[7] It opened on 18 December 1890 as part of the City and South London Railway and is named after The Oval cricket ground, which it serves.

[10] To avoid disturbance of surface buildings the construction of the tube was shield-driven at deep level,[11] and much of the work was done via shafts at station sites which later contained the passenger lifts.

The structure was made distinctive by a lead-covered dome with cupola lantern and weathervane which housed some of the lift equipment; the main part of the building was of red brick.

In 2004 station staff started to use a whiteboard to display a handwritten "thought of the day" from the Tao Te Ching for the benefit of passengers.

[17][18] The station was mocked up by the television series Survivors: The Lights of London parts 1 & 2, broadcast on BBC One on 14 and 21 April 1976.