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Featured · Queen’s Park ·
December
2
2023
The Underground Map is a project which is creating street histories for the areas of London and surrounding counties lying inside the M25.


In a series of maps from the 1750s until the 1950s, you can see how London grew from a city which only reached as far as Park Lane into the post war megapolis we know today. There are now over 85 000 articles on all variety of locations including roads, houses, schools, pubs and palaces.

You can begin exploring by choosing a place from the dropdown list at the top.

As maps are displayed, click on the markers to view location articles.

Latest on The Underground Map...
Yiewsley
Yiewsley is a large suburban village in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Yiewsley’s transition from an agrarian community began when the Grand Junction Canal was opened. Construction started in May 1793 and connected the area to the Thames at Brentford, passing through Yiewsley on its way north following the River Colne. An aqueduct was built at Cowley Lock to cross the Fray’s River. In 1794, the canal opened between the Thames and Uxbridge, and in 1795, the aqueduct over the Fray’s River was likely completed.

The following year, in 1796, Colham Wharf, Yiewsley’s first dock, was established near Colham Bridge. In 1801, the Paddington Arm of the canal opened, connecting the area to national trade routes.

The canal played a vital role in transporting Cowley stock bricks, which were made from the abundant brick-earth in Yiewsley. The bricks were transported mainly along the Grand Junction Canal and the Regent’s Canal to supply the demand for building materials in Victorian London.

By t...

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NOVEMBER
1
2023

 

South Harrow
South Harrow originally spread south and west from the hamlet of Roxeth as a result of easier access from Central London by rail In the 1890s, the Metropolitan District Railway, which later became the District Line but was operating as an independent company at the time, recognised the inadequate service to Uxbridge and Harrow. To address this, they proposed the construction of a railway line towards both towns, and this led to the formation of the Ealing & South Harrow Railway. The railway line was intended to extend to South Harrow, which was then a rural area located to the south of Roxeth.

Construction of the railway line was completed by 1899, but the District Line faced financial difficulties that delayed its opening until 1903. Consequently, South Harrow became the terminus of a line extending from Park Royal & Twyford Abbey. The location around Northolt Road subsequently developed into South Harrow’s own commercial and residential hub.

The original station building was approximately 170 metres south of the present-day station. This extension marked a significant miles...
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SEPTEMBER
23
2023

 

Great Portland Street
Great Portland Street is a London Underground station near Regent’s Park Great Portland Street station was opened on 10 January 1863 as Portland Road, renamed Great Portland Street and Regents Park in 1923 and changed to its present name on 1 March 1917.

The station’s present structure, constructed in 1930, is situated on a traffic island at the intersection of Marylebone Road, Great Portland Street and Albany Street. This building features a steel-framed design with a cream terracotta exterior. The station’s perimeter also houses shops and, in the past, included a car showroom with office spaces above it. Notably, Great Portland Street was a significant sales location for the motor industry. The station’s architectural design, credited to C.W. Fowler, earned it a Grade II listing in January 1987.

The area around Great Portland Street station offers various points of interest. Regent’s Park and the iconic BT Tower are nearby attractions. Additionally, the station’s proximity to Regen...
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SEPTEMBER
20
2023

 

Courtfield Gardens, SW5
Courtfield Gardens is named after the field beneath it, cultivated until the 19th century According to 16th-century records, Courtfield Gardens was built on a vast open meadow known as Great Courtfield. This meadow was surrounded by fertile land and small farms and was part of a large area of land that extended from Cromwell Road to The Old Brompton Road in one direction, and from Gloucester Road to Earl’s Court Road in the other direction. Great Courtfield was included in the Earl’s Court ’manor’.

During the 18th century, Earl’s Court House, a grand manor house, was constructed on the land that is now the western terrace of Barkston Gardens. This building replaced an extensive dwelling that was described in 1705 as having fountains, a marble-tiled dairy, engines for water, and impressive gates at its entrance.

