Metropolitan Line
 

MARLBOROUGH ROAD

(1868-1939)


Marlborough Road station: the middle one of three stations closed on the Met Line between Baker Street and Finchley Road. Lords station and this one were replaced by St John's Wood station on the deep level Bakerloo line (which having ascended to the surface at Finchley Road, also took over all the Met Line stations between Finchley Road and Stanmore as well. The Baker Street to Stanmore branch of the Bakerloo line was transferred to the Jubilee Line in 1979).

 

 


1930s map showing 1) South Hampstead LNWR station. 2) Marlborough Road station 3) The location of its replacement, St.John's Wood station.

 

 

 

Marlborough Road in its days of railway passenger service.

(original postcard courtesy of Jeff & Joanna Wolfers)

 

 

 


The old station building as it was in the late 1970s. It remained in use as a Chinese restaurant until 2008 when the lease expired (the chopsticks used to do a veritable fandango every time a train went past underneath!). It is on the corner of Finchley Road and Queens Grove (there is now no such road called Marlborough Road in the area; it was renamed Marlborough Place in the 1950s (info: courtesy of Jon Bird)).

 

 

 


Its appearance in 2005. It was subsequently painted black.

 

 

 


The interior in 2005 looking nothing like a station building.

 

 

 


The station, like Lords, did have an overall roof - the curve of its imprint can be seen at the back of the station building above the tracks. Looking south.

(photo: 2001)

 

 

 


The only existing way into the station is around the side of the station building, i.e. away from the main Finchley Road. This is looking down at the stairs leading to the southbound platform and gives some idea of the architectural appeal the station must have had when open.

Out of shot to the right of the point where the photo was taken from is the former 'ladies room' which now provides the route in from street level. To the left, again out of shot, is a bricked up archway, leading to the station building. The station is archeturally similar to Barbican and Farringdon stations, both of which are also built in cuttings.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


Opposite view from above.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


Next to the door out onto the southbound platform is this sign. The 'nearest station' it mentions is referring to this line only - the similarly disused Swiss Cottage station. At street level, St John's Wood station (Jubilee Line) is only a few minutes walk.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


The only bit of platform still remaining, although it looks more like a bit was rebuilt after demolition. All three of the abandoned Met stations between Baker Street and Finchley Road have the same type of mini-platform. The arch at the bottom of the stairs has another arch above it. This was where the original exit walkway was located.

This photo dates from the late 1970s; the iron lattices that supported the overall roof are still in evidence here at the top / top-left of the photo.

 

 

 


A more recent shot than the one above, showing the decorative talents of some local youths on the southbound platform.

Some other changes include the rebuilding of the mini-platform (the section nearest the track is now a metal grille), the addition of the metal door in the archway leading to the stairs, and what appears to be a drainage pipe.

It is believed that the arched doorway in the top right of the photograph is where the footbridge over the tracks was located.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


View southwards from the north end of the platforms.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


View southwards from the northbound platform.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 

View southwards from the northbound platform again, but viewed from underneath the station building seen in the photo above.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


Opposite view: looking at the northbound platform from the southbound one. The platform level entrance to the staircase is bricked up on this side. Above it is another arch: this provided a second walkway over the tracks, designed as a means of exit from the station, though it was not retained as such during the station's existance.

In this photo and the ones above and below, some reconstruction of the brickwork at the top of the station walls is evident. This work (and the addition of the metal fencing) was carried out in the summer of 2002. A curious feature is that the new brickwork replicated the original design exactly, with the exception of the wall above the tunnel.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 


View northwards from the southbound platform. Shame about the graffiti; the station still would retain a semblance of elegance. Since the photograph was taken, the graffiti has been painted over but the natural appearance of the brickwork is lost.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 

Northward view from the southbound platform.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

 

Closer view of the rear of the station building. The imprint in the brickwork of the former roof is very obvious. It is not clear why the bricks above the roof space are discoloured when those below it are not; the ones below must have been exposed to the soot of the early Metropolitan Line steam trains.

One explanation is that they may have been cleaned (!). The other is that the filled-in arched doorway on the right of the photo (almost level with the station building) is where the entrance footbridge over the tracks was located, perhaps shielding the brickwork somewhat.

(photo: 2005)

 

 

Swiss Cottage (Metropolitan Line)