Main Building Of Reading General Station

STATION HILL 1. 5128 Main building of Reading General Station SU 7173 NE 1/363 SU 7173 12/363 21.1.76. II 2. 1865-67, architect Mr Lane (Chief Engineer of the GWR Co). Enlargement and remodelling of I K Brunel's original station of circa 1840. Italianate details. 2 storey symmetrical main building of buff brick from Coalbrookdale with Bath stone dressings, rusticated quoins. 10 bays wide, slight break to centre 4. Frieze, moulded cornice and blocking course, the projecting centre having console brackets to the cornice and the blocking course raised as solid pediment. The ground floor of the centre break has guilloche frieze and panelled pilasters with wreath caps flanking the windows and doorways. Cornices on console brackets over 1st floor windows, with triangular and segmental pediments over those in centre break. Canopy across ground floor. Hipped slate roof, chimneys removed. Pleasant central cupola, which has round headed lights and bracket eaves to pyramidal roof with finial. Canopy extends over ground floor extensions on both sides, about 12 bays to left and 7 to right.

Listing NGR: SU7148773820