Barbican

Barbican is a London Underground station serving the Barbican Centre in the City of London, England. It is on the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines between Farringdon and Moorgate, in Travelcard Zone 1. First Capital Connect trains used to serve here on their way into Moorgate but ceased in March 2009. The outbound service calling here was abandoned many years before.

History

The station was first called “Aldersgate Street”, this being the name of the street on which it stands. This changed to “Aldersgate” then “Aldersgate and Barbican” before settling on the present name.

The station replaced an earlier building at 134 Aldersgate Street which for many years had a sign claiming “This was Shakespeare’s House”. Although the building was very close to the nearby Fortune Playhouse, there is no documentary evidence to indicate that Shakespeare resided here; a subsidy roll from 1598 shows a “William Shakespeare” as owner of the property, but there is nothing to indicate that it is the playwright. On the road opposite the station, within the Golden Lane Estate is a pub under the name “The Shakespeare”.

A display on the history of the station, including text and photographs, is just inside the barriers, on the southern side of the main entrance corridor.

In late March 2009, services by First Capital Connect ceased to call at Barbican. This was part of the Thameslink Programme to allow Farringdon to have its mainline platforms extended across Thameslink’s Moorgate branch. This has meant that Barbican is no longer a multimodal station.

Layout

The station lies in an east-west aligned trench with cut-and-cover tunnels at either end. The modern entrance gives access from Aldersgate Street, through a 1990s building, to a much older footbridge that leads to the eastern end of the platforms. To the north are backs of buildings that face onto Charterhouse Street and Charterhouse Square. To the south are the backs of buildings that face onto Long Lane. To the west is Hayne Street.

The station is mostly open to the elements, though there are some short canopies. The remains of the supporting structure for a glass canopy over all four platforms (removed in the 1950s) may still clearly be seen.

At the western end of the central island there is a disused signal box. Also from this end of the platforms may be seen the beginnings of the complex of tunnels leading under Smithfield meat market. Livestock for the market was at one time delivered by rail and there was a substantial goods yard under the market.

Platform 1 is the most northerly, serving Eastbound LUL services. Platforms 2 and 3 form an island platform, platform 2 serves Westbound LUL services but platform 3 is out of use. Platform 3, that served eastbound Network Rail services and platform 4 on the westbound NR line are out of use.

Future

When Crossrail is built, the Farringdon Eastern Ticket Hall will be just to the west of Barbican station, and there will be an interchange built here.  (which would probably involve removal of the signal box at the western end of the station).