When I first came to London, I had a girlfriend that lived in Loughton. Going to see her, as a country boy, I had no idea that you went through fields with cows and stuff, on the Underground. I thought the Underground was, you know - under the ground...
I'd love to see a complete 'architecture timeline' from the early days to the modern Underground. It might be a bit of an epic as a single video, maybe a chronological series would work.
The Lunette window was originally chosen as an international symbol of rail travel. Compare Margate. Another now demolished 'thirties station with a Lunette window was at Hastings 1933 - 2004. The architect was James Robb Scott, famous for Waterloo. He also designed Wimbledon and various other stations. The Lunette Window was abandoned as a symbol of Rail Travel after the Second World War and has never been used since. Your videos are always interesting, and I hope you'll be making many more. Thanks for uploading.
Times change, I grew up in Loughton and my father commuted each day to the City. I remember him showing me the invoice for the house he had built in 1948, something like £1100 10s 6d, now Zoopla have it at £2.7 million! How can a young couple with a family ever afford those insane prices?
Yup. My parents bought our house for £17000 in the 1970s. Sold it for over 1/4 Million when they retired in the late 90's. And we're not even talking about London.
UK house prices are utterly ridiculous now. I live in a small, 19th century terraced house in an inner-city district of a small Midlands city and that has quadrupled in price in 20 years, and yet if I sold it tomorrow I'd only get enough to put a 30% deposit down on a decent semi in the same city because they've quintupled in the same time. We're back to the 1950s/60s when most people had no choice but to rent, only instead of renting a council house or flat with security of tenure as they did, today's tenants will mostly be renting off private landlords who can give them notice tomorrow.
@@atraindriver I know the feeling lol. My mortgage ran out in Northampton so I moved to the NE because I couldn't afford a new one and paid cash with the profit from my place there. What do you expect though when last year the government let in over 800000 people and that's not counting the illegals! You're wrong about private renting though, it is virtually impossible to get a tenant out even if they don't pay rent and unlike the council, a private landlord has to pay all the legal costs! I rent a place out and I even had to have a criminal record check, the tenants didn't have to and when I had problems the council just shrugged their shoulders. I bought it in 2005 as a pension but so far it has not made me a penny.
Went back to the House my Dad was born in Willesden 1920. A terraced house no front garden just enough room for the Wheelie Bin. Now converted into two flats. 1/2 Million each!
I too grew up in Loughton and I lived in Station Road between 1943 and 1955. Back in those days the 38A bus started at the station and I used it to get to school. Then I worked in the city for two years and took the train London bound five days a week. After two years I got a job in Debden, so took one stop in the other direction. Now and then an empty train went through, I assume to Debden or beyond to turn round and come back London bound. One day, when I was waiting alone on the platform, the train stopped and the driver invited me into the cab and gave me a privileged ride to Debden. That would just never happen now, would it!!
John Murray Easton: Can I copy your homework? Charles Holden: Sure mate, just change it up a bit so it doesn't look obvious- John Murray Easton: It may be an old style of design, but even today Tube stations are more aesthetically pleasing than NYC Subway stations
I grew up in that area and what I like about Loughton station in particular is how open the platforms are. There's a real sense of space and light that you don't get at Woodford or Buckhurst Hill.
I must admit, I hadn’t noticed how rather fetching the station architecture is at Loughton other than a cursory look at the nonetheless splendid canopies when passing through to Epping. Certainly worth a second look though. And even if it was his only eventual contribution, what a splendid legacy the station is in itself 🤔 All about quality not quantity after all…even if Holden managed to do both in fairness 😄 I have rather liked the decent attention you have afforded the eastern end of the Central Line. One of those things that you could easily overlook whereas in fact there are some absolute gems 😎 Have a splendid weekend sir 👍🍀🍻
My grandparents on my dads side briefly lived in Loughton. They move from slums of Hackney but didn’t like being out of the city and away from family and moved near to their parents in Tottenham. They finally move out to the glamorous new town estates of letchworth garden city
The fact that it is a one-off, is a double blessing. It's simple, bold, Art Déco design is best appreciated when juxtaposed with what it was supposed to replace. i am so happy those other beautiful stations were not demolished. We humans have been smashing up the old paradigm of beauty to make room for the next one for millennia now. 💜🙏⚡️
I really love these videos. They're fun, interesting, and engaging. Plus the humor is always great. It's always nice when a London based channel about London things can be enjoyed everywhere, like New York. Though because I love in New York, I don't really know where most things are. I could point to Bank/Monument, Paddington, Hammersmith, Aldgate, places like that with ease but the places like Sloughton or Woodford or Wimbledon I have a much harder time with. It would be nice to point out on a map where the station is for five seconds on these videos. It helps ground them to the real world and have these feel a bit less like interesting stories in a vacuum. Just an idea and either way I still love these videos and will keep watching for a long time coming
It's nice and all but it still pales in design when compared to the more gorgeous stations of our iconic Pyongyang Metro. Does the Tube use rolling stock from Berlin? That's what I thought...
I live on Oakwood Hill, 10-15 minutes from the station. Use it all the time when using the tube. My Dad and sister particularly as they work in Selfridges on Oxford Street and go all the way to Bond Street from Loughton. Great video on the the history of the station.
The Belgian bricks are a different size to British bricks. However, it's a great pity they didn't bring over some Belgian bricklayers to erect the station. They are brilliant at creating wonderful patterns with their bricks.
