Office Building at St James' Depot

This office building was constructed in 1933 for the Northampton Corporation. It is located on the south-west side of St James Road, within the large plot of the former tram and bus depot, set forward of the vehicle sheds. The former tram sheds, garages, and related buildings at the rear are excluded from this listing.

The building is constructed of brown brick with reconstituted stone dressings, and has a slate roof. It has a rectangular footprint and a shallow hipped roof with deeply overhanging eaves lined with corbels. The principal, north-east facing elevation has a central entrance with half-glazed timber double doors featuring fielded panelling and marginal glazing bars, enclosed within a reconstituted stone door case with geometric mouldings and panels. Above the doorway is a panel inscribed "NORTHAMPTON CORPORATION / TRANSPORT / OFFICES," and a storey band. Regular openings contain windows with marginal and diagonal glazing bars, set in moulded stone architraves and aprons.

The pattern of design is repeated on the return elevations, each of which contains eight bays. Doorways at either end of the north-east return elevation appear to have served as public entrances and exits to a ticket office. The south-west end of the building steps back from the main building line.

The interior is arranged with a lobby leading to a stair hall, and a large room with smaller side rooms on the ground floor. The lobby and stair hall are tiled to full height with pale green, marble-effect tiles and black borders. The remainder of the ground floor is also tiled to head height, complemented by internal windows with coloured glass and marginal glazing bars. Solid timber doors throughout feature five horizontal panels. The cantilevered open-well stair has reconstituted stone treads, string, and heavy square newel posts. The surviving balustrade, comprised of steel posts and bars forming a geometric pattern, remains on the landing. One surviving newel post has fixings for a removed lantern, consisting of a brass shaft with scrollwork and a glass flame shade. The first floor includes a large room with low-relief plaster mouldings imitating wall panelling. To the rear is a corridor with a full-height timber panelled screen, leading to a panelled office and closet. The toilets are fully tiled in metro-style cream and green tiles.

According to section 1(5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the former tram sheds, garages, and ancillary accommodation to the rear are not considered to be of special architectural or historic interest.