Tickets are now on sale for London Transport Museum’s new Hidden London tours. These tours offer an exclusive opportunity to explore behind-the-scenes locations integral to the history of the London Underground. Available to the end of March 2025, Hidden London guided tours are the only ones in the city that grant guests access to these locations, usually off-limits to the public.
The enhanced Hidden London tour of Clapham South is a highlight of the new tour offerings. Launching on 16 October 2024, the tour explores one of the eight deep-level shelters built in London during World War II. Originally opened in 1944, Clapham South was designed to protect over 8,000 individuals and featured essential wartime facilities such as canteens, medical stations, and sleeping quarters, all beneath London’s streets.
The new tour will be guided by two experts, including a reenactor portraying a 1940s warden. Visitors will experience a firsthand account of life within the shelter during the war, gaining insight into the experiences of wartime Londoners. The tour includes meticulously recreated areas, such as the warden’s booth and canteen, based on historical photographs and extensive archival research.
Visitors will also be able to handle authentic wartime artefacts sourced by historical experts, discover what an Anderson shelter looked like, handle genuine Second World War torches, and experience sitting on the bunk beds turned benches that families would spend their evenings on during air raids. This tour will be the most immersive Hidden London experience to date.
Chris Nix, Director of Content at London Transport Museum said, “It’s incredibly powerful to present such a unique history in such an authentic setting. Our decade-long research has ensured that we honour those who lived and worked here, delivering their story with the utmost respect and accuracy. We’re looking forward to delivering Clapham South’s story in a new and engaging way to the public.”
In addition to the revamped Clapham South tour, Hidden London will introduce signed British Sign Language (BSL) tours to four of its sites. These tours will feature a BSL interpreter in addition to Hidden London’s expert guides and be open to BSL users, their friends, and their families only.
Click here to discover more about the Hidden Tours.
