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Summary

Grade II* listed railway station built by Brunel in 1848 on the Reading to Basingstoke branch line and little altered since

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1117145: MORTIMER STATION

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 05055.01.100
  
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 66 SE 23
  SU 672 641
• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (II*): Map No 38 21/7 Mortimer Station
  Mid C.19 on a line (Reading-Basingstoke) which was laid under Brunel's personal direction. Small rectangular building of brick (with some polychromy) and deeply projecting eaves on cut brackets to hipped slate roof. Single storey, grouped round headed windows flanking and central round headed entrance. Raised windows break forward slightly, and the doorcase slightly more. Return to south has a triple arcade (a door, a window and a blind window). Central ridge chimney with modillion cornice and a smaller off-ridge chimney towards platform. Ticket Office and waiting room on west side, brick built shelter also with projecting eaves on the other side.

Monument Type(s):

• RAILWAY STATION (Victorian - 1848 AD to 1848 AD)

Full Description

The main railway station at Mortimer is Grade II* listed, as is the matching waiting shelter on the opposite (southeast) side of the Reading to Basingstoke branch line of the Great Western Railway. The line, station buildings and nearby overbridge were all designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The station is dated as 1848 and is described as one of the most unaltered of Brunel's wayside stations <1>. It is a single storey red brick construction in an Italianate style with round arches <6>. The roof has deeply projecting eaves on cut wooden brackets; although the listed building descriptions note a slate roof <1><3>, this was restored in 1985 to pantiles, as originally built <6>.

The First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping <7> also shows a large goods shed on the line to the southwest of the station; this had been removed by the time of the 5th Epoch map <8>.

The Revised Pevsner Guide <6> also notes that Mortimer station served the Duke of Wellington's country seat at Stratfield Saye in Hampshire which is about 2 miles to the southeast; the suggestion is that he dictated the location of the station, not wanting it to be too close.

An aerial photograph from 1929 <12> shows the station, goods yard and surroundings.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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