At 3:00 and 5:54, note the car from the 1930s(?) casually chilling in the parking lot with the modern ones. Oddly appropriate for a station with this style of architecture.
I lived in Loughton for a few years. Can't afford it now 😭 but it is a beautiful area. I love the station. Nice simple waiting rooms with crittal style windows... Lots of light. I love the central running line/island line - or is it two island platforms? Same difference. Unlike Stratford though they tend to only open one set of doors at a time... Presumably to avoid confusion about the direction of travel.
@@robertward7449 Yes it is... Though oddly enough they seemed to more often use Debden one stop further east, which only has 2 platforms and a siding for trains to pull into.
As said, the “middle road” is generally used as a reversing point for trains going back in the other direction. We do sometimes run trains through it (from Epping or towards Epping) is platforms 1 or 4 are otherwise occupied. For that reason, you don’t open the doors on both sides - platforms 1 and 2 are westbound, platforms 3 and 4 are eastbound. A westbound train opening doors on the eastbound side just confuses the whole situation. Interestingly, White City has the same set up, but the directions are reversed - westbound trains come in on the right hand side rather than the left. When I was training, and easy way to remember which doors opened first was White is Right and Loughton is Left (white and right rhyming, and Loughton and left starting with the same letters. Now if you really want to throw a spanner in the works, sometimes we reverse a westbound train from the eastbound platform 4… that really confuses people (including the drivers 😆)
I can remember as a kid growing up in the early 60's watching Mrs Mills on the telly . Was always amazed by her distinctive style of playing the piano. Just a shame that such talented people are largely forgotten now . It's only old 'wrinkleys ' like me that remember her .
As a pianist myself for 60 years, I am a great fan of Mrs Mills style of stride piano playing, which is very difficult. BBC did a great documentary on her around 2014. Look it up, it was called "The Piano Genius of Mrs. Mills". czcams.com/video/bjKCqtVlSqs/video.html
Ongar sounds like the sort of place one might find fencing foils. And thank you for clearing up the argument I was having with an alcoholic, who assured me that a canopy was also known as Budweiser.
Jago spots classic cars in London's suburban station car parks ! Now thats another Tale from the Tube I would certainly press like and subscribe to.. You are the Wolseley 14/60 next to my filthy Aston 😁Cheerio !
Re the comments already posted on the Dutch bricks. I agree with all of these (so far), and I think that Dutch Modernism must have had an influence on this station's architecture. In particular, Hilversum Town Hall, which certainly was an influence, for example on Greenwich Town Hall on Royal Hill, SE10. The point about the slimmer Dutch bricks is spot on, and they were indeed used at Greenwich.
That is probably correct, the bricks look very similar. The Hilversum Town Hall was designed by Dudok, who is best known for the Town Hall, but also designed many other buildings great and small in Hilversum (schools, houses electrical sub stations etc.), and I think this station indeed drew some inspiration from his work.
As an aside at Chessington, I dont think all the skylights in the platform canopies were ever all glazed , some being blind in at least 1966, but the pattern seemed random - or just allowed key areas to be lit from the sky
A bit surprised at the title. Even though it wasn't replicated, I have always liked Loughton's architecture and the "butterfly" awnings (LT's description) are very striking and effective. So I wouldn't call it "failed".
I had a LT book once on the Central Line. It described the platform canopies as cantilever. I always thought it odd that the sign says 4 platforms, yet there are only 3 tracks, with the middle track simply used for trains in either direction, and they merely open the train doors on whatever side is to be used.
Yes, that's right - they give a more elegant feel. Perhaps they were influenced by ancient Roman bricks which were the same profile, and can be seen used in several extant Roman buildings.
Indeed, that Roman brick plus the arches gives it a kind-of Sullivanesque feel,* while the lack of ornamentation points toward the more minimalist modern styles of later decades. (And lots of 50s-early 60s buildings use long-and-flat Roman brick like that too, especially in lighter colors.) * For comparison, look up some of Louis Sullivan's work here in the US a couple decades earlier -- especially some banks he designed across the Midwest in the 1900s and 10s, like the National Farmers Bank in Owatonna, Minnesota.
Brilliant video, very informative. Thank you for creating it. Best regards Councillor Sebastian Fontenelle of Loughton Town Council member and of Loughton Residence Association.
I sometimes alight here on a Saturday to get the (half hourly) bus to Chingford - one of the few LT stations I've seen with a "gents" public lavatory still available by the gateline. I was always quite interested to note that the main station building and the platforms were entirely separated by the up line. Probably not that unusual, but a bit different to my usual C2C stations.
With the amount of wealthy and poor lines, I wonder what the breakdown was. It seems there was only 2-3 really top earning companies with most struggling to earn and get money to keep up.
More like a criminal conspiracy. You hear the glorious days of steam. The truth is that none of the companies profits even covered the land acquisition. WW2 is always sited as the reason for collapse. It did not help, but was not the whole picture.
Loughton has been one of my favourite UndergrounD stations for many years. Back in the very late '70s, a few of us would travel out to the edges of the system on Sundays, taking advantage of cheap day returns to "anywhere" at a fixed price of under a £. I was always impressed with how well-kept the station seemed and the rural nature of the area. There were some really nice pubs on the short walk to Epping Forest and we would end up at a kind of roadhouse on a roundabout, slap in the middle of the forest.(Was it Robin Hood's Inn, or something similar?) I always enjoyed these trips and other tours, using the same cheap tickets, to the likes of Richmond and even Metroland. Returning about ten years ago with my wife, I was delighted to find Loughton station(and most of the pubs) little changed in the decades that had passed.
