Arsenal

Underground station, existing between 1906 and now.

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Underground station · * · N5 ·
MARCH
1
2023
Arsenal tube station is a Piccadilly Line station. Meanwhile, Arsenal is maybe a football club too...

Arsenal tube station is a Piccadilly Line station. Originally known as Gillespie Road, it was renamed in 1932 after Arsenal Football Club, who at the time played at the nearby Arsenal Stadium. It is the only Tube station named directly after a football club.

Arsenal tube station was opened by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (GNP&BR) as Gillespie Road on 15 December 1906. The GNP&BR later renamed the Piccadilly line after the consolidation & nationalisation of the Tube network as London Underground. The original station building and ticket hall were red terracotta-clad buildings designed by Leslie Green, similar to neighbouring Holloway Road and Caledonian Road stations.

At the time of Gillespie Road’s construction, it served a residential area and a local divinity college. In 1913, Arsenal Football Club moved to Highbury on the site of the college’s playing fields, and the club’s presence there eventually led to a campaign for a change of name. Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman was a particularly keen advocate, and on 5 November 1932 it was renamed Arsenal (Highbury Hill). The station was expanded in the 1930s, with the original station building demolished and being replaced with a wider building of a more modern design.

The (Highbury Hill) suffix was dropped from the station’s name some time around 1960, giving the current name of Arsenal. The original tiled walls of the platforms still bear the Gillespie Road name, spelt out in large letters.

The station is in a narrow Victorian residential street: when built, the station building was squeezed incongruously between residential properties on each side, occupying the width of just two terraced houses. Even after the surface building was rebuilt in the early 1930s and widened, with a further house being demolished, it has one of the narrowest frontages of any underground station. It is also unusual in not having any bus routes pass its entrance.

Arsenal possesses neither escalators nor lifts. Instead, a sloping passageway leads down to the platforms. This is due to the combination of the tunnels being both relatively shallow at this point and being some distance from the station entrance (being underneath the East Coast Main Line). Due to short flights of stairs at both ends of the passageway the station is not wheelchair accessible. When the station was rebuilt in the early 1930s an extra tunnel was dug to platform level from the main access passage in anticipation of increased traffic, which is now used to handle the large crowds on match days. The station has a "tidal" system unique on the Underground network, with a narrow section on one side divided from the main passageway by a full-height fence. The narrow section is used on match days for the lighter flow, according to time of day - for passengers catching trains before matches, or leaving the station afterwards.

Although Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium closed in 2006, the station retains its name and is still used by spectators attending matches at Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium, but it is otherwise quieter than other stations on the same stretch of line.



Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

Born here
Vanessa Whitehouse   
Added: 17 Feb 2021 22:48 GMT   

Born here
My dad 1929 John George Hall

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LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Comment
Wendy    
Added: 22 Mar 2024 15:33 GMT   

Polygon Buildings
Following the demolition of the Polygon, and prior to the construction of Oakshott Court in 1974, 4 tenement type blocks of flats were built on the site at Clarendon Sq/Phoenix Rd called Polygon Buildings. These were primarily for people working for the Midland Railway and subsequently British Rail. My family lived for 5 years in Block C in the 1950s. It seems that very few photos exist of these buildings.

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Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:42 GMT   

Road construction and houses completed
New Charleville Circus road layout shown on Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1879 with access via West Hill only.

Plans showing street numbering were recorded in 1888 so we can concluded the houses in Charleville Circus were built by this date.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Steve   
Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:04 GMT   

Charleville Circus, Sydenham: One Place Study (OPS)
One Place Study’s (OPS) are a recent innovation to research and record historical facts/events/people focused on a single place �’ building, street, town etc.

I have created an open access OPS of Charleville Circus on WikiTree that has over a million members across the globe working on a single family tree for everyone to enjoy, for free, forever.

Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London

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Comment
Charles   
Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT   

My House
I want to know who lived in my house in the 1860’s.

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NH   
Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT   

Telephone House
Donald Hunter House, formerly Telephone House, was the BT Offices closed in 2000

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Comment
Paul Cox   
Added: 5 Mar 2024 22:18 GMT   

War damage reinstatement plans of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street
Whilst clearing my elderly Mothers house of general detritus, I’ve come across original plans (one on acetate) of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street. Might they be of interest or should I just dispose of them? There are 4 copies seemingly from the one single acetate example. Seems a shame to just junk them as the level of detail is exquisite. No worries if of no interest, but thought I’d put it out there.

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Comment
Diana   
Added: 28 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT   

New Inn Yard, E1
My great grandparents x 6 lived in New Inn Yard. On this date, their son was baptised in nearby St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch

Source: BDM London, Cripplegate and Shoreditch registers written by church clerk.

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Comment
Vic Stanley   
Added: 24 Feb 2024 17:38 GMT   

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

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NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
Arsenal Arsenal tube station is a Piccadilly Line station. Meanwhile, Arsenal is maybe a football club too...

