Clerkenwell Fire Station, London



Architect
 H F T Cooper for the London County Council
Date Built
 1912 - 17
Location
 Rosebery Avenue
Description
Clerkenwell Fire Station was one of ten stations to be closed in a money saving plan by the London Fire Brigade.  There has been a fire station on this spot in Clerkenwell since 1870 but this particular building dates from 1912.  The building has four appliance bays on the Rosebery Avenue side and a further bay on the Farringdon Road side.  On the second floor were the quarters of the Superinterndant of the Central District and above that flats for the married men.  In an article on the "spitalfieldlife.com" website in August of 2013, the writer reflected on the accommodation at the station.  " .... Walking through another door, we entered the former accommodation of firefighters under the eaves. There were neat delft tiled fireplaces and rooms still lined with faded nursery wallpaper. Abandoned in the middle of the last century, when the firefighters sought a degree of independence from their employers, these flats are now designated “unfit for purpose” even though with a modicum of repairs they could be a boon to the firefighters of today, who are unable to afford housing locally and must commute long distances as a consequence."







There is a courtyard at the rear of the building where the drill tower stands. 


The rear elevation of the building features railed balconies with a fire-escape linking each level.





The building was designated Grade II Listed in 1988.  The reasons given for its listing were that,

"...  It ranks among some of the best examples of a remarkable group of fire stations built by the LCC between 1900-1914, which are widely admired as being among the most accomplished civic buildings produced by the renowned LCC Architects' Division in this rich and prolific period; 

The elevations and massing are well-composed, responding well to the prominent corner site;

It exhibits the quality of materials and attention to detail which are the hallmarks of LCC design, and is virtually intact externally."

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