Embankment Station's Lost Passageways | Hidden London Hangouts (S04E05)

[@sarahjoyholden7856]

I know these are old videos, but for someone who's just discovered your channel, I'm loving travelling with you. I always thought tube lines all ran on one level but not running above and below each other.

[@1974cfjl]

When the Bakerloo line opened in 1906 this station Embankment was the only station had no station of its own, the only access had from the platform to the surface was via that now disused step passageway slope which lead up to the Eastbound District line Charing Cross station platform, It was such an award arrangement, this was 2nd tube station in history to get total escalator conversion in 1914 and the original Bakerloo arrangement was abandoned.

[@richardsedding8444]

I was impressed to see the York water gate, when the river was there. I recently took a group on a guided walk to this area. Thank you for your passion for learning!

[@chrisbendall7834]

My Hi Vis Fleece which i left hanging at 22:33 at top of stairs when i was there in May ! This is pages walk - I will have to go back and pick it up.

[@paulhealy2557]

The watergate was built for the 1st Duke of Buckingham who, at the time, owned York house.

[@PsychicLord]

Notice that the photograph of the old building at 7:31 if you look to the right of the right hand tree you see advertised 'new direct route to... Southend, etc.'. At this time the District line operated a seasonal excursion train to the Essex resort town of Southend. Running on tee usual route through east London to Upminster, before carrying on to Leigh-on-Sea, then Southend Central and Shoeburyness.

[@stuartbusdriver2038]

Loved all the photos and posters in this episode thanks again fab4

[@highpath4776]

One of the things about Embankment was it was the area for (a) the Trams running each way between Westminster and Blackfriars for places south via the likes of the Elephant. and (b) one of the main Green Line Coach and competitors boarding points , partly from the East London routes that did not terminate at minories, and some in from the west.

[@Andrewjg_89]

Embankment and Charing Cross are literally next door to each other. Same with Monument and Bank and of course Kings Cross St. Pancras.

[@chrisbendall7834]

Good thing about my job on the underground is maintaining all fire protection equipment on all the vent shafts and disused so i get to see this all the time.

[@ceanothus_bluemoon]

Delighted to have found this channel after enjoying Secrets of the London Underground. Particularly loved the shaded green tiles, but not the dreadful modern replacement that was far too yellow and stuck out like a sore thumb!

[@liamkenny6747]

Super episode. Thank you so much for putting it all together and getting dirty for us all!

[@daveharris7224]

Another great episode. Thank you for continuing to come up with exciting episodes. I will be travelling to the station tomorrow, so will be keeping my eyes open more than usual.

[@armorer94]

William Dyson Yerkes reference! Everybody take a drink!

[@Roblilley999]

Lovely place Embonkment - love the gardens also :)

[@alexgrundon2346]

Embonkment - it’ll catch on. Anyboddddyyyy?!

[@highpath4776]

@@alexgrundon2346 I hate to tell you what goes on in there after hours and locking up time

[@alexgrundon2346]

High Path I am too pure to understand….

[@Wombleofwimbeldon]

@@alexgrundon2346 😂🤣😂🤣cough..

[@kevinreed9232]

Great episode as always. well presented thanks to all four of you.

[@ulazygit]

Fantastic episode guys … awesome joining the live stream!

[@mapala78]

Alex that is NOT a horse & cart but a Hansom cab. Embankment gardens was the only place in London with A Green telephone Box.

[@alexgrundon2346]

I HAVE been told that already and feel suitably chastised 🤣 but when we record the pics are so tiny on the screen. Sorry!

[@ulazygit]

Awesome episode … loved watching the live show!

[@highpath4776]

Villers Street - Villers was Duke of Buckingham, as 2nd he was in house arrest at York House, which was the house that backed onto what became Villers Street and Had the Gate as its water entrance

[@jimdarrell441]

Another fantastic job team! Absolutely loved this episode!

[@martxw]

Thanks for keeping the old Northern Line loop diagram up on screen, because I hadn't got what you meant about there only being one platform. I'd always assumed it was like the Kennington Loop, but here you used to arrive south-bound and go around the loop and stop on the single north-bound platform. Years of mis-assumption corrected - cheers! An enforced loop rather than a forbidden one!

