Oxford Circus

Underground station, existing between the 20th century and now.

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Underground station · * · W1F ·
October
23
2020
Oxford Circus, designed by John Nash in 1811.

Oxford Circus, the busy intersection of Oxford Street and Regent Street, was constructed in the beginning of the 19th century, and was designed by John Nash. Regent Street had been commissioned by Prince Regent, who was later to become King George IV, as a grand scheme to connect the Princes home at Carlton House with his newly acquired property at Regents Park. Nash designed a wide boulevard with a sweeping curve that became a clear dividing line between the less respectable Soho and the fashionable squares and streets of Mayfair. Born from the concept of Nash’s layout of the New Street in 1812, frontage alignments remain, with the rebuilt listed architecture of 1920s buildings.

The surrounding area contains important elements of the Nash heritage. All frontages on the Circus are Grade II Listed. The entirety of Regent Street is also listed and sits within a conservation area.

The circus is served by Oxford Circus tube station, which is directly beneath the junction itself.

Oxford Circus station has entrances on all four corners of the intersection. The station is an interchange between the Central, Victoria and Bakerloo lines. It is the fourth busiest station on the network and the busiest without connection to the National Rail service. It opened on the Central London Railway on 30 July 1900, with the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway’s platforms opening on 10 March 1906. The two companies had separate surface buildings and lift shafts. The station buildings, which remain today as exits from the station, were constructed on very confined plots on either side of Argyll Street on the south side of Oxford Street, just to the east of the circus itself. The stations were originally built as entirely separate, but connecting passages were swiftly provided at platform level. The surviving Central London Railway building to the east of Argyll Street is the best surviving example of the stations designed by Harry Bell Measures, and the Bakerloo line building to the west is a classic Leslie Green structure. Both station buildings are Grade II listed.

Almost from the outset, overcrowding has been a constant problem at the station and it has seen numerous improvements to its facilities and below-ground arrangements to deal with this difficulty. After much discussion between the then two separate operators, a major reconstruction began in 1912. This saw a new ticket hall, dealing with both lines, built in the basement of the Bakerloo station, the Bakerloo lifts removed, and new deep-level escalators opened down to the Bakerloo line level. Access to the Central line was by way of existing deep-level subways. The new works came into use on 9 May 1914 with the CLR lifts still available for passengers. By 1923 even this rearrangement was unable to cope, so a second rebuilding commenced. This saw a second set of escalators built directly down to the Central line, the CLR station building becoming an exit only. Then, on 2 October 1928, a third escalator leading to the Bakerloo platforms was opened. Unusually, lifts came back into prominence at an Underground station when, in 1942, a set of high-speed lifts came into use, largely used as an exit route from the Central line platforms directly to the Argyll Street exit building.

The Victoria line opened on 7 March 1969. To handle the additional passenger loads, a new ticket hall was constructed directly under the road junction. To excavate the new ticket hall below the roadway, traffic was diverted for five years (August 1963 to Easter 1968) on to a temporary bridge-like structure known as the ’umbrella’ covering the Regent Street/Oxford Street intersection. Services tunnels were constructed to carry water mains and telecom cables past the new ticket hall. Construction of the Victoria line station tunnels with their platforms, the new escalator shafts and the linking passages to the Central line platforms was carried out from access shafts sunk from nearby Cavendish Square, Upper Regent Street and Argyll Street. To this day, traffic passing through the Oxford Circus intersection literally travels over the roof of the ticket office.




Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LOCALITY

None so far :(
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.

Reply

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.

Reply

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.

Reply
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.

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

Postcose
The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1

Reply


NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE
Hanover Square Rooms The Hanover Square Rooms (also called the Queen’s Concert Rooms) were assembly rooms principally for musical performances.
Oxford Circus Oxford Circus, designed by John Nash in 1811.

