Stepping Back in Time: My experience at the Hidden Baker Street Underground Tube Station Tour.

Beneath the busy streets of London lies a world forgotten by time, and my recent “Hidden London” tour of Baker Street Underground Station offered a rare glimpse into this subterranean history of over 160 years. Organised by the London Transport Museum, the tour provides exclusive access to corridors of the station that have been closed to the public for over 75 years.

The story of the London Underground begins not with electricity and sleek steel, but with the choking soot of steam engines and a desperate need to solve Victorian London’s gridlocked streets.

Note: This tour is very popular, so I had to book it for a weekday, which was last Wednesday, and it was already full.

I booked it through Get Your Guide. Ticket cost is £45 per person.

Hidden Baker Street Tube Station Tour

Baker Street: The World’s First Underground Station

A Legacy of Innovation and Steam

Our journey began outside the iconic station, where the expert guides transported us back to January 10, 1863. Baker Street was a pioneering hub, the starting point for the Metropolitan Railway—the world’s first underground line designed to transport passengers beneath the city’s congested streets.

Standing where the very first passengers once marvelled at the revolutionary idea of steam-powered travel underground, I felt a profound sense of history.

Earlier, the walls and ceilings were covered with soot from steam engines, which were later cleaned thoroughly, as we see in the interiors today.

The Birth of the Metropolitan Railway

In the mid-19th century, London was the largest city in the world until 1925, and thousands of horse-drawn buses and hackney carriages paralysed its narrow streets.

To solve this, Charles Pearson, a visionary city solicitor, championed the Metropolitan Railway. The Met revolutionised travel in London, cutting a 90-minute journey to 20 minutes, paving the way for Metro systems worldwide.

On January 10, 1863, the world’s first underground journey took place between Paddington and Farringdon, with Baker Street Underground Station serving as one of the original intermediate stops.

Steam, Soot, and Survival

For the first 40 years, the underground system was powered by steam locomotives. Imagine the atmosphere: the tunnels were thick with “London Fog”—a mix of coal smoke, steam, and sulfur.

• The Sensory Experience: Commuters described the smell as a mix of “wet coal, hot oil, and acidic gas.” The air was so heavy that passengers often emerged at their destination with soot-blackened faces.
• Engineering Solutions: To prevent passengers from suffocating, “blow-holes” or open-air sections were built into the tunnels to allow smoke to escape. However, the stations remained famously gloomy and aromatic.

The American Criminal and the Tube’s Expansion

The transition from the Metropolitan’s steam-driven “shallow” lines to the deep-level “Tube” we know today was spearheaded by a controversial figure: Charles Tyson Yerkes.

• A Shady Past: Yerkes was an American financier who had served time in a Pennsylvania prison for larceny before moving to London.
• The Underground Electric Railways Company: Despite his reputation, he successfully raised the capital to electrify the lines and dig the deep-level tunnels, effectively creating the modern “Tube” network through aggressive—and often cut-throat—business tactics.

Design and Aesthetics

Every detail of Baker Street Underground Station was calculated, from the architecture to the colour of tiles. The choice of tiles in the London Underground was never just about decoration; it was a blend of psychology, light physics, and branding. In the early days of steam and gaslight, the Underground was a dark, soot-filled place.

• Reflecting Light: Before electricity was reliable, stations used white glazed tiles (often called “Minton tiles”) because they were the most reflective material available. They bounced the dim light from gas lamps across the platform, making the “dungeon-like” atmosphere feel safer and more expansive.
• Tile Choice: The iconic white and blue tiles were chosen for more than just aesthetics; the white tiles helped reflect the limited light from gas lamps, making the subterranean platforms feel less claustrophobic, while the blue provided a regal, professional contrast.
• The “Oxblood” Exterior: You will recognise the iconic deep red (oxblood) terracotta tiles inside Baker Street and other stations. This was a branding masterstroke by Leslie Green, making the station entrances instantly recognisable from a distance amidst the grey London fog.
• Ruby and Signal Red: Inside the station, red was introduced as a “warning” or “action” colour. Red tiles were often used to frame maps, fire equipment, or the “Way Out” signs.

Vintage Branding

Look closely at the “old” parts of the station to find original hand-carved stone signs and enamelled advertisements from the early 1900s, promoting everything from “Invalid Stout” to theatre shows, preserved behind modern glass or hidden in disused corridors.

Exploring the Forgotten Corridors

As we delved deeper into the station, we moved beyond the modern platforms into spaces “hidden in plain sight.”

