Stables and Carriageway Entrance Building at the Former LGOC Pitfield Street Depot

The stables and carriageway entrance building at the former London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) Pitfield Street Depot were constructed in 1895. The adjacent east range, originally a covered yard for the LGOC, is not included in this listing.

The building is constructed primarily from buff stock brick with a tiled roof, although some sections feature modern cladding and glazing. Its rectangular footprint sits between terraces of houses on Buttesland Street and Haberdasher Street, with access provided via a carriageway arch at 66A Buttesland Street.

The west gable, which is visible, demonstrates the stable’s form; the double-pitch roof reflects the aisles beneath the lower pitch, and a first-floor stable is situated under the upper pitch, lit by a ridge lantern running along its length. The east gable, originally overlooking the covered yard and visible from Pitfield Street, features four blind windows with projecting sills.

The carriageway entrance at 66A Buttesland Street is a wide, three-centred arch constructed using gauged brick, with sides lined in blue engineering brick and curb stones at the base to protect against impacts. Timber plank double doors with iron straps enclose the forecourt. Above the archway are three floors of accommodation; the first and second floors have two windows each with segmental arched heads, and the third floor has a circular oeil de boeuf window in the shallow gable.

Inside, the stable has aisles running along the north and south sides. These incorporate kingpost roof trusses with a glazed outer pitch. The ground floor between the aisles is divided into four large bays by load-bearing brick walls and cast-iron columns with timber beams, supporting a ‘fireproof’ floor above paved with ‘Patent Paving and Construction Co’ surface paviors. A shallow staircase is located at the east end, with later concrete treads covering an original ceramic-pavior horse ramp, leading to a fire-proofed stable door with iron strap hinges and fixings. The first floor is open to the roof, featuring queen post trusses and a glazed ridge lantern. The walls are bare brickwork with a plastered band along both long sides. Further east are taking-in doors, while at the west end, a substantial timber stall partition is set on a low brick wall, featuring a cast iron newel bearing the LGOC motif. A sloped ramp leads into a small room containing a heavy timber roof structure with a clerestory light. The interior of 66A Buttesland Street was not inspected.