Sloane Square tube station

Sloane Square station stands in the heart of Chelsea, on the Circle and District lines. It sits between South Kensington and Victoria, in London’s first fare zone. The entrance faces the east side of Sloane Square, close to the Royal Court Theatre. King’s Road shops, Peter Jones department store and Cadogan Hall are all within a short walk. The station’s history began in 1868 when the District Railway opened its first section. The site once crossed the River Westbourne, which was carried above the platforms in a large iron pipe. This pipe still hangs in place today. In 1940 a German bomb destroyed much of the station, killing 37 and injuring 79 passengers. The station was rebuilt after the war, though without its original glass roof. It was also the first on the sub-surface network to install escalators. Visitors find a modern ticket hall above ground and two platforms below. The eastbound platform once housed the Hole in the Wall pub from 1868 until 1985. A telephone kiosk explosion in 1973 caused no injuries. The station appears in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Iolanthe, marking its place in London’s cultural life.