• Original Platforms and Lift Shafts: We explored old sections of the station, including original Victorian platforms, and a closed-off lift shaft that was once vital for moving passengers before the age of modern escalators.
• The Rifle Club: Deep in the station’s basement is a disused Rifle Range. During the early 20th century and through the World Wars, station staff had their own rifle club here to practice marksmanship as part of the home defence efforts.
• Operational Headquarters: Our guides shared stories of how Baker Street served as the operational nerve centre for the London Underground, detailing the lives of the staff who worked and even “played” within these walls.

Remembrance

On the public platform at Baker Street Station lies a space that many people don’t notice.

• The War Memorial: A sombre remembrance site within the station features plaques with the names of Metropolitan Railway employees who gave their lives in the Great War. It stands as a quiet tribute to the railway “family” that kept the city moving during its darkest hours.

The Mystery of the Baker Street “Pantry”

While the station name comes from William Baker (the builder of the street), the legend of the pantry is deeply rooted in the station’s role as the Metropolitan Railway’s headquarters.

• The TFL Metropolitan Underground line staff didn’t just work at the Baker Street Station; they dined there, too. Deep within the warren of rooms behind the platforms, a dedicated kitchen and pantry existed to serve the Metropolitan Railway boardrooms.
• The smell of freshly baked bread and pastries would occasionally drift through the vents, clashing strangely with the smell of sulfur and steam from the tracks—a small, hidden luxury for the men who ran the world’s first underground empire.

The Baker Street Headquarters and Hidden Apartments

The Baker Street Underground Station building evolved into a massive commercial and residential hub. Above the platforms rose Chiltern Court (now Chiltern House), a grand Edwardian apartment block built by the Metropolitan Railway.

• Elite vs Servants: While the lower floors housed wealthy tenants (including authors like H.G. Wells and Arnold Bennett), the very top floors were designed as cramped servant quarters tucked away under the eaves, reflecting the era’s strict social hierarchy.
• The Social Divide: While these luminaries enjoyed sprawling suites with high ceilings, the servants lived in a world apart. Tucked into the very top floor (the attic level), their rooms were small, poorly ventilated, and accessed by separate service stairs—a stark contrast to the opulence just a few floors below.

The Elite of Chiltern Court: A “Vertical Village”

When Chiltern Court opened in 1929 above Baker Street Station, it was the ultimate prestigious address. It wasn’t just a block of flats; it was a “Vertical Village” for the cultural and intellectual elite, managed by the Metropolitan Railway.

• H.G. Wells, the originator of science fiction, lived in Flat 126. It is said he enjoyed the location because he could watch the world pass by from his window while pondering the future.
• Arnold Bennett, the famous novelist and playwright, died in his apartment here. He was so fond of the building’s modern luxuries that he once remarked it was the only place in London where one could live with “civilised” convenience.
• Admiral Lord Beatty: The hero of the Battle of Jutland lived here, adding a layer of naval prestige to the building’s resident list.

Currently, the rent for an apartment in Chiltern Court is 4,000 GBP/month, in case you are interested.

Atmospheric and Expertly Guided

The atmosphere of the tour is a highlight in itself, with low lighting and uneven ground adding to the sense of discovery and enigma.

• Knowledgeable Guides: The London Transport Museum guides are exceptional, drawing on their extensive archives to offer first-hand accounts and historical facts that bring the museum’s cold stone walls to life.
• Immersive Storytelling: Hearing what those first Victorian passengers thought of their underground journey provided a vivid contrast to the modern network we take for granted today.

Fun fact, according to our guides: Bakerloo line was used as a joke for its combination of two words, Baker + Loo, and the credit goes to a few early journalists who wanted to spread a false impression about the Baker Underground Tube.

True fact: Bakerloo is a portmanteau of the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway. The Bakerloo line opened in 1906, connecting these two stations.

Points To Remember Before Booking the Hidden Baker Street Tube Station Guided Tour

• You must arrive 15 minutes before the meeting point, the Sherlock Holmes statue outside Baker Street Station.
• This is an 85-minute walking tour, so wear comfortable trainers and carry a water bottle.
• You must bring a photo ID for security purposes.
• This tour is not suitable for people with claustrophobia because it includes low-light, dusty underground areas.
• This tour is unsuitable for those who have mobility issues.
• There are no public toilets available on this tour. But you can use a toilet in Wetherspoons beside the Baker Street Station.
• This tour is also not suitable for kids under 10.

So, who is this tour for?

If you’re a history buff, a transport enthusiast, or simply someone who loves uncovering London’s “hidden gems,” this tour is an absolute must-do. It’s not often you get to stand in a place that hasn’t changed in three-quarters of a century, right under the feet of a modern metropolis.

View this post on Instagram

Disclaimer

Book: Baker Street The World’s First Underground

Read more: Top ten tips for your first London Trip

London guide