| Summary : Notting Hill Gate underground station opened on 1st October 1868 as one of four intermediate stations on the Metropolitan Railway's extension from Praed Street Junction (west of Edgware Road) to Gloucester Road. The extension now forms a western segment of the Circle Line. Designed under the supervision of Sir John Fowler, the station comprises a brick retaining wall with blind arches, supporting an eliptically arched iron roof of nine bays, partially glazed and partially panelled with wood. The station is Listed as a relatively well preserved example of a underground railway platform of the 'cut and cover' type. On 30th July 1900 an intermediate station was provided at Notting Hill Gate for the Central London Railway's line between Shepherd's Bush and Bank. This station was designed by Harry Bell Measures from pinkish-brown unglazed terracotta. In 1928 the Metropolitan Railway's station was modernised by Charles Clark. This rebuilding has now been demolished. Reconstruction of Notting Hill Gate was considered in the late 1920s and again in 1936. Rebuilding started in 1937 but ceased in late 1937 due to the LCC's objections to the scheme. In 1957 the LCC commemced road widening which required the demolition of the existing separate station buildings erected by the former Metropolitan and Central London railways on opposite sides of the road. It was now possible to construct a subway and combined ticket hall beneath the road, thus saving interchange passengers the difficulty of negotiating the thoroughfare which had been an obstacle between the Central and District/Circle stations. AV Elliot and AD McGill carried out the project for London Transport. The majority of the new facilities came into use 1st March 1959, with the final pair of escalators commissioned on 31st July 1960. |