For 10 years now the London Transport Museum has been hosting tours into some of our city’s most impressive abandoned underground structures via its Hidden London programme. Among the most notably tours are its End of the Line trips to Aldwych tube station, which was finally shuttered in 1994 after 30 years of reduced service.
Although the current tours recently allowed anyone aged 10-plus to attend (with appropriate supervision), it’s certainly true that they’re on the adult-orientated side, which stands in contrast with the museum itself, which is a primary school classic that offers free admission for youngsters and has an absolutely banging soft play.
It’s not a circle that has to be squared and London’s forgotten underground spaces are still definitely not really the place to send toddlers. But this summer the LTM is offering something a little different via tours of Aldwych specifically aimed at 10 to 14-year-olds.
Basically it’s the same deal as the ‘adult’ tour: you can explore the original platforms, lifts and ticket hall of the disused and otherwise inaccessible Aldwych station. But the tour has been tweaked to make it more engaging and a bit more exciting, with the addition of riddles, challenges and other hands-on elements.
It lasts 75 minutes and kids under 16 still need to be accompanied by an adult. ID is required for legal reasons, meaning no sneaking in the nine-year-old sibling.
Still, for big tweens and little teens it looks like the perfect summer day trip – a look at a mysterious new part of London, not to mention the ultimate escape from the summer heat.
Aldwych: The End of Line’s new family editions run Jul 16-Aug 30 at the London Transport Museum. Visit the LTM website here for dates and booking.
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