Tube station Sloane Square has a secret river through it

The historical city offers endless information and facts, from how it got its name, why there are green huts dotted around and even why London buses are red.

But away from the facts, there are also secrets hidden within the streets of London, including a secret river.

Travellers are just discovering that one London Underground station is actually home to a surprising river.

The London Underground station with a secret river

The River Westbourne runs straight through London, from Hampstead it follows Kilburn, Bayswater and Paddington.

It even goes beneath the east area of Hyde Park's Serpentine Lake and towards central Chelsea.

But, the River Westbourne also takes a surprising turn towards London Underground station Sloane Square.

The River Westbourne over Sloane Square station. (Image: Matt Brown/Flickr)

Back in 1868, engineers were busy connecting the lines of the Tube when they hit a problem at Sloane Square.

The engineers were challenged with building the station over a river and as a result, they ended up directing the River Westbourne straight through Sloane Square.

That means, that when you're standing on a platform at Sloane Square, you have the river passing over you.

RECOMMENDED READING

• This is what the unsuspecting green huts in London are used for 
• Do you know how London got its name? The interesting reason why it was picked 
• Do you know why London buses are red? This is the simple reason 

How was Sloane Square station built?

London Underground engineers were able to build the station and keep the River Westbourne flowing by using very large iron pipes.

The pipes were suspended from girders so they would blend with the station's design.

Despite being hit with deadly bombs in World War II, the iron pipes that carried the river survived unscathed.

Nowadays, the River Westbourne continues to flow completely silently through the station and remains unknown to many travellers.