ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2008/09

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2008/09

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST

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ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2008/09

The Trust publishes an Annual Report for four specific purposes: ■ to publish its Accounts; ■ to illustrate the projects to which its grants have been awarded; ■ to acknowledge the financial contribution made to projects by external partners; ■ to acknowledge the contribution made to the development and delivery of projects by sponsors, consultants and contractors.

We have a wider purpose too. Britain’s railway heritage deserves every opportunity that can be taken to make its quality and diversity better known. So our illustrated project reports also serve to attract potential new partners to work with us in this important and challenging field.

CONTENTS

Cover picture: Cromford Station: Refurbished 1875 building and new gallery for the Arkwright Society Inside front cover: Hull Station Inside back cover: Laurencekirk Station Outside back cover: Edge Hill Station: Work in progress on the engine house for Metal (Photo: Malcolm Wood)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Photography: Specially commissioned from Milepost 921/2, Newton Harcourt, Leicestershire Other photographs as individually credited The Trust is grateful to the following individuals and organisations for permission to publish photographs: P Bowler Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line Richard Horne Ian Allan Library Research and text by Malcolm Wood, with assistance from Claire Pickton Design by Geoffrey Wadsley Printed in England by Ian Allan (Printing) Ltd, Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG

Chairman’s Statement 3 The Hon Sir William McAlpine Bt introduces the Report; notes the recession’s impact on the rail industry and the Trust’s robustness in delivering increased sponsorship and external contributions; highlights opportunities resulting from the DfT’s National Stations Improvement Programme, Transport Scotland’s ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme and the recently announced initiative to improve stations proposed by the Secretary of State for Transport; reviews the diverse range of projects including regeneration successes at Cromford, Shirebrook and Sowerby Bridge, larger partnerships such as Chester and Hull and smaller grants for clocks and thanks the Trust’s sponsors, Network Rail and BRB (Residuary) Ltd, for their continuing support.

Garsdale Station: The statue of Ruswarp by Joel Walker stands guard

Review of Projects 4–29 Individual reports on the projects grant-aided by the Trust, including work to viaducts, a footbridge, signal boxes, a kissing gate, floodlighting, clocks and a variety of stations as well as conversions to arts centres, refreshment rooms and a pharmacy.

National Railway Heritage Awards 29 Britannia Bridge Memorial, Llanfair PG, entered by BRB (Residuary) Ltd, wins The Railway Heritage Trust Award for 2008.

Grants and External Contributions 30–31 A detailed list of grants awarded and external partners’ contributions.

The Trust’s Accounts 32 A summary of the audited accounts.

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RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST

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OFFICERS AND ADVISORY PANEL 31st March 2009

EXECUTIVE BOARD Chairman: The Hon Sir William McAlpine Bt Executive Director: Jim Cornell Director: Marcus Binney

ADMINISTRATION Company Secretary: Richard Horne (until 4th January 2009) Malcolm Wood (from 5th January 2009) Personal Assistant: Claire Pickton

Malcolm Wood

ADVISORY PANEL

Ormskirk Station: Restored frontage and reinstalled entrance canopy

Sir Peter Baldwin Robert Baldwin Gordon Biddle John Boyle Timothy Bryan Anthony Byrne Professor Dugald Cameron Sir Neil Cossons Ian Hay Davison Lord Faulkner of Worcester Dr William Fawcett Christopher Fildes Jonathan Glancey Chris Green Christopher Heaps Charles Howeson* Stanley Hurn

Sir Simon Jenkins Bernard Kaukas David Lawrence Chris Leah Candida Lycett Green Geoff Mann Vernon Murphy Sir Howard Newby Frank Paterson Oliver Pearcey Malcolm Reed Simon Rigge Martin Robertson Paul Simons John Snell Sir James Swaffield Dame Margaret Weston

* Appointed to the Advisory Panel during 2008/09

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ADVISORY PANEL At the Advisory Panel’s Annual Meeting on 9th October 2008, members were given presentations on proposed property developments within Network Rail by Mick Martin, Director, Commercial Property, Network Rail, and on the progress of the renaissance of St Pancras Chambers by Geoff Mann, Principal Director, RHWL Architects.

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

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CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

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of sustained growth in both passenger and freight numbers, 2008/09 witnessed a levelling off and, in some areas and commodities, a decline. This change in fortunes reflected the downturn in the nation’s economy and also the global recession. Despite these significant changes within the rail industry, however, the demand for the Railway Heritage Trust’s involvement in actual and potential projects has been as high as ever and presently shows no sign of slowing down or reversing. The welcome increase in sponsorship of 14% by our main sponsor, Network Rail, was fully utilised on rewarding and successful projects and played a significant part in attracting external contributions which, in turn, resulted in improvements to the infrastructure owned by the company.

The level of external contributions that our grant awards attracted this year was the highest in the history of the Trust at £3.02m. Although not a specific objective for the management team, it has been an aim for the last twelve years to attract at least £1 of external funding for every £1 of grant awarded. I am pleased to say that this aim has been more than met every year since 1996/97 and the average over those last 12 years is £1.40.

The new initiatives which I briefly described in my statement a year ago, such as the National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP) and the ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme, are gathering pace and the Trust is invited to be involved in those projects where the station buildings are either listed or sited within a Conservation Area. Just recently, the Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, following his five day rail tour of Britain, announced an initiative to examine how the rail network’s stations could be improved for the benefit of those who use them. His comments about the condition of some stations have made interesting reading and the initiative should provide a further opportunity to demonstrate that historic buildings can, with careful design and perseverance, meet the twenty first century expectations of rail passengers.

As always, the Trust has been involved with a huge range of projects during the last year. It has been

Richard Horne

FTER A PERIOD

The Chairman at Ormskirk, where he performed the opening ceremony for the refurbished station

particularly pleasing to witness the transformation of three buildings which had been empty for several years and had become semi-derelict. The restoration and regeneration works at Cromford, Shirebrook and Sowerby Bridge are excellent examples of a partnership approach and the willingness of potential lessees to embrace the skills of architects with conservation experience. This, coupled with craftsmen who take a real pride in their work, has produced first class results which should underpin sustainable use for all three historic buildings. The attention to detail together with the introduction of modern fittings and services clearly demonstrates what can be achieved.

The transformation of Hull Station and the adjoining former bus station into a modern transport interchange is another project with which the Trust has been involved. That involvement has spanned a period of some eight years.

Her Majesty The Queen formally opened the interchange in March and the Trust is pleased to have had the opportunity to work in partnership with a wide range of organisations to transform this ailing Grade II* station.

