Kingston Sorting Office

TQ 1869 SW KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES ASHDOWN ROAD

59-0/ 7a/10000 Kingston Sorting Office

II

Purpose built telephone exchange. Erected 1907 and opened in June 1908. Architect John Rutherford, an architect working in the Ministry of Works. Arts and Crafts style, asymmetrical plan. Built of red brick in Flemish bond with stone dressings and slate roof. Entrance front of butterfly plan has central clustered brick and stone chimneystack and end gables with stone coping and kneelers on pilasters. Attics have tripartite slit windows. Right hand gable has 2 storey canted bay with pilasters separating bays, with curved iron casements to 1st floor and mullioned and transomed windows to ground floor. 2 storey projection in angle of the L has 2 casements with stone surrounds and left side round headed doorcase with hood moulding on brackets, tripartite fanlight and double doors. To left are 2 curved casements to the 1st floor and mullioned and transomed casements to the ground floor. Attached by brick wall is low stone wall with iron spear railings whose principals embody elaborate insignia of Edward VII and cast iron lamp. Left side elevation has half hipped roof with continous 12 light dormer. 5 round headed casements to 1st floor and left side doorcase approached up a flight of steps with iron handrail. Tripartite casements to ground floor. Right side elevation is blank but with large canopy to far end. Internally there is a mosaic-tiled entrance hall, clerk's office to the left, manager's office to the right with engineers just beyond that. There is a large open plan "test room" with a small "battery room" at the far end. On the 1st floor the cloakrooms, kitchen and dining room correspond to the offices below with a large "switch" room corresponding to the "test room". The floor is supported on simple Doric cast iron columns. The roof is of simple steel truss construction. Solid wood block doors throughout and some white glazed tiles.

Listing NGR: TQ1817769087