The London Underground is one of the earliest tunnel-boring projects ever, created before the development of tunnel-boring machines and easy conveyor belt installation to move debris away from the site.
Because of its age, it has evolved with much of the astonishing speed as the city that rests above it, and with the evolution of the different lines, their uses and purposes, some stations that were once important parts of the network now lie abandoned.
According to Transport for London, at least 40 stations on the underground network (which does include overground stations as well) are no longer used. Some of them have been demolished, others closed off. However, some have simply been abandoned and have become fascinating relics of Old London.
Down Street
One of the shortest-lasting tube stations, Down Street Station near Mayfair opened in 1907 but by 1932 had been closed, in part because trains passed through it and there were so many stations already near to it.
However, it would become the temporary home of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who nicknamed it The Barn. He left once the Cabinet War Rooms were ready.
Aldwych
Arguably the most famous of the abandoned stations, Aldwych has become a regular and popular filming location, with crews shooting scenes for films as eclectic as 28 Weeks Later, V for Vendetta and cinematic masterpiece Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.
Strand was not an unpopular station at first, but eventually, numbers dwindled to the point that they could not afford to replace the lifts.
South Kentish Town
With a shelf life of just 17 years, South Kentish Town Tube Station is an iconic part of Kentish Town with its distinctive red brick look, but within a year of its opening, some trains simply refused to stop there.
It is arguably most famous for a prose horror poem by John Betjeman about a passenger who ended up trapped in the station after the doors accidentally opened. Ironically enough, the station has since become an escape room.
