We hadn't planned on spending any longer here than was necessary, merely using it to try to get to a nearby station. However as we worked our way into the place, we discovered an area we'd never heard of before, let alone knew existed. We quickly abandoned other plans when we realised the access we needed to visit another station would have left us exposed in the middle of a platform full of cameras. So we set about documenting here instead. The station was part of a modernising plan in the 1930s, where lifts were removed and replaced with escalators. As such, areas of stations were abandoned. Lift shafts turned into ventilation shafts. This was the original entrance to the station, inside would have been the lift shaft seen below. (From London Transport Collection)

This is a crudely drawn layout of the station. The layout is similar to Euston C,C, E & H disused station.

The other side of the silver door is the Eastbound Piccadilly line. Behind the camera is a similar door. The steps to the right lead up to the lifts level. Getting the door opened involved some trial and error, but finally it clicked, and we could ascend to see an area we'd never heard about. A true sense of discovery on the Underground.

A quick pose on the steps up from the platforms. Fearing we wouldn't get any further, I wanted a memento of where we'd gotten too.

The passageway twisted after it passed over the Westbound tracks, and was full down one side with tools and components for track workers. In the foreground a wheelie bin full of crowbars.

A shelving rack full of bits and pieces that keep things running.

A shot from the other side of the lift shaft, the looking towards the former emergency staircase.

The tunnel curves on either side of the emergency stairwell, the stairwell shaft is just passed me in this picture on the right.

Inside the former lift shaft. The track trucks piled on top of each other. Spookily or scarily, a red light was flashing on one of them.

The spirals of tiles leading up where there were once stairs. The top is now capped.

The other passageway that runs parallel to the other one. This is looking towards the lift shaft. Behind the camera is a locked door into the live station.

Turning 180 degrees from the previous shot, this shows the other bridge across the Westbound platform to the locked door mentioned above.

Inside the vent was a small isolated shed with electrical equipment inside.  The shaft had ladders on it, so it would seem rude not to see what was above.

The top of ladder from the vent visible in the centre of the picture. There was little here, other than a few walls with stretched hexagonal holes in them. They lead around to the other side of the vent shaft.

With little more to see, we quickly descended the shaft again, and made our way out. Happy to have found something unique in a system we thought had been covered to death. Maybe there were more disused areas to find we'd not heard about. Thanks to Kev for making access so unique.