East Finchley tube station
Encyclopedia
East Finchley is a London Underground
station in East Finchley
in north London
. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line
, between Highgate
and Finchley Central
stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3
.
(EH&LR) and was originally opened as East End Station on 22 August 1867 by the Great Northern Railway
(GNR) (which had taken over the EH&LR) in what was then rural Middlesex
. The station was on a line that ran from Finsbury Park
to Edgware
via Highgate
. The station was given its current name in 1886.
After the 1921 Railways Act
created the Big Four railway companies, the line was, from 1923, part of the London & North Eastern Railway
(LNER). The section of the High Barnet branch north of East Finchley was incorporated into the London Underground network through the "Northern Heights" project begun in the late 1930s.
For the introduction of London Underground services, the Victorian
station was completely demolished and was rebuilt to an Art Deco
/Streamline Moderne
design by Charles Holden
. As part of the rebuild, the station was provided with two additional platforms, giving four in total . This was necessary as the original intention of the "Northern Heights" project was that trains would be able to run south from East Finchley via two routes. One route would have run over the existing tracks to LNER's Highgate station (above ground and now derelict) and onwards via Crouch End to Finsbury Park: this route was never completed. The other route ran through newly constructed tunnels running into a new deep-level Highgate station built under the LNER one and onwards to Archway
, Camden Town
and central London: this is the route south of East Finchley as it now exists.
The platforms comprise two parallel islands with tracks on both sides. The inner pair of tracks served the 'high level' route to Highgate, whilst the outer pair served the tunnel route. Underground trains first served the station on 3 July 1939 which acted as a temporary terminus for the Northern Line whilst the electrification of the line to the north was completed. Northern Line services to High Barnet began on 14 April 1940. The station continued to be served by LNER steam trains from Highgate (High-level) station until 2 March 1941 when that service was discontinued. The inner platforms are now generally used only by trains starting or terminating at East Finchley and those coming from or going to the depot south of the station.
After the war, most of the remaining plans of the "Northern Heights" project were cancelled and the section of the LNER line from East Finchley to Finsbury Park was not incorporated into the Northern Line. Underground services never ran from East Finchley through Highgate 'high level' station as planned although the line was occasionally used for Underground stock transfers up to its complete abandonment in 1970.
architectural
design and took inspiration from European architecture (particularly Dutch
) that Holden had seen on trips to the continent during that decade. The track here runs roughly north-west to south-east. The imposing station building, built on rising ground adjacent to the railway bridge over High Road (A1000
), has two entrances. The main entrance is at the south-east end of the station. It is on the north-east side of the tracks facing High Road. There is also a smaller, secondary entrance at the north-west end, on the south-west side of the tracks, at the end of an access road called "The Causeway". It is possible to walk through the station from one exit to the other without going onto the platforms.
A strong feature of the station is the semi-circular glazed stairways leading to the enclosed bridge over the tracks occupied by staff offices. These, combined with the station's block-like mass and the narrow deck-like platform buildings, lend the building the atmosphere of a ship. Prominent from the platforms and dominating the main entrance elevation, almost like a ship's figurehead
, is a 10 feet (3 m) statue by Eric Aumonier
of a kneeling archer
captured as if having just released an arrow along the railway line towards central London. (The Archer, a local community newspaper, is named after this landmark). The archer is intended to commemorate Finchley's ancient association with hunting in the nearby Royal Forest of Enfield. There is also a pun, in that it faces towards Archway.
Image:East_Finchley_north.JPG|Northbound platform northern end
Image:East_Finchley1.JPG|Northbound train in platform
Image:East Finchley Stn platforms 2 & 3.JPG|Platforms 2 & 3
Image:East_Finchley2.JPG|Platforms 2 & 3 and station architecture
Image:East_Finchley3.JPG|Southbound platforms, with statue visible
Image:East Finchley Stn statue.JPG|Close-up of the statue
Image:East Finchley Stn southbound platform.JPG|Southbound platform
Image:East_Finchley4.JPG|Northbound platform looking south towards tunnel portal
Image:East_Finchley_south.JPG|Looking south towards former GNR route to Finsbury Park, now leading only to a depot just south of the station.