[@alexgrundon2346]

ABSOLUTELY because there was only one place to go at Charing Cross (Embankment) and that was north again. So just one platform in the bend.

[@Jpkjr52]

Thanks John in Chicago

[@peterdawson2645]

Fascinating. Couple of points: the cartoon character getting confused in the last poster is Bristow, the archetypal office worker. And sentimental spot: in early 1976, my fairly new girlfriend and I spent a weekend in London and had our photos taken in the photobooth in the ticket hall. We've been together ever since and married for more than 35 years now. The photo (tattered) is still in my wallet. The final name change seems to have been September 1976, so that was still Charing Cross Embankment. So good they named it twice...or even more often.

[@jacksugden8190]

Amazingly, I have never interchanged between the Northern or Bakerloo at or near Embankment Station, also had never seen that passageway between the two Bakerloo line platforms before.

[@highpath4776]

done it once, half regretted, but better than Waterloo

[@davestyx1642]

Another really interesting and enlightening episode from the Fab Four, many thanks for your hard work putting it together and getting down and dirty!! I’ve used this station many times in the long distant past, but you’ve brought back some happy memories. Thanks again.

[@jaymatsell1219]

Absolutely love these looks around stations that we pass everyday and don’t know what’s behind these hidden doors, P.S please could you do my home station Caledonian Road I’ve always wanted to see inside the old blocked exit and the fact that it’s still got the original roundel on the platform 👍

[@Nick-13]

I love the central platforms at Clapham - worth an episode ??

[@chrisnix7981]

Oh - nice idea!

[@ljrigsbee]

Fantastic episode, Hangouts team! I am curious to know what is behind Private ROD’s door, though.

[@alexgrundon2346]

Private Rod, I hope. Or maybe he’s gone on manoeuvres….

[@ljrigsbee]

@@alexgrundon2346 Report to Private Rod's office post haste!

[@MossdaleNGaugeRailway]

The original roof to the District line is still there, you just need to know where to look for it

[@alexgrundon2346]

We found it!

[@MossdaleNGaugeRailway]

@@alexgrundon2346 Good to hear you found it, in the video you described it in the past tense as if it was gone. Nine minutes in you discuss the station overbridge, I think the stairs to it still exist on the eastbound hidden by a door and leading to nowhere. If you want to see the outside of a District station roof close up go the the back of the substation at Notting Hill Gate. London Bridge: did you find the mess room for the floodgate watchman?

[@alexgrundon2346]

@@MossdaleNGaugeRailway there are many beautiful secrets behind innocent doors

[@MossdaleNGaugeRailway]

@@alexgrundon2346 indeed, the wonders revealed by a Winkhaus!

[@simondeione]

I would be interested to see behind the scenes at a Walthamstow Central. There used to be stairs from the car park that disappeared into the ground. At some point they were concreted shut but I have no idea where they went.

[@mattpayne3349]

The major reason that there was so much advertising plastered all over the place (even the front and back pages of the newspapers were mainly adds) in the old days was that there was no radio or television to advertise on.

[@gavin1342]

Yes I still remember that, when we weren’t overloaded with‘content’, reading small adverts was quite enjoyable. So I suspect the team are wrong and that people made the time to read the individual adverts and learn about products and services. Completely different now with adverts having little or no value at all.

[@trevorhaynes7628]

A fascinating tour but a couple of points if I may - (i) about 3 minutes on the photograph of the District Railway platform but not a word said about the signal box in the centre of the photo which controlled the trailing crossover between the WB and EB lines (about where coaches 2 and 3 are); and (ii) SER/CER - During my 30-odd years with the Underground I always understood that a CER was a Communications (not Control) Equipment Room. Otherwise, a fantastic amount of information to take in. Thank you.

[@srfurley]

Wasn’t there a time in fairly recent years when some sort of work was taking place in the river and the floodgates on I think the Bakerloo line were closed as a precaution during the works? Maybe something like twenty or thirty years ago.