@@imconfused1237 That's the place. When I remember it as a pub, it was usually quite busy, lots of bar meals etc. I walked there a few times from Loughton, calling at the other establishments en-route and on the way back. Seem to remember some decent pubs; made for an excellent Sunday evening.😁👍 Don't know if there's street lighting nowadays but it was helluva dark after you left Loughton. I think the very last building was a pub too. A lot of these middle-of-nowhere/roadhouse-style pubs lost out when drink-driving became completely unacceptable.
The fascade to the main entrance reminds me of a v mini version of one half of the King X main elevation. The slimmer bricks (Roman bricks)are all over the Netherlands - 1 reason why I admire Dutch Architecture
Thanks for this, while I was born in north London and live there again now, I grew up in Loughton where my parents moved in 1955 and I travelled up to Holborn from this station on board the 1962 stock trains when I started work in 1968 and for several years thereafter, usually with my dad (who passed away in 2009) who only had to travel as far as Stratford for his employment. I also remember the early morning d.m.u. staff workings that started at Epping and ran to Liverpool Street main line via the original 1856 line between Leyton and the Lea Valley line at Loughton Branch junction that was not included in the Central Line extension (and today now occupied by the ghastly M11 Link road). Though officially for staff workings, they were available to the general public but, alas, I never got to travel on one before they were withdrawn in 1970. I've not been back to Loughton since my mum passed away in 2015 so it was good to see the station again and some shots of Loughton High Road too. Kind regards, David, Crouch End, N8.
I suppect the choice of Netherlands brick, was because otherwise they might have had to use London brick. An often an inferior brick variety, London bricks do not age well; there's a Morrisons built in the late eighties in Queensbury on Honeypot Lane, that is showing its age, so using the same brick, other than what was imported, would probably necessitated a rebuilt, a few decades later, and it's also likely they didn't want to build a concrete station, in such an exposed area. The front window reminds me of many modernist cinemas.
Jago, for someone that has made an infamy career out of documentation of the underground, I was slightly surprised to hear you singing the praises of the "...light and airy windows..." at the station, or perhaps I am projecting my own thoughts on you, as I enjoy the claustrophobic element of the underground, the stations and the surrounding environments... except, of course, Margate station, which I enjoy because of its worn down state...
I think the choice of brick is influenced by Dudok’s Hilversum Town Hall, a very influential building in the 1930s. Transport architecture often emphasises the horizontal. It is hard to determine the brick module but they may not be a standard UK size. Also they do not have a flat face but are notched, again to make them appear longer, I suspect these bricks were only available in the Netherlands.
As the crow flies I lived about 20 minutes by car from Loughton, at least 40 minutes by bus if the changes were within a few minutes but to get to the Central line at least 30 minutes to Leytonstone by bus and then the ride out there. Needless to say this is the first time I have seen the station at Loughton.
Great video as always Jago. With variety being the spice of life, would you consider a video about the 5 stations, 3 underground lines, one mainline, TfL depot, HS2 line works and it's own hidden railway of the great metropolis that is Ruislip?
I'm new and living in Loughton! As someone who's into visual arts and architecture, ppl often look at me wondering why I look at things. Never knew Loughton station would look so nice in a video!
Always good to see a differing style of station. I wonder how common the single line between two platforms is? I know on the big railway that Horsted Keynes (now preserved of course) has one, and Christ’s Hospital railway station had two (!)
Well, for a start there's Yeovil Pen Mill and Ascot on the former Southern Region. Ulverston and Sellafield on the Cumbrian Coast. Then there is Pl 2 at Carlisle station which this route uses. I don't know if the Metrolink station at Victoria counts. These are the ones that come to mind, I'm sure there are others.
I love Loughton station , I used to meet my gf there also I have really good memories near by, I have a house there and I love everything there . History and lovely place to live and the forest is something unbelievable
And Loughton which is in Essex and in the Epping Forest Borough is on the County border with Greater London and the London Borough of Redbridge. Loughton station reminds me of White City station in West London. And I have been to Loughton before.
The borders are confusing, Loughton doesn’t really look completely Essex. Romford is 14 miles north east of Charing Cross so north east London and Loughton 12 miles north east of Charing Cross is Essex doesn’t make sense, maybe snobby people there rebelled and didn’t want to join London??
Dutch bricks are usually longer than English ones .... the Eastern counties of England are greatly influenced by dutch builders, and in the 20th century the 'Amsterdam School' (of Architecture) was highly influential. You can see the longer, thinner proportion of the dutch bricks in Cambridge and places like that, ever heard of "Flemish Bond" - ever wondered why?
Good Heavens! When I was a callow youth, my first ever "proper" girl friend came from Loughton. Her name was...... Well, I let's just say kb. She was the perfect girl friend. Trust me. I will have nothing bad said about Loughton. OK?
l once had to get to Gidea Park from Liverpool Street but couldn't because of a British Rail strike! So l got the Underground to Loughton, then got an LUL bus to Gidea Park ,where l worked ! On arriving at Gidea Park l got a rocket and severe telling off from my Boss because l was 3 hours late and a threat of being reported late on duty and a threat of 3 hours being deducted from my pay !! And guess who l worked for and couldn't do any work that day because there were NO trains running ? l worked for - BRITISH RAIL !!! l kid you not !! You couldn't make it up could you ?
