Wings of the Dove [1997 feature film]

In this adaptation of Henry James's novel set in 1910, Kate (Helena Bonham-Carter) boards a crowded train at "Dover Street" Piccadilly line station, today's "Green Park." Journalist Merton (Linus Roache) offers her his seat while they pass one station, before detraining at "Knightsbridge." Merton then then follows Kate into the lift, where their Edwardian passions are aroused!

For the film, a section of platform tunnel, cross-passageways, and lifts were constructed in the style of a Piccadilly Line station of the period, complete with a motor-car and one trailer of the French-built gate-stock type in use at the time. The names "Dover Street" and "Knightsbridge" are visible on the tiled platform tunnel wall, although the former - while out of focus - can also be seen at the intermediate stop. It should be pointed out that the tiled pattern visible on the platform tunnel walls - which varied uniquely for each station - actually resembles that at "Kings Cross," but this is a minor complaint considering the superb effort made by the production team in creating what must be the most authentic dramatic recreation of a period Tube station.

One minor error is that while the train leaves "Dover Street," and stops only once before reaching "Knightsbridge," there were in fact two open stations between them in 1910. The first section of the Piccadilly line to open on 15/12/06 ran from "Finsbury Park" in the north-east to "Brompton Road" in the south-west, one stop on from "Knightsbridge." "Brompton Road" was closed in the 1930s due to low usage and to aid the speeding up of service, and the same applied to "Down Street," which lay between "Dover Street" and "Hyde Park Corner," meaning that the train seen in the film should actually have stopped twice.

The London Underground in Films & TV

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03/05/05 First upload

22/10/17 Hosting transfer & amendments