In the 19th century, the area surrounding Courtfield Gardens was developed with rows of terraced houses, as the demand for housing in London grew. Earl’s Court House was demolished in the middle of th...
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JUNE
16
2023

 

Alba Place, W11
Alba Place is part of the Colville Conservation Area Originally the stable house accommodation for the main houses on Lancaster Road, the primary purpose of the Mews properties is now residential.

Alba Place is located on the site of an original Mews but has been redeveloped to a degree that it no longer contains any surviving Mews properties. It is a gated cul-de-sac off Portobello Road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, almost opposite Hayden’s Place (another redeveloped Mews). It contains 16 properties used for residential purposes.

Alba Place was Albion Place until 1937, one of the many patriotic names dating from the period immediately following the Crimean War.
»read full article





LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Comment
Eileen   
Added: 10 Nov 2023 09:42 GMT   

Brecknock Road Pleating Company
My great grandparents ran the Brecknock Road pleating Company around 1910 to 1920 and my Grandmother worked there as a pleater until she was 16. I should like to know more about this. I know they had a beautiful Victorian house in Islington as I have photos of it & of them in their garden.

Source: Family history

Reply
Comment
   
Added: 6 Nov 2023 16:59 GMT   

061123
Why do Thames Water not collect the 15 . Three meter lengths of blue plastic fencing, and old pipes etc. They left here for the last TWO Years, these cause an obstruction,as they halfway lying in the road,as no footpath down this road, and the cars going and exiting the park are getting damaged, also the public are in Grave Danger when trying to avoid your rubbish and the danger of your fences.

Source: Squirrels Lane. Buckhurst Hill, Essex. IG9. I want some action ,now, not Excuses.MK.

Reply

Christian   
Added: 31 Oct 2023 10:34 GMT   

Cornwall Road, W11
Photo shows William Richard Hoare’s chemist shop at 121 Cornwall Road.

Reply

Vik   
Added: 30 Oct 2023 18:48 GMT   

Old pub sign from the Rising Sun
Hi I have no connection to the area except that for the last 30+ years we’ve had an old pub sign hanging on our kitchen wall from the Rising Sun, Stanwell, which I believe was / is on the Oaks Rd. Happy to upload a photo if anyone can tell me how or where to do that!

Reply
Comment
Phillip Martin   
Added: 16 Oct 2023 06:25 GMT   

16 Ashburnham Road
On 15 October 1874 George Frederick Martin was born in 16 Ashburnham Road Greenwich to George Henry Martin, a painter, and Mary Martin, formerly Southern.

Reply
Lived here
Christine Bithrey   
Added: 15 Oct 2023 15:20 GMT   

The Hollies (1860 - 1900)
I lived in Holly Park Estate from 1969 I was 8 years old when we moved in until I left to get married, my mother still lives there now 84. I am wondering if there was ever a cemetery within The Hollies? And if so where? Was it near to the Blythwood Road end or much nearer to the old Methodist Church which is still standing although rather old looking. We spent most of our childhood playing along the old dis-used railway that run directly along Blythwood Road and opposite Holly Park Estate - top end which is where we live/ed. We now walk my mothers dog there twice a day. An elderly gentleman once told me when I was a child that there used to be a cemetery but I am not sure if he was trying to scare us children! I only thought about this recently when walking past the old Methodist Church and seeing the flag stone in the side of the wall with the inscription of when it was built late 1880

If anyone has any answers please email me [email protected]

Reply
Comment
Chris hutchison   
Added: 15 Oct 2023 03:04 GMT   

35 broadhurst gardens.
35 Broadhurst gardens was owned by famous opera singer Mr Herman “Simmy”Simberg. He had transformed it into a film and recording complex.
There was a film and animation studio on the ground floor. The recording facilities were on the next two floors.
I arrived in London from Australia in 1966 and worked in the studio as the tea boy and trainee recording engineer from Christmas 1966 for one year. The facility was leased by an American advertising company called Moreno Films. Mr Simbergs company Vox Humana used the studio for their own projects as well. I worked for both of them. I was so lucky. The manager was another wonderful gentleman called Jack Price who went on to create numerous songs for many famous singers of the day and also assisted the careers of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff. “Simmy” let me live in the bedsit,upper right hand window. Jack was also busy with projects with The Troggs,Bill Wyman,Peter Frampton. We did some great sessions with Manfred Mann and Alan Price. The Cream did some demos but that was before my time. We did lots of voice over work. Warren Mitchell and Ronnie Corbett were favourites. I went back in 1978 and “Simmy “ had removed all of the studio and it was now his home. His lounge room was still our studio in my minds eye!!


