East Finchley

 

East Finchley station was built by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (EH&LR) and was originally opened as East End Station on 22 August 1867 by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) (which had taken over the EH&LR) in what was then rural Middlesex. The station was on a line that ran from Finsbury Park to Edgware via Highgate. The station was given its current name in 1886. For the introduction of London Underground services, the Victorian station was completely demolished and was rebuilt to an Art Deco/Streamline Moderne design by Charles Holden. As part of the rebuild, the station was provided with two additional platforms, giving four in total.

 

The platforms comprise two parallel islands with tracks on both sides. The inner pair of tracks serve the 'high level' route to Highgate, whilst the outer pair serve the tunnel route. A strong feature of the station is the semi-circular glazed stairways leading to the enclosed bridge over the tracks occupied by staff offices. These, combined with the station's block-like mass and the narrow deck-like platform buildings, lend the building the atmosphere of a ship. Prominent from the platforms and dominating the main entrance elevation, almost like a ship's figurehead, is a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) statue by Eric Aumonier of a kneeling archer.

 

Connections: London Buses routes 102, 143, 234, 263, H3 and 603 and night route N20 serve the station.

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