@@mbrady2329 At the time l was under the under the impression we only had to turn up and sign on ( within a reasonable time of the signing on time) stay for a short time maybe two hours or three hours ,then go home ,as it wasn't our fault we couldn't work .So l wasn't in any particular hurry . But this manager decided for whatever ,reason - maybe he just didn't like me or was just in a bad mood , he decided 3 hours late was unreasonable and proceeded to tear me off a strip ( in front of other staff ) saying " You must be here at 05:30 in the morning strike or no strike ! " l replied " What for ? There are no trains and no customers ? " . He went mad and said " l don't care !! Next strike day you will be here or you get no pay !" . Well l worked out that l would have to set out about one or two in the morning from where l lived ,to get to Gidea Park at 05 30 .On the night buses . So for the next strike day the following week l just put in for an annual leave day! Didn't bother me l had so many annual leave days accumulated from previous years ! ( which was lucky ,because as l remember the strike dragged on for weeks and then became two days a week l think ? Or was it two days a week from the very start? And the day after the above incident l had to come in on the night bus in as it was too late to get annual leave for the following day ? Cannot remember! 30 years ago now !)
do hope you had time for a trip up to the forest, only a 20 minute leisurely walk from the station to the edge of the forest, oddly its a shorter walk to Epping forest from Loughton than actual Epping
Jago, I was wondering if the tall gentleman waiting on the platform at 6:55 had to duck to enter the train or whether the doors open enough to let him walk straight up and in. Alas your film cut a few seconds short. If you still have the footage, would you let me know? As always your films provide a modicum of interest and entertainment as well as historical learning. Pray continue.
Why bricks from the Netherlands? Possibly because the Cowley brick fields that supplied so much of the delightful buttery cream bricks were now very rapidly heading under housing estate or had been worked out.
Given past videos on Central Line station names pronunciation, me thinks a comment about why the area isnt called 'Luffton' ( c/w 'Loughborough') should have been included :)
When I first came to London, I had a girlfriend that lived in Loughton. Going to see her, as a country boy, I had no idea that you went through fields with cows and stuff, on the Underground. I thought the Underground was, you know - under the ground...
At least it cured the homesickness...
The Underground has overground sections, and the Overground has underground sections. London is weird
@@squeaksquawk4255 Well, yes - over the following 40 years in london I discovered that...
"...when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Dr Samuel Johnson, c. 1777.
Well, this is unfortunate. If your girlfriend was kb I'll see you outside...
"sunlight to my booking hall". I think that describes our thoughts on JT's videos.
Makes sense that the Brickwork came from Netherlands. The Brickwork and even Build looks like Amsterdam Amstel and Amsterdam Muiderpoort !
I'd love to see a complete 'architecture timeline' from the early days to the modern Underground. It might be a bit of an epic as a single video, maybe a chronological series would work.
The Lunette window was originally chosen as an international symbol of rail travel. Compare Margate. Another now demolished 'thirties station with a Lunette window was at Hastings 1933 - 2004. The architect was James Robb Scott, famous for Waterloo. He also designed Wimbledon and various other stations. The Lunette Window was abandoned as a symbol of Rail Travel after the Second World War and has never been used since. Your videos are always interesting, and I hope you'll be making many more. Thanks for uploading.
Times change, I grew up in Loughton and my father commuted each day to the City. I remember him showing me the invoice for the house he had built in 1948, something like £1100 10s 6d, now Zoopla have it at £2.7 million! How can a young couple with a family ever afford those insane prices?
Yup. My parents bought our house for £17000 in the 1970s. Sold it for over 1/4 Million when they retired in the late 90's. And we're not even talking about London.
UK house prices are utterly ridiculous now. I live in a small, 19th century terraced house in an inner-city district of a small Midlands city and that has quadrupled in price in 20 years, and yet if I sold it tomorrow I'd only get enough to put a 30% deposit down on a decent semi in the same city because they've quintupled in the same time.
We're back to the 1950s/60s when most people had no choice but to rent, only instead of renting a council house or flat with security of tenure as they did, today's tenants will mostly be renting off private landlords who can give them notice tomorrow.
@@atraindriver I know the feeling lol. My mortgage ran out in Northampton so I moved to the NE because I couldn't afford a new one and paid cash with the profit from my place there. What do you expect though when last year the government let in over 800000 people and that's not counting the illegals! You're wrong about private renting though, it is virtually impossible to get a tenant out even if they don't pay rent and unlike the council, a private landlord has to pay all the legal costs! I rent a place out and I even had to have a criminal record check, the tenants didn't have to and when I had problems the council just shrugged their shoulders. I bought it in 2005 as a pension but so far it has not made me a penny.
Went back to the House my Dad was born in Willesden 1920. A terraced house no front garden just enough room for the Wheelie Bin. Now converted into two flats. 1/2 Million each!
@@rockerjim8045 Insane isn't it?
