Aldgate Station

With its grand overall roof, Aldgate is one of the most impressive of the stations on the Underground, and is served by Metropolitan Line and Circle Line trains. Of its 5.5 million users, most are commuters to the offices in this part of the City, but it is also used by visitors to Petticoat Lane market on Sundays.

The station dates from 1876 when the Metropolitan line was extended from Liverpool Street. A few years later, in 1882, the line was extended again towards Tower Hill, to form part of what is now the Circle Line. The station is (frustratingly) by-passed by the Hammersmith and City and District Line trains, which can be seen passing the ends of the station to the north and south respectively. (But both lines call at Aldgate East station, less than 5 minutes’ walk away).

The high overall roof covers two centre tracks (Platforms 2 and 3), which are used by terminating long-distance Metropolitan Line trains to destinations such as Watford, Amersham and Uxbridge; and two outer tracks (1 and 4), used by the Circle Line.

The station retains its original Metropolitan Railway façade of pale cream tiles, and the front awning is supported from above by cables anchored at two attractive art-deco style brackets. Unfortunately, it is now rather isolated on the ‘traffic island’ formed by the major roads in the area, and is surrounded by fairly nondescript office buildings, although St Botolph’s church provides a more pleasing neighbour. The other major downside is that the frequency of trains is lower than many other stations outside peak periods (and the Circle Line is particularly unreliable).

The station hit the news in the 2005 London bombings when one of the bombs was detonated in a train from Liverpool Street which was close to Aldgate, killing 7 people. St Botolph’s church became a temporary rescue and coordination centre during the immediate aftermath of the atrocity.

Opposite the entrance is Aldgate Bus station, the starting point for buses 40, 67, 115 and 254; buses 15, 25, 42, 78, 100 and 205 also stop nearby. There is a small newsagents in the façade.