From the mock-Tudor fad of the 1920s to drivers refueling on a roundabout, each era produces its own distinctive petrol stations – as photographer Philip Butler documented at the Guardian.com

The Garage, Isle Brewers, Taunton, circa 1920s 

A rare surviving thatched filling station and garage. Concerns over the appearance of garages in the 1920s, which were described as ‘vile’ by influential voices, led to legislation regulating the appearance of newly built filling stations, ensuring design didn’t jar with surroundings. 

One result of this was the short-lived rise of ‘rustic’ thatched petrol stations; a health and safety eye-opener, particularly considering how prevalent smoking was at the time

Former Appleyard’s Filling Station, Leeds, West Yorkshire, 1930s 

Neo-Georgian revival was another popular architectural style of the inter-war years. Utilized with particular enthusiasm on municipal buildings, it was also applied to a number of garages. 

One surviving though disused example designed in 1932 is Appleyard’s in Leeds, which was constructed on a roundabout, with a central hexagonal hut and a circular forecourt. Motorists would enter through ornate wrought iron gates, circling to a free pump

 

BP Pagoda, Brooklands, Surrey, 1922 

In the 1920s, the leading fuel companies were keen to have a presence at the Brooklands motor circuit in Surrey, resulting in three separate ‘pagodas’ being built by rival firms – Pratt’s, Shell and British Petroleum. 

Michelin House, Chelsea, London, 1911 

One of Britain’s earliest surviving purpose-built garages is also one of the most impressive. Michelin had established a British arm to its business in 1904 and by 1910 the construction of a state-of-the-art motor garage was under way. Designed by in-house engineer François Espinasse, the exterior boasted a tire-inspired British art nouveau appearance. Completed in 1911, it offered the convenience of a covered drive-in fitting bay, where tires could be quickly changed from a stock of more than 30,000 stored in the basement

Hythe Garage, Kent (Originally a Fire Station, 1925) 

With the introduction of the Ministry of Transport (MOT) vehicle test in the 1960s, compulsory for all vehicles over three years old from 1967, increased the need for repair workshops, which explains the late 20th-century rise in the conversion of disused buildings into garages

St John’s Garage, Whithorn, Wigtownshire, 1947 

A diverse array of structures were utilized – churches, cinemas, railway arches, fire stations, shops, factories all proved versatile enough to find second lives as garages.

Perhaps the most unusual garage in Britain, St John’s was built as a Reformed Presbyterian church in 1892. Dwindling attendance led to its closure, and it was converted into a garage and filling station in 1947

BP, Red Hill, Leicestershire 1979

 The late 60s gave rise to the illuminated petrol station canopy. In 1964, industrial designer Eliot Noyes designed a series of circular canopy units for Mobil Oil. Today only two sites remain, at Red Hill in Leicestershire and Whetstone, London

Glendore West End Garage, Turnastone, Herefordshire, 1919 (House circa 1800s) 

Many early filling stations were installed outside existing buildings. Until recently, Glendore was the oldest surviving operational example in the UK. Drivers would ring a bell, alerting the owner in the small Victorian cottage that they had a customer. 

Manor Road Garage, East Preston, West Sussex, 1934

 By the 1930s the modernist movement pioneered in Europe was starting to have an influence on British architecture. Futuristic structures with smooth streamlined forms and flat roofs became calling cards for the trendiest businesses. Manor Road Garage is a prime example of this curvaceous style, which echoed the cruise liners and aeroplanes of the era

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2025/aug/27/uk-garages-philip-butler-in-pictures