Reply
Comment
Sue L   
Added: 13 Oct 2023 17:21 GMT   

Duffield Street, Battersea
I’ve been looking for ages for a photo of Duffield Street without any luck.
My mother and grandfather lived there during the war. It was the first property he was able to buy but sadly after only a few months they were bombed out. My mother told the story that one night they were aware of a train stopping above them in the embankment. It was full of soldiers who threw out cigarettes and sweets at about four in the morning. They were returning from Dunkirk though of course my mother had no idea at the time. I have heard the same story from a different source too.

Reply



Click here to explore another London street
We now have 628 completed street histories and 46872 partial histories

SEPTEMBER
29
2017

 

Chalfont & Latimer
Chalfont and Latimer station is on the Metropolitan line. It is the junction between services to Amersham and Chesham. It is also on the Chiltern Railways line to Aylesbury. The station serves all three of the Chalfonts — Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont St Peter and, the nearest, Little Chalfont.

Little Chalfont is situated in the county of Buckinghamshire, on the edge of the Chiltern Hills and about 50 kilometres from central London.

The Metropolitan Railway reached Little Chalfont in 1889. However the village didn’t really develop until the 1920s when land was released for housing to become part of, as Sir John Betjeman styled it: Metroland. The present population is around 5000. The station is now served by London Transport Metropolitan line and by Chiltern Railways resulting in excellent transport to and from London; Marylebone station can be reached in little over 30 minutes.

The village has a post office and a building society as well as a pharmacy, a small supermarket and ab...
»more


SEPTEMBER
26
2017

 

St Mary-le-Bow
St Mary-le-Bow is an historic church rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666 by Sir Christopher Wren. According to tradition a true Cockney must be born within earshot of the sound of Bow Bells. Archaeological evidence indicates that a church existed on this site in Saxon times. A medieval version of the church had been destroyed by the London Tornado of 1091, one of the earliest recorded (and one of the most violent) tornadoes in Britain, although the newly completed arched crypt survived.

During the later Norman period the church, known as ’St Mary de Arcubus’, was rebuilt and was famed for its stone arches. At that period the 12 feet 6 inches high vaulted crypt although only accessible from within the church had windows and buttresses visible from the street.

From at least the 13th century, the church was a peculier of the Diocese of Canterbury and the seat of the Court of Arches, to which it gave the name. The ’bow bells’, which could be heard as far away as Hackney Marshes, were once used to order a curfew in the City of London. This building burned in the Great Fire of London of 1666.

The church with its steeple ha...
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SEPTEMBER
22
2017

 

Cromwell Curve
The Cromwell Curve was a short section of railway line between Gloucester Road and High Street Kensington stations. The line was opened by the District Railway (DR) on 5 July 1871. The tracks formed a triangle across the end of the v connecting the District’s existing routes from Earl’s Court station to Gloucester Road and High Street Kensington, and ran in a cutting parallel to the Metropolitan Railway (MR). The name derives from Cromwell Road which is immediately south of the site of the curve.


The track was opened without Parliamentary authority in an attempt by the DR to increase its share of the revenues from the Inner Circle (now the Circle line), which were divided on the basis of mileage of track owned by the DR and the MR. Sir John Fowler arbitrated the dispute, ruling on 27 July that Inner Circle receipts were to be divided 67% to the Metropolitan and 33% to the District (revised to 50:50 in 1878, due to increased traffic from the District’s western lines). Although the Cromwell Curve was used only occasionally, the dispute between the two companies continued ...
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SEPTEMBER
21
2017

 

West Acton
West Acton is a station between Ealing Broadway and North Acton on the Ealing Broadway branch of the Central line. The Great Western Railway built its Ealing Broadway branch and opened it for freight trains in April 1917.