NEARBY STREETS
Albert Park, N5 Albert Park is a location in London (Highbury)
Annette Road, N7 Annette Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area
Ashburton Grove, N7 Ashburton Grove was a former road, buried under the new Emirates Stadium development (Arsenal)
Ashburton Triangle, N5 Ashburton Triangle is a location in London (Arsenal)
Aubert Court, N5 Aubert Court is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Aubert Park, N5 Alexander Aubert (1730-1804) was a noted astronomer who lived in Highbury Manor House (Highbury)
Aubert Road, N5 Aubert Road is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Avenell Mansions, N5 Avenell Mansions is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Avenell Road, N5 Avenell Road is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Berriman Road, N7 Berriman Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Finsbury Park)
Blackstock House, N4 Blackstock House is a block on Blackstock Road (Highbury)
Blackstock Road, N5 Blackstock Road is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Caedmon Road, N7 Caedmon Road is a road in the N7 postcode area
Chatterton Road, N5 Chatterton Road is one of the streets of London in the N4 postal area (Highbury)
Citizen House, N7 Citizen House is a block on Hornsey Road (Arsenal)
Citizen Road, N7 Citizen Road is a road in the N7 postcode area
Conewood Street, N5 Conewood Street is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Corewood Street, N5 Corewood Street is a location in London (Highbury)
Dillon Place, N7 Dillon Place was a small street south of, and running parallel with, Kinloch Street (Finsbury Park)
Drakeley Court, N5 Drakeley Court is located on Highbury Hill (Highbury)
Dunford Road, N7 Dunford Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Holloway Road)
Elfort Road, N5 Elfort Road is a road in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Elphinstone Street, N5 This is a street in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Elwood Street, N5 Elwood Street is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Everett House, N7 Everett House is a block on Hornsey Road
Gillespie Road, N5 Gillespie Road runs east–west along the north side of Arsenal Stadium (Highbury)
Hamilton Lane, N5 Hamilton Lane is a road in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Hamilton Park West, N5 Hamilton Park West is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Hamilton Park, N5 Hamilton Park is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Heather Close, N7 Heather Close may date from 2009 (Finsbury Park)
Highbury Hill, N5 Highbury Hill is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Highbury Park, N5 Highbury Park is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Highbury Stadium Square, N5 Highbury Stadium Square is a location in London (Highbury)
Hind House, N7 Hind House is sited on Hornsey Road (Arsenal)
Hindley House, N7 Hindley House is sited on Tollington Road
Hornsey Road, N7 Hornsey Road is main road running through the Islington and Highbury area (Finsbury Park)
Howard Mews, N5 Howard Mews is a location in London (Highbury)
Hurlock Street, N5 Hurlock Street is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Isledon Road, N7 Isledon Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Finsbury Park)
Jack Walker Court, N5 Jack Walker Court is a road in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Jackson Road, N7 Jackson Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Arsenal)
Kinloch Street, N7 Kinloch Street is a road in the N7 postcode area (Finsbury Park)
Legard Road, N5 Legard Road is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Liam Court, N5 Liam Court is a block on Drayton Park (Highbury)
Lillingston House, N7 Lillingston House is a block on Hornsey Road
Lowman Road, N7 Lowman Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area
Loxford Gardens, N5 Loxford Gardens is a location in London (Highbury)
Loxforoad Gardens, N5 Loxforoad Gardens is a location in London (Highbury)
Lucerne Road, N5 Lucerne Road is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
Medina Grove, N7 Medina Grove (Market Yard Mews) is off Medina Road (Finsbury Park)
Medina Road, N4 Medina Road is a road in the N4 postcode area (Finsbury Park)
Monsell Road, N4 Monsell Road is a location in London (Highbury)
Monsell Road, N5 Monsell Road is one of the streets of London in the N4 postal area (Highbury)
Monsell Road, N5 Monsell Road is a road in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Northstand Apartments, N5 Northstand Apartments is a block on Northstand Apartments (Arsenal)
Osborne House, N5 Osborne House is a location in London (Highbury)
Panmure Close, N5 Panmure Close is a road in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Park House, N5 Park House is a block on Highbury Park (Highbury)
Parkside Crescent, N7 Parkside Crescent is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Finsbury Park)
Plimsoll Road, N4 Plimsoll Road is one of the streets of London in the N4 postal area (Highbury)
PO Box 4, N5 Southstand Apartments is a location in London (Highbury)
Quill Street, N5 Quill Street is the western extention of Monsell Road (Finsbury Park)
Rixon Street, N7 Rixon Street is a road in the N7 postcode area (Finsbury Park)
Rosedale Court, N5 Rosedale Court is a block on Panmure Close (Highbury)
Rumsey Mews, N4 Rumsey Mews is a location in London (Finsbury Park)
Shelburne Road, N7 Shelburne Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area
Sidings Mews, N5 Sidings Mews is a road in the N5 postcode area (Arsenal)
Southstand Apartments, N5 Southstand Apartments is a block on Southstand Apartments (Highbury)
St Johns Court, N5 St Johns Court is one of the streets of London in the N5 postal area (Highbury)
St Thomas’s Road, N4 Saint Thomas’s Road runs between Highbury and Finsbury Park (Finsbury Park)
Stacey Street, N7 Stacey Street is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Finsbury Park)
Stadium Crescent West, N5 Stadium Crescent West is a road in the E15 postcode area (Arsenal)
Steve Biko Road, N7 Steve Biko Road is a road in the N7 postcode area (Arsenal)
Swainson House, N7 Swainson House can be found on Hornsey Road
Talbot House, N7 Talbot House is a block on Hornsey Road
Tannington Terrace, N5 Tannington Terrace is a road in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Tawney Court, N5 Tawney Court is a block on Aubert Park (Highbury)
Tenby House, N7 Tenby House is located on Hornsey Road
Thane Villas, N7 Thane Villas is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Finsbury Park)
Thane Works, N7 Thane Works is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area (Finsbury Park)
Tollington Road, N7 Tollington Road is one of the streets of London in the N7 postal area
Vale Row, N5 Vale Row is a road in the N5 postcode area (Highbury)
Walton House, N7 Walton House is a block on Thane Villas (Finsbury Park)
Westerdale Court, N5 Westerdale Court is a block on Aubert Park (Highbury)
Weststand Apartments, N5 Weststand Apartments is sited on Weststand Apartments (Arsenal)
Yonge Park, N7 Yonge Park is a road in the N7 postcode area (Finsbury Park)


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