[@THEFORBIDDENMAN-lk7of]

YOU MAYBE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE TUNNELS IN AND AROUND CHARING CROSS WERE REINFORCED WITH CONCRETE BLOCKS THAT ENCASED THEM THE REASON BEING THAT THE THAMES WAS UNCOVERING THE TUNNELS WITH THE TIDES, AND THEY WERE SLOWLY BEING ROLLED AND MOVED ON THE RIVER BED SO THEY HAD TO BE SECURED ON THE NORTHERN LINE THEY DID NOT CLOSE THE FLOODGATES AT CHARING CROSS AS THEY WERE REVERSING TRAINS SOUTH TO NORTH AS THE GATE WOULD OF BEEN TO CLOSE TO THE TRAINS, ON A SATURDAY THEY GOT LUCKY AS A TON OF WATER CAME THROUGH THE ROOF NEAR THE FLOODGATE FOR A FEW SECONDS, NOT SHORE WHY BUT I EXPECT THAT ONE OF THE CONCRETE CASES HIT THE TUNNEL BEFORE GOING INTO PLACE. HOW DO I KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENED I WAS THERE AT THE TIME

[@ianmcclavin]

The floodgates are still in place on the Northern and Bakerloo Line platforms and can be drawn shut if required, due to the station's close proximity to the river.

[@FromSagansStardust]

I still have a souvenir tea towel with Charing Cross on it that I bought it in 1977, but it notes Brixton, Stockwell & Vauxhall "will be opening late 1971" and Pimlico in 1972. It's still in beautiful shape, framed, next to my NYC map from the same era (which is where I'm from).

[@yorkshireball_animations]

It must still have the Bakerloo line to Watford Junction, and also the Aldwych + Epping-Ongar lines.

[@FromSagansStardust]

Yes, it does!@@yorkshireball_animations

[@FromSagansStardust]

And Exhibition service out of Earls Court.@@yorkshireball_animations

[@fyremoon]

Do you have any photos of the inside of the loop? I know it was hit by a WW2 bomb and then the hole was filled to prevent ingress but it is regularly checked to see if it's still intact.

[@PodgyAsthmatic]

Evening all. Wow its been a while since I've been able to catch up on a Saturday night!!

[@chrisnix7981]

Welcome back John - glad you could join us!

[@alexgrundon2346]

Welcome back Podgy x

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

The model railway exhibit (57:00), apart from being a better way to use the booking hall square footage than more shops, seems to me to be doing several things. A splendid advertisement for Bassett ~ Lowke model railways, looking at the clothing style amongst other things, it could well be attempting to tempt passengers to purchase a property in the Metropolitan railway's Metroland ~ as modelled here in all their half-timbered homeliness.

[@unittaskforce]

Superb episode, always amazes me just how much is hidden at Embankment as it never feels that big. I think the view of the substation was better than the TV series, not bashing the TV series as I loved it. Thanks again for all the work you do bringing these hangouts to us.

[@GarethHowell]

A tour de force. I regularly got lost at "Charing Cross" in the old days. Loved the Bristow cartoon at the end. Shame the reversing loop is blocked.

[@johnwickham4481]

I believe you can see working Mercury Arc rectifiers at Kempton Steam Museum on some of their open days. It's on my list of places to visit.

[@swiper1818]

superb!

[@tardismole]

43:55 just irked my OCD. I couldn't help but be distracted from Laura talking to the tile over her shoulder. Thanks for explaining it. They didn't even seem to want to match the colour. Slime green among arsenic green is going to stand out. Nonetheless I agree, toxic tiles are a bad idea.

[@ianmcclavin]

I wondered why there was old lettering fired into the tiling on the Bakerloo platforms that read "Embankment" when they were being redecorated, as I was under the impression at the time that the Embankment name was used for the first time when the station was renamed in the late 70's. But as mentioned by Chris, the Bakerloo part of the station was originally called Embankment, which explains the tiling, which must have been covered up for many years.

