The abandoned London Underground station that connects Robert De Niro, Vin Diesel, and Superman
There is something so fascinating about an abandoned London Underground station – its years of history closed off to the public, sealing up the memories of a time when thousands of people would’ve used it each day…perhaps even some ghosts, too.
From supernatural stories to genuinely tragic events, like the Bethnal Green crush in 1943 or the 7/7 bombings, which saw explosions in various trains, the London Tube is steeped in complicated history.
At rush hour, you’re crammed in without room to breathe, the hot air particularly suffocating in the summer – sometimes fights break out, or people go a little crazy; there’s an unpredictability to taking the Tube that makes it one of London’s most defining traits… Love it or hate it, you can hardly avoid it.
Over the years, stations which aren’t used frequently enough have closed their doors, but some of them reopen for special tours, sometimes banking on paranormal sightings. Then there are those which allow guests in for something a lot more exciting – like using an abandoned station as a filming location.
Of course, using a popular and active Tube station to film would be borderline impossible. How are you going to close a central railway line in London? The whole city would fall into disarray.
That’s why stations like Aldwych are so important. Opening in 1907, the station was never a particularly busy one, with a shuttle train mainly operating at the station. Since there wasn’t a constant flow of people using the station, and other trains didn’t rely on it as a vital part of their route, it was often used as a filming location, even when it was still open. You can see it briefly in the 1970 film Deep End, Michael Caine’s The Battle of Britain, and, shortly before it closed its doors, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Aldwych tube station called it a day in 1994, and now it frequently hosts big filmmakers and actors, proving to be the perfect site to depict the Tube, no matter the era. You can see Aldwych stand in for Balham in Atonement, providing the backdrop for one of the most tragic moments in Joe Wright’s film.
Something much more sinister came in the form of Creep, though, the 2004 horror movie which sees a woman get stuck on the Tube overnight, resulting in her meeting a terrifying killer who lives in the sewers.
Other projects include Hollywood hits like V for Vendetta with Natalie Portman, the Robert De Niro-directed The Good Shepherd, and even Fast & Furious 6, where a big fight breaks out. Don’t forget the likes of Darkest Hour, Sherlock and Killing Eve, either, while music videos such as The Prodigy’s iconic ‘Firestarter’ and The Kinks’ ‘Do It Again’ also took place in the station.
Once used as an air raid shelter and a space to house artworks from the British Museum, like the Elgin Marbles, during the war, Aldwych has changed a lot over the years. Now, though, it’s best known for welcoming everyone from Kiera Knightley to Gary Oldman, making it the most-seen tube station in cinema.