Another Grade II* station is Chester which, for many years, has suffered from a piecemeal approach to maintenance, renewal and enhancements. The Chester Gateway Group was established by

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Cheshire County Council some seven years ago to drive forward a programme of developments and improvements to the complex of buildings as a whole. The Trust is heavily involved and the results of the Group’s endeavours are now most visible on site, with both Network Rail and Arriva Trains Wales making significant investment in the buildings which has also attracted external funding for the benefit of rail users and the city of Chester.

In the small grants category the Trust has continued to demonstrate its interest in station clocks and that at Ainsdale has been repaired and restored to working order.

The Trust’s commitment to conserving the nation’s built railway heritage received a huge vote of confidence when, towards the end of 2008, Network Rail committed to a five year sponsorship agreement covering the period 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2014. I am most grateful for this commitment at a time when that company has significant challenges to deliver the Control Period 4 settlement agreed with the Office of Rail Regulation. And although the number of projects associated with BRB (Residuary) Ltd sponsorship is reducing, we value the Board’s continued support.

As always, enthusiasm for the task abounds within the small team which makes up the Trust and I am most grateful to Jim Cornell, Malcolm Wood and Claire Pickton for their contributions. Malcolm succeeded Richard Horne in January and I am pleased to pay tribute to Richard’s input to the Trust’s work over a period of more than eight years.

My thanks are due also to Marcus Binney and to our Advisory Panel whose expertise is, indeed, valued. I am pleased to welcome Charles Howeson as a member of the Panel.

It is my pleasure to present the twenty fourth Annual Report for the Railway Heritage Trust.

The Hon Sir William McAlpine Bt Chairman London July 2009

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CHESTER STATION Chester Station was opened in 1848 to designs by Francis Thompson, architect to the Chester & Holyhead Railway (C&HR). The C&HR was one of four companies converging on Chester, together with the London & North Western Railway route from London to Holyhead, the Great Western Railway from Shrewsbury in the south and the Birkenhead, Lancashire & Cheshire Junction Railway from the north east.

The building which Thompson designed to serve these companies featured a two storey frontage in a Venetian style constructed in dark red brick with stone dressings, some of which were finely carved. The central range of the building was flanked by ornamental open turrets and filigree balustrades in stone. Beyond these, more offices were located and then the building was terminated with

colonnaded train sheds over bay platforms. Beyond the faรงade of the building the station footprint was covered by a series of glazed iron train sheds designed by C H Wild. Whilst, over time, there have been changes and reductions made, the station still remains a fine architectural entity.

Arriva Trains Wales has developed, with its architects and the Chester Gateway Group, an astoundingly modern and uncompromising design for the station concourse to deal with the on-going problems related to space, circulation and the need to introduce gating for revenue protection, security and crowd control. The twenty first century solution has introduced Below: Modern facilities installed in concourse area Bottom left: Stone repairs to arches Bottom right: Refurbished stone corbels

distinctly contrasting modern interventions, glazed and clad in patinated copper sheeting. These units house ticket, information and retail facilities, including a coffee shop and newsagent and have introduced a sculptural form into the concourse space which contrasts vividly with the classical envelope of the historic station.

The east wing, which is subject to design studies to determine future uses for the internal space, has also seen external works carried out to repair damaged frontage stonework, including window and plinth details.

As well as the very significant portions of work described above, the Trust has also provided very modest support to install new timers to control the dramatic architectural lighting to the building which was described in the Report last year. The Chester Gateway Group, of which the Trust is a member, continues to look at the wider picture and next year attention will be focussed on the regeneration of the office spaces, particularly in the east wing, improvements to the station footbridge and regeneration of facilities linked to platforms 4-7.

Architectural Lighting: Installation of New Timers Sponsor: Chester City Council, Chester Contractor: Edmund Nuttall Ltd, Winsford, Cheshire Concourse: Modernisation Sponsor: Arriva Trains Wales, Cardiff Architect: Building Design Partnership, Manchester Contractor: Harry Fairclough Construction Ltd, Warrington, Cheshire East Wing Frontage: Stonework Repairs Sponsor: Network Rail London North Western, Manchester Architectural Designer: Network Rail London North Western, Manchester in conjunction with Chester City Council, Chester & Donald Insall Associates Ltd, Chester Contractor: Bell Stonemasonry, Chester

SOWERBY BRIDGE STATION The Upper Calder valley in West Yorkshire developed rapidly after the opening of the Rochdale Canal in 1804.

After overcoming several challenges by the canal companies to its proposals, the Manchester & Leeds Railway (M&LR) opened the first station at Sowerby Bridge on 5th October 1840. During that period Branwell Bronte, brother of

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

the famous writers of Haworth, began a very brief, and ultimately flawed, railway career with the post of assistant clerk at the station.

The M&LR became a constituent of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) in 1847. The L&YR replaced the original station with a much larger building half a mile to the east, opening on 1st September 1876. The new station was a fairly grand affair in stone with a

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central range two storeys in height with the central feature above the entrance canopy being somewhat Elizabethan in style with four projected pilasters and castellated turrets framing the central gable.

The imposing main building was destroyed by fire in 1978 and demolished by British Rail in 1980, being replaced by a more functional structure with steel framed glazed gull

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

Left: Exterior of restored building Below left: Interior of refurbished lounge area

wing canopies on an adjacent new location. However, one portion of the northern range of the 1876 building survived the fire and although a mere vestige of the previous structure with much simpler quality of detail, it is located in a prominent, elevated position at the present station entrance. In a state of semi-dereliction for a long time, this building has now been completely refurbished for use as a new bar/buffet facility, known as The Jubilee Refreshment Rooms. Built of squared coursed stonework with a gabled slate roof and with ashlar quoins with rolled edges to the corners, windows and door surrounds, the building has seen work undertaken externally to the stone chimneys with one replacement stack installed. Doors and windows have also been carefully and accurately restored and, where necessary, replaced.

CUPAR STATION Cupar Station, whose design is attributed to David Bell for the Edinburgh & Northern Railway, opened on 17th September 1847. Designed in an Italianate style, the central entrance feature is formed of two symmetrical semi-elliptical arches with an oriel window above, set beneath roofs with broad eaves. The building is listed Category A. Abutting the north east end of the station is the former domestic accommodation for station staff, comprising three rooms on two floors; unused for some time and currently dilapidated and devoid of services. Two of the rooms are located on the ground floor with a concrete staircase connecting them to a single first floor room.