NEARBY STREETS
Aberdeen Mews, W1F Aberdeen Mews was situated off Ramillies Place (Soho)
Allan House, W1G Allan House is a block on John Princes Street (Oxford Circus)
Ambika House, W1B Ambika House is located on Portland Place (Oxford Circus)
Argyll Street, W1F Argyll Street was named after John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, owner of the land in the 18th century (Soho)
Binstead Street, W1D Binstead Street used to lead from Oxford Street to Oxford Market (Oxford Circus)
Carnaby Street, W1F Carnaby Street became the heart of Swinging London (Soho)
Cavendish Place, W1G Cavendish Place is one of the streets of London in the W1G postal area (Oxford Circus)
Cavendish Square, W1G Cavendish Square was laid out in 1717–18 at the beginning of the transformation of Harley family lands in Marylebone (Marylebone)
Cavendish Street, W1G Cavendish Street is one of the streets of London in the W1G postal area (Marylebone)
Chandos Street, W1G Chandos Street is one of the streets of London in the W1G postal area (Oxford Circus)
Dering Street, W1S Dering Street is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area (Bond Street)
Eastcastle Street, W1D Eastcastle Street was originally called Castle Street East (Fitzrovia)
Flanders House, W1G Flanders House is sited on Cavendish Square (Oxford Circus)
Foley House, W1B Foley House is a block on Maddox Street (Mayfair)
Foubert’s Place, W1B Foubert’s Place is named after a Frenchman who had a riding school here in the reign of Charles II (Soho)
Ganton Street, W1F Ganton Street runs across Carnaby Street (Soho)
Great Castle Street, W1B Great Castle Street was begun in 1722 (Fitzrovia)
Great Castle Street, W1W Great Castle Street was one of the main streets of the Harley Estate (Fitzrovia)
Great Marlborough Street, W1B Great Marlborough Street runs east of Regent Street past Carnaby Street towards Noel Street (Soho)
Green Dragon Yard, W1B Green Dragon Yard was named after an adjacent pub (Soho)
Hanover Court, W1S Hanover Court is a building on Hanover Square (Mayfair)
Hanover House, W1S Hanover House can be found on Harewood Place (Mayfair)
Hanover Square, W1S Hanover Square was created as the ’Whig’ square with Cavendish Square being the ’Tory’ square (Mayfair)
Hanover Street, W1S Hanover Street is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area (Mayfair)
Harewood Place, W1C Harewood Place is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area (Mayfair)
Highlight House, W1W Highlight House is a block on Margaret Street (Fitzrovia)
Hills Place, W1D Hills Place leads south off Oxford Street (Oxford Circus)
Holles Street, W1C Holles Street runs north from Oxford Street, on the east side of the John Lewis store (Oxford Circus)
International House, W1S Residential block (Mayfair)
Jammal House, W1S Jammal House is a block on Hanover Street (Mayfair)
John Prince’s Street, W1G This is a street in the W1G postcode area (Oxford Circus)
Jubilee House, W1 Jubilee House is located on Oxford Street (Oxford Circus)
Kent House, W1D Kent House is a block created as showrooms in 1937 (Fitzrovia)
Langham House, W1B Residential block (Oxford Circus)
Langham Place, W1B Langham Place is one of the streets of London in the W1B postal area (Oxford Circus)
Little Marlborough Street, W1B Little Marlborough Street was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, an 18th century general (Soho)
Lowndes Court, W1F Lowndes Court was named after William Lowndes, its 17th century landowner (Soho)
Mappin House, W1 Mappin House is a block on Winsley Street (Oxford Circus)
Margaret Court, W1W Margaret Court is one of the streets of London in the W1W postal area (Fitzrovia)
Margaret Street, W1B Margaret Street is one of the streets of London in the W1B postal area (Fitzrovia)
Margaret Street, W1W Margaret Street is one of the streets of London in the W1W postal area (Fitzrovia)
Mark House, W1B Mark House is a block on Maddox Street (Mayfair)
Market Court, W1D Market Court is a small alleyway north of Oxford Street (Oxford Circus)
Market Place, W1D Market Place is one of the streets of London in the W1W postal area (Fitzrovia)
Marlborough Court, W1F Marlborough Court was named for the Duke of Marlborough’s 1704 victory at Blenheim (Soho)
Mason’s Arms Mews, W1S Mason’s Arms Mews is a road in the W1S postcode area (Mayfair)
Medici Courtyard, W1S Medici Courtyard is a location in London (Bond Street)
Mimosa House, W1B Mimosa House can be found on Princes Street (Mayfair)
Newburg Road, W1F Newburg Road is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area (Soho)
Newburgh Street, W1F Newburgh Street - formerly West Street - was named after Lord Newburgh, a pupil of De Foubert and mentioned by Evelyn (Soho)
Old Cavendish Street, W1 Old Cavendish Street is a road in the W1 postcode area (Oxford Circus)
Oxford Circus Avenue, W1F Oxford Circus Avenue exists on a lot of London maps but doesn’t exist (Oxford Circus)
Oxford Circus House, W1D Oxford Circus House is sited on Oxford Street (Oxford Circus)
Oxford Circus, W1B Oxford Circus was originally called Regent Circus (Oxford Circus)
Oxford Market, W1D Oxford Market was the name of the streets around the market of the same name (Fitzrovia)
Oxford Street, W1S Oxford Street is England’s most famous and popular shopping street (Mayfair)
Palladium House, W1B Palladium House is a grade II listed (in 1981) Art Deco office building located on the corner of Great Marlborough Street and Argyll Street (Soho)
Palladium House, W1F Palladium House is a block on Argyll Street (Soho)
Portland House, W1W Portland House is a block on Great Portland Street (Fitzrovia)
Princes Street, W1B Princes Street is one of the streets of London in the W1B postal area (Oxford Circus)
Princess House, W1D Residential block (Fitzrovia)
Ramillies House, W1F Ramillies House is sited on Ramillies Street (Soho)
Ramillies Place, W1D Ramillies Place is a short street situated off the southern side of Oxford Street (Soho)
Ramillies Street, W1D Ramillies Street, which was previously known as Blenheim Street before 1885, was situated at a lower level than Oxford Street. (Soho)
Roxburghe House, W1B Roxburghe House is sited on Regent Street (Fitzrovia)
St George Street, W1S St George Street is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area (Mayfair)
St Georges House, W1S St Georges House can be found on Hanover Square (Mayfair)
Sutherland House, W1F Sutherland House is a block on Argyll Street (Soho)
Swallow Place, W1B Swallow Place is one of the streets of London in the W1B postal area (Oxford Circus)
Tenterden Street, W1S Tenterden Street is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area (Mayfair)
Turks Head Yard, W1D Turks Head Yard was once a courtyard north of Oxford Street (Oxford Circus)
Turner House, W1B Turner House is a block on Great Marlborough Street (Soho)
United Kingdom House, W1D United Kingdom House is a block on Great Titchfield Street (Fitzrovia)
Vogue House, W1S Vogue House is a block on Hanover Square (Mayfair)
West End House, W1D West End House is a block on Hill’s Place (Oxford Circus)
Western House, W1F Western House is a block on Argyll Street (Oxford Circus)
Winsley Street, W1D Winsley Street is a road leading north from Oxford Street to Eastcastle Street (Fitzrovia)

NEARBY PUBS


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