Sloane Square tube station
Circle line and District line · Zone 1 · Kensington and Chelsea
About Sloane Square station
A river runs over the platforms. When the District Railway opened Sloane Square on 24 December 1868, as part of its first section between South Kensington and Westminster, the builders had to deal with the River Westbourne crossing the site. It was carried above the tracks in a large iron pipe suspended from girders, and that pipe is still in place. In the 1870s the station also saw “Outer Circle” and “Middle Circle” trains, run by other companies, over District tracks to Mansion House.
A modern-style rebuilding in the late 1930s brought escalators between the ticket hall and platforms in early 1940, the first on the sub-surface network. That building barely lasted: in November 1940 a German bomb killed 37 and injured 79 passengers on a train in the station, destroying the ticket hall, escalators and the glazed roof. By 1951 it had been rebuilt in a similar style, but the arched glass roof was never replaced, and the office building above the entrance came later. The Hole in the Wall pub on the eastbound platform existed from 1868 to 1985. On 26 December 1973 a terrorist bomb exploded in a telephone kiosk in the booking office, injuring no one.
First and last trains from Sloane Square
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circle towards Hammersmith (Circle and H&C lines), Aldgate or Edgware Road (Circle line) | 05:42 to Aldgate – 00:18 to Edgware Road (Circle line) | 05:42 to Aldgate – 00:18 to Edgware Road (Circle line) | 05:42 to Aldgate – 00:18 to Edgware Road (Circle line) | 07:20 to Aldgate – 23:53 |
| Circle towards Edgware Road (Circle line) | 05:46 – 00:26 | 05:46 – 00:26 | 05:46 – 00:26 | 07:19 – 00:05 |
| District towards Wimbledon, Ealing Broadway or Richmond | 05:55 to Richmond – 00:43 to Ealing Broadway | 05:55 to Richmond – 00:43 to Ealing Broadway | 05:55 – 00:43 to Ealing Broadway | 07:11 to Richmond – 00:07 |
| District towards Upminster, Tower Hill or Barking | 05:20 – 00:33 | 05:20 – 00:33 | 05:20 – 00:33 | 06:47 – 23:57 |
Times are TfL’s published timetable departures from this station; on Saturday the list follows TfL’s “Saturdays and public holidays” timetable.
At the busiest hour on a weekday there are up to 7 Circle trains an hour per direction and 23 District trains an hour per direction from Sloane Square, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Sloane Square
Running times between Sloane Square and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | South Kensington | 2 min |
| Circle | Victoria | 2 min |
| District | South Kensington | 2 min |
| District | Victoria | 2 min |
Connections
- Tube: change here between the Circle line and District line.
Station facilities
What is near Sloane Square station
The entrance is on the east side of Sloane Square, right beside the Royal Court Theatre (about 30 m), and the station is the nearest for King’s Road shopping. The Chelsea war monument is about 60 m away and Sloane Gardens West Garden 110 m. Peter Jones, the John Lewis store, Cadogan Hall and The White Company are all around 180 m off, and the Saatchi Gallery about 240 m. Smaller galleries such as Pontone Gallery (250 m) and Ransom Art (280 m) are nearby, as is the Pimlico Road Farmers’ Market at around 300 m.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Royal Court Theatre | 30 m |
| The White Company | 180 m |
| Peter Jones | 180 m |
| Cadogan Hall | 180 m |
| John Lewis | 180 m |
| Saatchi Gallery | 240 m |
| St Barnabas | 380 m |
| Chelsea war monument (memorial) | 60 m |
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The River Westbourne, which flows through Hyde Park as the Serpentine, crosses the station site. When the station was built in 1868 the river was carried over the platforms in a large iron pipe hung from girders, and the pipe remains in place today.
In November 1940 a German bomb fell on the station, killing 37 and injuring 79 passengers on a train. It destroyed the ticket hall, the escalators installed earlier that year and the glazed roof over the tracks. The station was rebuilt by 1951, without the arched glass roof.