I too grew up in Loughton and I lived in Station Road between 1943 and 1955. Back in those days the 38A bus started at the station and I used it to get to school. Then I worked in the city for two years and took the train London bound five days a week. After two years I got a job in Debden, so took one stop in the other direction. Now and then an empty train went through, I assume to Debden or beyond to turn round and come back London bound. One day, when I was waiting alone on the platform, the train stopped and the driver invited me into the cab and gave me a privileged ride to Debden. That would just never happen now, would it!!
John Murray Easton: Can I copy your homework?
Charles Holden: Sure mate, just change it up a bit so it doesn't look obvious-
John Murray Easton:
It may be an old style of design, but even today Tube stations are more aesthetically pleasing than NYC Subway stations
I grew up in that area and what I like about Loughton station in particular is how open the platforms are. There's a real sense of space and light that you don't get at Woodford or Buckhurst Hill.
I must admit, I hadn’t noticed how rather fetching the station architecture is at Loughton other than a cursory look at the nonetheless splendid canopies when passing through to Epping. Certainly worth a second look though. And even if it was his only eventual contribution, what a splendid legacy the station is in itself 🤔
All about quality not quantity after all…even if Holden managed to do both in fairness 😄
I have rather liked the decent attention you have afforded the eastern end of the Central Line. One of those things that you could easily overlook whereas in fact there are some absolute gems 😎
Have a splendid weekend sir 👍🍀🍻
It must have looked daringly futuristic when it was new.
At first glance it's reminiscent of the GNR's King's Cross station, scaled down for a suburban setting.
My grandparents on my dads side briefly lived in Loughton. They move from slums of Hackney but didn’t like being out of the city and away from family and moved near to their parents in Tottenham. They finally move out to the glamorous new town estates of letchworth garden city
The fact that it is a one-off, is a double blessing. It's simple, bold, Art Déco design is best appreciated when juxtaposed with what it was supposed to replace. i am so happy those other beautiful stations were not demolished. We humans have been smashing up the old paradigm of beauty to make room for the next one for millennia now.
💜🙏⚡️
I really love these videos. They're fun, interesting, and engaging. Plus the humor is always great. It's always nice when a London based channel about London things can be enjoyed everywhere, like New York. Though because I love in New York, I don't really know where most things are. I could point to Bank/Monument, Paddington, Hammersmith, Aldgate, places like that with ease but the places like Sloughton or Woodford or Wimbledon I have a much harder time with. It would be nice to point out on a map where the station is for five seconds on these videos. It helps ground them to the real world and have these feel a bit less like interesting stories in a vacuum. Just an idea and either way I still love these videos and will keep watching for a long time coming
It's nice and all but it still pales in design when compared to the more gorgeous stations of our iconic Pyongyang Metro. Does the Tube use rolling stock from Berlin? That's what I thought...
Your name is spelt incorrectly.
I lived in Loughton for 35 years, and regularly used the station and Sadlers taxi service on the forecourt.
I live on Oakwood Hill, 10-15 minutes from the station. Use it all the time when using the tube. My Dad and sister particularly as they work in Selfridges on Oxford Street and go all the way to Bond Street from Loughton. Great video on the the history of the station.
Videos like this make me want to visit stations featured when I am next in UK. Thank you
I love the classic old car parked in front of the station like nobody's business!
Yes - it's an MG Series Y One and a Quarter Litre Saloon. Still miss mine Reg EHS 325; come home - all is forgiven!
Reminds me allot of Ramsgate & Margate stations.
The Belgian bricks are a different size to British bricks. However, it's a great pity they didn't bring over some Belgian bricklayers to erect the station. They are brilliant at creating wonderful patterns with their bricks.
As someone who lives in Epping, yes, yes I would sacrifice the small, difficult to use, station for something along the lines of Loughton.
Top work whoever posed their immaculate 5.0 Jaguar XK in front of the building at 0:38 LOL
‘Jaaaaaaaag’
At 3:00 and 5:54, note the car from the 1930s(?) casually chilling in the parking lot with the modern ones. Oddly appropriate for a station with this style of architecture.
Lovely, a very special station and how I agree with your observation that variety, of stations in this instance, is the spice of life!
I lived in Loughton for a few years. Can't afford it now 😭 but it is a beautiful area. I love the station. Nice simple waiting rooms with crittal style windows... Lots of light. I love the central running line/island line - or is it two island platforms? Same difference. Unlike Stratford though they tend to only open one set of doors at a time... Presumably to avoid confusion about the direction of travel.
The central running line seems to be used for trains terminating at Loughton
@@robertward7449 Yes it is... Though oddly enough they seemed to more often use Debden one stop further east, which only has 2 platforms and a siding for trains to pull into.
As said, the “middle road” is generally used as a reversing point for trains going back in the other direction. We do sometimes run trains through it (from Epping or towards Epping) is platforms 1 or 4 are otherwise occupied. For that reason, you don’t open the doors on both sides - platforms 1 and 2 are westbound, platforms 3 and 4 are eastbound. A westbound train opening doors on the eastbound side just confuses the whole situation. Interestingly, White City has the same set up, but the directions are reversed - westbound trains come in on the right hand side rather than the left. When I was training, and easy way to remember which doors opened first was White is Right and Loughton is Left (white and right rhyming, and Loughton and left starting with the same letters.
Now if you really want to throw a spanner in the works, sometimes we reverse a westbound train from the eastbound platform 4… that really confuses people (including the drivers 😆)
Lot of love for Loughton. My aunt and uncle used to live there used to go to it alot as a kid.
