English: Hounslow West Underground Station, 6 April 2023. The original station was opened in 1884 as Hounslow Barracks by the Hounslow & Metropolitan Railway but worked by the Metropolitan District Railway from the beginning and subsequently was absorbed by it in 1903. The line was a branch from the H&MR/MDR’s extension from Mill Hill Park (now Acton Town) to Hounslow Town but eventually became the main terminus of the branch, Hounslow Town closing in 1909. Hounslow Barracks was renamed Hounslow West in 1925. In July 1931 a new replacement station of the same name opened immediately adjoining the old one, which was demolished. This station was built by the Underground Electric Railways of London in preparation for the extension of Piccadilly Railway services which began running in January 1933. District Line services ceased serving Hounslow West in October 1964.

In 1971-75 an extension of the Piccadilly Line to Hatton Cross (and onto Heathrow Airport by 1977) was constructed and as the terminal platforms of Hounslow West were on the wrong alignment and of the configuration for the extension to continue there, a new cut & cover line and underground platforms were built just to the north, but linked to the ticket hall by a long, glazed, steel, surface walkway over a new car park on the site of the former terminal platforms - a very unusual arrangement. It is a Grade II listed building.

Frank Pick, the Managing Director of the UERL, gave the responsibility of designing the new stations on the Acton Town – Hounslow line to his favoured architectural consultant, Charles Holden, rather than the UERL’s own Chief Architect, Stanley Heaps. Despite this awkward situation, the two architects, to their credit, worked well together. Hounslow West, although primarily of Holden design, seems to have involved a close collaboration with Heaps.

Although Hounslow West was the last station on the Acton Town - Hounslow line, it was the first to have been rebuilt and whilst the others reflect Holden’s change of direction architecturally after he and Pick visited Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Germany in 1930 to see the latest architectural developments, Hounslow West is of his earlier Art Deco style (presumably because the design was fixed before the visit) as reflected in the Morden extension of the Northern Line. Indeed, it is very similar to Morden station. Instead of being a brick-clad drum or cube design, Hounslow West is clad in Portland Stone and is of unusual heptagonal shape.

Pictured is the Portland Stone faced frontage. Note the original brass-bordered advertisement display panels.