Arnos Grove, modernity in pre-war Britain

Arnos Grove, modernity in pre-war Britain

The station is celebrated globally as a masterpiece of 20th-century British Modernist architecture Opened on 19 September 1932, Arnos Grove was designed by the renowned architect Charles Holden under the direction of Frank Pick. It was built during the northward extension of the Piccadilly line from Finsbury Park to Cockfosters.The Design: Inspired by European modernism—specifically […]

Art Deco Underground: Southgate

Art Deco Underground: Southgate

station is highly celebrated for its distinctive Art Deco / Streamline Moderne architecture. Designed by the renowned architect Charles Holden, it opened on 13 March 1933. The circular brick, concrete, and glass building resembles a classic “flying saucer” or spaceship design. Its prominent flat concrete roof is supported entirely by a ring of horizontal windows […]

Cockfosters: radical interwar modernism

Cockfosters: radical interwar modernism

Reach the northern terminus of the Picadilly Underground Line and it’s hard not to envision uniformed wartime personnel cascading out of trains and across the station concourse. Opening in 1933, Cockfosters is the most distinctive and avant-garde stations on the London Underground network, eschewing Victorian-era brick in favour of concrete, foretelling the arrival of postwar […]

The Red Lion. London’s history on tap.

The Red Lion. London’s history on tap.

The Red Lion23 Crown Passage, London SW1Y 6PPThe Court of St James’s When Henry acquired York Place, he also purchased 20 acres of land to its west (from a Christian mission to St. James for lepers) and created a private royal hunting park. Here, Henry built a lodge to meet with his favourites and have […]