Weston-super-Mare Railway Station

Weston-super-Mare Railway Station

A railway station designed in 1875-1876 by Francis Fox for the Bristol and Exeter Railway and completed in 1884 for the Great Western Railway. The building is constructed of square-coursed, rock-faced grey rubble stone with Bath stone dressings and Welsh slate roofs, with some twentieth-century alterations including replacement of the canopy roof coverings.

The station comprises long single-storey platform ranges on either side of the railway tracks, joined by a covered footbridge. The two ranges are oriented north-east to south-west, as the station sits on a curve in the track.

The north-west range is the principal station building. A plain valance canopy stretches across its front elevation, formed of a central triple-gabled section flanked by pitched canopies, all carried on painted cast-iron brackets decorated with quatrefoils. The elevation contains a variety of single, double and triple transom and mullion windows, with doors topped by either four-centred arches or rectangular fanlights. From left to right the arrangement of bays is 1:1:16:1:3:1:9:1:3. The central three bays are flanked immediately by gable-end cross wings, beyond which are long outer wings. The right-hand outer wing includes the main entrance within a four-centred ashlar arch. The outer wings are terminated by gable-end cross wings; the left-hand one features an external set of steps with decorative rails. Pitched roofs have regularly-spaced stone ridge stacks and an irregular arrangement of side stacks, all with chimney pots removed. All gable ends are topped by decorative finials.

The outward-facing elevation of the south-east station range, on the opposite side of the railway, consists of a long blind wall backing onto the platform, a flat-roofed block and a gable-end cross-wing block, with a set of brick steps to the right return. Windows are a mix of single and double lights in transom and mullion openings, all boarded up. There is also a four-centred arched entrance and, between the two blocks, the scar of a wide blocked opening topped by a steel beam.

The platform elevations are treated similarly to the outward-facing elevations. Both have continuous canopies consisting of painted cast-iron columns and decorative brackets with quatrefoil detailing, and wrought-iron beams supporting metal roofs (replaced in the late twentieth century) boarded by fretted valances. At the north end of the north-west platform the canopy continues as a free-standing structure carried on paired columns. A third platform facing onto a small railway siding is also located at this end. On each platform at opposite ends are cast-iron weighing-machine bases. Platform benches are of various dates; the cast-iron and wooden benches on the north-west platform display a variety of bench-end designs reflecting previous station operators including the Great Western Railway and the Western Region of British Railway.

The footbridge towards the east end of the station has wrought-iron lattice girders, glazed side walls and a metal roof (replaced in the twentieth century). At either end of the bridge are multi-level pavilions under pitched roofs lit by timber rooflights with decorative fretwork.

The booking hall and offices are situated in the central part of the north-west station range; most visible fittings in these rooms are twentieth and twenty-first century with suspended ceilings. To the south is a waiting room with a coffered-timber ceiling, containing a wall-mounted marble plaque from the 1920s commemorating Dandy, a dog used to collect charitable donations from rail passengers. Further south are the former station-master's office and a parcel office (converted into offices and a café respectively), followed by stores and a disused toilet. To the north of the booking office is the former enquiry office with a coffered-timber roof, toilets, a refreshment room substantially refurbished in the late twentieth century, a covered passageway with a four-centred arch of ashlar and timber-coffered ceiling used as a goods' entrance, and further toilets. The footbridge is accessed at the north end of the platforms by covered stairways subject to piecemeal repairs. The stairwells are decorated with yellow, white and green-patterned glazed bricks and have four-centred ashlar arches with timber handrails. At the northern end of the south-east station range is a former gentlemen's toilet retaining some original fittings including fragments of coloured floor tiles. Adjacent is a covered passageway with a four-centred arch and coffered ceiling mirroring the passageway on the opposite platform. To the south is a disused staff room, a former waiting room used as a meeting room with a large central cross-axial beam, and a disused ladies' toilet and store. Some rooms within both platform ranges retain wainscoting, chimney breasts and panelled doors.