Visit to Gants Hill Station

Submission by Chris Bean

Towards the end of last year several of our Street SIG members read an article on the Secret London website about an underground station that wouldn’t look out of place in the heart of Moscow.  It seemed that hidden beneath a busy East London roundabout lay one of the capital’s most unexpected design gems –  sleek symmetry, glowing barrel vault ceilings and a stately sense of calm make this unsuspecting stop feel more like a cathedral than a commuter hub.  The station was designed by architect Charles Holden in the 1930s who had voted Moscow and was impressed by the design of its stations.

A few days ago four members of the Street SIG set off to find what is  affectionately known by locals as “Moscow Hall.”

Welcome to Gants Hill in Zone 4 on the Central Line.

I think we were all a little underwhelmed when after rattling along on the Tube for 45 minutes or so we arrived at the station as on first viewing it did not quite match its billing.  Yes, all the design detailed above were present but how can I put it other than to say it was quite small!

In fact the station looks more impressive  in the images below than it did in real life, so the camera sometimes lies.  Despite the slight initial disappointment on reflection I think we all felt the visit was worthwhile.

Further information at Secret London – Gants Hill