Taking Keilyn to King's Cross: Via Swiss Cottage and Baker Street

Keilyn's LNER Azuma train to Peterborough.

Saturday July 19, 2025.

Since Keilyn had broken up from school, on Friday, we had spoken with some friends, in Peterborough, who were happy to have her come and stay for the week. All we had to do was get her there, and they would take care of the rest, bringing her home on the following Friday.

Her train was due to leave King's Cross station at 12:03, so we made sure that we left in plenty of time.

With her suitcase packed, Keilyn and I headed off to Watford Metropolitan station, in a taxi, thus avoiding the light drizzle that had begun to fall.

We boarded a Baker Street-bound train, on Platform 1, and were soon speeding towards London, as a soft drizzle fell from the clouds. 

London Transport Griffin.

As we approached Finchley Road we grabbed the bags and alighted the train, quickly boarding a Stratford-bound Jubilee line train in its last carriage. Moments later we arrived at Swiss Cottage, where we alighted and began looking for the eighteen decorative tiles, designed by Harold Stabler, that adorn this and a few other stations. Although I had photographed many of them before, two had eluded me, so we walked the length of the platform, finally capturing the last tile. 

A train at the end of the tunnel and Harold Stabler's 'Berkshire' tile.

A few more photographs of the platform and a train, that I could see through the interconnecting tunnel, were taken before our train pulled in.

A few stops later and we arrived at Baker Street. We travelled up the escalators and clambered up the stairs, towards Platform 1, and headed straight for the Starbucks kiosk. 

With drinks purchased we headed towards platform 5, where we caught a Circle line train to King's Cross.

The Great Northern Hotel.

Once we had alighted we made our way out of the station, via the subway, and came out into King's Cross Square, where we were met with torrential rain. We stood beneath the canopy for a few minutes, finishing our drinks, while watching those dressed in summer clothes running for shelter, their clothes soaked.

Harold Stabler's Decorative Tiles on the London Underground

Hertfordshire.

Every station on the London Underground may appear to have a uniform style, internally, but, depending on when the station was built, it will have its own aesthetic. Exteriors, again, depend on the architect, the year it was opened and its location.

Baker Street, for instance, has tiles carrying the profile of Sherlock Holmes.

However, unique to five underground stations are relief tiles that are randomly placed, not all at eye level, depicting coats of arms, animals, buildings and even a portrait. The tiles are the same colour as the surrounding tiles, so as not to break up the uniformity of the style, but, once you spot them you can't stop looking for them.

Thomas Lord (1755-1832), English cricketer.

There are eighteen distinct tiles, spread across five underground stations. Although some have been repaired or replaced, the originals are easy to spot as they are usually marked with Stabler's signature 'S', somewhere on the tile.

Marlborough Road (former) Underground Station

Marlborough Road (former) Underground station building.

If you travel on the Metropolitan line, between Finchley Road and Baker Street, you will pass through three closed stations. Although difficult to see and with much of the infrastructure now removed, they are Lord's, Swiss Cottage and Marlborough Road. The latter is the easiest to see and is used to evacuate the Metropolitan line, should the need arise.

Marlborough Road is in an open section of the line, which was built using the cut-and-cover method, with the station building still surviving.

Marlborough Road Southbound platform (taken from a Metropolitan line train).

Located at the junction of Finchley Road and Queen's Grove, Marlborough Road station opened on April 13, 1868 as part of the first northward extension, from Baker Street, of the Metropolitan Railway.

The Metropolitan began to suffer from passenger congestion, at its southern end, resulting in new deep-level tunnels being constructed between Baker Street's Bakerloo line tunnels and Finchley Road.

Walking with friends: Swiss Cottage to Portobello Road Market... and beyond

Friday February 28, 2025.

As my friend Steve and I both had the day off from work, Steve had been off all week, we decided that a trip to London was in order.

We began our trip at Watford Metropolitan line station, boarding a train to Baker Street. We changed at Finchley Road and took a Jubilee line train the one stop to Swiss Cottage, from where our walk would begin.

On leaving the station we found ourselves directly outside the Swiss Cottage public house, which had permanently closed at the beginning of the month. After taking a few photos we headed south, along Finchley Road, passing the former Marlborough Road underground station, before we reached St John's Wood station. 

From here we headed southwest, along Grove End Road, Hall Road, Sutherland Avenue and Warrington Crescent and the Warrington Hotel. Although the pub was closed we could see the splendid interior, through the windows, promising to visit on another occasion.

Warwick Avenue and its Cabmen's Shelter was next, before Clifton Villas and Bloomfield Road brought us to Little Venice, where we crossed over the Grand Junction Canal and continued along Westbourne Terrace Road, using Westbourne Bridge to traverse the railway lines coming out of Paddington station. 

Westbourne Terrace brought us to Bayswater Road, where we paused at Lancaster Gate, before continuing west, eventually stopping for a coffee at Cafe Diana.

Suitably refreshed we continued our stroll by heading north, along Pembridge Road, until we reached Portobello Road and joined the throng of tourists and shoppers heading to the market.

Steve had not visited the market before, and it had been a good few years since my last visit, so we checked out the shops, stalls, indoor markets trying to spot a deal. I bought some gifts for the girls, before we stopped at a food van for some well deserved lunch. 

We then continued up through the rest of the Portobello Road Market, until we turned westward, along Cambridge Gardens, walking almost below Westway.