Hidden North End Tube station remains unused since 1906

Thousands of Northern line passengers pass through the remains of an unfinished Tube station, North End, also known as Bull & Bush, which has never been accessible to the public. The station, located between Hampstead and Golders Green, was partially constructed in the early 20th century before work was abandoned in 1906.

Reasons for abandonment

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North End was planned as part of the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway, which later became part of the Northern line. Parliamentary approval for the railway extension, including an intermediate station at North End, was granted in 1903. Construction began, with underground sections and part of a platform excavated. However, plans for residential development in the surrounding area, which were expected to provide passengers, changed significantly. Land intended for housing was acquired to extend Hampstead Heath, meaning the anticipated passenger numbers would not materialise. Consequently, the railway company deemed completion of the station no longer economically viable. Work ceased in 1906, before lift and stair shafts were built or a street-level station structure was erected.

Continued use by trains

The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway opened its service through the area on 22 June 1907. North End was not listed as a passenger station. Instead, trains have continued to travel through the unfinished site on their route between Hampstead and Golders Green for more than a century. This distinguishes North End from other abandoned London Underground stations, such as Aldwych, which did serve passengers before closing.

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Nickname and later use

Although officially designated North End, the abandoned station became known among Underground staff as "Bull and Bush", a name derived from the nearby public house. Historic England records indicate that had it been completed, North End would have been exceptionally deep, approximately 221 feet below ground due to its position beneath elevated terrain. This would have made it deeper than Hampstead station, which currently holds the record for the deepest passenger station on the Underground. Despite never opening to the public, the underground space saw some use. During the Second World War, parts of the site reportedly served as a location for storing confidential archives. Further adaptations occurred during the Cold War, when a shaft and staircase were constructed as part of civil defence preparations. A floodgate control room was also installed at the site in the 1950s, leaving North End hidden beneath north London.