Paddington, District And Circle Line Underground Station

Paddington District and Circle Line Underground Station, built in 1866-68 by engineer Sir John Fowler for the Metropolitan Railway, with a street frontage rebuilt in 1914 by Charles W. Clark, also an engineer for the Metropolitan Railway. The station is constructed of yellow brick with an iron roof and white-glazed faience detailing.

The exterior features a central entrance flanked by three shops on each side. The two-storey building has a projecting canopy supported by scrolled consoles, and a segmental arched entrance with a keystone. The ground floor shops are separated by piers; the left-hand shop retains its original shop front. Canted ends are present, and the first floor has 17 windows within framed surrounds, with some blind panels between them. Rusticated quoins highlight the angles and a slightly projecting centre-piece. A modillion cornice sits above the frieze, which is inscribed in Roman capitals with "Paddington Station" over the entrance. A raised parapet, originally topped with urns and inscribed "Metropolitan Railways", completes the facade.

The booking hall was extensively altered around 1990 and is now clad in white tiles, with no surviving original features of note. The train shed retains tuck-pointed yellow brick walls to the cutting. It features a two-tier blind arcade, with 20 bays on the southern (westbound) side and 22 bays on the northern (eastbound) side. The segmental iron roof is partially glazed, with principal arches springing from cast iron foliate brackets, and trussed purlins. The roof is divided into two sections, with five bays west of the booking hall and three bays east. The roof is open at each end of the platforms. A footbridge with latticed sides spans the tracks to the west; the booking hall is built across the centre of the tracks and platforms.

This station was originally named Paddington Praed Street and marked the northern end of the Metropolitan Railway's extension to Gloucester Road, authorised by an Act of 1864, opening on 1st October 1868. A previous section of the Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground line, terminated at a now-demolished station called Paddington Bishop's Road. The railway was constructed using a “cut and cover” method, with open ends to the roof to allow for ventilation. Fowler’s original entrance and booking hall were later rebuilt in Clark’s distinctive white faience style.