News
03 February 2010
BOUNDS Green Tube station has been awarded Grade II listed status by English Heritage.
Recent refurbishment work by Transport for London has conserved the Holden-style station's historical features.
These include the octagonal ticket hall, unique amongst London Underground stations, which is lit by four large windows with a lattice of concrete beams in the ceiling, large London Underground roundels, and original bronze signs, ventilation grilles and information panel frames.
The station was built as part of the first section of the northward extension of the Piccadilly Line to Cockfosters which opened in sections during 1932 and 1933 to serve the growing suburban areas of north Middlesex.
The construction and design of the station were overseen by Frank Pick (1878-1941) and Charles Holden (1875-1960) who are both regarded as instrumental in creating London Underground's identity and brand.
On October 13, 1940 during the World War Two blitz the north end of the westbound platform was badly damaged by a German bomb which killed 19 people and wounded many others sheltering in the station.
A plaque commemorating this tragedy was erected in the station in 1994.
Phil O'Hare, general manager for the Piccadilly Line at London Underground, said:
"This is great news for not only our customers and the local community but also for our staff who take care of the station.
"Heritage is a huge part of London Underground's identity and I am sure our staff, who are passionate about the history of their station, will be very proud that it now has heritage status.
"London Underground is undertaking a major programme of renewal as part of TfL's multi-billion pound investment programme.
"This will lead to a more frequent, comfortable service, but will not be at the expense of maintaining the Tube's unique historical features."
Bounds Green station was refurbished in 2007 as part of TfL's upgrade work on the London Underground. This work involved the restoration of heritage features and included the upgrading of CCTV cameras, retiling and decorating the station, repairs to the roof and exterior, platform resurfacing and the installation of Help Points.