Description

Mid 19th century station complex oriented N-S on curving track, comprising principally of 2 long gabled blocks to E and W platforms.

Red sandstone ashlar walls to principal buildings, slate roofs with overhanging timber eaves, round-arched windows and doors at ground. Timber sash and case windows, some with decorative etching to lower panes. Roof pitches pierced by corniced gablehead and ridge stacks.

W (PRINCIPAL) BLOCK: Glasgow and South Westrn Railway, 1863. Near-symmetrical, 2-storey and attic 4-bay centrepiece flanked by 10-bay single storey wings with pendant timber eaves; additional 5-bay single storey former toilet block with narrow blind round-arched windows extending to S from S wing. Pilastered and corniced timber newsagent's stand with curved corners projecting from platform elevation of centre block. Decorative niche-like cast-iron drinking fountain set into platform elevation. 10-bay glazed awning fronting platform elevation: ridge and furrow roof supported on round cast-iron columns with paired filigree brackets incorporating company coat of arms. Awning canopy extends further 10 bays from N elevation over former Kirkcudbright terminus; matching bracketed columns to E section and panelled brick screen wall to W.

E BLOCK: (Map Ref: NX 97682, 76489): 1875-6. Roughly symmetrical, advanced and gabled 3-bay centrepiece to E elevation flanked by 7-bay wings. Exposed rafter-ends to eaves and decorative timberwork to central gablehead. Decorative niche-like cast-iron drinking fountain set into platform elevation fronted by 6-bay canopy with shallow mono-pitch and cast-iron columns matching those of the W block.

PLATFORMS: principal platforms to main line; further platforms flanking former Kirkcudbright terminus (infilled) to N of principal block.

LAMP STANDARDS: decorative cast-iron standards by James Allan Senr. & Son of Elmbank Foundry, Glasgow.

FOOTBRIDGE: (Map Ref: NX 97651, 76544): timber, steel and cast-iron bridge linking north ends of E and W blocks. Bridge comprises double warren trusses spanning railway lines, linking landings supported on 4 squat columns accessed from platforms by vertically-boarded timber-sided stairs.

SIGNAL BOX: (Map Ref: NX 97641, 76673): British Rail (ScR) Type 16, early 1950s design. 2-stage, brick and concrete construction with raised margins and flat roof with oversailing canopy. W (Track) elevation: glazed in two sections returning to N and S elevations; 3 small windows to locking room below. Smallr recessed block to N fronted by concrete dog-leg forestair with metal rail to cabin entrance. 2-leaf door and recessed doorways to S elevation. Replacement metal frame windows in 6-3 glazing pattern.

CHARGEMAN'S HUT: (Map Ref: NX 97663, 76451): single storey L-plan hut adjacent to S gable of principal block's S wing. Clap-boarded sides, 4-pane hoppered timber windows, shallow-pitched piended roof with overhanging eaves pierced by single-flue stack on W side. Some internal fittings surviving including chimneypiece and glazed timber screen.

RAILINGS, GATES AND GATEPIERS: 2-leaf hooped gates adjacent to S gables of station buildings, gates linked by hooped railings to road bridge at S; octagonal cast-iron gatepiers with corniced caps to W gate.

Statement of Interest

Dumfries Station is a fine, well-detailed example of a mid 19th century station, built in the Italianate style on a gentle curve with its glazed platform canopies adding significantly to its design interest. The refined styling of the principal station building is notable, as are the number of structures and period features surviving in this station group including the footbridge, decorative lamp standards and single storey clapboarded rectangular-plan hut with panelled door and 4-pane glazing pattern. The footbridge was formerly roofed.

The railway line was opened in 1848 by the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway. Dumfries Station was built in 1859 by Glasgow and South Western Railway with the original station building sited to the south of the present group of buildings.

Signal boxes are a distinctive and increasingly rare building type that make a significant contribution to Scotland's diverse industrial heritage. Of more than 2000 signal boxes built across Scotland by 1948, around 150 currently survive (2013) with all pre-1948 mechanical boxes still in operation on the public network due to become obsolete by 2021. The signal box at the N end of the Dumfries E platform, is a British Rail (ScR) Type 16 box dating from the early 1950s with streamlined Moderne styling. These early post-nationalisation boxes were built in large numbers across the UK but very few now remain, particularly in Scotland. This is the best surviving example of its type in the country. The current 6-3 pane glazing pattern replaces an earlier 4-2 pane glazing pattern but remains in keeping with the style of the building.

List description and statutory address revised as part of Scottish Signal Box Review (2012-13).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17795978

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.

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