Covent Garden Underground Station

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

EXTERIOR: The station occupies a corner site at the junction of Long Acre and James Street and has two elevations. 2 storeys high. N elevation to Long Acre has 3 arcaded bays terminating in a half-bay at the W. The central bay was the original station entrance. The end half-bay has an entrance, provided to serve a future building over the station. The slightly longer E elevation has 3 main bays with alternate half bays; the exit is in the central bay. All other bays were shops. Upper storeys have keyed semi-circular arches with egg-and-dart decoration and cartouches between the springers of the arcaded bays, and a modillion cornice. The half-bays and apex bay have a rectangular window in a shouldered architrave. Windows are all modern replacements. Both elevations have a frieze bearing the station name (partly restored) in raised grey lettering on a white background dating from c1910, and a blue tile UNDERGROUND sign above the Long Acre entrance, also an early feature dating from post-1908 rebranding. The office block above the station is not of special interest and does not form part of this listing.

INTERIOR: Ticket hall has been entirely modernised, with tiling replicated to the 1906 pattern, and retains no original features. The spiral stair retains original tiling in deep orange, yellow and white. The tiling to the lower passageways and platforms was replicated in 2009, apart from the platform soffit banding.