Archive Architecture: Enfield West (now Oakwood)

May Half Term: Routes and Roundels

Fuel your imagination at our Festival of Curiosity this half term as your family enjoy curious and creative problem-solving challenges and meet real-world engineers. Follow our STEAM-inspired family trail, join an interactive workshop or storytelling session, and much more!

Down Street: Churchill's secret station

Experience the Railway Executive Committee’s bomb-proof headquarters during World War II, the warren of tunnels where Churchill sheltered.

Plan your school visit

Find the information you need to plan and book your visit to London Transport Museum in Covent Garden or the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton, west London.

I’ve dug out a few photos from London Transport Museum’s collection so we can have a tour of Enfield West (now Oakwood) Underground station on the Southgate extension of the Piccadilly line, in 1933 - at the time of opening.

We have taken the train today, and we start our architectural tour on the platforms just as our train departs. The station was designed by Charles Holden and C H James in 1933, and our train is quite new too. Concrete shelters for the platforms are supported by concrete pillars, and wooden bench seating has been incorporated into the pillars supporting the shelter.

Black and white photo of a station platform with screen shelter benches. April 1933 — Screens shelter the ends of the benches and a poster has been incorporated on the side of the nearest one. The lighting and a clock are attached to the ceiling of the shelters. Photographed by Topical Press, April 1933

Looking further down the platforms, now we see:

Black and white photo of the end of a station platform with signal, track and station roundel in the image — View of the end of the platform showing a combined station name roundel, lamppost and poster panels, a signal (no K. 10) and the track and surrounding countryside. Photographed by Topical Press, July 1934

Those integrated lamp-posts and poster display boards were quite extraordinary, and similar ones were found throughout the Southgate extension. There were a couple of variants.

Black and white photo of a station platform featuring station name roundel in the foreground and the station and train in the background — View along the platform from the edge of the Northbound side beyond the concrete canopy, with a stationary train at the Southbound side. Photographed by Topical Press, 10 April 1933.

The platform panels aren’t the only minutiae of note, though.

black and white photo of a station bench, with an OXO advert on the left hand side — Platform seat, Southgate Urban District Council (UDC) coat-of-arms, and partially obscured station name roundel at Enfield West (Oakwood) (now Oakwood) station, Piccadilly line. In the background is a poster advertising Oxo. The Southgate UDC coat -of- arms bears the motto "Ex Glande Quercus". Photographed by Topical Press, August 1934

Upstairs, the booking hall is glorious in both day…

Black and white image of the old station booking hall, roundel in the high windows, ticket booth in the middle — View of the booking hall. View shows the interior of the high box type structure designed by Charles Holden and C H James. Photographed by Topical Press, 23 March 1933

But particularly at night…

Black and white photo of old station ticket hall taken at night — Night shot of booking hall. A passenger is purchasing a ticket from the clerk in an illuminated passimeter. Photographed by Topical Press, 28 April 1933

Moving out towards the street, we look back:

Black and white photo of old station ticket hall with a tobacco shop on the left hand side — A tobacconist’s shop is situated beside entrance, foreground left. A passimeter and two automatic ticket machines can be seen on the concourse. Photographed by Topical Press, 23 March 1933

Black and white photo of the front of the station, including the roundel lamp post and signage — Enfield West station on the Piccadilly Line. (now known as Oakwood). Shelter, mast sign and light fittings. Photographed by Topical Press, May 1933

That light tower was quite something: Holden did like light fittings integrated with other things.

Black and white photo of the Roundel shelter and mast sign at the front of the station — Closeup of Enfield West station on the Piccadilly Line. (now known as Oakwood) shelter and mast sign. Photographed by Topical Press, May 1933

And bringing us right up to date, you’ll be pleased to know that not only is Oakwood station still very well preserved, but that mast sign with light tower is too.