.
|
|