The Central London Railway subsequently abandoned its policy of no through running with any other railway and secured powers to build a short extension from its terminus at Wood Lane to connect with the new Great Western Railway branch.

Central trains used the line from 3 August 1920. West Acton and North Acton were built and owned by the Great Western Railway and both opened on 5 November 1923.

The current station - replacing the original building - was designed by the Great Western Railway on behalf of London Transport as part of the 1935-40 New Works Programme. The design was by the GWR’s architect Brian Lewis and it was completed in 1940. The station is a Grade II listed building.
»read full article


SEPTEMBER
17
2017

 

Forty Farm
Forty Farm was situated where the Sudbury to Kingsbury road crossed the Lidding at Forty Bridge. In the 14th or 15th centuries, people, including the Uxendon family from Uxendon Farm, moved south to form another small community at Forty Green.

This settlement was known as Uxendon Forty, Wembley Forty or Preston Forty. The farm at Forty Green was at first called Pargrave's, and later South Forty Farm.

Even as late as the 19th century, the area had not changed significantly. London's growing need for hay meant that Forty Farm had converted to hay farming by 1852 and indeed was noted for its horses. In the 1831 census, Forty Farm housed 10 people

The construction of the Metropolitan Railway in 1880 effectively destroyed Forty Green, although South Forty Farm continued into the 20th century. In 1928 the farm became the headquarters of the Century Sports Ground. The celebrated gunsmiths Holland & Holland had a shooting ground nearby. As Forty Farm Sports Ground the site of the farm remains green to this day.

The Holland & Ho...
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SEPTEMBER
15
2017

 

Cranes Farm
Cranes Farm was a farm in Boreham Wood. Cranes Farm was situated just behind the modern location of the Bull and Tiger pub (a.k.a. The Directors’ Arms).

Cranes Way was laid out nearly on the line of the farm track.

The final tenant farmer of Cranes Farm, as compensation, was given one of the new houses Laings built in Manor Way at a low-rate, long-term fixed rent.
»read full article


SEPTEMBER
14
2017

 

Ilchester Place, W14
Ilchester Place runs between Abbotsbury Road and Melbury Road, immediately adjacent to the southern boundary of Holland Park itself. Ilchester Place was built in 1929 as a set of small mansion blocks, designed by the architect L Martin.

It takes its name from Edward Fox-Strangways, the Fifth Earl of Ilchester, who bought the estate from Lady Holland in the late 19th century, and continued the process of development on the estate. (See ’History’).

The street is considered to be ‘prime residential’ and consists of large neo-Georgian 3-storey brick-built family houses. It is wide, tree-lined and very quiet. The houses have attractive small front gardens, often with neatly trimmed hedges and well cut lawns, and sub-basement garages. Some of the houses are attractively covered in creeper.

The road is particularly convenient for all the facilities in nearby Holland Park although the houses also have very decent-sized rear gardens.

Due to the width of the road Ilchester Place has a particular feeling of spaciousness.
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SEPTEMBER
11
2017

 

Apex Corner (1920s)
This view of the Apex Corner roundabout shows the original Apex Garage. The Northway Circus roundabout was built as part of general improvements to the road system in the 1920s.

These improvements, along with the North Circular Road, created the Barnet Bypass (A1) and Watford Bypass (A41) which met at the roundabout.

To serve the traffic which passed, a garage called Apex Garage was built on the roundabout. Such was its distinctiveness that 'Northway Circus' began being called 'Apex Corner'.

In time, Apex Corner took over as the name - it is now semi-official, used by Transport For London as the destination on bus routes.
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SEPTEMBER
10
2017

 

Brentford
Brentford was the historic county town of Middlesex. Brentford's economy has diverse company headquarters buildings which mark the start of the M4 corridor; in transport it also has two railway stations and the Boston Manor tube station on its north-west border with Hanwell.

Brentford at the start of its 21st century attracted regeneration of its little-used warehouse premises and docks including the re-modelling of the waterfront to provide more economically active shops, townhouses and apartments, some of which comprises Brentford Dock.

