As Burnt Oak celebrates its centenary in 2024, it is bringing to light a legacy. Built as part of the Northern line, north of Golders Green, this station honours Stanley Heaps’ final Tube design. Heaps inherited Leslie Green’s legacy following his death in 1908 and played a key role in the design of the iconic Tube stations.
Stanley Heaps and Burnt Oak Station
Burnt Oak is one of four stations designed by Heaps for the Northern Line extension to Edgware. Although Heaps had previously imitated Green's style, he took a completely different approach to the Edgware extension. The station is notable for its designs, which appeal to middle-class housing in rural areas. Critics have noted that these stations are aesthetically simple and elegant, but lack the ostentation usually expected of tube stations.
Architectural Features and History of Burnt Oak
Burnt Oak station has an interior that reflects the early modernist style of the period. The spacious, chessboard-patterned floor and high ceilings illuminated by large windows allude to the modernist designs of Charles Holden. Holden soon succeeded Heaps as a key figure on the Northern line. The interior design of the station also bears the influence of the UK's largest automatic electrical substation, built in 1924.
Burnt Oak Centennial Events
Burnt Oak’s centenary is being marked with a series of events to celebrate the station’s architectural heritage, including a plaque unveiling on 22 March 2025. Local leaders and Councillors came together to mark the historic occasion. Burnt Oak’s design has been preserved to this day, with its original timber gates and 1924 footbridge.
Future Renewal Plans
Burnt Oak is also planning a modern revamp in the future. Plans to add step-free access have been put on hold, but could resume in the near future. The revamp aims to bring back the station’s original 1924 charm and make it more accessible to today’s passengers. Deep cleans and minor improvements will help the station maintain its modernist charm for the next century.
Burnt Oak's centenary will be commemorated not just with the history of a tube station, but also with the legacy of its designer, Stanley Heaps.
