Even passing through Barons Court underground station, there are eye-catching features, including its unique benches and the apparently-missing apostrophe. Get off the train, take the stairs to ground level, and the station building is a real gem.
It opened in 1905, designed by the District Railway's architect Harry Wharton Ford. Its light terracotta cladding is typical of his stations, and covers a metal frame. The wonderful lettering caught my eye immediately.
More subtle, but also appealing, is the District's monogram at the corner of the building.
The building houses several shops, all with stained glass in the upper windows. Its sinuous Art Nouveau flowers are a lovely complement to the decoration, particularly the equally elegant and curving lettering.
In the ticket hall, the Edwardian green tiling is another striking element of the decoration.
As for that apostrophe, it isn't really missing at all. When the original line was built in 1874, this area was still mostly fields, but the station became necessary when Sir William Palliser developed the estate with housing. A new development and a new station required a new name: Barons Court was given either to complement the nearby Earl's Court or, more likely, because of Palliser's connections to the Baronscourt Estate in Ireland. No barons, no possessive apostrophe!
