From look-out to full blown fire station.

I've mentioned beforethe Fire Station in Lancaster Grove, Belsize, and the other day managed to get these snaps of it.

This is of course the successor fire station to the old look-out station that was at the top of Hampstead High Street (and had an old look-out tower).

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/06/days-of-look-out-tower.html

I'm giving here the front of the station as it were - but the architecture is really interesting and curiously of it's type - from the back - as a I walked down Eton Avenue I was reminded of the architecture of Hampton Court!

In keeping with the building of public services I found the obligatory plaque and here it is:

THIS STATION WAS OPENED
ON THE 22ND DAY OF MAY 1915
BY PERCY C SIMONS ESQUIRE
CHAIRMAN OF THE
FIRE BRIGADE COMMITTEE
LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL

It's worth noting that the growth and development of fire stations was not hampered by the first world war - if anything it gathered a little pace...

Officionado's of these things will be delighted to learn that the building is Grade II listed AND in current use (perhaps the Metropolitan Police Authority could note...).

Here's the full text of the listing definition:

• Fire station with water tower and flatted accommodation. 1914-15.
• By CC Winmill of the LCC's Architects' Department.
• Red brick with stone dressings. Steeply pitched gabled tiled roof with projecting eaves, hipped dormers to engine shed and tall brick chimney-stacks with dentil bands to accommodation. L-shaped plan with tall water-tower in angle.
• EXTERIOR: engine-shed stone faced to front with openings having part-glazed folding doors; steeply pitched roof with 3 long transom and mullion windows with small panes to dormers and 1 small box dormer. Right hand return with lunettes at ground floor and 6-light transom and mullion window to gable end; left hand return, 4 glazed doors to ground floor and 5 windows to 1st.
• Enriched brick water tower having recessed panels set between pilasters; 1st storey panels with segmental-arched recesses and dentil frieze; 2nd storey with further rectangular recesses, 2 made into windows, and dentil friezes; 3rd storey with deep dentil frieze and lattice-work brick panels having arcaded friezes. Parapet. Flatted accommodation of 2 storeys and semi-basement. Ground floor stone and brick verandah with lunettes to semi-basement and 1st floor balcony with cast-iron balustrade. Part-glazed doorways with overlights and sidelights. Tripartite sashes. To left, a single window projecting gabled bay.
• On both returns tall gable end chimney-stacks have hipped roof to one side allowing a small attic window.
• Rear facade to Eton Avenue gives appearance of terraced cottages with a ground floor canted bay and transom and mullion windows; upper floor with ten 3-light casement and oriel windows. All with small leaded panes.

The days of a look out tower.

It is said that Hampstead tube station is the deepest tube station in London - it may or may not be true, but one of the reasons for the depth is that it runs under the top of the hill.

And just over the road, literally, is the corner of Holly Hill and Heath Street at the top of hampstead High Street and on that junction is the old Fire Station.

When you look at it it's hard to realise that it was the fire station and in the relatively recent past - but sure as eggs is eggs, it was. The idea of having a look-out on top of the building seems such an odd concept but when you look at the architecture it's obvious really.

Now it's just flats and the nationwide Building Society and of course a clock tower that doesn;t keep accurrate time!

The building was designed by one George Vulliamy and was opened in 1874. The site had been previously used for the police station.

However, the world of Fire Station locations had to move to keep up with the fast expanding population centres and the need for watch towers subsided.

So it was that in 1901 West Hampstead Station on West End Lane was opened, in 1915 the Belsize Station in Lancaster Grove opened and by 1923 Hampstead Station was closed.