Marlborough Road

Metropolitan Line

MARLBOROUGH ROAD

(1868-1939)

Marlborough Road station: the middle one of three stations closed on the Met Line between Baker Street and Finchley Road. Lords station and this one were replaced by St John's Wood station on the deep level Bakerloo line (which having ascended to the surface at Finchley Road, also took over all the Met Line stations between Finchley Road and Stanmore as well. The Baker Street to Stanmore branch of the Bakerloo line was transferred to the Jubilee Line in 1979).

1930s map showing 1) South Hampstead LNWR station. 2) Marlborough Road station 3) The location of its replacement, St.John's Wood station.

Marlborough Road in its days of railway passenger service.

(original postcard courtesy of Jeff & Joanna Wolfers)

The old station building as it was in the late 1970s. It has been a Chinese restaurant for some
time now (the chopsticks must do a veritable fandango every time a train goes past!).
It's on the corner of Finchley Road and Queens Grove (there is now no such road called Marlborough
Road in the area; it was renamed Marlborough Place in the 1950s (info: courtesy of Jon Bird)).

Its modern day appearance.

(July 2005)

The interior, looking nothing like a station building.

The passing of trains directly underneath the restaurant can be clearly felt (nice restaurant all the same).

(July 2005)

The station, like Lords, did have an overall roof - the curve of its imprint can be seen at the back of the station building above the tracks.

Looking south.

(2001)

The only existing way into the station is around the side of the station building, i.e. away from
the main Finchley Road. This is looking down at the stairs leading to the southbound platform
and gives an idea of the impressive sight the station must have provided when open.

Out of shot to the right of the point where the photo was taken from is the route in from
street level (possibly a post-closure addition), to the left, again out of shot, is a bricked
up archway, presumably the original connection to the station building and overhead
walkway to the other platform.

(May 2005)

Opposite view from above.

(May 2005)

(May 2005)

Next to the door out onto the southbound platform is this sign.
The 'nearest station' it mentions is referring to this line only - the
similarly disused Swiss Cottage station. At street level,
St John's Wood station (Jubilee Line) is only a few
minutes walk.

(May 2005)

The only bit of platform still remaining, although it looks more like a bit was rebuilt
after demolition. All three of the abandoned Met stations between Baker Street and
Finchley Road have the same type of mini-platform.

This photo dates from the late 1970s; the iron lattices that supported the
overall roof are still in evidence here at the top / top-left of the photo.

A more recent shot than the one above, showing the decorative talents of some local youths on the southbound platform.

Some other changes include the rebuilding of the mini-platform (the section nearest the track is now a metal grille),
the addition of the metal door in the archway leading to the stairs, and what appears to be a drainage pipe.

(May 2005)

View southwards from the north end of the platforms.

(May 2005)

View southwards from the northbound platform.

(May 2005)

View southwards from the northbound platform again, but viewed from underneath the station building seen in the photo above.

(May 2005)

Opposite view: looking at the northbound platform from the southbound one.
The platform level entrance to the staircase is bricked up on this side.

In this photo and the ones above and below, some reconstruction of the brickwork at the top of the
station walls is evident. This work (and the addition of the metal fencing) was carried out in the
summer of 2002. A curious feature is that the new brickwork replicated the
original design exactly, with the exception of the wall above the tunnel.

(May 2005)

View northwards from the southbound platform. Shame about the graffiti; the station still would retain a semblance of elegance.

(May 2005)

Swiss Cottage (Metropolitan Line)

Photos taken between 1977 and 1981, except where stated.