Arnos Grove tube station

Arnos Grove station stands in the north London Borough of Enfield. It is the Piccadilly line stop between Bounds Green and Southgate, reached after the long tunnel from Central London. The station opened in 1932 as the northern end of the first extension to Cockfosters. Architect Charles Holden designed it in a modern European style of brick, glass and reinforced concrete. A circular ticket hall rises from a low single-storey base beneath a flat concrete roof. The building was Grade II listed in 1971 and upgraded to Grade II* in 2011. The station’s worth lies in its architecture and its role in London’s transport history. Frank Pick, then assistant managing director of the Underground group, campaigned to extend the Piccadilly line northwards after congestion at Finsbury Park became severe. Construction used 22 tunnelling shields and unemployed workers from Northern England. The line opened in stages, reaching Oakwood in 1933. Arnos Grove was praised in The Guardian’s list of 12 Great Modern Buildings in 2007. Inside, three parallel tracks pass through the station with two double-sided platforms between them. Platforms 1 and 2 serve trains to Cockfosters, while 3 and 4 serve Central London. The central track is used for terminating services. A disused ticket office in the ticket hall now holds an exhibition on the station and line. Outside, Ash House drivers’ depot is linked by a lineside passageway. The surrounding Arnos Grove neighbourhood grew with Edwardian villas after the railway arrived.