Description

The following shall be added:

TQ 2379 SHEPHERDS BUSH ROAD

4/103 No 184 and attached wall.

II GV

Former motor service depot and showroom. Circa 1916 by H Heathcote and Sons of
Manchester for Ford Motor Company (England) Ltd. An early use in this country of a complete reinforced concrete frame; brick clad with painted cement dressings. Frame junctionally exposed on returns and rear elevation. 3-storeys and basement. 9 bays.
Main facade to road of brown brick with full height brick pilasters, having sunken panels, stepped cement. enrichment at floor levels and terminating in festooned cartouches. Pilaster separate bays of recessed metal framed windows with mullions, glazing bars and orange brick flat arches. Painted cement entablature at first floor level with black panels in frieze. Second floor with sunken panels of orange brick, the top panels being in herringbone pattern. Orange brick sunken panels beneath projecting modillion cornice with brick blocking course and central rectangular painted cement pediment flanked by scrolled consoles. Former vehicle entrances on ground floor. Main pedestrian entrance on right hand return, part of which in similar style to main facade but with lights of smaller panes to articulate managerial spaces. Entrance of mahogany glazed door flanked by sidelights and having tripartite small-paned-window above. Rear portion with exposed frame. Rear elevation with exposed frame filled by metal framed windows with glazing bars, those at second floor level with red brick aprons. Ground floor has raised platform to loading'bays with glazed penthouse roof on cast iron trusses. Red brick parapet to roof. Attached red brick wall to main facade with pillars and panels of herringbone
brickwork. Interiors mostly open plan on octagonal columns apart from offices and part of showroom. Ground floor right hand end retains moulded ceilings, cornices and mahogany panelling (now painted over) of original showrooms. Main entrance hall mahogany panelled with black veined marble skirting; black and white Green key type pattern tiled floor. Mahogany double doors lead to showroom. Closed string dogleg stair has white marble treads (now covered), cast iron balusters of Greek key design, mahogany handrail. Newel posts with ball finials and panelled dado. Large first floor landing with similar tiles to hall and mahogany part glazed screens with black veined marble skirting; strikingly lit by large small-paned windows on opposite wall. Ladies toilet off, tiled and having solid white marble slab cubicle partitions; original handbasins. Some good brass door furniture remains throughout.
At either end of the building, large lifts (still operational) to take vehicles to upper floors, that'on the left rising onto the flat roof where vehicles were test driven; probably a unique feature in this country at the time. This was probably Ford's first.industrial building in the London area and the quality of materials and design reflect the status of the motor car at this period. The depot was taken over by Citroen in 1926.

Listing NGR: TQ2336679042

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26353413

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House