 The hotel, named after the Duke of Portland, on whose estate much of the railway ran, was officially opened Christmas 1899 by the Earl of Rosebery Archibald Primrose.The station was a substantial three storey structure with a long glass awning, it was quite unlike any other station on the line.Inside the station a glass-roofed concourse led to four curved platforms on two islands - 1 & 2, 4 & 5.