[@rwjenkins]

Sorry to have missed the live premiere of this one, but I thoroughly enjoyed the episode. Embankment was my commuting destination station for a couple of years back in the mid-1990s, when I was a barman on the Tattershall Castle (the old London & North Eastern Railway paddle steamer turned floating pub on the Thames), so I knew that station well. Of course I didn't get to see all the cool behind the scenes stuff back then, but there was plenty of history in plain sight in those days, with the 1959/62 stock still making up the vast majority of trains on the Northern Line, and the old wooden escalators running to/from the Northern Line platforms. Embankment must have been one of the last, if not the last Underground station to have those?

[@alexgrundon2346]

Even your lovely reply brought back memories for me. I loved the Tat. Spent far too much cash drinking in the sun. And the old aluminium trains on the Northern line (you’re right - 1956/59/62 stock looked great and made the sound of Oswald’s voice feel even older and more in-charge! Embankment is a treasure trove of fun. So glad you enjoyed it.

[@rwjenkins]

@@alexgrundon2346 well, if you were drinking on the Tat between 1994 and 1996 and your barman was a tall guy with an American accent (and not a moquette pattern), that was probably me.

[@alexgrundon2346]

YESSSSSSS!!!!!

[@mrbma]

Hi guys. Really enjoying these episodes. Very interesting viewing. Wondered for a future film, is there much of interest at a Terminus station such as Uxbridge, Cockfosters etc ???

[@alexgrundon2346]

Good idea!

[@shaunbradshaw9863]

Alex ❤ the hallo above your head keep up the good work regards to all 😂 from Shaun x pat living in NARBBON SOUTH WEST FRANCE 🇫🇷

[@chrisbendall7834]

Dont understand why the lights werent turned on? They work ok down there.

[@alexmckenna1171]

Horse & Cart ?! That's a Hansom Cab, Alex..

[@chrisnix6352]

You are absolutely right. I made the same slip. We were all looking at it on a low res image and only spotted what it was later.

[@alexgrundon2346]

Honestly I can hardly see the pictures when we film. It’s hilarious!

[@tdkuk1]

Another fantastic episode...I loved every minute thank you! You Guys have the best jobs! Any vacancies??

[@chrisbendall7834]

Lots of cables as its a cable shaft

[@dazzlingdaz187]

Hidden London - sponsored by Wet Wipes. I love it when all four of you go rooting around. Will Siddy be showing off her musical talent in a future episode?

[@alexgrundon2346]

She’s doing a turn for Patreon!

[@ianmcclavin]

Notting Hill Gate and Sloane Square both had those attractive overall roofs (of those two only Notting Hill Gate remains, as Sloane Square got heavily bombed during WW2), I was unaware that Charing Cross (Embankment) had the same originally

[@garymcguire8529]

At the far end of the east bound District line, at high tide, you can still hear the sound of water pouring in.

[@MrStevetmq]

back in the late 80's it was known by locals and commuters, as the "rabbit warren" because many of the floors had be dug up.

[@gavin1342]

Two questions. How often are the flood doors tested? What way round the loop did the trains travel?

[@dengiefilms7280]

wasn`t embankment station bombed during the war--if so what was the damage done??

[@NJPurling]

Are there any other Tube stations that were proposed, but never came into being? Apart from North End I mean. Can you buy a mug with 'North End' printed on? Or ones that were only open at restricted times? Maybe St Johns Wood/Lords should have been one of those were it not for the WW2 damage.

[@JAMESJAMES26000]

Are you sure CER doesn’t stand for communication equipment room? Not sure what control equipment would be in there if it’s not signalling??

[@richardsingh5827]

Good job

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

7:44 From a certain proprietary map function, it appears that only the one on the left doth survive, alas But it's a blummin ginormous tree now!

[@oskar6747]

15:14 You should put spot lights there to show those old walls and ceiling and at least try to hide the cables.

[@davedrew9328]

Hi is the power brought in from a generator owned by London Underground or from an out side electricity company ?

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

It's now from the National Grid with back up provided by the Greenwich UndergrounD power station. All changed quite recently when they decommissioned the wonderful Lots Road one. The _sans pareil_ Siddy covered this in one of her TV programmes.

