Bounds Green is a

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

station, located at the junction of Bounds Green Road and Brownlow Road in

Bounds Green Bounds Green is a residential suburb just north of Wood Green, in the London Borough of Haringey in north London. Parts of it are also known as New Southgate, but most of New Southgate lies in the London Borough of Enfield to the north-west. B ...

in the

London Borough of Haringey The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation o ...

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nort ...

. The station is on the Piccadilly line, between

Wood Green Wood Green is a suburban district in the borough of Haringey in London, England. Its postal district is N22, with parts in N8 or N15. The London Plan identifies it as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London, and today it forms a maj ...

and

Arnos Grove Arnos Grove () is an area of north London, England, within the London Borough of Enfield. It is centred north of Charing Cross. It is adjacent to New Southgate. The natural grove, larger than today, was for many centuries the largest woodl ...

, and is on the boundary between Zone 3 and Zone 4.

History

Like all stations on the Cockfosters extension, Bounds Green, which opened on 19 September 1932, set new aesthetic standards not previously seen on London's Underground. During the planning period of the extension to Cockfosters, alternate names for this station, ''"Wood Green North"'' and ''"Brownlow Road"'' were considered but rejected.

Second World War

The station was used as an air-raid shelter and people slept on the stairs between the escalators here as well as on the platforms. On the night of 13 October 1940, during

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

, a lone German aircraft dropped a single bomb on houses to the north of the station. The destruction of the houses caused the north end of the westbound platform tunnel to collapse, killing and injuring many people amongst those sheltering from the air raid. The train service was disrupted for two months. BG-tube-memorial

A memorial plaque (placed in the station in 1994, at the north end of the westbound platform) erroneously commemorates "sixteen Belgian refugees and ... three British citizens who died" in the attack. The records of the civilian deaths held by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

indicate that in fact sixteen people in total died at the scene – of whom three were Belgian refugees – with a seventeenth person dying of injuries in hospital the following day. Approximately twenty people were injured, but survived.

Design

Bounds Green (Underground) Station 1860914 2020553d

Architecturally, this tube station, designed in the typical "Box-style" of the architect

Charles Holden Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

by his colleague C. H. James, is a well-preserved example of the modernist house style of London Transport in the 1930s. The eight-sided frontage is flanked by a ventilation tower. The ticket hall is lit by four large windows with an imposing lattice of concrete beams in the ceiling; large London Underground roundels; and original bronze signs, ventilation grilles and information panel frames. The sub-surface areas of the station are finished in biscuit-coloured tiles lined with red friezes. Holden's designs emphasised functionality combined with balanced geometry and the use of modern materials, especially glass and reinforced concrete. The historical significance of the station is emphasised by its involvement in the World War II blitz. Unlike others on this extension, the station was not previously nationally listed as of special architectural interest, but in August 2008 an application was made to

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

for a listing recommendation and in January 2010 the station was listed as Grade II.

Layout

Two escalators and a central fixed stairway connect the ticket hall with the platforms. The escalators were installed in 1989 and 1991, replacing the 1932 originals. The current escalators are Otis MH-B type of vertical rise. The station's platform tunnels have, in common with those of

Southgate Southgate or South Gate may refer to: Places Australia *Southgate, Sylvania *Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct, an area within Southbank, Victoria Canada *Southgate, Ontario, a township in Grey County * Southgate, Middlesex County, Ontario Ed ...

, a diameter of 21 feet (6.4 metres). In contrast, the much busier

, Turnpike Lane and

Manor House A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

have 23-foot (7-metre) diameter platform tunnels. The construction of "suicide pits" between the rails was also innovative; these were built in connection with a system of passageways under the platforms to give access to the track.

Improvements

The station was refurbished in 2007 as part of Transport for London's £10 billion Investment Programme. The works were carried out at night and in a series of weekend closures. This work involved the restoration of heritage features and included the upgrading of CCTV cameras, retiling and decorating the station, repairs to the roof and exterior, platform resurfacing and the installation of Help Points. New train indicators were installed. The station was restored to its original condition, complete with red tiled borders. The cable trays above the frieze level are grey. The ticket hall has been retiled light and dark grey with wooden doors to station accommodation revarnished.

Services and connections

Train frequencies vary throughout the day, but generally operate every 2–5 minutes between 06:53 and 00:59 eastbound, and between 05:27 and 00:09 westbound. The station is served by

London Bus Buses have been used as a mode of public transport in London since 1829, when George Shillibeer started operating a horse-drawn ''omnibus'' service from Paddington to the City of London. In the decades since their introduction, the red London b ...

routes

102 102 may refer to: * 102 (number), the number * AD 102, a year in the 2nd century AD * 102 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 102 (ambulance service), an emergency medical transport service in Uttar Pradesh, India * 102 (Clyde) Field Squadron, Royal ...

, 184,

221 __NOTOC__ Year 221 (Roman numerals, CCXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratus and Vitellius (or, less frequently, ...

and

299 __NOTOC__ Year 299 (Roman numerals, CCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, l ...

, and also by night route N91.Bounds Green Underground Station – Bus
/ref>

Nearby places

Bowes Park Bowes Park () is situated on the borders of Wood Green, Palmers Green and Bounds Green in London, England. The postcodes for Bowes Park are N13 and N22. The border between the London boroughs of Enfield and Haringey goes through the area. Bow ...

Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, East Fi ...

References

Bibliography

External links

* ** ** ** {{Piccadilly line navbox Piccadilly line stations London Underground Night Tube stations Tube stations in the London Borough of Haringey Former London Electric Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1932 London Underground stations located underground Charles Holden railway stations World War II memorials in England Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Haringey Bounds Green Bounds Green Road