Finchley Central tube station
Encyclopedia
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
. The station is above ground and is in Travelcard Zone 4
.
(EH&LR) and was originally opened as Finchley & Hendon 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
. A branch line from this station was constructed by the GNR to High Barnet and opened on 1 April 1872. The station was renamed to Finchley (Church End) on 1 February 1894.
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. The station took on its current name on 1 April 1940 and was first served by electric Northern line trains on 14 April 1940. After a period where the station was serviced by both operators, LNER steam services ended in 1941. Northern line services to Mill Hill East began on 18 May 1941, due to the need to carry passengers to and from the large army barracks nearby.
Charles Holden
designed replacement buildings for the station, but the curtailment of the Northern Heights Plan caused by the Second World War, means that this was not implemented and the station still retains much of its original Victorian architectural character
today. As one of two EH&LR stations retaining its original buildings, (with Mill Hill East), it is one of the oldest parts of the Underground system, pre-dating the first tunnelled section of the Northern line (the City & South London Railway
) by more than twenty years.
Way after one of Barnet's twin towns
. Chaville Way is a turning off the main road opposite Nether Street at the point where the main road changes name from Ballards Lane to Regent's Park
Road. It also leads to the station car park. The second entrance is in Station Road.
The two entrances are connected by a footbridge over the tracks from which stairs lead down to the platforms. Because the station only has one ticket hall, but two entrances, it is does not have fully gated access. At the Station Road entrance, there is just a pair of Oyster card
validators.
The station has three platforms. Platform 3 is served by southbound trains. The other two are served by northbound trains, platform 1 mainly for trains terminating at Finchley Central or going to Mill Hill East
, platform 2 mainly for trains going on to High Barnet
.
Work was recently carried out by Tube Lines for the purpose of providing disabled access to each platform. One lift connects the northbound island platform with the station footbridge and the other connects the southbound platform with the ticket office. They opened in summer 2008.
Finchley Central was the station used in the 1930s by Harry Beck
, designer of the original Tube map
, and features a commemorative plaque on the southbound platform together with a facsimile poster of Beck's iconic 1933 design.
serve the station:
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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 the Church End area of Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
.
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 West Finchley
West Finchley tube station
West Finchley tube station is a London Underground station in the Finchley area of north London in the London Borough of Barnet.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Finchley Central and Woodside Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:The station was...
and East Finchley
East Finchley tube station
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.-History:...
stations and is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East station
Mill Hill East tube station
Mill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
. The station is above ground and is in Travelcard Zone 4
Travelcard Zone 4
Fare zone 4 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
Finchley Central 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 Finchley & Hendon 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....
. A branch line from this station was constructed by the GNR to High Barnet and opened on 1 April 1872. The station was renamed to Finchley (Church End) on 1 February 1894.
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
East Finchley tube station
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.-History:...
was incorporated into the London Underground
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...
network through the "Northern Heights" project begun in the late 1930s. The station took on its current name on 1 April 1940 and was first served by electric Northern line trains on 14 April 1940. After a period where the station was serviced by both operators, LNER steam services ended in 1941. Northern line services to Mill Hill East began on 18 May 1941, due to the need to carry passengers to and from the large army barracks nearby.
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...
designed replacement buildings for the station, but the curtailment of the Northern Heights Plan caused by the Second World War, means that this was not implemented and the station still retains much of its original Victorian architectural character
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
today. As one of two EH&LR stations retaining its original buildings, (with Mill Hill East), it is one of the oldest parts of the Underground system, pre-dating the first tunnelled section of the Northern line (the City & South London Railway
City & South London Railway
The City and South London Railway was the first deep-level underground "tube" railway in the world, and the first major railway to use electric traction...
) by more than twenty years.
The station today
The station has two entrances. The main one, leading directly to the ticket hall, is from an access road on the north side of the tracks which for many years lacked a name, but on 13 November 2006 was named ChavilleChaville
Chaville is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Nearest communes:*Meudon*Sèvres*Vélizy-Villacoublay*Viroflay*Ville-d'Avray....
Way after one of Barnet's twin towns
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
. Chaville Way is a turning off the main road opposite Nether Street at the point where the main road changes name from Ballards Lane to Regent's Park
Regent's Park
Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
Road. It also leads to the station car park. The second entrance is in Station Road.
The two entrances are connected by a footbridge over the tracks from which stairs lead down to the platforms. Because the station only has one ticket hall, but two entrances, it is does not have fully gated access. At the Station Road entrance, there is just a pair of Oyster card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
validators.
The station has three platforms. Platform 3 is served by southbound trains. The other two are served by northbound trains, platform 1 mainly for trains terminating at Finchley Central or going to Mill Hill East
Mill Hill East tube station
Mill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
, platform 2 mainly for trains going on to High Barnet
High Barnet tube station
High Barnet tube station is a London Underground station located in High Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles north north-west...
.
Work was recently carried out by Tube Lines for the purpose of providing disabled access to each platform. One lift connects the northbound island platform with the station footbridge and the other connects the southbound platform with the ticket office. They opened in summer 2008.
Finchley Central was the station used in the 1930s by Harry Beck
Harry Beck
Henry Charles Beck , known as Harry Beck, was an English engineering draftsman best known for creating the present London Underground Tube map in 1931. Beck drew up the diagram in his spare time while working as an engineering draftsman at the London Underground Signals Office...
, designer of the original Tube map
Tube map
The Tube map is a schematic transit map representing the lines and stations of London's rapid transit railway systems, namely the London Underground , the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground....
, and features a commemorative plaque on the southbound platform together with a facsimile poster of Beck's iconic 1933 design.
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:
- 82London Buses route 82London Buses route 82 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
(North Finchley Tally Ho Corner to Victoria Terminus Place) every 8 minutes - 125London Buses route 125London Buses route 125 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.-History:...
(Winchmore Hill, Station Road-Finchley Central Station) every 10 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 Station) every 12 minutes - 326 (Brent Cross Shopping Centre-Barnet Spires Shopping Centre) every 12 minutes
- 382 (Mill Hill East tube stationMill Hill East tube stationMill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
-Southgate tube stationSouthgate tube stationSouthgate is a London Underground Piccadilly Line station in Southgate. It is located between Arnos Grove and Oakwood stations and is in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:...
) every 15 minutes - 460 (North Finchley Tally Ho Corner-Willesden Bus Depot) every 12 minutes
- N13 (North Finchley Tally Ho Corner-Aldwych) every 20 minutes from 0019-0459
- 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 2356-0526
External links
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