Cupar Heritage (formerly Heritage, Arts and Leisure Society, Cupar), as part of the ‘Adopt a Station’ initiative with First ScotRail and Fife Council, has received a modest grant from the Trust to commission a feasibility study for proposed redevelopment of these spaces into a heritage centre. Proposals arising from the study are for two exhibition spaces at ground floor level with a separate office in the single first floor space, including restoration and repair of windows and refurbishment of

Internally, the building has been transformed, being fully rationalised and refurbished to provide an extended bar/lounge area, kitchen, new compliant toilet facilities and a particularly skilful installation at basement level of a new beer cellar. The fittings and colour schemes have been carefully considered to provide an atmosphere with a hint of Art Deco. The project to develop the proposals has been a real challenge to the lessees, who have spent 11 years resolving outstanding issues with the rail industry, but with the support of the Trust and their own Yorkshire grit, their long term aspiration is about to be realised with the imminent opening of the facility.

Sponsor: Andrew & Chris Wright, Halifax, West Yorkshire Consultant: Building Design & Planning Consultancy, Rochdale, Lancashire Contractor: Ashwood (Rochdale) Ltd, Rochdale, Lancashire

Below: Refurbished railings to road bridge Inset: Frontage of station building with former domestic accommodation in foreground

internal finishes and details, together with restoration of existing cast iron fireplaces. The proposals, though relatively minor, would enable conservation of this unused element through regeneration and the Trust is looking forward to the future development of the project.

Cupar Station has also been the subject of a second, more substantial, grant this year for the refurbishment of ornate wrought iron railings flanking

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the nearby road bridge which spans the railway. The work has been carried out

by Network Rail, as part of improvements to the setting of this significant station building.

Feasibility Study Sponsor: Cupar Heritage, Cupar, Fife Architect: Johnston Kidd Architects, Cupar, Fife Bridge: Railings Restoration Sponsor: Network Rail Scotland, Glasgow Contractor: BAM Nuttall Ltd, Glasgow

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REVIEW OF PROJECTS

As a result of the retention of the main buildings on the former down island platform, the Spa Valley Railway has been able to undertake restoration of the waiting rooms and toilets within these buildings and conversion of the former porter’s room into a ticket and information office. The former gents toilet block was in a parlous state and has now been restored and returned to its original use. The interiors are based on examples from the Spa Valley Railway premises at Tunbridge Wells West and the group was fortunate in that original fireplaces remained in place.

The external decorations undertaken

by Spa Valley Railway replicate the external colours used by Southern, which has created a consistent and harmonious appearance to what is a very well preserved setting. Internally, the Spa Valley group has adopted the historic Southern Railway colours of cream and green as used at stations on its route. The Trust is pleased to have been able to support the efforts of the volunteer group to bring new life to this station.

Sponsor: Spa Valley Railway, Tunbridge Wells, Kent Contractor: Spa Valley Railway volunteers

Left: Redecorated platform building with toilet block beyond Inset: Lighting detail in waiting room

BARNSTAPLE STATION

ERIDGE STATION The station at Eridge was planned by the Brighton, Uckfield and Tunbridge Wells Railway Company and opened on 3rd August 1868 as part of a 12 mile single track route running from the end-on junction at Uckfield to join the East Grinstead to Tunbridge Wells route at Groombridge Junction. The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway took over the original company before the line was opened and eventually reconstructed the station in 1881, the main station building being of red brick with plain gabled pavilions either side of a simple but elegant booking hall. To the rear, a glazed gallery links the island platforms via open sided staircases.

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

Beneath the gabled canopies reside two timber buildings containing waiting rooms, toilets and staff rooms.

Originally, the station served a junction with five routes radiating out to Eastbourne, Lewes via Uckfield, Polegate, Tunbridge Wells and Oxted. The Uckfield line, singled in 1990, has seen a revival of late with the introduction of faster services. The station has also become a focus of ambitious proposals by the Spa Valley Railway which runs the preserved line between Groombridge and Tunbridge Wells West, over a route previously closed in 1985. The layout at Eridge presents a rare opportunity to bring trains from the Spa Valley line into the station, thereby allowing direct interchange with main line services.

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Barnstaple is terminus of the sole remaining branch line in North Devon, leaving the former Great Western Railway (GWR) main line from London to Cornwall just north of Exeter St David’s Station. However, it was not always so, for the station, now single track, once boasted three through platforms and was the junction (thus renamed Barnstaple Junction from 1874 until the 1970s) for two London & South Western Railway (LSWR) lines that carried on to Torrington and Ilfracombe (the Lynton & Barnstaple narrow gauge line branching off the latter at Barnstaple Town, just over the River Taw). The GWR opened a line from Taunton to a separate station in Barnstaple in 1873. Closed in 1960, it was linked by a spur to Barnstaple Junction from 1905 to 1939.

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

The history of the remaining line, from Exeter, is too convoluted to record here, but it was opened (as was the present station building) on 1st August 1854 by the North Devon Railway (NDR) as a mixed standard and broad gauge line, for the section from Crediton to Exeter was owned by the eponymous Railway and leased to the broad gauge Bristol & Exeter Railway. The line came totally into the LSWR’s fold in 1865, although broad gauge goods trains ran until 1877 (and from Exeter to Crediton until 1892).

Designed by Sir William Tite, Chairman of the NDR, Barnstaple Station (listed Grade II) was somewhat Tudor in style, being built of randomly laid, squared local stone with rusticated ashlar quoins and dressings, with steeply pitched slate roofs surmounted by stone chimneys. The north end of the building was of two storeys, being the station house. The LSWR altered the platform canopy to its distinctive curved top design and it and the station building are all that now remain of a once extensive complex. The vacant station house was leased to Tarka Trains, the organisation supporting the Tarka Line, as the branch is now known.

Assistance with funding for this project includes Devon County Council, Devon Renaissance and the Trust. The first phase of works carried out has seen an unsympathetic extension to the station house removed and a new buffet created in the remaining space with

Above and inset: Station buildings after alterations Below: Refurbished buffet area

direct access from the station ticket hall.

At first floor a local railway museum, doubling as a conference room, has been created and there are offices on the second floor. The eventual intention is to create a new restaurant, to be accommodated within a twin gabled, single storey extension, designed using the same materials and window detailing as the original building. The Trust looks forward to the aspirations being achieved and the addition of a greatly needed facility for regular passengers and tourists alike.

