Easington Street, NER Stables

North Eastern Railway stables, built in 1883-84. Horses remained essential to the smooth operation of the railways, and many of the major Victorian urban stations (such as Salford and Camden) had stables. Horses were used for transporting goods to and from the goods yards, and for hauling track and timber. In some cases carriages for public hire were also kept in the same facility.

Railway stables. 1883-84, altered c. 1930. Designed by William Bell for the North-Eastern Railway Co. Ltd.. Red brick with blue brick and ashlar dressings and Welsh slate roofs. All openings have ashlar lintels. Entrance facade has 11 window, 2 storey central section flanked by single storey 11 window wings. Large central archway has segmental red brick arch with ashlar and blue brick dressings. Over central arch a moulded ashlar eaves band and above a dormer with a circular window and a half-hipped roof with decorative barge-boards. Arch has cast iron wheel buffers at base. Either side are 8 stable windows with ashlar lintels above a continuous blue brick band. Upper floor has 5 larger stable window openings to either side, also with ashlar lintels and also linked by a continuous blue brick band. Inner fa?ade has similar central archway topped with similar dormer. Either side are two stable windows, them two large garage openings with two pairs of garage doors - inserted c. 1930. Beyond are two further stable windows and single stable doors. Above two larger window openings either side, then a loft doorway topped by a hoist under a dormer roof, and beyond 3 further large windows. Either side the single storey wings have a single boarded opening, an inserted garage door, a further boarded window a plank door with overlight and then three further boarded windows. Inner courtyard contains Horse Hospital block with asphalt roof. South fa?ade has 3 stable doorways with over-lights and alternating with two stable windows, above 5 larger windows. North fa?ade symmetrical with central stable doorway flanked by 2 glazing bar sashes to each side. Above a central loft-door topped by a hoist under a dormer roof, flanked by smaller windows. To south a single storey Van Shed added c. 1912, with large continuous garage doors and a slate roof. To north a single storey stable range converted to motor workshops, with 3 inserted sets of garage doors and two former stable windows to left.