Kingsway (London) facts for kids

Map showing the planned route of Kingsway, around 1900

Kingsway is a major road in central London, England. It is part of a main route called the A4200. Kingsway starts at High Holborn in the north. It ends at Aldwych in the south, near Bush House. This important road was built in the early 1900s. Kingsway and Aldwych together form a key north-south path. They connect older east-west roads like High Holborn and Strand.

Building Kingsway: A New Road

A map from the 1910s showing Kingsway just after it was built. You can also see the entrance to the tramway tunnel at the north end.

Kingsway was built as part of a big project. This project aimed to improve the area in the early 1900s. The new road cleared away many small, winding streets. These streets were in a part of London called Holborn. Many old houses were also removed.

However, one church called Holy Trinity Church was saved. It used to be on Little Queen Street. But another important church was taken down. This was the Sardinian Embassy Chapel. It was a Roman Catholic church linked to the Kingdom of Sardinia. It had to be removed to make way for the new street.

The plans for Kingsway were shared in 1898. The road officially opened in 1905. Kingsway is one of the widest streets in central London. It is about 100 feet (30 meters) wide.

Tunnels Under Kingsway

Kingsway was special because it had a tunnel underneath it. This tunnel was for trams. Trams are like buses that run on tracks. The tram tunnel started just north of Southampton Row. It went under Aldwych and continued to the Thames Embankment. This tunnel connected the tram systems from North and South London.

In 1958, the old tram tunnel was used again. The southern end was opened to create a new connection. This new tunnel is called the Strand Underpass. It helps light traffic move between Waterloo Bridge and Kingsway. This helps to reduce traffic jams.

There was also a branch of the Piccadilly tube line under Kingsway. This underground train line went from Holborn to Aldwych. It is now closed and no trains run on it. But the platform at Holborn is still used. It is often used for TV shows and movies. They film scenes that need to look like an underground station.

During World War II, this tube line branch was very useful. It was used to store valuable art treasures. These treasures came from the British Museum. This included famous sculptures like the Elgin Marbles.

Images for kids

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  Kingsway looking south

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  Kingsway and Holborn

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  The entrance to the Kingsway tram tunnel in Southampton Row

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  Part of the old tram subway is now a tunnel for cars.