Sponsor: Atlantic Coast Express Ltd, Bideford, Devon Designer: D & J May, Barnstaple, Devon Contractor: Pearce Construction (Barnstaple) Ltd, Barnstaple, Devon

Ainsdale was one of the original stations. Built in timber to a simple panelled design, the station buildings date from a later period when the area saw substantial residential development.

The stations along the route were provided with clocks visible from both platforms, to comply with Board of Left: Downside building with clock on platform elevation Below: Refurbished clock in situ

AINSDALE STATION Construction of the Liverpool, Crosby & Southport Railway was authorised in July 1847 and the route from Waterloo to Southport was opened on 24th July 1848. Originally a single line, the route was doubled by September 1852.

Trade requirements. The clock at Ainsdale was the work of John Agar.

He and his father were clockmakers from the Bury/Bolton area and undertook works for four railway companies in the region. The clock had been converted to electric drive at some point in its life (replacing the original clockwork mechanism). The slave drive carried faint vestiges of the name of the maker and the glass had been removed from the face, allowing the white dial to be exposed to direct sunlight.

One of the smaller grants awarded by the Trust this year has enabled Merseyrail to undertake restoration to the face of the clock and replacement of the glass.

Sponsor: Merseyrail, Liverpool Contractor: Mechanical Restoration, Heswall, Wirral

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RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

KILMARNOCK VIADUCT Built in 1848 by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock & Ayr Railway to a design

by Thomas Grainger and John Miller, the 23 arch viaduct forms an iconic and dominant architectural element in the landscape of Kilmarnock. The Trust reported in 1991 on a major restoration of the stonework and indicated at that time that there were aspirations to create an architectural lighting scheme to enhance the night views of this Category B listed structure. Finally, this

year, the floodlighting has been undertaken, jointly funded by the Trust and East Ayrshire Council.

The 15 most prominent arches have been externally illuminated by a white light sourced above each pier but with interiors of the arches washed with a blue glow provided by low wattage recessed LED floodlights. The installation has been undertaken with great care to reduce the impact of the service routes.

Located in the John Finnie Street/Bank Street Outstanding Conservation Area, the spectacular

Above: Night and (inset) day views of the viaduct

HULL STATION

reported on last year were officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen at a ceremony held on 5th March 2009. The Trust has followed up this work with further grants for stone repairs to column plinths and high level string courses in the areas of the station adjacent to the intersections of the hotel and bus station frontages. Adjacent is the former booking hall with its highly detailed central former ticket office. Here the Trust has assisted with the functional installation, around the perimeter, of a series of simply detailed glazed modules to provide facilities for the train operator, First TransPennine, to assist mobility impaired passengers with their travel arrangements.

The third element to which the Trust

The station at Hull is the result of two major works uniting to form a significant combination of architectural and engineering grandeur. The older element is the building, in Italianate style, on the south side of the original G T Andrews’ station designed for the York & North Midland Railway (Y&NMR) in 1848. The second and newer element is that added in 1904 to the designs of William Bell for the North Eastern Railway (successor to the Y&NMR), which comprises the train shed and associated buildings.

The superb interchange facilities Left: Refurbished staff accommodation

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result is an imposing contribution to the aims of Kilmarnock’s Townscape Heritage Initiative and Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme and is a project with which the Trust is proud to have been associated.

Sponsor: East Ayrshire Council, Kilmarnock Designer: East Ayrshire Council Lighting and Planning & Economic Development Divisions, Kilmarnock, with Philips Lighting UK, Guildford, Surrey Contractor: MacLean Lighting Systems, Bonnybridge, Falkirk

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

has given support is the internal refurbishment and upgrading of the former Red Star parcels building off Platform 2, within which staff accommodation appropriate for twenty first century railway operations has been created. This has seen the retention of details to windows and doors and the installation of suspended ceilings and new floor finishes. The result has breathed new life into a range of historic buildings which had become tired and subject to poor attention in terms of inappropriate routing of services and general overall condition.

Restoration Works & ‘Travel Extra’ Units Sponsor: First TransPennine Express, Manchester Architect: Potts Parry Ives + Young, York Contractor: Mitie Property Services, Bristol Former Red Star Parcels Office Restoration Sponsor: First TransPennine Express, Manchester Architect: Potts Parry Ives + Young, York Contractor: Serco Group plc, Hook, Hampshire Stonework Repairs Sponsor: Hull City Council, Hull Contractor: Classic Masonry Ltd, North Shields, Tyne & Wear

Above: New units flanking former booking office Inset: Burmantoft faience and tile details in former booking hall

the refurbishment of the unused portion of this building for the creation of a satellite office to be used by HITRANS and other local interest groups. This facility (opened on 9th April 2009 by Sarah Kennedy, wife of Charles Kennedy, the local MP) will help the continuing efforts to promote and maintain the line to serve the needs of the local communities and the important tourist industry of the area.

Sponsor: HITRANS, Inverness Contractor: James Miller Management Ltd, Fort William, Inverness-shire

ARISAIG STATION Last year we reported on the works to the southbound shelter at Arisaig, located on the former North British Railway’s West Highland Extension line, one of the most scenic of rail routes anywhere. The line, opened on 1st April 1901, extended the existing West Highland route of 1894, from Helensburgh to Fort William, onwards to the coast at Mallaig. The line was significant for Robert McAlpine’s use of concrete in the construction of bridges and viaducts (including the elegantly curved viaduct at Glenfinnan).

Above: General view of station with refurbished building on right Right: Interior of refurbished community space

Of the stations along the route, Arisaig is the last but one to Mallaig and is located on a passing loop. The station building, located on the downside and listed Category B, generally follows the style of the other stations on the line, with wide projected eaves to a hipped slate roof, above rendered brickwork walls. The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) and the Highland Rail Partnership (now integrated) joined with the Trust to fund

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REVIEW OF PROJECTS

clever insertion of a freestanding modern steel staircase core incorporating a projection screen links the first floor to a new mezzanine exhibition gallery.

The boiler house is being converted to provide service space and disabled toilets with studio space for artists in residence on the first floor. Future work in the accumulator tower will provide waiting space and further projection opportunities for audio/visual presentations.

Sponsor: Metal Culture Ltd, Liverpool Architect: shedkm ltd, Liverpool Contractor: Origen Building Contractors Ltd, Liverpool

NOTTINGHAM STATION Above: Refurbished office space in 1836 building Below: The architects give a guided tour to the Trust’s Executive Director and PA

EDGE HILL STATION

Malcolm Wood

Edge Hill Station, one of the most historic surviving original stations on the former Liverpool & Manchester Railway (later the London & North Western Railway), was opened on 15th August 1836. It was originally an operational centre where locomotives were attached and detached from trains at the beginning and end of their journeys. The lines into the termini were operated by rope haulage through tunnels with the station focussed on the disused rock cutting west of Chatsworth Way Bridge, the site of the Moorish Arch.