[@madhatter61]

Is that loop still flooded though

[@bobcooper6528]

A CER is a Communication Equipment Room

[@alexgrundon2346]

Thank you!

[@highpath4776]

Not Central Electric Railway !?!

[@bobcooper6528]

@@highpath4776 no

[@THEFORBIDDENMAN-lk7of]

IN THE DISUSED LOOP ITS REPORTED THAT A STANDARD STOCK TRAIN IS STABLED IN IT

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Nope, but there's plenty of wonderful stalactites.

[@stuartpalmer8233]

The confused cartoon character is called Bristow.

[@davidelrick3131]

Embankment was regular used underground on way to down to pitsea n southend

[@sarahjoyholden7856]

It needs a very, very strong power washer and deep clean

[@chrisbendall7834]

SER- Signalling/Station Equipment Room CER- Communications Equipment Room

[@madhatter61]

I'm pretty sure that flood gate would leak around the rails .

[@THEFORBIDDENMAN-lk7of]

THERE ARE GAP IN THE RAIL AT SOME LOCATIONS AND THERE ARE GROVES WITH RUBBER INLAYS ON OTHER FLOOD GATES TO COMPLETE THE SEAL

[@davidbarrett1487]

Incredible all that the working class produced. There is so much of interest in this world, you live in your own country and never see a fraction of it, life is far too short. U.K. has a total mass of all facets of history. 🇬🇧

[@carolinecleaveley-q1r]

in my library is a copy of Everyday knowledge in pictures which has an underground section with a blow up picture of the whole of piccadilly circus by d macpherson and some loveley old pics. have you got a copy? cost 7/6 . If you have not seen it i can lend you the book. caroline

[@RWL2012]

46:17 MIND... THE GAP

[@ianmcclavin]

Oswald's original recording had "Stand clear of the doors please" at the end, the reinstated recording doesn't include this anymore unfortunately. At one time, he was also heard on the Bakerloo Line platforms at Waterloo, the Central Line platforms at Bank, and on the Piccadilly Line in the open air at Hounslow East!!

[@GenericLifts]

46:40 It was actually 2007

[@saadvidz]

Please paint the station walls for god sake

[@alexgrundon2346]

We don’t do painting

[@saadvidz]

@@alexgrundon2346 Wear dirty clothes and stop taking shower as well..

[@BenTaylor.]

4.000 views Great in all but how big is the channel that’s the big question

[@alexgrundon2346]

It’s as big as a disused tube station.

[@BenTaylor.]

@@alexgrundon2346 You don’t understand the question I’m asking

[@chrisnix6352]

@@BenTaylor. Yes he does. It just looks like a snarky message and we don’t like them.

[@rogermiyagi4076]

Tartaria

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

I know that this was filmed quite a while ago but I hope that our favourite tile expert Laura has gained in confidence with the camera. Easy for an armchair critic to say, but focus on what's being discussed not the faces of your colleagues for goodness sake!

[@alangaughran]

Click here to listen to lots of lovely money-making clicky-baity chat. Don't worry, we get to the point. Eventually. Dull ad-harvesting claptrap.

[@impy1980]

Oh great, a government sponsored stay at home video, I'm out on these videos, ta!

[@czeslawkwoka6038]

BAD VIDEO!!. Most of the video is of the hosts telling us about what they can see instead of letting us see it. What a poor presentation.

[@jonjohnson2844]

That ‘art’ is terrible!

[@IS-L]

Might have been a slightly interesting video if your children had not got your face nappies on. Cannot read a word you'r saying.

[@Hannahtheredhead2454]

I heard them loud and clear, and was grateful they were safe while doing their work for us. Someday we won’t need masks; today is not that day.

[@alexgrundon2346]

“Slightly interesting” 🤣

[@czeslawkwoka6038]

What crap. This is all about the museum hosts with occasional shots of some tiles but listen carefully because is mostly a description of the vista and not a video shot. Next time, show us instead of telling us what you are seeing

[@4376ED]

To many talking heads.

[@alexgrundon2346]

It’s TOO, not to. But thanks for watching

[@Hannahtheredhead2454]

The HLH fam loves these sweet talking heads and their wealth of information.