Image:East_Finchley_entr_causeway.JPG|Entrance on The Causeway a footpath running to the west of the Northern line
Image:East_Finchley_roundel.JPG|Roundel on northbound platform
File:East Finchley Station, with Diesel on local goods geograph-2398832-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|Diesel on local goods in 1962
serve the station (frequencies are weekday off-peak, correct as at 11 June 2006)
Night Buses:
chat show host and former mayor
of Cincinnati, Ohio
, Jerry Springer
claims he was born inside the station on 13 February 1944, during the Blitz, but he may be mistaken and it's more likely that it was Highgate station where his mother was sheltering since there is no deep shelter at East Finchley, a surface station.
It is often used for film and television productions, because of its outward appearance, for example in Home and Away
. Charlie Slater
was shown leaving Eastenders
from here on 13 January 2011, when the station portrayed Walford East.
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London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station in East Finchley
East Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
, between Highgate
Highgate tube station
Highgate tube station is a London Underground station on Archway Road, Highgate, not far from Highgate Village in north London. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Archway and East Finchley, in Travelcard Zone 3....
and Finchley Central
Finchley Central tube station
Finchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End area of Finchley, North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and East Finchley stations and is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East station...
stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3
Travelcard Zone 3
Fare zone 3 is a zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services...
.
History
East Finchley station was built by the Edgware, Highgate and London RailwayEdgware, Highgate and London Railway
The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern Line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War...
(EH&LR) and was originally opened as East End Station on 22 August 1867 by the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR) (which had taken over the EH&LR) in what was then rural Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. The station was on a line that ran from Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park station
Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
to Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
via Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
. The station was given its current name in 1886.
After the 1921 Railways Act
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
created the Big Four railway companies, the line was, from 1923, part of the London & North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER). The section of the High Barnet branch north of East Finchley was incorporated into the London Underground network through the "Northern Heights" project begun in the late 1930s.
For the introduction of London Underground services, the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
station was completely demolished and was rebuilt to an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
/Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
design by Charles Holden
Charles Holden
Charles Henry Holden, Litt. D., FRIBA, MRTPI, RDI was a Bolton-born English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, for Bristol Central Library, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadway and for the...
. As part of the rebuild, the station was provided with two additional platforms, giving four in total . This was necessary as the original intention of the "Northern Heights" project was that trains would be able to run south from East Finchley via two routes. One route would have run over the existing tracks to LNER's Highgate station (above ground and now derelict) and onwards via Crouch End to Finsbury Park: this route was never completed. The other route ran through newly constructed tunnels running into a new deep-level Highgate station built under the LNER one and onwards to Archway
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
, Camden Town
Camden Town tube station
Camden Town tube station is a major junction on the Northern Line and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground network...
and central London: this is the route south of East Finchley as it now exists.
The platforms comprise two parallel islands with tracks on both sides. The inner pair of tracks served the 'high level' route to Highgate, whilst the outer pair served the tunnel route. Underground trains first served the station on 3 July 1939 which acted as a temporary terminus for the Northern Line whilst the electrification of the line to the north was completed. Northern Line services to High Barnet began on 14 April 1940. The station continued to be served by LNER steam trains from Highgate (High-level) station until 2 March 1941 when that service was discontinued. The inner platforms are now generally used only by trains starting or terminating at East Finchley and those coming from or going to the depot south of the station.
After the war, most of the remaining plans of the "Northern Heights" project were cancelled and the section of the LNER line from East Finchley to Finsbury Park was not incorporated into the Northern Line. Underground services never ran from East Finchley through Highgate 'high level' station as planned although the line was occasionally used for Underground stock transfers up to its complete abandonment in 1970.
Description of the building
Like the other stations that Holden designed for London Underground in the 1930s, East Finchley station was at the forefront of BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
design and took inspiration from European architecture (particularly Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) that Holden had seen on trips to the continent during that decade. The track here runs roughly north-west to south-east. The imposing station building, built on rising ground adjacent to the railway bridge over High Road (A1000
A1000 road
The A1000 is a main road in the United Kingdom, running north from Highgate, North London for approximately to Welwyn where it joins the A1 motorway. It incorporates part of the main medieval route out of London, and runs through Finchley, Whetstone, Chipping Barnet and Monken Hadley...
