Alphabetical thing: Brentford

Brentford railway station is on the South West Trains Hounslow loop line, in zone 4. There two platforms, each with its own exit to the street. A footbridge connects the platforms, but the bridge's wheelchair lift only works during rush hours. The rest of the time, passengers either have to use the stairs, or go the long way round via the streets.

What's outside the station? A wonderfully eclectic mix that only happens in the right type of suburbia. Old Victorian terraces give way to the imposing glass offices of companies like GlaxoSmithKline (a multinational so evil that it's abolished spaces between words!) and the River Brent carries the Capital Ring walk through green spaces them all.

Is it near Brent Cross? No, but they're both named after crossings over the River Brent.

Alphabetical thing: Brent Cross

Brent Cross station is on the Northern line's Edgware branch. It's above ground, with an island platform on a viaduct. With a lot of trees around, it feels very pleasant, almost like a quiet country halt on a branch line, not a London Underground station in zone 3. (Although I suspect it wouldn't be quite so pleasant in bad weather like today!)

The ticket office is well-lit, spacious, airy and well-proportioned in a sort of neo-classical style. In terms of architecture and design, this is possibly my favourite station I've found so far on the alphabetical project, which is quite a surprise, because I normally prefer the stark modernist styles.

What's outside the station? There are two exits from the ticket office. The main one leads through an interesting, vaguely Egyptian-styled frontage to a drive/car-park.

The smaller, rear exit leads to stereotyped suburban streets, whose architecture isn't anywhere near as interesting as the station's!

Is it near Brent Cross Shopping Centre? As the crow flies, yes. As the pedestrian walks, no. There's a very busy and very complicated junction of major dual carriageways between them. A notice in the ticket office advises people to take the bus from the station to the shopping mall instead of walking.

Alphabetical thing: Bow Road

Bow Road Underground station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines. It's a very strange station, since the platforms have their western ends below ground, while the eastern ends come out into daylight. I can't think of any other stations like this anywhere else on the Underground.

What's outside the station? Bow Road itself, part of the busy A11, with Bow Church DLR station just a few minutes walk away.

Is it near Bow Street? No, that's in the West End, and this is the East End, on the edge of diamond geezer's territory. (But because of the way his blog's organised, it's almost impossible to link to individual posts, even though he has made quite a few about this station.)

Alphabetical thing: Bowes Park

Bowes Park railway station is on the boundary between zones 3 and 4, on First Capital Connect's Hertford loop branch.  It's ungated, and access to the platform island is by steps down from a public footbridge spanning the railway between two suburban side streets.

What's outside the station? Bounds Green tube station is just a short walk away.  In fact, I cheated and did both stations together, rather than doing Bounds Green, heading east to Bow, and then coming all the way back again, and then all the way back to Bow once more. Sorry.

Is it near Bow? No, but it's coming between Bow Church and Bow Road in this list because I'm an old-fashioned alphabetical purist who believes alphabetical order should only be based on letters of the alphabet, and not spaces between words!

Alphabetical thing: Bow Church

Bow Church station is on the Stratford branch of the Docklands Light Railway. Like most DLR stations, it's ungated and doesn't have a proper ticket office. Stairs and lifts lead directly between the two platforms and the road above.

What's outside the station? The parish church of St Mary, Bow, standing on a large traffic island in the middle of the road. There's a statue of Gladstone outside it, commemorating the fact that he gave in to pressure from the local match factories.

Is it near Bow bells? Well, it's near a very orange pub called The Bow Bells.

However, the original Bow bells belong to a different Bow church in the City of London.

Alphabetical thing: Bounds Green

Bounds Green station is on the boundary between zones 3 and 4 on the Piccadilly line, but near the other end of the line from Boston Manor. It's a typical deep-level tube station, with platforms in tunnels served by escalators.

 

Apparently there's a plaque commemorating Belgian air-raid victims in one of the platforms, but I missed it!

What's outside the station? When I visited it, more roadworks. What with this and Borough, I wonder if October was “National Doing Roadworks Outside Tube Stations That Begin With ‘B’ Month”.

Is it near a green? There are a few trees and a tiny patch of grass on the opposite side of the road. I suppose that might be the green.

Alphabetical thing: Boston Manor

Boston Manor underground station is in zone 4, on the Piccadilly line's Heathrow branch.  Like most stations on this branch, it's actually above ground. There are two platforms, with stairs leading up to the ticket office.

 

 

 

 

What's outside the station? The A3002 road crossing the railway by a bridge. From the bridge, you can see the Underground's Northfields train depot.

 

Is it near a manor house? Yes, standing in its grounds which have been turned into a little park that would be quite pleasant if it weren't for the busy M4 motorway and GlaxoSmithKline office blocks looming over it.

Alphabetical thing: Borough

Apologies for not updating this blog once again. I have still been visiting stations alphabetically, watching cult TV shows, and doing all the other things I post about. I've just not been posting about them.

Like I said before, I'm a very private person, and I really don't feel comfortable sharing what I've done. (There's a part of me which worries that what I do might be None of Your Business and so I'll be doing The Wrong Thing by telling you about them.)

But since I've started this blog, I suppose I'd better continue with it...

Borough Underground station is on the Bank branch of the Northern line. Despite being south of the Thames, it is in zone 1.  It's a typical deep-level tube station, with platforms in tunnels.  It's deep enough to be accessed by lifts and stairs, rather than escalators.

 

 

What's immediately outside the station? When I was there back in October, lots of road works.

Also, a rather nice old church. In fact it's the oldest church dedicated to St George (England's patron saint) in London.

Set into the paving slabs outside the station entrance are signs showing the walking routes to nearby sites. Unfortunately most of the letters have been worn away, leaving them rather unreadable.

Is it near Borough Market? No. Although that's the only thing Borough is known for, you want London Bridge station for that.