Monkston Park - paying tribute to a world's first in London

After the last topic which isn’t anything I know much about, I decided to go for one that I am a bit more interested in - and Monkston Park also has relatively few street names so choosing this one next was a no-brainer! It would also give me a chance to go outside Wikipedia for the research, as I have far too many books on the London Underground, Tube stations and the like. I will also take this opportunity to plug the London Transport Museum, which has possibly the greatest shop in all museums, ever! 

Before we jump into the Underground stations, a bit about Monkston Park. This is one of the newer developments, originating in the late 90s or early 2000. Interestingly, the Milton Keynes hoard was found here, which is a series of items made of gold, from the Bronze Ages and now in the British Museum. I wonder why they didn’t go with a related theme for the street names? However, I’m pleased they went with London Underground Stations.

As I was compiling the list of street names from Monkston Park I immediately noticed that, with very few exceptions, the stations chosen were fairly obscure: no Baker Street or Leicester Square or nearly anything in central London. Also, most of the stations were in North London and a fair few on the Bakerloo line. I wonder if this reflects where those in charge lived? I marked the stations used on the tube map below (look for the pink crosses):



Was this selection deliberate or accidental? It doesn’t seem random, that is all I can say. I also noticed that some of the stations chosen were a little strange, for reasons I will elaborate on below. I will also challenge that the theme of “London Underground Stations” may be best described as “Stations on the London Underground Map” which isn’t the same thing… but that may be too pedantic for some!


Anyway, here are some facts about the stations chosen as street names for Monkston Park.


Arnos Grove: Starting off with a beauty - this is a stunning station on the Piccadilly line that was designed by architect Charles Holden and is Grade II* listed due to the distinctive modernist architecture. The station hall is circular and the double-height flat ceiling looks like it is being held up via a circular structure in the centre which used to be the ticket office. There are large windows at the top of the hall which flood the ticket hall with light and also look quite attractive from the outside, contrasting with the red brick of the drum-like building. The design of the station was inspired by the Stockholm Public Library.


Beckton: This one is an interesting choice: it doesn’t really keep to the theme of “London Tube stations” as technically Beckton is part of the DLR and not the Underground. However, there were plans for a tube station at Beckton but it was never built. It would have been part of the Jubilee line but many changes of plans meant that the line eventually took a different route. These days Beckton is best known as one of the termini of the DLR, and also gives its name to the DLR Beckton depot nearby, the main depot for the DLR system.


Canonbury: Here is another station that is technically not a tube station, but rather a London Overground station (maybe the theme should be “stations on the London Underground Map”!) Canonbury is in Islington and, fun fact, this is the first borough where the speed limit is 20MPH on all streets. Nothing to do with Tube stations but I’ve recently driven through Islington and found it… well, slow.


Colliers Wood: This one is a “proper” tube station, on the Northern Line in South London and another one designed by Charles Holden. The modernist, three-sided, double-height building clad in Portland stone is Grade II listed. The front of the station has a large window with a glazed version of the roundel and is flanked by two columns that are topped by a 3D version of the same roundel. The pub opposite is named “The Charles Holden” in his honour.


Colindale: Another station on the Northern line, this one in the London borough of Barnet. The original station building was destroyed by a bomb during the Blitz, so the current structure dates from the 1960s. The Royal Air Force Museum London is a popular destination for travellers going to Colindale. Was frequently used by T.E. Lawrence (AKA Lawrence of Arabia), who used the pen name ‘Colin Dale’ during his journalistic career.


Dalston: This one is a London Overground station in Hackney, as Dalston Junction. Although there has been a station on the site since 1865, the current station was opened in 2010. There is another station - Dalston Kingsland - also in Hackney and not far from the other Dalston station. As part of plans for Crossrail 2, there is a proposal to build a third Dalston, which would provide an exchange to the other two stations.


Farringdon: One of the first stations on the Underground, this was part of the original first line built in 1863 and now Grade II listed. Originally designed to transport livestock to Smithfield market – there are still cattle ramps onto the street West Smithfield for this purpose. Today it is part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines. It is also undergoing extensive work to integrate it into the Crossrail network, where it will become one of the busiest stations in the country.   


