Charles Holden brown plaque

This brown commemorative plaque records: Uxbridge Station Listed as a building of National Significance Architect: Leonard H. Bucknell and Charles Holden, 1938 The Metropolitan Railway first opened a station at Uxbridge on 4th July 1904 on Belmont Road, a short distance to the north of the existing station. On 1 March 1910 an extension of the District line from South Harrow to connect wth the Metropolitan Railway at Rayners Lane was opened, enabling District line trains to serve station between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge. The original Belmont Road station had two platforms and after the introduction of shared operation each line had one platform each. District line services to Uxbridge were replaced by Piccadilly line trains in October 1933. On 4 December 1938 a new station was opened on a new alignment. The station designed by Bucknell and Holden features a red brick curved facade with paired sculptures over the entrance representing stylised wheels with leaf springs. The forecourt of the new station was originally laid out to provide a turning circle for trolleybuses, which prefaced trams in 1936. A tall concrete canopy, similar to the one at Cockfosters, arches over the tracks with a a row of clerestory windows above the platforms. The stained glass panels at the booking hall end of the platforms were produced by the artist Ervin Bossanyi, and depict the crown and three seaxes. On a red background are the arms of the county of Middlesex. The chained swan on a black and red background is associated with Buckinghamshire. The centre shield is possibly the arms of the local Bassett family (a downward pointing red triangle on a gold background was borrowed from the Bassett arms for use on the arms of Uxbridge Urban District Council in 1948). The station was Grade II listed on 12 January 1983. Recorded plaque organisation: Transport for London.

Dr Charles Holden was a prominent British architect known for his modernist designs, particularly in transport architecture; he is historically important for his significant contributions to London's Underground stations, including the notable Uxbridge Station redesign in collaboration with Leonard H. Bucknell in 1938.