Aldwych Disused Station goes Virtual
Zoom in to Aldwych disused Tube station without even stepping outside your front door. New tour dates will be on general sale from 12 February on London Transport Museum’s website. Aldwych, originally known as the Strand, is one of London’s most secret places, holding memories of times gone by. Opened to the public in 1907, it was never as heavily used as originally intended and closed nearly 100 years later in 1994.
The station has had a varied history; from providing shelter to Londoners during the Blitz, to being used for film and TV shoots including The ABC Murders (2018), Darkest Hour (2017), Sherlock (2014), and Atonement (2007).
An expert guide – with the help of a gallery of rarely seen archival images, contemporary photos, videos and footage of the station – will lead guests through abandoned platforms and tunnels, lost-in-time ticket halls, original lifts and deserted walkways. Virtual visitors will find out why Aldwych station ceased to be a terminus of the Piccadilly line.
Guests on the new virtual Aldwych tour will be permitted to see parts of the station that are no longer accessible on the in-person Aldwych tour, such as the upper ticket hall.
On the online tour visitors will be able to discover the original ticket office windows, the public telephone booths and the ladies’ toilets, which are just some of the features dating from the station’s opening in 1907. Public telephones were a prominent fixture of Underground stations at the start of the twentieth century, and Aldwych station sported no fewer than six.
The ladies’ toilets also contain some original features, such as decency screens and Edwardian wash hand basins. These items have long since disappeared at Underground stations that have remained open.
Chris Nix, Assistant Director of Collections and Engagement at London Transport Museum, said: ‘Our hugely popular Aldwych disused station tour has turned virtual, which means you can discover the secrets of its rich history from the comfort of your sofa.
‘Our expert guides will talk you through how these hidden tunnels and frozen-in-time ticket offices and platforms once formed part of the Piccadilly line. Film fans will be intrigued to find out how the station has been used as a film location for recent blockbusters.
‘Some parts of Aldwych are off limits to the public so the virtual tours are the perfect way to get as close as possible to the real thing.’
London Transport Museum has released new tour dates for the virtual tours below. These new tour dates will run to 28 March 2021. People should visit www.ltmuseum.co.uk/virtual-tours to view dates, times and prices.