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Post by stapler on Apr 12, 2020 20:58:56 GMT
When the Norman Shaw Scotland Yard building was planned in 1889, it was recorded that it was connected to Westminster District Railway station by a private entrance "so that police could be moved to any part of London without going up to the street" .
Where was this entrance? It wasn't the Victoria Embankment entrance disused c1960-97 (when it was briefly reopened while the JLE station and new entrance was built) as that would have meant going up to street level.
AIRI, the easternmost ends of the District platforms pre-1998 were finished latterly in some kind of blockwork, but this may just have been a platform lengthening.
Gladstone's funeral train of course arrived at Westminster in 1898 off the LNWR; he was then carried via the Colonnade to Westminster Hall, where he lay in state for some days. There must have been some kind of intermediate landing, because at that time, the booking hall was at street level (LPTB later sold it off as a Lyons' tea shop)
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Post by jimbo on Apr 13, 2020 1:43:59 GMT
All I recall is a story from a District driver in the 1960s, who was approached by two detectives at Victoria eastbound and asked to allow them to transport their prisoner in the train cab to Westminster away from the public. On arrival there they disappeared through a platform doorway as a rear entrance to Scotland Yard. The platform had been lengthened from time to time, each extension being narrower that the previous section. The doorway was to the back of one of these former headwalls. I think another once told that this was the basement of a former theatre, and retained signage of that earlier life. I assume all this disappeared with Jubilee line construction. Didn't the Embankment entrance date from the 1951 Festival of Britain exhibition on the south bank? (But shown in 1947 photo below!?)
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Post by stapler on Apr 13, 2020 6:53:16 GMT
Thanks, Jimbo.
Interesting story. It might almost be worth getting arrested to have a cab ride in an R stock!
The 1889 Scotland Yard building (now Norman Shaw North and occupied by MPs), was actually built on the foundations of a proposed but never completed National Opera House, so there'd have been no signage.
I didn't know the east end entrance dated only from 1951
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Post by revupminster on Apr 13, 2020 7:58:51 GMT
 1947. 'New Scotland Yard', Headquarters of London's Metropolitan Police, Victoria Embankment, Westminster, SW1. London, UK. Designed by famous Scottish architect Norman Shaw in 1898 by Ernest G. Bilko, on Flickr This old picture shows an Underground exit at Westminster on the embankment. Temple, Embankment, also had exits directly to the street. My book Reconstructing Londons Underground has a plan on page 86 of the platforms eastward extension showing a foot subway from the eastbound platform being shortened from the headwall to the side wall as the platform was extended. with a new door, the cut off section being filled with concrete, and a door into old New Scotland Yard which had to be underpinned. The work took place between September 1962 and April 1964. I worked at Westminster in the 60/70's and in the booking hall by the stairs up to Bridge St there was a doorway that led to parliament. I am sure there was a subway that went under Bridge St to an exit up to street level. If I can photo the plan successfully from the book I'll up load it.  Westminster Station East bound platform extensions by Robert, on Flickr |
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Post by stapler on Apr 13, 2020 18:21:52 GMT
Most interesting, thank you, Rev.
The building to the right of the entrance, Norman Shaw South, was the Receiver's office police admin HQ) The original 1889 building is to its right. That was the operational HQ to which the tunnel led.
At the other end, the pre-1999 booking hall was at the level which would have been "basement". Thwre was a tunnel leading under Bridge St, with a sentry box leading into the Colonnade (within the Palace precincts and beyond the spiked railings). There was also a dingy flight of steps on the public side fom the subway to the street.In 1898, the entrance was at street level in the space that later (30s?) became Lyons.
The building behind the black ?Morris car is St Stephen's House, the Fisheries Division of MAFF
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Post by jimbo on Apr 15, 2020 23:26:43 GMT
Thanks, Jimbo. Interesting story. It might almost be worth getting arrested to have a cab ride in an R stock! The 1889 Scotland Yard building (now Norman Shaw North and occupied by MPs), was actually built on the foundations of a proposed but never completed National Opera House, so there'd have been no signage. I didn't know the east end entrance dated only from 1951 I recall a previous report that the subway from the platform had arrows directing to the stalls and dress circle! Note east end entrance shown in 1947 photo above! |
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Post by stapler on Apr 20, 2020 7:07:30 GMT
Think that might have been apocryphal, Jimbo, because the National Opera House never got out of the ground. It was foundations only,and the Black Museum later occupied some of them.Perhaps these were the w.c.s of the Lyons establishment at the other end of the station?
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