For a great many people in Harrow, a local tube station is simply a method of getting from A to B – and give little thought to their surroundings when waiting for their morning train.
We do however have some pretty special features in our borough’s stations and we’re going to look at some of these today:
Harrow on the Hill
Built in August 1880, this station was officially named Harrow on the Hill in 1894. As with other stations, Harrow on the Hill has been periodically modernised but, today, it still retains some period features including the unusual art deco waiting room (below) between platforms 5 and 6.
Rayners Lane
Most Harrovians will have driven or walked past Rayners Lane station at one time or another – and with its unusual facade, it’s pretty hard to miss. Opened in May 1906, the station’s official name was Rayners Lane Halt however, to locals, it became known as “Pneumonia Junction” due to its exposed location.
The station is distinctive due to its windowed facade and art deco booth which is now a newsagent and shop.
Sudbury Town
On the Piccadilly line toward Heathrow, Sudbury Town station was opened in 1906 – three years before Rayners Lane and, in fact, the two stations have a very similar design – particularly with the grid of windows on their frontages.
The London Borough of Harrow boats an impressive number of stations with art deco and / or historic features, some of which have listed status including:
- Eastcote
- Harrow & Wealdstone
- Rayners Lane
- Sudbury Hill
- Sudbury Town
This means that whatever other changes may occur, we can continue to enjoy these historic features for many years to come.
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Nicci, born in Cumbria in 1971, moved to London at 17 to work for Mute Records. She has a diverse career spanning design, copywriting, and PR. Nicci is an author, freelance copywriter, and PR professional, with her own agency, Front Page Promotions. She covers historical stories for Harrow Online and has authored several books. She currently resides in Harrow, North West London
