Kilburn Park station on the Bakerloo line is a delightful oddity, with a design that’s heavily inspired by the quaint appearance of many London pubs – here is why
London is a city brimming with artistic Tube stations and unique architectural structures, but one stop on the Bakerloo line stands out for its distinctive charm – Kilburn Park station. With its red-tiled facade reminiscent of traditional London pubs, this iconic station is a nod to the early 1900s design style.
The architect behind this particular station is believed to be Stanley Heap, who drew heavily from the style of his more renowned predecessor, Leslie Green. Green’s designs typically featured similar red-tiled frontages, glazed with a glossy surface known as faience, and arched lattice windows.
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However, Kilburn Park takes this design ethos a step further, being a much longer and sturdier building than most of Green’s other designs, reports MyLondon.
Unlike many of his other stations, such as Chalk Farm or Belsize Park, Kilburn Park lacks a first floor with arched windows. This unique feature is due to the station using escalators instead of lifts, eliminating the need for space for lift mechanisms.
The property’s standout feature is its immaculate lattice windows on the ground floor, which have remained unchanged over the years. Their distinctive pattern and size, almost touching the pavement, make the building truly exceptional.
Cambridge Avenue presents a six-bay frontage that offers an impressive view of the triple-sectioned windows. Above, a decorative tiled frieze complements the faience backdrop, with banners above each bay declaring “EXIT”, “Underground”, “KILBURN”, “PARK”, “Underground” and “ENTRANCE.”
Stepping inside, visitors are greeted by the iconic green and cream chequered tiles indicative of Leslie Green’s elegant 1920s design.
The interior retains its period charm with wooden details surrounding the ticket counters and a quaint timber kiosk at the heart, complete with a moulded cornice, sash windows, dado panelling, and a panelled door evoking the classic Tardis.
The dual escalator shaft, illuminated by an elliptical glass dome, leads to the lower escalator hall where arches with keystones open to platforms lined with exquisite tiling and a continuous frieze bearing the station’s name.
An elegant wooden observation area complete with a timeless OG clock stands watch over the perimeter. The station platforms display an exquisite array of tiles, leading the eye upwards to the stunning frieze that proudly displays the station’s unique character.
During the turmoil of the First World War, the Bakerloo line made a historic leap north from Edgware Road to Queens Park on 31 January 1915, connecting with the London and North Western Railway above the fray.
By February of that same year, trains were already chugging into Queen’s Park. The Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) was behind the original creation of what was then known as the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway.
It kicked off its service between Lambeth North (then Kennington Road) and Baker Street on 10 March 1906. With unstoppable momentum, the line extended eastward to Elephant and Castle, opening this section to eager passengers on 5 August.
The catchy moniker “Bakerloo” swiftly took hold, prompting the authorities to formally rename the line in July 1906 after the beloved epithet.