West Brompton Station Including Booking Hall And Train Shed And Staircases And Retaining Wall

West Brompton Station, built in 1869 as an extension of the Metropolitan Railway and with District Line services commencing in 1870, was designed by Sir John Fowler in a Classical style. The station is notable as one of the first underground stations globally and is the best-preserved example of a station on the District Line.

The Booking Hall is constructed of white Suffolk bricks with a slate pavilion roof. Originally symmetrical, it features a single storey facade with four round-headed arched windows and a central door, all linked by impost blocks. Alterations occurred around 1928 when a former ladies’ room was rebuilt and two right-hand windows were replaced with a large window beneath a segmental-headed arch. Further alterations occurred in the late 20th century, including a secondary entrance replacing a window on the left side, retaining the original arch outline. The hall displays a panelled parapet, moulded cornice, and a panelled band below the cornice. The parapet originally had urn finials at the corners and ball finials in the centre. A lower-height porch with a round-headed arch and central keystone originally existed on each side, but only the right-hand one remains, featuring a blocked doorcase. The ticket hall was refurbished in the late 20th century. The rear wall faces the train shed and has five round-headed arches, three of which are now blocked.

The original train shed has brick retaining walls with round-headed arches and keystones, extending along the full length of one platform. The engine shed is 66 feet long, having six bays of brick arches on the sides and a roof supported by nine bays of segmental-headed iron trusses. The roof is wooden with a central glazed lantern and vertical plank cladding at the ends, supported by wooden piers and pilasters with moulded pendants. The angled roof appears to be a prototype for the 1870s Earl’s Court and Ealing Broadway stations.

Two twin cast iron footbridges, for departing and arriving passengers, are present. Their decorative balustrading, square newel posts, and mahogany handrails are supported on decorated cast iron columns. Both bridges have criss-cross design balustrading; however, the exit footbridge is no longer linked to the street. Some late 20th-century brick infill is visible below the staircases. The Booking Hall retains its original form, despite some alterations.