Gates, Gatepiers and Boundary/Retaining Walls to Railway Station Forecourt, Including Commercial Premises

Gates, gatepiers, and boundary/retaining walls to the railway station forecourt, including commercial premises, were built between 1873 and 1877 by W. Peachey and Cudworth for the North Eastern Railway Company. The structure is made of dressed Blaxter stone and features iron gates. The macadam-surfaced forecourt serves as the roof for No. 8 Exchange Place. The Zetland Road side of the commercial premises has an 18-bay pointed arcade with irregular-sized openings and a chamfered one-bay at the right end. There are altered doors and windows, a continuous hoodmould, moulded imposts, and a plate-tracery parapet. The frontage slopes down to the left, leading to a gabled segment-arched pedestrian entrance. Further left, there are three sets of ornate wrought iron two-leaf gates on squat chamfered piers with granite plinths, providing access to a ramped vehicle approach to the station forecourt. The right return, which has four plus one bays, fronts Exchange Place and includes a right gabled pointed-arched entrance leading to a staircase up to the forecourt.