Chancery Lane tube station
Encyclopedia
Chancery Lane is a London Underground
station in central London
. It is on the Central Line
between St. Paul's
and Holborn
stations. The station is located at the junction of High Holborn
, Hatton Garden
and Gray's Inn Road
with subway
entrances giving access to the ticket office under the roadway. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
.
(CLR) on 30 July 1900. The current station entrance is not the original. The original, disused station building is on the north side of High Holborn at nos. 31–33, approximately 400 feet (122 m) to the west, closer to High Holborn's junction with Chancery Lane. Originally, provided with four lifts
between ground and platform levels, the station was rebuilt in the early 1930s to operate with escalator
s. It was not possible to construct the inclined escalator shaft between the platforms and the existing entrance and so a new sub-surface ticket hall was constructed below the road junction. The new station entrance came into use on 25 June 1934. The old entrance building became redundant and, in recognition of the location of the new entrance, the station was renamed Chancery Lane (Gray's Inn
), although the suffix subsequently fell out of use.
When the CLR excavated the running tunnels it routed them to avoid passing under surface buildings in order to limit the risk to surface buildings from vibration. At Chancery Lane, the tunnels are placed with the eastbound tunnel above the westbound.
It is one of eight London Underground stations which has a deep-level air-raid shelter
underneath it. After World War II
this was turned into Kingsway telephone exchange
. Access to the shelter was via the original station building and lift shaft as well as subsidiary entrances in Furnival Street and Took's Court.
and the Waterloo & City Line
(which also uses 1992 Stock
trains) were closed whilst the cause of the failure was determined and appropriate modifications made to the trains.
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 central 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...
. It is on the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
between St. Paul's
St. Paul's tube station
St. Paul's tube station is a London Underground station in the City of London on the Central Line, between Bank and Chancery Lane stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 1....
and Holborn
Holborn tube station
Holborn is a station of the London Underground in Holborn in London, located at the junction of High Holborn and Kingsway. Situated on the Piccadilly Line and on the Central Line , it is the only station common to the two lines, although the two lines cross each other three times elsewhere...
stations. The station is located at the junction of High Holborn
High Holborn
High Holborn is a road in Holborn in central London, England. It starts in the west near St Giles Circus, then goes east, past the Kingsway and Southampton Row, and continues east. The road becomes Holborn at the junction with Gray's Inn Road....
, Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London, England. It is most famous for being London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade, but the area is also now home to a diverse range of media and creative businesses....
and Gray's Inn Road
Gray's Inn Road
Gray's Inn Road, formerly Gray's Inn Lane, is a major road in central London, in the London Borough of Camden. It is named after Gray's Inn, one of the main Inns of Court. The road starts in Holborn, near Chancery Lane tube station and the boundaries of the City of London and the London Borough...
with subway
Subway (underpass)
In England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and some Commonwealth countries , the term subway normally refers to a specially constructed underpass for pedestrians and/or cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.The term is also used in the...
entrances giving access to the ticket office under the roadway. It is in Travelcard Zone 1
Travelcard Zone 1
Fare zone 1 is the central 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. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...
.
History
The station was opened by the Central London RailwayCentral London Railway
The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...
(CLR) on 30 July 1900. The current station entrance is not the original. The original, disused station building is on the north side of High Holborn at nos. 31–33, approximately 400 feet (122 m) to the west, closer to High Holborn's junction with Chancery Lane. Originally, provided with four lifts
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
between ground and platform levels, the station was rebuilt in the early 1930s to operate with escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
s. It was not possible to construct the inclined escalator shaft between the platforms and the existing entrance and so a new sub-surface ticket hall was constructed below the road junction. The new station entrance came into use on 25 June 1934. The old entrance building became redundant and, in recognition of the location of the new entrance, the station was renamed Chancery Lane (Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
), although the suffix subsequently fell out of use.
When the CLR excavated the running tunnels it routed them to avoid passing under surface buildings in order to limit the risk to surface buildings from vibration. At Chancery Lane, the tunnels are placed with the eastbound tunnel above the westbound.
It is one of eight London Underground stations which has a deep-level air-raid shelter
London deep-level shelters
The London deep-level shelters are eight deep-level air-raid shelters that were built under London Underground stations during World War II.-Background:...
underneath it. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
this was turned into Kingsway telephone exchange
Kingsway telephone exchange
Kingsway telephone exchange was a Cold War-era hardened telephone exchange underneath High Holborn in London.-History:The Kingsway telephone exchange was built as a deep-level shelter underneath Chancery Lane tube station in the early 1940s...
. Access to the shelter was via the original station building and lift shaft as well as subsidiary entrances in Furnival Street and Took's Court.
Notable events
On 25 January 2003, a train derailed at Chancery Lane, injuring 32 passengers, after a motor became detached from the train. The entire Central LineCentral Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and the Waterloo & City Line
Waterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
(which also uses 1992 Stock
London Underground 1992 Stock
The 1992 Tube Stock is the type of train used on the Central line and Waterloo & City line of the London Underground.-Construction:The 1992 Stock was built by ABB for the Central line as the result of the extensive testing of the three 1986 tube stock prototype trains...
trains) were closed whilst the cause of the failure was determined and appropriate modifications made to the trains.