Mrs. Mills came from Loughton and was an iconic piano player. She made many tracks herself and her platform was EMI.
I can remember as a kid growing up in the early 60's watching Mrs Mills on the telly . Was always amazed by her distinctive style of playing the piano. Just a shame that such talented people are largely forgotten now . It's only old 'wrinkleys ' like me that remember her .
As a pianist myself for 60 years, I am a great fan of Mrs Mills style of stride piano playing, which is very difficult. BBC did a great documentary on her around 2014. Look it up, it was called "The Piano Genius of Mrs. Mills".
czcams.com/video/bjKCqtVlSqs/video.html
😂😂😂
This station is as unique and interesting as your CZcams channel, thanks for creating :)
Ongar sounds like the sort of place one might find fencing foils. And thank you for clearing up the argument I was having with an alcoholic, who assured me that a canopy was also known as Budweiser.
Jago spots classic cars in London's suburban station car parks ! Now thats another Tale from the Tube I would certainly press like and subscribe to.. You are the Wolseley 14/60 next to my filthy Aston 😁Cheerio !
Re the comments already posted on the Dutch bricks. I agree with all of these (so far), and I think that Dutch Modernism must have had an influence on this station's architecture. In particular, Hilversum Town Hall, which certainly was an influence, for example on Greenwich Town Hall on Royal Hill, SE10.
The point about the slimmer Dutch bricks is spot on, and they were indeed used at Greenwich.
That is probably correct, the bricks look very similar. The Hilversum Town Hall was designed by Dudok, who is best known for the Town Hall, but also designed many other buildings great and small in Hilversum (schools, houses electrical sub stations etc.), and I think this station indeed drew some inspiration from his work.
My aunt was from Loughton. I went through there going up to visit Ongar when the Central Line still went there.
Dare I ask for a video on the, Epping to Ongar line?
One just released today!
Really enjoyable video Jago. Is it just me or does that big arch window resemble King’s Cross? And such a shame they filled the canopies in!
Not just you! When I saw the thumbnail that's where I thought it was too.
@@andrewwakldnz Me too! Had to do a double take!
As an aside at Chessington, I dont think all the skylights in the platform canopies were ever all glazed , some being blind in at least 1966, but the pattern seemed random - or just allowed key areas to be lit from the sky
reminds me of bricked coal shutes at street level in central London, but, these are in a good way
That part of the central line is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon
I lived near there for so long and Loughton is one of my favourite stations
A bit surprised at the title. Even though it wasn't replicated, I have always liked Loughton's architecture and the "butterfly" awnings (LT's description) are very striking and effective. So I wouldn't call it "failed".
I had a LT book once on the Central Line. It described the platform canopies as cantilever. I always thought it odd that the sign says 4 platforms, yet there are only 3 tracks, with the middle track simply used for trains in either direction, and they merely open the train doors on whatever side is to be used.
Another unsung station that gets a chorus from Jago. Thanks.
My cousin has my uncle’s old shop in Loughton (think you’re standing not far from it in the high street). Nice little place.
The imported bricks ,may be of a different size, Dutch bricks tend to be longer and flatter than UK bricks of the period.
Yes, that's right - they give a more elegant feel. Perhaps they were influenced by ancient Roman bricks which were the same profile, and can be seen used in several extant Roman buildings.
Indeed, that Roman brick plus the arches gives it a kind-of Sullivanesque feel,* while the lack of ornamentation points toward the more minimalist modern styles of later decades. (And lots of 50s-early 60s buildings use long-and-flat Roman brick like that too, especially in lighter colors.)
* For comparison, look up some of Louis Sullivan's work here in the US a couple decades earlier -- especially some banks he designed across the Midwest in the 1900s and 10s, like the National Farmers Bank in Owatonna, Minnesota.
Brilliant video, very informative. Thank you for creating it. Best regards Councillor Sebastian Fontenelle of Loughton Town Council member and of Loughton Residence Association.
I sometimes alight here on a Saturday to get the (half hourly) bus to Chingford - one of the few LT stations I've seen with a "gents" public lavatory still available by the gateline. I was always quite interested to note that the main station building and the platforms were entirely separated by the up line. Probably not that unusual, but a bit different to my usual C2C stations.
With the amount of wealthy and poor lines, I wonder what the breakdown was. It seems there was only 2-3 really top earning companies with most struggling to earn and get money to keep up.
It’s something I want to investigate in more detail. Actually, I have a huge video in the works that will at least partly look into that question.
More like a criminal conspiracy. You hear the glorious days of steam. The truth is that none of the companies profits even covered the land acquisition.
WW2 is always sited as the reason for collapse. It did not help, but was not the whole picture.
@@JagoHazzard Ooh financials of pre-LPTB. Seems like a great video idea but I'm guessing getting the figures have been proving difficult?
I wish streamlined concrete with gull wing supports were a design by Albert Ross
Loughton has been one of my favourite UndergrounD stations for many years. Back in the very late '70s, a few of us would travel out to the edges of the system on Sundays, taking advantage of cheap day returns to "anywhere" at a fixed price of under a £.
I was always impressed with how well-kept the station seemed and the rural nature of the area. There were some really nice pubs on the short walk to Epping Forest and we would end up at a kind of roadhouse on a roundabout, slap in the middle of the forest.(Was it Robin Hood's Inn, or something similar?)
