Thousands of Northern line passengers travel through the remains of an unfinished Tube station – but in almost 120 years, not a single passenger has ever been able to get off there.
North End, often called Bull & Bush, sits on the Northern line between Hampstead and Golders Green but was never opened for use.
Unlike many of London's other "ghost stations", North End never actually fell out of use as a result of opening.
In fact, it never opened at all.
The station was partially constructed in the early 20th century, with underground tunnels and part of the platform area created before the project was abandoned.
Historic England describes it as a "partially built underground railway station" that was due to open in 1907.
Why Was North End Tube Station Built?
North End was planned as part of the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway, one of the railways that eventually became part of today's Northern line.
The proposed station was located around Hampstead Way, near the northern edge of Hampstead Heath.
Plans at the time anticipated new residential development in the surrounding area, which would have provided potential passengers for the new station.
Parliamentary approval for the extension of the railway was granted in 1903, with an intermediate station planned at North End.
Construction work began and underground sections of the proposed station were excavated.
However, plans for the surrounding area then changed dramatically.
Why Did North End Station Never Open?
Land near the proposed station that had been expected to be developed for housing was instead acquired to extend Hampstead Heath.
The move meant the large residential development that could have provided passengers for North End would no longer be built.
With fewer potential passengers, the railway company no longer considered completing the station worthwhile.
Work was abandoned in 1906, before lift and stair shafts were dug and before a passenger station building was constructed at street level.
However, some underground construction had already taken place.
Historic England records that part of the southbound platform was built along with some underground tunnels.
The London Transport Museum's collection also includes North End among the abandoned stations on the Northern line.
Trains Have Passed Through It Since 1907
The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway opened its service through the area on June 22, 1907.
But North End was missing from the list of stations passengers could use.
Instead, trains simply travelled through the unfinished site on their way between Hampstead and Golders Green – something services continue to do today.
This makes North End unusual among London's abandoned Underground stations.
Places such as Aldwych and other former Tube stations once welcomed passengers before eventually closing.
North End never welcomed passengers at all.
Why Is It Called Bull & Bush?
Although officially planned as North End, the abandoned station became known among Underground staff as "Bull and Bush".
The nickname came from the nearby Bull and Bush pub, according to Historic England.
Had it been completed, North End would also have been exceptionally deep.
The proposed station was around 221ft below ground because of its position beneath high ground around Hampstead, meaning it would have been deeper than Hampstead station.
Hampstead instead holds the distinction of being the deepest station currently used by passengers on the Underground.
What Happened to the Abandoned Station?
Despite never opening to passengers, the underground space was not completely forgotten.
During the Second World War, parts of the site were reportedly used for storing secret archives.
The site was adapted again during the Cold War, when a shaft and staircase were constructed as the Underground prepared civil-defence facilities.
Historic England records that a floodgate control room was also installed there during the 1950s.
More than 120 years after work first began, North End therefore remains hidden beneath north London.
Thousands of passengers travel along the Northern line between Hampstead and Golders Green – passing the remains of a Tube station where Londoners were never able to get on or off a train.
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