Old Station And Former Station Hotel

OLD STATION AND FORMER STATION HOTEL

A railway station and hotel complex on the north-west side of Toft Green, York, now used as offices. The station was built in 1840-41 with alterations and extensions in 1845 and the 1850s; the hotel was added in 1852-53. The train shed was largely demolished in 1965-66. The architect was G T Andrews of the York and North Midland Railway Company; the engineer was T Cabray of the Great North of England Railway Company; and the ironfounder was Edwin Thompson of the Phoenix Foundry, Walmgate, York.

The complex consisted of a double train shed terminal station flanked by departure and arrival buildings, with the hotel built across the railhead. The train shed itself was of cast-iron and glass.

The departure building to the south-east is constructed of sandstone ashlar and gault brick in Flemish bond, with ashlar colonnades, dressings and moulded cornices, and hipped roofs of Welsh slate with brick stacks, either truncated or demolished. The rear is of gault brick in Flemish bond, now painted, with gauged brick arches. The front comprises a 3-storey 5-bay centre block flanked by lower 3-storey 6-bay blocks with projecting end bays; to the left is a 2-storey 3-bay block and to the right a 3-storey 5-bay block, with the hotel return wall set back at the right end. The rusticated ground floor of the centre block has recessed 20-pane sash windows with radial-glazed heads beneath round arches of radiating voussoirs with moulded imposts. The first floor has round-headed sashes recessed beneath arcaded hoodmoulds on a moulded impost band; the second floor windows are segment-headed in eared and shouldered architraves. Both floors have moulded sill bands, and the first floor has a prominent cornice on brackets. Giant pilasters at the outer angles and flanking the central window rise through a moulded first floor cornice to the eaves cornice. The ground floors of the flanking blocks have 5-bay Tuscan colonnades with entablatures and rusticated end bays, with 12-pane sash windows behind the colonnades. The end bays have round-headed openings recessed beneath arches of radiating voussoirs with moulded imposts; in the left block, a radial-glazed window was altered to a door. The first floor windows are 12-pane sashes; those on the second floor are unequal 9-pane sashes. All windows are in architraves over moulded sill bands on ground and first floors, with a moulded band at second floor level and a moulded eaves cornice. The end blocks have round-headed ground floor sashes, originally radial-glazed, recessed beneath round arches of radiating voussoirs with moulded imposts. Windows on the first floor are 12-pane sashes in architraves over a moulded sill band continued from the adjacent block, with a moulded eaves cornice formed by the second floor band continued from the adjacent block. The right block has a third floor with unequal 9-pane sashes over a moulded band continued from the adjacent block and a moulded cornice.

The arrival building to the north-west is of red brick in English bond with orange-red gauged brick dressings on an ashlar basement, with ashlar bands and a moulded cornice, and brick stacks to Welsh slate hipped roofs. The front has a basement and 2 storeys in 7 bays, with the hotel return wall to the left. The basement windows with grilles and screens are largely covered. A window towards the left end of the ground floor was altered to panelled double doors, retaining the upper sash and radial-glazed fanlight. Other windows are round-arched sashes, some with paired glazing bars and some with radial-glazed heads, over panelled aprons and beneath arches of gauged brick with a moulded impost band. On the first floor, windows are 4-pane sashes with ashlar sills on blocks and cambered arches. There is a raised first floor band.

The former hotel to the north-east is of gault brick in English garden-wall bond with an ashlar doorcase, quoins, bands and cornices, and brick stacks to Welsh slate roofs. The front comprises a basement and 3 storeys with a centre block with attic, consisting of a 9-window centre block flanked by 3-window wings, curved at the corners. The centre block has raised and chamfered angle quoins. All basement windows, now mostly blocked, are in a plinth stepped-up over window heads to form lintels. The centre block has a Doric doorcase in antis with recessed double doors of fielded panels and a fanlight in a keyed round-arched architrave, approached by steps. Windows throughout are 12-pane sashes on ground, first and second floors, beneath cambered arches of gauged brick on ground and first floors; the second floor windows are squat without arches. The centre block has 6-pane attic sashes beneath cambered arches, above a moulded frieze and prominent cornice on console brackets. Ground and second floor windows have moulded sill bands; first floor windows have a plain sill band. All parts have moulded eaves cornices, and all windows have very thin glazing bars. The left return is 3 storeys and 3 bays, with detailing largely repeating that of the main front, including a square bay with sashes and a radial-glazed window on the ground floor, one first floor window blind and one enlarged to 15 panes. The right return is 3 storeys and 7 bays, with main front detailing repeated, including a part glazed and panelled door with divided overlight, and one blind window on the first floor.

Of the train shed, low brick platforms on both sides survive virtually intact. The platform sides of the departure and arrival buildings also survive virtually unaltered. An area of train shed roof survives at the rear of the former hotel building, between the arrival and departure buildings.

The interiors were not inspected.