Belsize Park Underground Station including forecourt walls, gatepiers, gates and railings

MATERIALS: steel frame clad in brick, faced in ox-blood red faience produced by the Leeds Fireclay Co Ltd.

DESCRIPTION: 2 storeys high. Symmetrical elevation of 5 main pilastered bays arranged 1-3-1 with alternating half-bays, the 3 central bays forming a triple arcade. The entrance and exits are in their original positions in the penultimate bay to the north, and the southermost bay, respectively. The northernmost bay is an open passageway; the central and adjacent bays have timber windows: that to the left is original with moulded decoration to the transom corners; the other modern. Entrance and exit portals have vitreous enamel panelled surrounds dating from the 1980s (not of special interest). The northern half-bay has an original doorway (intended to serve a future building over the station) with a timber pedimented doorcase and fanlight; that to the south has a small window with similar mouldings to that of the central bay. The upper storey has timber Diocletian windows in keyed semi-circular arches with egg-and-dart decoration, cartouches between the springers of the central arcade, and a modillion cornice, and a deeply-hooded oeil-de-boeuf window to each half-bay. Frieze lettering has been removed.

INTERIOR: ticket hall has been entirely modernised with replicated tiling to 1906 pattern. The straight flight of stairs down to the spiral staircase retains original cream and green tiling with a pomegranate frieze, and wooden handrail. Original tiling in dark red and cream also survives in the spiral staircase. Lift portals have curved moulded architraves. Tiling to lower passageways and platforms was renewed in 2008 to match the original, apart from soffit banding. Southbound platform has brass clock with an ornate bracket.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: uniquely among Green's stations, Belsize Park has a forecourt, enclosed by a set of square gatepiers in Portland stone and cast-iron railings and gates on a low stone wall. Exit gatepiers have 1920s bronzed poster frames with swan-neck lamp brackets.