The station, designed by Joseph Franklin and Thomas Haig, comprised two buildings on opposing platforms constructed in pink Olive Mount sandstone in a uniform yet heavy style with classical undertones. The

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stonework was finished with deeply incised rustication and radial lintels.

Between 1847 and 1873 the station had an overall roof in glass and iron. The original engine winding houses for the rope haulage system were located to the east of the station, but demolished after rope haulage ceased in 1870 and the subterranean route used by the cable system was converted into a passenger subway in 1873. The engine house operating the fifth and final tunnel serving Waterloo docks was constructed behind the original north building in 1849. This structure has copious sandstone dressings, with a deep cornice and a heavily vermiculated entrance doorway; adjacent is the sandstone boiler house and beyond this is a later red brick hydraulic accumulator tower.

The southern building has been previously restored and now part of the site has been taken over by local Liverpool arts and culture organisation Metal, whose aspiration for the north building is to transform a series of disused, forgotten spaces into a focal point for the local community, linking arts, culture and heritage. Metal has commenced development and restoration of the first floor space in the original 1836 building as office accommodation and this is linked to the engine house by a new doorway at first floor level. Within the engine house the

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The Midland Railway (MR) undertook major overhauls of its three largest East Midlands stations at the very end of the nineteenth century. Leicester was revamped in 1892 and Sheffield and Nottingham followed suit in 1904. The MR architect, Charles Trubshaw, had spent time in the United States in 1897 and the design of Nottingham’s concourse interior, a lofty space very much in the Beaux Arts style, seems to reflect the influence of this trip.

Although the frontage design has been attributed to local architect A E Lambert, Nottingham retains the individual elements of a dominant clock tower, terracotta façades with strong elevational treatment and portecochères straddling the tracks, making access to the platforms easy and direct.

The two island platforms at Nottingham are wide and dwarf the single platform at the south side. They have consistently detailed red brick buildings centrally located and the canopies follow the usual form of MR ridge and furrow awnings with hipped ends. At one time, a large lattice girder bridge carried the Great Central Railway’s (GCR) extension line to London across the station and proposals are in hand to reintroduce this feature as part of a major redevelopment which will see the Nottingham Express Transit tram route extended over the former GCR alignment.

In the Edwardian period a second footbridge was installed beyond the GCR route. Housed within a very large steel trussed structure, it had a timber

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

walkway, glazing to the top half of the flanking walls and a central glazed rooflight. Last year we reported on the refurbishment of the very wide access stairs to this bridge with their elegant balustrades and decorated cast iron newel posts.

This year the Trust has supported Network Rail in its efforts to refurbish the bridge and deal with the corrosion in the steelwork and rotten timberwork.

New architectural lighting has been installed, the roof has been completely recovered with more durable lead replacing felt and the windows and rooflights have been completely reglazed, with the windows made accessible for maintenance. Finally, the footbridge has been redecorated to match the colour scheme of red, green and cream now in place throughout the station.

Sponsor: Network Rail London North Eastern, York Structural Engineer & Contractor: First Engineering Ltd, York (now Babcock Rail, Glasgow) Above: Refurbished footbridge interior

Inset left: Refurbished staircase to Platform 6 Inset right: Detail of screen at end of span

LEAMINGTON SPA STATION

with GWR style benches, modelled on the 1930s ‘roundel’ designed cast iron seat supports and in a variety of seat lengths. A second grant was given to restore the former coal store and lamp room at the southern end of the down platform. These functional buildings, constructed in brick and corrugated iron, have been transformed into storage for the necessary tools and materials to enable this worthy group to continue its award winning work on the station gardens.

Leamington Spa Station was opened on 1st October 1852, part of the Great Western Railway’s (GWR) Birmingham & Oxford Junction Railway. By the late 1930s the original train shed had seriously deteriorated and a new facility was required. The resultant station building was opened in 1939, designed in the Art Deco style and constructed in white Portland stone.

Having previously given several grants for works at Leamington Spa, the Trust has again supported Chiltern Railways, allowing completion of work to stone wall tiling in the booking hall and also to windows and doors in the ticket hall.

One of the great successes for Leamington Spa has been the work of the Friends of Leamington Station, the volunteer group which has transformed the station environment. This year the Trust gave two grant awards to the Friends. The first was to replace the remaining modern style platform seats

Left: Refurbished coal store and garden Inset: One of the new seats with garden and store beyond

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Former Coal Compound & Lamp Room Works Sponsor: Friends of Leamington Station, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire Contractor: Warwickshire Essential Developments Ltd, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire & Friends of Leamington Station volunteers Booking Hall Additional Works Sponsor: Chiltern Railways, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Engineer: Ian Harban Consulting Engineers, Banbury, Oxfordshire Contractor: Osborne, Redhill, Surrey GWR Replica Benches Sponsor: Friends of Leamington Station, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire Manufacturer: Steelway Fensecure, Wolverhampton, West Midlands Contractor: Friends of Leamington Station volunteers

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

Previous Annual Reports have described works carried out on the spectacular Settle & Carlisle Line, opened in 1875 by the Midland Railway (MR) under the engineering direction of J S Crossley.

This route, constructed over some of the most isolated and inhospitable terrain in England, was considered Crossley’s greatest achievement and was intended to give the MR its own line to Scotland in direct competition with the London & North Western Railway (L&NWR). It was also one of the last to be built using traditional ‘pick and shovel’ methods.

Whilst the route is rightly famous for its engineering structures, most notably Ribblehead Viaduct and Blea Moor Tunnel, the stations are testimony to the consistency of the MR to its design

Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line

SETTLE STATION

principles; an exercise in standardisation evolved from designs Crossley had employed throughout the MR, based on a single storey range with gabled ends, terminating in decorative fretted barge boards. There were three types of design: Type 1 the largest with three pavilions, Type 2 the medium with two pavilions and Type 3 with one pavilion. Any of the types could have subtle differences in detail and in material used, which varied along the route to reflect the local style.

Settle is one of three examples of the Type 1 large station and is constructed in sandstone. The station was originally opened as Settle New Station by the MR on 1st May 1876, being renamed Settle on 1st July 1879. An earlier station at Settle, constructed by the L&NWR in 1849 on the Lancaster route and renamed Settle Old on the same day would become Giggleswick in November 1877.

The Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company had harboured aspirations for some time to improve customer facilities at the station.

Proposals included relocation of the toilets from the Ladies Waiting Room to form a new toilet block to include gents, mobility impaired and staff facilities.

The Ladies Waiting Room was then converted to provide an information room for customers, including train information. As part of the works, the Trust supported repairs to the windows which were in a very poor state and also to the decorated fretted barge boards where damaged. A new door to the ticket office has been installed in a style to comply with the provisions of the excellent Settle & Carlisle Line Design Guide and a new MR style bench provided in the waiting room. The work, undertaken in partnership with Northern Rail, North Yorkshire District Council, English Welsh & Scottish Railway (now DB Schenker Rail (UK)) and the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line, has resulted in a great improvement to the experience of customers at this station.

Sponsor: The Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Co, Settle, North Yorkshire Engineer: jnpgroup, Brighouse, West Yorkshire Contractor: JMD Developments (UK) Ltd, Wetherby, West Yorkshire

Top: A seasonal view of the station Above left: Refurbished toilets, with restored windows and barge boards Below left: Refurbished building framed by the footbridge Inset: Reinstated seating in waiting room

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

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REVIEW OF PROJECTS

BEXHILL STATION The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) opened a station at Bexhill in 1846, later renamed Bexhill Central. Rapid growth of the town as a holiday resort in the late Victorian period and the construction of a linking branch line by the South Eastern Railway saw a decision by the LB&SCR to rebuild the station in 1901.

The new station (now listed Grade II and again named simply Bexhill) was specifically designed to deal with holiday crowds and was furnished with long, wide platforms with extensive canopies accessed to and from the entrance building by long ramps with delicate glazing surmounting brick support walls. The main station building was constructed in red brick with relieving bands of gault brick and stone dressings to the arched windows. The roof was constructed in a hipped slate style and above the generous space of the ticket hall light was drawn in through a large lantern structure in contrast to the patterned glazed brickwork at low level.

The windows were set in six arched bays on the frontage (the bays at each end projecting slightly), contained beneath an elegant canopy with a scalloped valance. At platform level much of the accommodation is, sadly, now redundant.

This year Southern has refurbished the ticket hall internally, including the glazed brickwork, flooring and overall decoration and this has had a major visual impact, as have the improvements carried out to install new ticket office

Above: New pharmacy in former parcels office Below: Refurbished ticket hall

windows. In addition, the former newsagent’s kiosk has been successfully refurbished as a coffee bar.

The train operator has also joined forces with a locally based healthcare group to develop the redundant parcels office into a new pharmacy unit with medical consultation suites. Details within the space have been maintained, the rooflights have been reinstated and reglazed and the fitting out is in a modern style. The entrance door from the ticket hall has also been reinstated.

The result of all these efforts is a very satisfying improvement to the station, with which the Trust is pleased to have been associated.

Ticket Hall Refurbishment Sponsor: Southern, Croydon, Surrey Architect: The Trevor Patrick Partnership, London Contractor: Osborne, Chichester, West Sussex Parcels Office Conversion Sponsor: South East Health Ltd, Ashford, Kent Architect: Faulkner Associates, Bexhill, East Sussex Consulting Engineer: ndesign, Denton Island, Newhaven, East Sussex Contractor: George Stone Ltd, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex

ARBROATH STATION In 1848 a joint facility was built by the Dundee & Arbroath Joint Railway at Keptie Street to replace two earlier stations. In 1911 the station was rebuilt, being split over two levels housing ticket office, staff and station management accommodation and public toilets. The building was constructed in ashlar stone with projecting simple cornices and ball finial decoration. The platform accommodation, set beneath a glazed canopy, contains many original features but is in poor condition.

A feasibility study was commissioned in response to the ‘Adopt a Station’ initiative created in 2005 by First ScotRail with the aim of regenerating vacant station buildings through community use. The Trust joined with partners First ScotRail, Forward Scotland and Angus Transport Forum in funding the study. Next year the target is the renovation of one of the platform buildings for arts accommodation.

Sponsor: Forward Scotland, Stirling Architect: Gaia Architects, Edinburgh

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RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

NIDD VIADUCT The Great North of England Railway (GNoER) had already undertaken three years of operation on the first part of its route from Tyneside through York when the Leeds & Thirsk Railway (L&TR), later the Leeds Northern Railway, issued a prospectus in May 1844 with the aspiration of opening a second route to Thirsk from Leeds through Harrogate.

The GNoER had encountered local resistance to its desire to build a line from Harrogate to link with its main line at Pilmoor, based on a fear that this action would prevent a more suitable route being found from Leeds.

In 1845, continuing with its own proposals, the L&TR deposited a bill at the same time as the GNoER was making the deposition for the proposed line from Pilmoor. George Hudson, the ‘Railway King’, cleared the way for the L&TR proposal (intervening by taking a lease on the GNoER and then withdrawing its scheme) and the company commenced work in October. The first phase of

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

construction linked Ripon and Thirsk and the line was opened to mineral traffic on 5th January 1848. September that year saw the line between Weeton

and Wormald Green opened, followed immediately by the section from Wormald Green to Ripon.

The line from Harrogate to Ripon crossed the Nidd Gorge by means of a stone viaduct with seven semi-circular arches each with a span of 50 feet and rising nearly 100 feet high, designed by Thomas Grainger. The viaduct is some 160 yards long and constructed from coursed, rock faced stone blocks. The voussoirs to the arches are stepped and the viaduct is graced by prominent, rounded impost bands and a similarly detailed cornice.

The piers are constructed in two stages with the base in large coursed, rock faced stonework whilst the upper parts of the piers are tapered and, on the inner faces, projecting stone corbel blocks are displayed - a decorative remnant of the support for the wooden centering used during construction.

The viaduct was closed in 1951 and is retained as part of the estate of BRB (Residuary) Ltd but is now incorporated into proposals for a three kilometre cycle route linking Bilton Lane, Harrogate to Ripley as part of the Sustrans network, intended as a gateway to the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Trust has joined with other partners (Sustrans, BRB (Residuary) Ltd and Harrogate Borough Council) to undertake works to the viaduct, addressing drainage problems associated with an adjacent cutting and applying a new waterproof surface to the deck.

