Former Fire Station, Norwood High Street

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: Unknown

One of the best buildings of West Norwood, a flamboyant Gothic affair with a prominent octagonal watch tower. Built in 1881, probably to the designs of Robert Pearsall of the Metropolitan Board of Works Architect's Department. The central projecting porch is gabled and has finials, and once smoke had been spotted from the tower, from its doors would emerge the horse-drawn engines. The listed building description records that, "in 1913 this fire station housed a station officer, nine firemen, two coachmen, 2 pairs of horses, one horsed fire engine, one horsed escape, one manual escape and one hose cart." After 30-40 years, the building's life as a fire station drew to a close as horses were supplanted by motorised fire engines (which could not fit through the doors). Grade II listed. Since 1967, part of the building has been leased by Lambeth Council to the South London Theatre. Over the years it has suffered considerable water damage and is on English Heritage's Heritage at Risk Register, although restoration plans are afoot (http://www.southlondontheatre.co.uk ).

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0