Former Police Station and attached railings

A former police station and attached railings, designed by Charles William Davies Joynson and erected between 1899 and 1902.

MATERIALS: the building is constructed of red brick with buff terracotta dressings and a slate roof.

PLAN: the building is roughly U-shaped, with a rear courtyard to the east, partially infilled with C20 extensions.

EXTERIOR: the building is set over two storeys plus a basement, with its principal elevation facing Crescent Road. To the front of the building is a sunken trench allowing light to basement windows. The central section of the building is flanked by two pedimented wings which feature terracotta quoins and oculi with moulded terracotta surrounds to the gable ends. There is a substantial entrance in the right wing, in the style of Norman Shaw’s New Scotland Yard, with blocked half-columns and a segmental pediment featuring the words ‘POLICE STATION’ in moulded lettering. The ground floor windows and entrance to the left wing have shallow semi-circular heads with hood moulds and keystones, all in terracotta. The steps to the entrances form a bridge to the trench. First floor windows each have nine-light upper sashes. The roof features ornamental red terracotta ridge tiles and four brick and terracotta chimneys. There are two ranges with hipped roofs projecting from the rear of the building. The space between these wings has been partially infilled with a later, flat-roofed extension featuring central roof lights.

INTERIOR: it is understood that the original staircases with turned newel posts and pinnacles remain, together with tiling, fireplaces, internal doors, skirtings, architraves and other architectural details. The main double doors are understood to be part glazed with stained glass in leaded lights.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the frontage features wrought iron railings and modern hand rails to the principal entrance.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 21 April 2022 to update the address