Barons Court Underground Station

Barons Court Underground Station is an Edwardian Baroque-style station building constructed in the early 20th century. It serves the District Line and is situated above the tracks. The station comprises a single-storey entrance building facing west, which incorporates a ticket hall and three shop units.

The front (east) elevation has five bays plus a lower end bay to the north that originally contained a second entrance, now closed. Shops occupy bays 1, 2 and 4, each featuring elliptical keyed arches. Bays 3 and 5, along with the lower north bay, contain the entrance and exit respectively, and are characterised by semi-circular arches and timber panelled doors. Above the entrance is a frieze displaying the words ‘DISTRICT RAILWAY’, surmounted by a pilastered fascia bearing ‘BARONS COURT STATION’ and a broken pediment. An iron canopy with a cartouche, restored in the 1990s, is positioned above the entrance. Bronze information panels with swan-neck lamp brackets and globe lamps are located on either side of the entrance; the right-hand lamp was reinstated in the 1990s. A cartouche displaying the DR monogram and a bronze information panel with a lamp is found on the south-east corner.

The south elevation has three bays with two elliptical arches containing shop fronts, divided by a narrow blind round-arched bay. Above this bay is lettering reading ‘DISTRICT RY’, and a narrower fascia with a broken segmental pediment. A lower bay features an ‘EXIT’ sign, timber panelled doors, and a fanlight with an elaborate iron grille. A balustraded parapet runs along the top of both elevations, punctuated by piers topped with ball finials. The shop fronts are largely original, with central recessed lobbies and tripartite transom lights featuring art-nouveau stained glass. Original glass lanterns on iron brackets are located above the exits and at the south-east corner.

Inside, the ticket hall’s walls are clad in green tiles, with a frieze of darker green tiles featuring sunburst motifs. Original tiled, pedimented ticket office windows remain on the north wall, while those on the opposite wall were removed during enlargement in the 1930s. Later bronze illuminated box signs are positioned above the windows. Original brown and cream tiles are also present in the landing area. The stairs leading to the platforms are enclosed within glazed timber compartments, now with modern corrugated-iron roof cladding.

The platform canopies were rebuilt in 1931, with modern corrugated iron roof cladding. Notable features of the platforms include original back-to-back wooden benches displaying the station name, free-standing timber sign and poster boards, and enamelled metal signs likely dating from the 1920s.