Aldwych Station

Aldwych station is one of many disused stations on the London Underground network. The station opened in 1907 under its original name ‘Strand’ as a branch of the Piccadilly line south of Holborn but was never heavily used, and after facing multiple closures during its lifespan the doors to Aldwych were finally closed in 1994. Despite being in use for 87 years the station was never fully finished; only one set of stairs and passages to the platforms, and about half the platform area, was fully completed. Some of the unfinished areas have since been used to experiment with tiling and fixtures when planning décor for other stations on the network. During the Blitz in the 1940’s the station was used as an air raid shelter and housed up to 1500 people, to control numbers only those with valid tickets could enter. Valuable artwork from various museums was also stored in the station for protection during this period, including the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum. Since its closure the station has been used as a filming location for film and TV productions, often disguised as other stations on the tube to avoid disruption. Productions featuring Aldwych include Atonement (2007), V for Vendetta (2005), The Edge of Love (2008), 28 Weeks Later (2007) and the music video for the Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’. Due to its historical significance, Aldwych station is now as Grade II listed building.