The station's alternative name derives from its proximity to the nearby famous Bull and Bush public house, a well-known landmark in the area.

The original royal assent for the construction of the CCE&HR was granted under the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway Act 1893 (56 & 57 Vict.

Financing difficulties meant that no work had begun by the beginning of the 20th century and the company was bought out in 1900 by a syndicate led by American financier Charles Yerkes.

Following the purchase, plans were revised to continue the route under the Heath to Golders Green where a depot could be constructed and where open farmland offered opportunities for property development.

[5][6] During the Cold War a shaft with stairs, but no elevator, was dug down to the lower passageways and the abandoned station became part of the London Underground's civil defence preparations.