All aboard the TfL treasure hunt
There are plenty of ways you could celebrate 160 years of the London Underground (have you seen those parties on TikTok where each person comes dressed as a different Tube station?). But for our money, you’ll want to join the TfL treasure hunt. This fun family-friendly activity is not to be missed: visit TfL’s website to find out more about how you can join.
Here’s how it works: on January 21 between noon and 4pm, the stations on the original route from Paddington (on the Hammersmith and City line) to Farringdon (all of which are still in use) will be staffed by TfL ambassadors. Head to these stations (visit in whichever order you choose) and you’ll be given handouts with questions about each station. Keep your eyes peeled: layers of history are hiding in plain sight, from Baker Street to King’s Cross. Once you’ve answered all the questions at the station, you’ll get a stamp. Collect stamps at each station and you’ll score a surprise gift. Cleverly, the ambassadors will tap you in and out as you go along, so you’re not overspending, how great is that?
We’ll help you get started with one answer for free: Although Farringdon station opened in 1863, it was rebuilt in 1923 to the designs of Metropolitan Railway architect Charles W. Clark. In 1923, the station had a different name, which can still be found at the station entrance. What was that name? Keep reading and we’ll tell you!
Want to go even deeper into London Underground history? We thought so. Discover secret parts of the Underground network on exclusive tours of disused Tube stations run by London Transport Museum (which, incidentally, is also a must-visit for anyone interested in the history of London’s iconic transport system). The Museum’s Hidden London tours are packed with secrets from its extensive archive. You could explore the moody nineteenth-century corridors of Moorgate station, or enter secret parts of one of the most iconic stations on the Underground, Piccadilly Circus, and see areas of the Grade II listed building up-close. January and February tours are on sale now via the Museum's website; those tickets zoom away faster than a Piccadilly line train.
Don’t think we forgot about that TfL treasure hunt question: the answer is Farringdon and High Holborn.
