Paragon Station Station Hotel

Paragon Station and its adjoining Station Hotel were constructed in 1846 and 1849, designed by G.T. Andrews for the North Eastern Railway Company. Further extensions to the station’s cafe and hotel were undertaken between 1903 and 1905, by William Bell, and the hotel was subsequently extended around 1936, requiring restoration following a serious fire in 1990-92. The station itself has a rectangular footprint of approximately 100m by 180m.

The original station buildings run east-west on the south side, parallel to the tracks, with the platforms and train shed situated on the north side. The hotel and booking offices occupy the east end, oriented north-south. The initial structures are constructed from ashlar with slate roofs, exhibiting an Italianate style characterised by plinths and modillion cornices to the main roofline. Windows are generally plain sashes with moulded surrounds. The booking office and train shed incorporate both ashlar and yellow brick.

The symmetrical south front is distinguished by a central block and flanking pavilions, all topped with hipped roofs. The central block, two storeys in height with five windows, features an infilled porte-cochere supported by paired columns. Upper-floor windows are accented with alternating pediments, separated by paired pilasters. Single-storey links, spanning ten and nine bays respectively, have off-centre doorways; the right-hand link features a portico. The left pavilion is two storeys with three windows, while the right pavilion, raised in the early 20th century, is three storeys with five windows, incorporating a central doorway. To the right of this pavilion is a connecting link to the hotel, defined by two round arches.

The Station Hotel, a three-storey structure with attics, presents a recessed central section accentuated by a first-floor balcony and five round-arched windows divided by columns. It’s complemented by short wings with two windows each, followed by similar mid-20th-century wings of rendered brick, set back from the main facade. The roof is of a Mansard style with attic windows. The left return elevation mirrors this design, partially obscured by later additions.

The train shed showcases five segment-arched glazed canopies over the platforms, and two running crosswise over the station concourse. The structure relies on wrought-iron ribs and lattice girders supported by cast-iron columns. The north side displays a round-arched arcade composed of 25 bays, incorporating glazing and entrances.

The interior of the booking hall exhibits elaborate glazed brick and faience decoration, along with arcaded round-arched windows and a coved, matchboarded roof incorporating skylights. A central wooden ticket office maintains this architectural style. The concourse features a round-arched arcade on the east side, spanning twenty bays with windows and entrances. Within the concourse stands a freestanding, single-storey cafe, featuring a 3x5 window arrangement and a wavy coped parapet with Art Nouveau detailing. A range of two-storey wooden offices with glazing bar windows is located on the north side.

Paragon Station is recognized as the sole terminus station constructed by the North Eastern Railway and boasts historical significance, having been visited by Queen Victoria in 1854.