One aspect of interest at Cockfosters compared to other stations is the judicious use of roundels. They are everywhere so to say. On flag posts, on the walls and between the pillars. Well presented in various forms within the station itself as if to say to both passengers and the simply curious, “Hey I’m the tube station come and see me and my grandeur – and play with my trains!”
Incidentally the two roundels that are to be found on the huts came from a pair of plinths that once stood at this location. These roundels show no trace of distortion. The plinths were removed in order to build these kiosks. Originally there were sixteen of these roundels on eight plinths (four to each platform) but there are now only twelve on six plinths.
I have mentioned both Oakwood and Cockfosters are unique in using black station name boards at the main entrances and above the stair entrances. I don’t know why that is. Cockfosters certainly had these when it first opened so it may have been some mistake by glaziers that has been accepted as part of both stations’ make up ever since. Yet some other tube stations have black way out indicators in the same exact style, even Arnos Grove has these.
On the other hand I notice too the new Cannon Street station also had white on black background to begin with although that has now reverted to the usual white on blue background. Definitely an identity crisis! Perhaps the recent second edition of TfL’s Station Idiom Design Guide will go some way to ensuring there is less confusion on the use of signs.
Main station entrance/bus waiting area. Two flights of stairs lead from here down to the ticket hall
We take a look at the latter station’s main environs including the mini bus station, entrances, roundels, and briefly the depot and its sidings. First of all we can ask how did Cockfosters get a bus station?
The origin of this seems to be a desire by Holden to build upon both sides of Cockfosters Road thus making the new terminus a stupendous one which could not be missed. The original plans show no provision of any sort for bus facilities of any kind other than simple stops right outside the station entrances.
The substantial subway from the tube station to bus station
Cockfosters Road actually runs through the centre of the terminus complex. Or rather, the station was built around the road itself. To the west side of the road a widened section was provided and next to this a substantial glazed shelter with seats was built. Holden therefore was able to build something that was essentially a small country bus station. It meets the needs of the local area adequately.
Twin staircases lead from the subway up to the bus station. Notice the homage to country barns etc
At other places on the tube or sub-surface lines such as Morden or Hounslow West, and even at Arnos Grove/Oakwood, the space immediately in front of the station is a dedicated area for buses to pull up and collect passengers. At Cockfosters that space is on both sides of the road. On the opposite side of the road its an extra special designated area with its own building. This is in my view creates something a little more than just a simple bus exchange.
All weather access from tube to local buses! Cockfosters bus station seen during a downpour.
Clearly the bus station is a delight. Its a fairly standard Holden design increased to much larger proportions, with substantial enhancements. The stairwell has cross plinths and members. These are obviously concrete but in my view they are there to evoke the image of perhaps a country farm or a mill, either of which would have used cross timbers in their lofty roofs. I mentioned that Cockfosters may have given a nod to Friends Meeting House in Hertford, especially the bus station no less.
When the station opened this was countryside. People looking out from the main station building could see the bus station which would aesthetically fit into the countryside beyond because it was designed to be like a building that was from the countryside! Sadly the construction of Metro Point has deflated the visual impact Holden desired.
In terms of the overall London underground system this arrangement is quite unusual, there isn’t anywhere else like it. Holden clearly performed a great number of architectural tricks which I am sure many don’t even notice.
The waiting area inside the bus shelter
We might think Holden had a special preference for buses and looking after the bus passenger somewhat more so than the tube passenger. Well he did in a way it was part of his remit to make the passenger environment on the tube as comfortable and enjoyable as possible and this extended to the bus and tram services that fed the tube. Without this level of bus passenger comfort and convenience the tube would be seen as impervious to the needs of those who arrived at these stations. And that would be a big loss.
Night time shot of the southern end of the main bus station building – even comes with a number!
We have seen how Cockfosters main station building was given great architectural styling. Holden extended that styling to the bus station building itself as these pictures show.
The bus shelter’s plinths, clearly intended to revoke memories of a country barn
Again the country is is reflected in this barn-type atmosphere. The building’s supports and struts really do look like timbers considering they have ‘joints’ but they are in fact concrete.
For the motorist, whom I suspected Holden deemed at the time would be the new king of the road (how things have changed since with people wanting less cars and more public transport) things went a step further.
Stations car parks have been provided at his other stations. Here the concept was given extra special treatment. Holden built these unique individual entrances/exists. The one on the north side is like a miniature tube station, no bigger than a small hut. And comes with roundels too!
Three of Cockfosters’ prominent tube roundels. There are four of these, the other is at the bus station
There is nowhere else on London’s underground system where such instances exist.
The smallest roundel building in London perhaps?
The original plans for the station included additional entrances with roundels mounted on poles placed on top of these entrances. It seems to me the idea of separate entrances for the car parks seem to have be delineated from the original plans but instead made as miniature versions of the original.
The southern car park’s station entrance/exit
One major difference to Cockfosters station’s setting these days is there are now three large office blocks, the western one is Metro Point and the southern are Holbrook and Churchwood Houses. These were built in the 1960s as typical open plan offices. These later additions do serve to give the station and the locality considerably more importance, however they have intruded somewhat on the station’s delicate connections with the countryside.
Cockfosters church once could be seen across the fields directly ahead of the main station entrance. Now Metro Point stands in the way and one has to stand by the northern car park entrance to be able to see the church.
Now you see it! Cockfosters parish church from the side of the station as opposed to the front
Beyond the platforms is the signal box. Its very much standard fayre like most others found on the tube system. It does have one special thing for me however. My uncle used to work here on night shift a couple of times a month maintaining the box and its equipment, making sure it was all in good working order. As I have explained in other posts for many years he was one of LT’s signal engineers. Often he would get one of the last trains to wherever he was allocated and an early one back home to Kings Cross the next morning.
Cockfosters signal box with Holbrook House behind.
Escalators at Cockfosters?
A Daily Mail report for Saturday 2 December 1989 details a series of mishaps and delays, with trains taken out of service. The fire brigade was called out four times to Cockfosters Station during that day too. The paper reports that passengers had become exasperated and were almost mutinous. The paper’s final sentence in the article only sought to add disbelief and incredulity when it said of the day’s woes “The last straw: no escalators were working at Cockfosters.”
Escalators?? It seems I’ve missed one very important part of the station! I will take steps to put this right!
This post was originally published December 2017 as one of a sixteen part series on the Piccadilly line covering the architectural aspects at each station from Manor House to Cockfosters plus the lengthy viaducts at Arnos Park and Southgate.
Most of those sixteen posts aren’t on the blog currently – however Southgate station (an appraisal) and the two Piccadilly line viaduct posts are available:
Southgate station – An appraisal.
The Arnos Park Viaduct Mystery.
Another Tube Viaduct Mystery!