Clapham South tube station is a station on London Underground's Northern line between Clapham Common and Balham stations. The station is located at the corner of Balham Hill (A24) and Nightingale Lane. The station is in both Travelcard Zone 2 and Travelcard Zone 3.
The station was designed by Charles Holden and was opened on 13 September 1926 as the first station of the Morden extension of the City & South London Railway, which is now part of the Northern line. Other proposed names for the station prior to opening were "Balham North" and "Nightingale Lane".
The apartments above the station, named Westbury Court, were a later addition to the architecture, built in the mid-1930s. The parade of shops along Balham Hill was extended as part of the same development using the same style as the original three closest to the station.
Clapham South tube station is at the southern edge of Clapham Common. It is one of eight London Underground stations with a deep-level air-raid shelter underneath it. In 1948, the deep shelter was used as temporary accommodation for immigrants from the West Indies. The MV Empire Windrush arrived in Tilbury in 1948 carrying 492 immigrants. London had a severe labour shortage after the war and the Colonial Office had sought to recruit a labour force from Jamaica. An advertisement had appeared in Jamaica's Daily Gleaner on 13 April 1948 offering transport to the UK. The Windrush was quickly filled. As there was no accommodation for the new arrivals, the Colonial Office housed them in the deep-level shelter at Clapham South.
London Buses routes 50; 155; 249; 355; G1 and school routes 689 and 690 and night route N155 serve the station.
Clapham South Station (including above ground II station building and sub-surface 2. platforms and passages) LRT station. 1926 by Charles Holden. Portland stone astylar corner building with canted front. 3 station entrances at street level with moulded overall lintel and canopy. Projecting roundel signs removed. Ticket hall partly top-lit, with original wall tiling and trabeated ceiling. Modern escalators. Sub-surface platforms and passages retain their original tiled decoration, and many of the original signs. The block of flats built on top of the station building is not of special interest. One of several stations designed by Holden for the Northern Line extension.