I always enjoyed these trips and other tours, using the same cheap tickets, to the likes of Richmond and even Metroland. Returning about ten years ago with my wife, I was delighted to find Loughton station(and most of the pubs) little changed in the decades that had passed.
Pub on a roundabout? Possibly the Wake Arms, that's the one I remember.
It’s the Robin Hood Thai now. Half way between Loughton and High Beech.
@@imconfused1237 That's the place. When I remember it as a pub, it was usually quite busy, lots of bar meals etc. I walked there a few times from Loughton, calling at the other establishments en-route and on the way back. Seem to remember some decent pubs; made for an excellent Sunday evening.😁👍 Don't know if there's street lighting nowadays but it was helluva dark after you left Loughton. I think the very last building was a pub too.
A lot of these middle-of-nowhere/roadhouse-style pubs lost out when drink-driving became completely unacceptable.
Very true that modernist architecture tends to suffer without good maintenance. Nice station!
There were flower beds on the platforms tended by a station master and platform staff when I lived in Loughton as a boy (several decades ago)
Jago , like your stuff buddy , Cheers from California !
The fascade to the main entrance reminds me of a v mini version of one half of the King X main elevation. The slimmer bricks (Roman bricks)are all over the Netherlands - 1 reason why I admire Dutch Architecture
Thanks for this, while I was born in north London and live there again now, I grew up in Loughton where my parents moved in 1955 and I travelled up to Holborn from this station on board the 1962 stock trains when I started work in 1968 and for several years thereafter, usually with my dad (who passed away in 2009) who only had to travel as far as Stratford for his employment. I also remember the early morning d.m.u. staff workings that started at Epping and ran to Liverpool Street main line via the original 1856 line between Leyton and the Lea Valley line at Loughton Branch junction that was not included in the Central Line extension (and today now occupied by the ghastly M11 Link road). Though officially for staff workings, they were available to the general public but, alas, I never got to travel on one before they were withdrawn in 1970. I've not been back to Loughton since my mum passed away in 2015 so it was good to see the station again and some shots of Loughton High Road too. Kind regards, David, Crouch End, N8.
I suppect the choice of Netherlands brick, was because otherwise they might have had to use London brick. An often an inferior brick variety, London bricks do not age well; there's a Morrisons built in the late eighties in Queensbury on Honeypot Lane, that is showing its age, so using the same brick, other than what was imported, would probably necessitated a rebuilt, a few decades later, and it's also likely they didn't want to build a concrete station, in such an exposed area.
The front window reminds me of many modernist cinemas.
Jago, for someone that has made an infamy career out of documentation of the underground, I was slightly surprised to hear you singing the praises of the "...light and airy windows..." at the station, or perhaps I am projecting my own thoughts on you, as I enjoy the claustrophobic element of the underground, the stations and the surrounding environments... except, of course, Margate station, which I enjoy because of its worn down state...
Station architectural variety is indeed the spice of life.
I think the choice of brick is influenced by Dudok’s Hilversum Town Hall, a very influential building in the 1930s. Transport architecture often emphasises the horizontal. It is hard to determine the brick module but they may not be a standard UK size. Also they do not have a flat face but are notched, again to make them appear longer, I suspect these bricks were only available in the Netherlands.
I think we're (the Hazzard community) pretty much agreed on this - de Stijl was an influence here.
I absolutely love your videos on underground station architecture snd this one is another gem. Thank you.
Brilliant, just brilliant Jago
Looks like Kings Cross!
I approve of any station that feels Airey...
As the crow flies I lived about 20 minutes by car from Loughton, at least 40 minutes by bus if the changes were within a few minutes but to get to the Central line at least 30 minutes to Leytonstone by bus and then the ride out there. Needless to say this is the first time I have seen the station at Loughton.
Great video as always Jago.
With variety being the spice of life, would you consider a video about the 5 stations, 3 underground lines, one mainline, TfL depot, HS2 line works and it's own hidden railway of the great metropolis that is Ruislip?
Style like Loughton has a lot in common with East Finchley
The original Loughton station was where a Sainsbury's is currently
I'm new and living in Loughton! As someone who's into visual arts and architecture, ppl often look at me wondering why I look at things. Never knew Loughton station would look so nice in a video!
Enthralling as always, Jago !
Always good to see a differing style of station.
I wonder how common the single line between two platforms is? I know on the big railway that Horsted Keynes (now preserved of course) has one, and Christ’s Hospital railway station had two (!)
Good question. There are certainly a few in London - Morden and Canary Wharf spring to mind.
Well, for a start there's Yeovil Pen Mill and Ascot on the former Southern Region. Ulverston and Sellafield on the Cumbrian Coast. Then there is Pl 2 at Carlisle station which this route uses. I don't know if the Metrolink station at Victoria counts. These are the ones that come to mind, I'm sure there are others.
There's one at Finsbury Park isn't there, or was
Thanks, I needed a new artist name. "Failed Pioneer" will do just fine.
I love Loughton station , I used to meet my gf there also I have really good memories near by, I have a house there and I love everything there . History and lovely place to live and the forest is something unbelievable
You are the sunshine in my booking hall
That's why I'll always be around ♫
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your booking hall
Loughton, home of comedian Alan Davies.
@@JP_TaVeryMuch T &J Kelly. Debden Broadway. Yep it's still there.👍
It looks a bit like someone sliced a chunk of King's Cross, in a good way.