A 19th and 20th centuries mixed social and private housing locality: New Brentford is contiguous with the Osterley neighbourhood of Isleworth and Syon Park and the Great West Road which has most of the largest business premises.

Brentford station was opened in 1849 by the London and South Western Railway.

Between 1950 and 1980 was named Brentford Central.
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SEPTEMBER
7
2017

 

Chingford Lane, E4
Chingford Lane is a main road skirting Woodford Golf Club. Chingford Lane shows some early Warner Estate development with terraced housing dating from the late 1870s.

St.Andrew’s Church of England opened in 1880 with services held in the Working Men’s hall and then in a room nearby. An iron church was erected in 1888. In 1923 the iron was replaced with cement and the frame had moved north to make room for a hall, and kitchen. The original wooden bell-tower was also removed.
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SEPTEMBER
6
2017

 

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1705 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was subsequently acquired by George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte, and known as The Queen's House. During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, forming three wings around a central courtyard.

Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front, which contains the well-known balcony ...
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SEPTEMBER
5
2017

 

Garden Museum
The first museum in the world dedicated to the history of gardening. The Garden Museum is based in the deconsecrated parish church of St Mary-at-Lambeth adjacent to Lambeth Palace. The church originally housed the 15th and 16th century tombs of many members of the Howard family, including now-lost memorial brasses to Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (died 1524), his wife Agnes Tilney, Duchess of Norfolk (died 1545) and is also the burial place of Queen Anne Boleyn's mother Elizabeth Boleyn, formerly Howard.

St Mary's, which was largely a Victorian reconstruction, was deconsecrated in 1972 and was scheduled to be demolished. In 1976 John and Rosemary Nicholson traced the tomb of the two 17th century royal gardeners and plant hunters John Tradescant father and son to the churchyard, and were inspired to create the Museum of Garden History.

The museum's main gallery is the main body of the church. The collection comprises tools, ephemera and a library. The tool collection includes items purchased at auction and donations f...
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SEPTEMBER
4
2017

 

Abbey Street, SE1
Abbey Street takes its name from Bermondsey Abbey which was situated between Bermondsey Square, Grange Walk and Long Walk. Forerly Great George Street, the street lies on the line of the nave of the abbey church.

The names Abbey Street, Grange Walk and Spa Road give an indication of the earliest defining features of the area. Bermondsey Abbey was demolished shortly after its dissolution in the mid-16th century. The street pattern around it, however, retained key elements of its layout.The eastern gateway in Grange Walk was demolished in 1760 with the road being extended eastwards some years later.

Neckinger Mills. formerly Bevington & Sons Leather Mills. was one of the most famous tanneries in Bermondsey producing light leathers for shoes and fancy goods. The tanning pits were located beside the River Neckinger.

It was said that the fish oil used in the tanning process did wonders for the hair and skin of the (largely female) leather workers.

The mills opened in 1801 and continued production until 1981.
»read full article


SEPTEMBER
1
2017

 

Hendon Park
Hendon Park, totalling 12 hectares, between Queens Road (formerly Butchers Lane) and Shire Hall Lane was created by Hendon Urban District Council in 1903. Hendon Park was part of a medieval estate known as the Steps Fields and owned by the Goodyer family. From 1868 till 1903 it was owned by the Kemp family when Hendon Council opened the park to the public.

The park has a Holocaust Memorial Garden, which contains a pond, many plants and is enclosed by large hedges. The Childrens’ Millennium Wood planted in 2000 is a native tree and grassland area. The rest of the park is mainly informal parkland, with mown grass and mature trees, especially London plane and lime. It is a good spot for watching pipistrelle bats on a summer evening.

The landscape includes one of the largest specimens of Acer palmatum in London. Many mature trees survive from the original planting, despite damage caused by the Great Storm of 1987 during which many trees were uprooted and destroyed.

"Rout the Rumour", a large propaganda rally was held in Hendon Park on Sunday, 21 July 1940. The rally included songs, music and sk...
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