Tooting Bec

Tooting Bec station stands at the busy junction of five roads in south-west London. It serves the Northern line’s Morden branch, linking Balham to the south-east and Tooting Broadway to the north-west. The area around the station is a mix of shops, cafés and terraced houses typical of inner-city London. Trinity Road once named the stop, now gives its name to the road running north-west from the junction. Upper Tooting Road heads south-west, while Balham High Road and Tooting Bec Road form the other two main approaches. Stapleton Road completes the five-way crossing just south-east of the platforms. The station was designed by Charles Holden and opened in 1926 as part of the Morden extension. It kept its original name of Trinity Road until 1950, when it became Tooting Bec. A narrow satellite building on the east side provides pedestrian access via a subway. Its glazed screen once carried the only surviving 1920s ‘UNDERGROUND’ lettering on the Morden extension, though this has now been replaced. The platforms still display two clocks made by the Self Winding Clock Company of New York City. The station sits in London fare zone 3, served by several bus routes including the 155 and 249. Visitors find a straightforward Underground stop with two platforms and the small satellite building on the east side. The main building stands on the north-east corner of the junction, with the roundels mounted on flag poles. The glazed screens and roundels give the entrance a distinctive 1920s look. Above ground the area is busy with local traffic and pedestrians. The surrounding streets lead quickly to Tooting Bec Common, a large green space popular with walkers and families.