West Norwood Fire Station

West Norwood Fire Station

A fire station with flats above, built in 1914–15 by the London County Council Architects' Department. The building stands on Norwood Road and is constructed of red brick with stock brick to the rear elevation, Portland stone details, and clay tile roofs.

The plan comprises a rectangular main front range with projecting wings to the rear and an irregular roof plan. The ground floor contains the fire station with three appliance bays to the north, while the upper floors originally contained three flats per floor, each served by a rear stair.

The exterior is in a restrained Arts and Crafts style. The building rises to four storeys plus attic, with a five-storey set-back wing to the north projecting into the rear yard. The ground floor has three appliance bays to the north, followed by two narrow transomed windows (with replaced glazing), a pedestrian entrance, and a further similar window. Above this, the façade is virtually symmetrical, arranged in five bays with windows set out as 1-2-1-2-1. The outer and central bays project, featuring concave returns and parapets that break through the deep eaves. The windows throughout are wooden sashes of 6-over-6 and 4-over-4 panes, with red brick gauged flat arches and sides.

The north return elevation features two semi-circular windows and a central three-storey oriel with curved returns and a moulded stone corbel, with irregularly placed similar windows elsewhere. Deep hipped tiled roofs are topped by seven tall hipped dormers. Tall chimneys, some set on end to the street, rise from the ridgeline. The south return elevation is blind and gabled, with stone shoulders to a chimneystack which has been rebuilt at the top.

The irregular rear elevation includes a two-window projecting wing at the north end and a narrower single-window wing to the penultimate bay to the south, an end bay of one window, and a set-back bay of one window. Between these projecting elements are two appliance bays with plain surrounds and balconies extending from the first to fourth floors, surmounted by a pair of gables with hung tile to their apexes. Windows are mainly paired 4-over-4 light sashes; those to the south end bay and south recessed bay are segmental-headed. On the north side, linked to the projecting wing, is a single-storey flat-roofed recreation room with three segmental-headed windows and 6-over-9 sashes. A lavatory block and storage sheds follow. On the south side is a single-storey red-brick former wash house, featuring a raised lantern roof and flat tile arches over sashes.

The interior retains much of its original plan despite some modernisation for station use. The appliance room is fitted with iron stanchions supporting cross girders, with arched openings between the watch and appliance rooms. An open well staircase with iron balustrade serves the rear. The flats have been substantially modernised, though some modest fittings and joinery survive. The recreation room in the north rear extension features two-thirds height panelling and arched niches.

This building forms part of a remarkable series of fire stations constructed by the London County Council between 1896 and 1914, each designed to a bespoke specification. The original West Norwood fire station, built in 1881–2 at No 2a Norwood High Street (now the South London Theatre), was replaced by the present building. Drawings entitled 'LCC West Norwood FBS' show the 1914–15 structure much as it exists today, with accommodation for three appliances, a watch room, reading room, wash house and services at ground floor level, and three flats of one, two and three bedrooms on each of the upper floors.