Above: Reflected spans Below: Viaduct deck, drained and resurfaced

Sponsor: BRB (Residuary) Ltd, London Contractor: Railway Paths Ltd, Bristol

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REVIEW OF PROJECTS

KYLE OF LOCHALSH: FORMER SIGNAL BOX The Ross-shire Railway had, by 1863, pushed the route of the railways in the Highlands northwards to Dingwall. The next aim was the linking of Inverness with Skye. In 1865 the company was authorised to build 63 miles of line from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh, create a new port from a barren site at the terminus and acquire the steam ferry which existed between Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyleakin.

The Dingwall & Skye Railway (D&SR) commenced work in September 1868 with the line terminated at Strome Ferry, which opened in August 1870. As a result of difficulties, the debt ridden D&SR was finally amalgamated with the Highland Railway (HR) in September 1880. Following the Crofters Commission Report in 1884, identifying that railheads at Strome Ferry and Oban were of insufficient capacity, the HR implemented an extension from Strome Ferry to Kyle of Lochalsh; in 1893 the most costly railway built in Britain at the time. The line opened on 2nd November 1897 with a steam ferry finally linking Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin on Skye. A whole new village had sprung up at Kyle of Lochalsh with the railway and the station accommodation itself consisted of a single building with a signal box and engine shed to the north.

The signal box was opened on the same day as the station and operated until 1984 when electric signalling was introduced. It is an example of a Dutton Type 3/Highland box, fitted with an enclosed landing and revised window designs. In the 1990s the timber built box suffered a disastrous fire which severely damaged the interior. The Trust supported its partners with their commissioned feasibility study to restore the box and bring it back into use for the benefit of the local community. The study suggests an exhibition gallery at first floor level and a small overnight ‘bothy’ facility at ground floor level. The small volume of the box has precluded the inclusion of an internal staircase, so proposals have investigated an appropriate new external staircase design. Windows, boarding and doors will also be restored but with positions unchanged.

Sponsor: Skye and Kyle Rail Development Co Ltd, Kyle of Lochalsh, Ross-shire Architect: LDN Architects, Forres, Moray

SPALDING STATION One of the first stages of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) route from London to Doncaster included the section from Peterborough to Lincoln which passed through Spalding. Later, although also served by the Midland & Great Northern Joint and the Great Northern & Great Eastern Joint

Top: Glazed laylight awaiting restoration Above: Interior of station accommodation Inset: The Italianate frontage

Railways, Spalding Station remained primarily a GNR operation. The station was the work of John Taylor and it was opened on 17th October 1848.

Spalding was one of Taylor’s larger designs and the structure of yellow brick incorporated distinctly Italianate features, including round headed windows, some Venetian styled, together with a squat three storey tower with a pyramid slate roof; all the roofs being characterised by deep eaves and resultant broad gables. At the southern end of the frontage range was a pavilion structure from which projected a lattice

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iron footbridge linking the four platforms, subsequently reduced to two with rationalisation. The station was listed Grade II in 1990.

The operational accommodation dramatically reduced over a period of time and the interiors displayed accelerating decline. Recent interest has been shown, however, by South Holland Radio CIC, a community based radio station which, with the help of the Trust, the local council and railway industry partners, aims to be the first such radio station broadcasting from a railway station. The Trust has lent its support by way of a grant to assist in the conversion of redundant space to form the studios and community rooms whilst

retaining and refurbishing as much of the detail in the rooms as possible.

The fabric is much more dilapidated than previously thought and, as a result, specialists have had to be engaged to deal with problems of dry rot and the effects of prolonged damp in the walls and floors. Currently the group is promoting a local initiative for the community to adopt the station. The Trust continues to support its efforts and looks forward to reporting further on the results of the work in next year’s Report.

Sponsor: South Holland Radio CIC, Spalding, Lincolnshire Designer: Remway Design Ltd, Spalding, Lincolnshire Contractor: Hefford Building Consultants Ltd, Spalding, Lincolnshire

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

P Bowler

GIRVAN STATION The Maybole & Girvan Railway arrived at the fishing town of Girvan, on the coast of Ayrshire, in May 1860.

Subsequently, the Glasgow & South Western Railway reconstructed the terminus between 1892 and 1893. In January 1946 the station was largely destroyed by a fire, reported as having started in the roof of the luggage office.

Accounts at the time noted that only the chimneys remained and the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, at the time responsible for the station, delayed reconstruction due to the impending nationalisation of the railway system.

A replacement station facility was opened at Girvan in 1951 and despite being a post-war build the design was notable in that it reflected a 1930s Art Deco styling, finished in red brick with cream banding, in the spirit of pre-war station designs produced by the Southern Railway.

The station is now listed Category B. The clock in the booking office, reputed to be the original clock of 1893, was saved from the fire by the actions of the station staff, if reports of the time are accurate. The clock is an English fusee type, bearing the name on its face of J G Brown of Glasgow and was installed in the new station on the booking office wall with a linking shaft to drive an Art Deco styled clock face with simple plated markers on the public side of the booking hall wall.

Gradually the mechanism had begun to fail, to the point where the original hands were removed. The Trust, awarding one of its smaller grants, joined with the Stranraer to Ayr Line Support Association (SAYLSA) to fund the expert repairs to this fusee clock, including replacing the glass, cleaning the mechanism, repairing the centre shafts and reinstating the hands to the booking hall face.

Sponsor: Stranraer to Ayr Line Support Association (SAYLSA), Kilmarnock, Ayrshire Clock Repair: A & J Raeburn, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

CROMFORD STATION The Manchester, Buxton, Matlock & Midland Junction Railway (MBM&MidJnR) opened a temporary timber station at Cromford on 4th June 1849. The station was given more permanence when, in 1855, the Midland Railway (MR), successor to the MBM&MidJnR, constructed a new station master’s house designed by G H Stokes in the style of a French château with steeple turrets, set high on the hillside above the station.

By 1860, a waiting room in similar style was constructed on the southbound platform, joined in 1875 by a larger stone building on the opposite platform. Clearly not to the same detail as Stokes’ work, this later building was constructed in the same stone as the rest of the station, but included a flat porch with floral iron brackets with a long, flat roofed platform canopy in typical MR style. Cromford Station is one of the most historic survivors of the former MR route to Manchester.

The Trust reported last year on early progress on the Grade II listed 1875 building by the Arkwright Society, owner of the adjacent historic Arkwright Mill

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Above: An iconic view of Cromford with the refurbished downside building on the left and the privately restored former waiting room on the right Inset left: 1875 building before restoration Inset right: Renovated exterior Above right: New office created above the former toilet block

of 1771. Following research, original drawings were obtained illustrating the design (sadly unattributed) produced by the MR engineer’s office in Derby. The Society has now completed a restoration programme to refurbish the structure to provide two office suites.