Finsbury: Finsbury Park is both an Underground and Rail station with a long history. The station is named after the nearby Finsbury Park, one of the oldest of London's Victorian parks. It currently sits on the Piccadilly and Victoria lines but has served the Northern and Metropolitan lines in the past. When the Victoria line was built in the 1960s the walls of Finsbury Park station were decorated with dueling pistols, due to an incorrect association with Finsbury Field, a popular dueling ground in the 18th century. 


Goldhawk: Goldhawk Road is a London Underground station located in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and serving the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. The line here opened in 1864 but there was no station on the site until 1914. 


Harlesden: Underground station on the Bakerloo line that is also served by the London Overground service, located in northwest London. However, it is worth knowing that if you wish to go to Harlesden, it is actually better to get off at Willesden Junction which is closer to Harlesden town centre!


Islington: Another curious choice by MK Council to use as a street name, as there is currently no Tube station called “Islington” but rather the Highbury & Islington station, which is served by the Underground (Victoria line) and Overground rail services. There was a station called Islington on this site, but this was renamed to the current name in 1872 (so way before Milton Keynes existed!) The station was damaged by a bomb in 1944 but the building remained in use until it was demolished in the 1960s to accommodate the Victoria line.


Kensal Green: Bakerloo station that also has London Overground connections to Watford. The original station building was replaced in the 1980s. In December 2006 the station was “hit” by a tornado (or perhaps just lightly grazed).


Ladbroke Grove: Located on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, this underground station has had several names. It was opened in 1864 as “Notting Hill” but renamed to “Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove” in 1880 and then renamed again in 1919 to Ladbroke Grove (North Kensington). It gained its current name in 1938 yet the locals have campaigned to change its name to “Portobello Road” as this is the closest station to the famous market - however, the station is not on Portobello Road.


Maida Vale: A Grade II listed underground station on the Bakerloo line, which has won awards for the way that the station has been modernised while enhancing its historical and architectural value. The station opened in 1915 and was the first station entirely staffed by women. More recently interiors and exterior shots of this station have featured in a number of movies, TV shows and music videos, including Paddington in 2014.


Northwick: Metropolitan line station called Northwick Park, located in Kenton (North London). There is another station in the area, named Kenton, and the two are only 350m apart - the closest two stations outside of zone 1.


Perivale: Another stunning Grade II listed tube station in Northwest London, serving the Central line.  The modernist station was designed in 1938 but completed by a different architect who modified the final design. The station is made of red bricks and features a curved frontage where the second story is almost fully glazed and flanked by roundels. 


Plaistow: Underground station on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, in Newham, East London. It opened in 1858 as an overground rail station and then the District line was added in 1902. The station ticket hall was built in 1905 and while not officially listed, it does have local protection that encourages consideration when making changes to the building.


Queensbury: Located in North London, Queensbury is on the Jubilee line although it used to also serve the Metropolitan and Bakerloo lines. Opened in 1934 and wasn’t named for anything local but rather as a counterpart to the adjacent Kingsbury station.


Rayners Lane: Metropolitan and Piccadilly line underground station opened in 1904 when there was only one house in the area: a farm owned by Daniel Rayner where the name of the station comes from.  Located in Middlesex, this eventually became part of a 1930s housing development known as the Harrow Garden Village, aimed at encouraging families to move out of central London. The current station building dates from the late 1930s and is another Grade II listed modernist hall designed by Charles Holden. This one, like others, features large areas of glazing among bricks in the cube-shaped building capped by a flat roof. 


Stonebridge: Located in North London, Stonebridge Park is an overground and underground station, on the Bakerloo line. The current station was built in the late 1940s as the previous structures were destroyed in WWII, however, the booking hall is believed to be an original feature. The station has suffered a couple of fires too.


Sudbury: Another Grade II listed station on the Jubilee line, designed by Charles Holden. Sudbury Hill station opened in 1903 but the current building was built in 1931 and features, like other stations from this period, a block-shaped building fronted with brick and glass and capped by a flat roof. It is located on the border between the London Boroughs of Harrow and Ealing.


Tewkesbury: This street connects Monkston Park to Monkston so it takes the theme of the latter (monasteries and abbeys), which we’ll cover in an upcoming post!


Upminster: Underground station on the District line in East London. Opened in 1934, the art deco building is notable for its polygonal shape and high atrium. It was also notable for having a swastika tiled pattern on the floor (a popular decorative feature at the time) which was removed for… well, obvious reasons.


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