Arsenal is one of the quieter stations on the northern part of the Piccadilly Line, but has one of the most interesting histories.
It was originally names 'Gillespie Road' and was opened in 1906 when the Piccadilly line (then the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway) was extended northwards. In 1913, Arsenal Football Club started playing at some nearby playing fields, and the station was renamed Arsenal (Highbury Hill) in 1932. The 'Highbury Hill' suffix was dropped in the 1960s.
The station was originally built with a façade in red glazed tiles (similar to the ones that still survive at Earl's Court), which was also replaced in the 1930s when the present modernist design was adopted.
The platform areas were renovated in 2007, and the original tiling restored, revealing the original name of 'Gillespie Road' - somewhat confusing for visitors! Unusually, the platforms are accessed by a combination of steps and long sloping tunnels rather than lifts or escalators; the single tunnel splits half way along, although both halves go to the platforms.
One of the tunnels has a 'cage wall' along its length, allowing segregated two-way flows at the beginning and end of matches. Although the new Emirates stadium is further away than the old Arsenal stadium - now a housing development - fans still use the station on match days. read more