London is not just bustling streets and majestic buildings. Few people realise that beneath the familiar underground network, a real web of abandoned tunnels, closed stations, and hidden passageways stretches under the noisy markets and squares. Over its 160-year history, the London Underground has transformed the city’s landscape. While some of its subterranean locations have found new purposes, others are shrouded in myths and legends. Let’s uncover unique facts about the hidden underworld of Britain’s capital.
How Did the Abandoned Stations Come About?
The London Underground opened in 1863, becoming the world’s first underground railway. The project was revolutionary, accompanied by numerous experiments and changes. Some stations built in the 19th and early 20th centuries soon became redundant due to shifts in population, routes, and priorities. For instance, when new interchange hubs were built, small stations saw a sharp decline in passenger numbers. As a result, they were closed, leaving tunnels to stand empty and become ghost paths.
London has around 40 closed stations. Some played significant roles in the past, while others are famous for myths or appearances in cinema. Here are a few examples:
Aldwych tube station
Aldwych (originally Strand): A bomb shelter and art storage site — Opened in 1907, this station quickly became one of the least used, leading to its closure in 1994. Yet, Aldwych has its moments of glory: during World War II, it served as a bomb shelter and storage for priceless treasures from the British Museum.
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Down Street: Churchill’s Station — Closed in 1932 due to low passenger numbers, this station gained strategic importance during World War II. It housed a bunker where Winston Churchill and his colleagues discussed critical defence matters. Conditions in the underground were so harsh that Churchill dubbed it “the rat’s nest.”
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Highgate (High Level): An abandoned surface station in the park — Closed in 1954, its old platforms and entrances, hidden among the trees, remain a popular spot for urban exploration enthusiasts.
Legends of Underground London
The abandoned tunnels of London are surrounded by numerous mystical stories. Dark corridors, strange sounds, and echoes create perfect conditions for legends and superstitions to emerge.
For instance, one tale claims that the Black Nun haunts Bank Station, one of the oldest in the Underground (opened in 1900). She is said to be the spirit of a “bride of Christ” whose brother was executed in the 17th century. At night, underground workers sometimes report hearing her soft footsteps and muffled sobbing.
Another restless spirit reportedly haunts Holborn Station — the ghost of a worker who died during construction in the early 20th century. According to stories, the eerie sound of his footsteps can be heard in the dark corridors before suddenly stopping.
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But it’s not just troubled souls that dwell in London’s underground. There are also accounts of a “ghost train.” Underground staff have reported seeing an old carriage that appears out of nowhere and vanishes at breakneck speed into the darkness.
And, of course, no collection of underground myths is complete without tales of giant rats. In the 1970s, stories began to circulate about mutant rats of enormous size supposedly inhabiting the tunnels. Workers claimed to see creatures as big as dogs gnawing on something in the shadowy corners of the underground.
Repurposing the Underground: From Art Spaces to Farms
Throughout its history, the Underground has found uses beyond transportation. During World War II, London’s underground became a symbol of survival. Stations turned into shelters for city residents, with platforms transformed into dormitories, kitchens, and even makeshift schools during air raids by the Luftwaffe. Some stations, like Bethnal Green, became entire subterranean communities. Goodge Street housed an Allied headquarters, and tunnels near Chancery Lane served as archives for classified documents.
Imperial War Museums
Today, many of the abandoned Underground stations remain off-limits to the public, but some have found new purposes. Modern technology, creative approaches, and a desire to preserve history have turned these spaces into unique locations.
Abandoned Underground sites are also a draw for tourists. For instance, Aldwych can be visited via tours offered by the London Transport Museum. These tours allow visitors to see old platforms, corridors, and even original advertisements from the early 20th century. Down Street tours reveal the very rooms where Churchill made critical wartime decisions.
Фото: Instagram @growing_underground
Some old tunnels have been converted into stylish restaurants and bars. One of the most notable repurposing projects is a farm beneath Clapham Common Station. In tunnels originally built as bomb shelters, vegetables are now grown using hydroponic technology, with LED lighting replacing sunlight. The stable temperatures underground provide ideal growing conditions, allowing year-round harvests supplied to London’s restaurants and supermarkets. The company Growing Underground emphasizes sustainable, eco-friendly development.
The Underground has also been used for technological research projects. For example, autonomous robots have been tested in the tunnels beneath Chancery Lane, exploring old infrastructure for water leaks and cracks. Other sites have been adapted for testing new ventilation and fire safety systems, while some passages under Oxford Circus are now used as storage or repurposed for modern communications.
The London Underground is not just a transportation network but a unique cultural heritage site, hiding an entire world beneath the surface. Next time you’re standing on a platform, perhaps you’ll think about its history or even witness something extraordinary.