), has two entrances. The main entrance is at the south-east end of the station. It is on the north-east side of the tracks facing High Road. There is also a smaller, secondary entrance at the north-west end, on the south-west side of the tracks, at the end of an access road called "The Causeway". It is possible to walk through the station from one exit to the other without going onto the platforms.
A strong feature of the station is the semi-circular glazed stairways leading to the enclosed bridge over the tracks occupied by staff offices. These, combined with the station's block-like mass and the narrow deck-like platform buildings, lend the building the atmosphere of a ship. Prominent from the platforms and dominating the main entrance elevation, almost like a ship's figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
, is a 10 feet (3 m) statue by Eric Aumonier
Eric Aumonier
-Life:Aumonier was born in Northwood, Middlesex . his family name is Huguenot . Eric's grandfather, William, founded the Aumonier Studios in 1876, an architectural sculpture firm in London, initially located at New Inn Yard off Tottenham Court Road, then at 84 Charlotte Street. His son, also called...
of a kneeling archer
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
captured as if having just released an arrow along the railway line towards central London. (The Archer, a local community newspaper, is named after this landmark). The archer is intended to commemorate Finchley's ancient association with hunting in the nearby Royal Forest of Enfield. There is also a pun, in that it faces towards Archway.
Gallery
Image:East_Finchley_north.JPG|Northbound platform northern end
Image:East_Finchley1.JPG|Northbound train in platform
Image:East Finchley Stn platforms 2 & 3.JPG|Platforms 2 & 3
Image:East_Finchley2.JPG|Platforms 2 & 3 and station architecture
Image:East_Finchley3.JPG|Southbound platforms, with statue visible
Image:East Finchley Stn statue.JPG|Close-up of the statue
Image:East Finchley Stn southbound platform.JPG|Southbound platform
Image:East_Finchley4.JPG|Northbound platform looking south towards tunnel portal
Image:East_Finchley_south.JPG|Looking south towards former GNR route to Finsbury Park, now leading only to a depot just south of the station.
Image:East_Finchley_entr_causeway.JPG|Entrance on The Causeway a footpath running to the west of the Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
Image:East_Finchley_roundel.JPG|Roundel on northbound platform
File:East Finchley Station, with Diesel on local goods geograph-2398832-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|Diesel on local goods in 1962
Transport links
The following London BusesLondon Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
serve the station (frequencies are weekday off-peak, correct as at 11 June 2006)
- H3 (Golders Green Circular) Hourly
- 102London Buses route 102London Buses route 102 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.-History:...
(Edmonton Green station-Brent Cross Shopping Centre) every 8 minutes - 143London Buses route 143London Buses route 143 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Brent Cross Shopping Centre-Archway tube stationArchway tube stationArchway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
) every 12 minutes - 234 (Barnet The Spires-Highgate Wood Sussex Gardens) every 10 minutes
- 263London Buses route 263London Buses route 263 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(Barnet Hospital-Holloway) every 10 minutes - 603 (Swiss Cottage tube stationSwiss Cottage tube stationSwiss Cottage tube station is a London Underground station at Swiss Cottage. It is on the Jubilee Line, between and . It is in Travelcard Zone 2 and on the Finchley Road.-History:...
-Muswell Hill Broadway) 4 return journeys
Night Buses:
- N20 (Barnet Church-Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
) every 30 minutes from 0026-0526
Trivia
AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chat show host and former mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
claims he was born inside the station on 13 February 1944, during the Blitz, but he may be mistaken and it's more likely that it was Highgate station where his mother was sheltering since there is no deep shelter at East Finchley, a surface station.
It is often used for film and television productions, because of its outward appearance, for example in Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
. Charlie Slater
Charlie Slater
Charles "Charlie" Slater is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Derek Martin, making his first appearance on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in flashbacks broadcast in 2001. He also makes a cameo appearance in the second series of the...
was shown leaving Eastenders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
from here on 13 January 2011, when the station portrayed Walford East.
External links
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