1910s police station, Rochford Police Station, South Street (EHER 80924)

Rochford Police Station was designed and built in 1914 by the renowned County Architect Frank Whitmore, and opened in 1919. It closed its front counter to the public in 2011 and closed completely in 2013. The building is constructed of red brick in an Edwardian Baroque style, with a symmetrical frontage flanked by a wing to the East and West which originally provided accommodation for the Inspector and Sergeant. It has seen several phases of renovation and remodelling, including most notably in the late 20th century. Since its closure, the building has been subject to vandalism and the only original fixtures which remain are the two identical staircases which permit access to the wings.

July 2024. Heritage assessment. Rochford Police Station was built in 1914 and commissioned in 1919. It was designed by the renowned County Architect Frank Whitmore (1844-1920) who worked on several police stations around the county, including at New Street, Chelmsford (EHER 31572). The police station was built in an Edwardian Baroque style and, along with similarly styled police stations at Harwich (1913-1915) and Maldon (1913) (EHER 49867), represented his last project before he retired as County Architect in 1914. Rochford station closed its front counter to the public on 28th November 2011 and closed completely as a functioning police station on 31st March of 2013. It has since suffered vandalism from graffiti, damage to windows and the removal of its interior fittings. Of the original features, only the two identical staircases giving access to the wings remain and are being renovated. The station is built of red bricks which have dulled to brown on the front due to pollution. It has an East and West projecting wing, each decorated with moulded bricks in two vertical bands forming wide pilasters and topped with decorated capitals. These originally provided accommodation for an Inspector and Sergeant, however, they remained empty for some time and were consequently knocked though into the main building in around 1962, and certainly by 1999. In the centre frontage, above the first floor window, is the coat of arms of Essex with three seaxes set in a square entablature embellished with console brackets – all in moulded brick. Also central is a curved hood sheltering a date brick for AD 1914. The windows have gauged segmental arches with extended key bricks and brick moulded segmental cills. The rear of the building is utilitarian, lacking embellishments except for the window surrounds. Matching bricks have been used to extend the cell block by one storey. All the original chimney stacks remain and are built to the same pattern with wide architraves and single brick bands. Also of interest on the building's exterior are several bullet holes in the East walls which are said to have been made during WWII by a passing German Dornier. Inside, much of the original fabric has been lost to the late 20th century refurbishment and the layout altered. Some rooms contain chimney breasts, indicating their initial use as domestic spaces for the Inspector and Sergeant. The cell block has been much vandalised and the cells are said to have been removed in the late 20th century. The building is locally listed by Rochford District Council. <1>