Clapham South tube station

Clapham South
The station entrance
Clapham South Location of Clapham South in Greater London
Location	Clapham
Local authority	London Borough of Wandsworth
Managed by	London Underground
Owner	London Underground
Number of platforms	2
Fare zone	2 and 3
London Underground annual entry and exit
2011	7.82 million
2012	7.80 million
2013	7.58 million
2014	8.47 million
Key dates
1926	Opened (C&SLR)
Listed status
Listing grade	II
Entry number	1266140
Added to list	16 June 1987
Other information
Lists of stations	DLR Underground National Rail Tramlink
London Transport portal

Clapham South is a station on London Underground's Northern line between Clapham Common and Balham stations. The station is located at the corner of Balham Hill (A24) and Nightingale Lane. The station is in both Travelcard Zone 2 and Travelcard Zone 3.

History

The station was designed by Charles Holden and was opened on 13 September 1926 as the first station of the Morden extension of the City & South London Railway, which is now part of the Northern line. Other proposed names for the station prior to opening were "Balham North" and "Nightingale Lane".

The apartments above the station, named Westbury Court, were a later addition to the architecture, built in the mid-1930s. The parade of shops along Balham Hill was extended as part of the same development using the same style as the original three closest to the station.

Clapham South tube station is at the southern edge of Clapham Common. It is one of eight London Underground stations with a deep-level air-raid shelter underneath it. In 1948, the deep shelter was used as temporary accommodation for immigrants from the West Indies. The MV Empire Windrush arrived in Tilbury in 1948 carrying 492 immigrants. London had a severe labour shortage after the war and the Colonial Office had sought to recruit a labour force from Jamaica. An advertisement had appeared in Jamaica's Daily Gleaner on 13 April 1948 offering transport to the UK. The Windrush was quickly filled. As there was no accommodation for the new arrivals, the Colonial Office housed them in the deep-level shelter at Clapham South.

Connections

London Buses routes 50, 155, 249, 355, G1, 689 and 690 and night route N155 serve the station.

Gallery

• 

  Northbound platform looking south

• 

  Southbound platform looking north

• 

  Roundel on the southbound platform

• 

  One of the entrances to Clapham South deep level shelter; the other is on the Common

External links

• London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
  • Clapham South station, 1926
  • Station with recently built apartments, 1936
  • Entrance to deep level shelter, 1942
• CharlesHolden.com Early photograph of station

Preceding station		London Underground		Following station
Balham towards Morden		Northern line		Clapham Common towards Edgware, Mill Hill East or High Barnet