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Location Profile: RUSSELL SQUARE |
Russell Square, one stop up from Holborn on the Piccadilly Line, is one of the more famous of the many little squares that break up the otherwise mass sprawl of buildings throughout central London. The square itself is an idyllic and well maintained retreat
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Russell Square Underground Station itself, is a
lovely example of the classic red terracotta tiled station buildings that can be found at
various points on the Central London sections of the Piccadilly Line. It is also one of the few stations still retaining lifts for platform access, most stations having been rebuilt with escalators many years ago. Russell Square Station's appearance in 'Holborn' is not its first appearance in a work of fiction by any stretch of the imagination. |
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In 1972, it was the setting for the horror film 'Death Line' (also known
as 'Raw Meat') which had the bizarre story of a railway construction worker who was
trapped in a cave in and subsequently became a cannibal who inhabited the abandoned
'Museum' station (presumably loosely based on the real British Museum Station). The only words he knew where those he could hear from the nearby Russell Square station 'Mind The Doors!!' which he uttered repeatedly. He would creep out onto the platform at night just after the last train had departed and grab the last passenger on the platform and drag he/she off for lunch. Hilarious if slightly gory nonsense! |
| As a side note, most of the interior shots of Russell Square in 'Death Line' where in fact filmed at Aldwych but the 'Cannibal' story still does the rounds to this day!. Click here for 'Death Line' on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) | |
The most famous destination for travellers to Russell Square is the British Museum which also features notably in 'Holborn'.
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The impressive British Museum building itself is an impressive
classical columned structure roughly in the centre of a triangle formed by Holborn,
Tottenham Court Road and Russell Square. Famous for its huge collection of historic artefacts, in particular its Egyptian and Ancient Greek relics, it is a popular tourist destination. For more information about the British Museum, visit: |