Poor old Cockfosters. Always the but of a Tube based smirk.
We all know you’re awesome really, with your way-ahead-of-the-time brutalist train shed. Don’t ever change.
Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk
The 270
All images Copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk
012/270: #Oakwood – The Cathedral
The further out we go, the more tranquil suburbia becomes. Oakwood station however makes no efforts to hide amongst it’s surroundings like Manor House (006) did. The ticket hall is a vast Cathedral of light and space. You can’t help but think this would make an epic concert venue.
Underestimate Oakwood at your peril.
Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk
011/270: #Southgate – The Flying Saucer
Doing Southgate justice with a single photo was very hard indeed. The ideal shot from Winchmore Hill Road was blighted by heavy cloud cover and poor lighting conditions. Southgate is of course one of the most famous and most photographed of all the Holden stations, if not all tube stations all together.
Designed to look futuristic, Southgate was way ahead of it’s time. An illuminated Tesla coil sits aloft a flying saucer shaped ticket hall. It’s complemented and flanked by roundels sitting on top of circular bus shelters. Architecturally Southgate is quite something, but sadly it’s last renovation was nearly 10 years ago and it’s now starting to look quite tired.
Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk
010/270: #ArnosGrove – The Unexpected
I never really pegged Arnos Grove as being particularly interesting, both in or out of the station but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The line briefly surfaces here and this is the first station since South Woodford (001) that is above ground. There’s a lot to see at Arnos Grove and choosing a picture was difficult. There’s the perfectly symmetrical platform canopies, the period platform signage and way finding, and the circular drum shaped station building is possibly the most impressive Holden we’ve seen so far.
The beauty of this challenge means I’m getting to see parts of the city I wouldn’t normally visit. On the trip up the Piccadilly Line we supplemented this by walking between every other station as well. We took the tube from Caledonian Road (003) to Holloway Road (004), walked from there to Arsenal, back on the tube to Turnpike Lane and so on…
The highlight of this practice was the walk between Arnos Grove and Southgate (011), taking in perfect suburban streets, picturesque parks and a quite unexpected village green.
Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk
009/270: #BoundsGreen – The Box Style
Bounds Green is a variation on Holden’s “Sudbury Box.” This octagonal shaped station features high sided window frames which allow light into a spacious ticket hall bellow. This concept is repeated across the network and gains it’s name from Sudbury Town station also on the Piccadilly Line. It was actually designed by Holden’s colleague, C.H.James.
Despite it’s crisp and box like form, Bounds Green still includes the popular Modernist design feature of curved window frames, as seen in the street level shop fronts.
Image copyright A Carter – CallingAllStations.co.uk
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