Written by freelance writer Richard Trench and subterranean London enthusiast Ellis Hillman, London under London is 'knowledgeable, lively, opinionated and utterly fascinating' (Evening Standard, London's own daily newspaper).
Underground London
To service its seven and half million residents, London must function on a twenty-four hour basis with services and amenities being available at all times. Underground London also plays a vital role in supporting London residents and its millions of visitors. However, who ever gives a thought to what is going on beneath the surface? As the preface to London under London states, 'in our everyday lives our ignorance of the world below extends to profound depths'.
The authors make a striking comparison between the overground and underground life of the bustling metropolis. It is, they say, like entering the downstairs world of a country house in its heyday but without the same sense of order.
Map of Subterranean London
It is fascinating to learn that despite underground London's role as a 'service industry' for the busy city above, there is no one definitive map that shows all underground features. The authors maps from the following sources to prepare their comprehensive work:
- The North Thames Gas Board
- The London Electricity Board
- The London Telecommunications Region
- The Public Health Department
- The Guildhall
- The British Museum
- The Public Records Office
They also consulted records of geological, historical, archeological, sociological and geographical significance. If the findings were drawn as a map, there would be some forty layers of information.
The authors also point out that the names of public bodies quoted and referred to have often changed between editions. However, original names have been preserved in subsequent editions to provide a snapshot of subterranean London at the time of writing.
The Tube or London Underground
For many Londoners, underground London is synonymous with the 'London Underground' or 'Tube'. Consisting of 12 lines serving 270 stations, the first section of the London Underground opened in 1863. The following sites provide detailed information on the history of the Tube: London Underground, London Underground History.
London Underground in World War Two
Perhaps the London Underground's finest hour was the moment when 'subterranean London was rediscovered' in the summer of 1940. Thousands of Londoners desperate to shelter from the relentless onslaught of the Nazi air raids took refuge in the stations and tunnels of the London Underground network. Chapter 1, The Underworld War, explores the role of the London Underground in sheltering civilians in World War Two.
London under London, a Subterranean Guide by Richard Trench and Ellis Hillman,
first published 1984 by John Murray, ISBN 0 7195 5288 5
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