And Loughton which is in Essex and in the Epping Forest Borough is on the County border with Greater London and the London Borough of Redbridge. Loughton station reminds me of White City station in West London. And I have been to Loughton before.
It should really have ended up in Greater London, along with Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell, but didn't.
@@mbrady2329 Indeed. Been to Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill.
The borders are confusing, Loughton doesn’t really look completely Essex. Romford is 14 miles north east of Charing Cross so north east London and Loughton 12 miles north east of Charing Cross is Essex doesn’t make sense, maybe snobby people there rebelled and didn’t want to join London??
I have never been to this one looks nicer than most of the concrete stations
Dutch bricks are usually longer than English ones .... the Eastern counties of England are greatly influenced by dutch builders, and in the 20th century the 'Amsterdam School' (of Architecture) was highly influential. You can see the longer, thinner proportion of the dutch bricks in Cambridge and places like that, ever heard of "Flemish Bond" - ever wondered why?
05:06 excellent point, I totally agree with you
Good Heavens! When I was a callow youth, my first ever "proper" girl friend came from Loughton. Her name was...... Well, I let's just say kb. She was the perfect girl friend. Trust me. I will have nothing bad said about Loughton. OK?
Thanks Jago Keep Safe.
I really interesting think piece. Well presented argument.
Love the barber's pole
More stations that look way ahead of their time please!
It looks like a bit like it grew from a cuttimg of Kings Cross.
l once had to get to Gidea Park from Liverpool Street but couldn't because of a British Rail strike! So l got the Underground to Loughton, then got an LUL bus to Gidea Park ,where l worked ! On arriving at Gidea Park l got a rocket and severe telling off from my Boss because l was 3 hours late and a threat of being reported late on duty and a threat of 3 hours being deducted from my pay !! And guess who l worked for and couldn't do any work that day because there were NO trains running ? l worked for - BRITISH RAIL !!! l kid you not !! You couldn't make it up could you ?
Not being funny, but would you not have been getting the District Line to Hornchurch and a bus onwards from there?
@@mbrady2329 At the time l was under the under the impression we only had to turn up and sign on ( within a reasonable time of the signing on time) stay for a short time maybe two hours or three hours ,then go home ,as it wasn't our fault we couldn't work .So l wasn't in any particular hurry . But this manager decided for whatever ,reason - maybe he just didn't like me or was just in a bad mood , he decided 3 hours late was unreasonable and proceeded to tear me off a strip ( in front of other staff ) saying " You must be here at 05:30 in the morning strike or no strike ! " l replied " What for ? There are no trains and no customers ? " . He went mad and said " l don't care !! Next strike day you will be here or you get no pay !" . Well l worked out that l would have to set out about one or two in the morning from where l lived ,to get to Gidea Park at 05 30 .On the night buses . So for the next strike day the following week l just put in for an annual leave day! Didn't bother me l had so many annual leave days accumulated from previous years ! ( which was lucky ,because as l remember the strike dragged on for weeks and then became two days a week l think ? Or was it two days a week from the very start? And the day after the above incident l had to come in on the night bus in as it was too late to get annual leave for the following day ? Cannot remember! 30 years ago now !)
do hope you had time for a trip up to the forest, only a 20 minute leisurely walk from the station to the edge of the forest, oddly its a shorter walk to Epping forest from Loughton than actual Epping
WELL SEASONED.....
American here (again); until recently I thought Loughton was pronounced "Lofftun". That damnable "ough" strikes again.
Yes, you could also add 'Looton' (from through), 'Lowton' (from though) and 'Lotton' (from thought).
Jago, I was wondering if the tall gentleman waiting on the platform at 6:55 had to duck to enter the train or whether the doors open enough to let him walk straight up and in. Alas your film cut a few seconds short. If you still have the footage, would you let me know?
As always your films provide a modicum of interest and entertainment as well as historical learning. Pray continue.
I noticed that too , thought he was a kind of human giraffe who presumably has a crick in his neck every time he goes on the tube !
These architecture videos are great…I look at Tube stations with totally new eyes.
5:58 is that your car Jago? PXS 480 It's what i'd expect of you :-)
If it is I want a video about it🤣
No his is the Jag XK at the beginning.
I noticed it too... It easily draws the eye way past that filthy Aston! ... Looks like a Post War Wolseley 14/60 ?
@@ianmax69 - The plot thickens! According to the DVLA ‘PXS 480’ is a 1951 Chevrolet! Plus where did you see an Aston? (Time stamp if possible please).
488 I think it is
I remember steam trains on this line.
Why bricks from the Netherlands?
Possibly because the Cowley brick fields that supplied so much of the delightful buttery cream bricks were now very rapidly heading under housing estate or had been worked out.
I live in Loughton and I walk past there everyday
I was just here today for the first time. Nice coincidence
Given past videos on Central Line station names pronunciation, me thinks a comment about why the area isnt called 'Luffton' ( c/w 'Loughborough') should have been included :)
Yes, you could also add 'Looton' (from through), 'Lowton' (from though) and 'Lotton' (from thought).
What "fills out" the area above and around the vaulted ceiling?
And there was I thinking that it was a "nod" to Lewis Cubitt's Kings Cross design...
Jago: The failed Pioneer
Me: Another one?
great vid jago
Bravo sir, bravo.