A thorough external restoration has been undertaken and the comprehensive internal refurbishment has created a striking modern interior whilst retaining the lofty grandeur of the former booking hall, with decorative mouldings restored.

The tall sash windows have been reinstated and the bright interior has been further reinforced by the introduction of a modern, yet very sympathetic, lantern roof over the former gents toilet block.

This has created a further office space with an elevated 360 degree view over both the station and the portal to Willersley Tunnel.

As the only original station located within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, the Trust was pleased to be able to offer grant funding support to achieve this very worthwhile result.

Sponsor: Arkwright Society Ltd, Cromford, Derbyshire Architect: Mansel Architects, Belper, Derbyshire Contractor: Arkwright Society Building Team, Cromford, Derbyshire

KEIGHLEY STATION The Leeds & Bradford Railway (Lds&BfdR) opened Keighley Station on 16th March 1847 on the branch line from Shipley. The route was extended in stages through Skipton, meeting the East Lancashire Railway at Colne in April 1849. The opening of the ‘Little North Western’ link from Skipton to Lancaster in 1850 (linking to Scotland) was a further improvement, but Keighley finally served a true main line in 1876 with the opening of the Settle & Carlisle Line by the Midland Railway (MR) (successor to the Lds&BfdR).

In 1867 a branch line was built from Keighley to Oxenhope, tapping into the tourist trade based on the fame of the Brontes of Haworth. The route was closed in 1960 but reopened in 1968 and is now the well known preservation line of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (K&WVR).

The station was relocated and rebuilt in 1883 to a design attributed to Charles Trubshaw and is listed Grade II. The

buildings, in a honey coloured mixture of York stone and millstone grit, are extensive, with four platforms forming a V form on plan. The K&WVR uses the western pair of platforms which link the gallery footbridge by long ramps.

Last year we reported on the reglazing of the MR canopy over the K&WVR platforms. This year the Trust has given additional grant to undertake restoration of elements of the upper access ramp leading from the footbridge gallery to the street level entrance. This included repairs and restoration to the

range of windows along the external face of the ramp, resurfacing the floor and redecoration. The work has now delivered a smart, consistent appearance to the platform accesses.

Sponsor: Keighley & Worth Valley Light Railway, Keighley, West Yorkshire Architect: Bowman Riley Architects, Skipton, North Yorkshire Contractor: R N Wooler and Co Ltd, Keighley, West Yorkshire

Right: Refurbished upper access ramp Inset: New glazing illuminates the ramp

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RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

ORMSKIRK STATION

Top: Platform canopy and buildings refurbished Above: Modernised interior of booking hall Below: The station in the early 1900s

various other ancillary structures including a signal box (now demolished) and a permanent way building which matches the detail of the station and is in use today as a taxi office.

The station building was constructed in red brick in Flemish bond under a slated roof and the Italianate style of the building is reinforced by the moulded round headed windows. The original chimneys and the ridge and furrow glazed platform canopy have been heavily altered, with the canopy replaced by a flat awning with deep valances, albeit carried on the original cast iron columns and beams with circular spandrel infills. The station underwent significant change in 1913 when the route to Liverpool was electrified and is now no longer served

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

by through trains, being a ‘back to back’ terminus with Merseyrail trains to Liverpool heading south and Northern Rail trains to Preston departing to the north.

Lancashire County Council joined with Merseytravel, Northern Rail, West Lancashire Borough Council and the Railway Heritage Trust to undertake significant restoration and refurbishment of the station, including a complete modernisation of the interior to regenerate the building and provide facilities for the twenty first century railway. Externally the building has been completely refurbished with repairs to brickwork and windows, including the replacement of roll moulding detail and chimneys. Cast iron rainwater goods have been replaced and the roof has been carefully reslated using a combination of original slates and replacements. The canopy to the platform has been completely refurbished and made watertight whilst the frontage of the station has seen the repair of the upper pediment detail over the entrance doors and the reintroduction of a glazed entrance canopy, long since removed.

Internally there have been major changes with the previously altered layout significantly revised to provide a large booking hall space with modern ticket sales area and catering facilities.

The toilet facilities have also been totally modernised and incorporate important energy saving solutions by way of grey

water recycling, whilst the station has improved insulation and features the use of LED lighting. The result is a building which will continue to serve Ormskirk, bringing a modern travel experience to customers but within the solid surrounding of the original L&YR station.

Sponsor: Lancashire County Council, Preston, Lancashire Architect: sbs Architects, Manchester Contractor: Strategic Team Group Ltd, Castleford, West Yorkshire

BRIGHTON: TRAFALGAR STREET

Richard Horne collection

Richard Horne

Richard Horne

The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway (LO&PR) commenced work on the new main line at Maghull on 13th March 1847, to link Liverpool and Preston. The railway actually came to Ormskirk between 1848 and 1849, the official opening taking place on 22nd April 1849. The contractors for the works were Brassey, Mackenzie & Stephenson with the eminent Joseph Locke and John Errington as the engineers. The original station was located on the west side of the line, a single storey, buff sandstone building with a gabled roof which still exists today in private ownership. During the 1860s, the LO&PR was incorporated into the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) and the current station building was constructed circa 1870 along with

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The London & Brighton Railway opened its first station at Brighton on 11th May 1840. The elevated station building was designed by David Mocatta, whilst the adjoining timber train shed was the work of the line’s engineer, J U Rastrick.

A significant change was made with the introduction of a porte-cochère to the frontage of the station, beyond which the forecourt was later extended over Trafalgar Street, which runs west to east down hill from the station on a fairly steep gradient. A secondary, subterranean route took the cab road from the adjacent area into the station, thereby avoiding this slope. The northern wall to Trafalgar Street contained a series of arches which were eventually utilised as commercial spaces, the most recent being the Brighton Toy and Model Museum.

Recently the North Laine Shopping initiative, promoting the trading outlets of Trafalgar Street, has been a catalyst for improvements, notably to the bridge where the poor lighting, pigeon

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

Right: Refurbished bridge spans Insets: View along street and retaining walls

infestation and dowdy paintwork had created a poor impression. Brighton & Hove City Council, Network Rail, Southern and the Trust joined forces to fund the redecoration of the structure and replacement of the pigeon netting.

When completed during 2009, new architectural lighting will further improve what has become very much a backwater area, despite its location, general use and facilities.

Sponsor: Brighton & Hove City Council, Hove, East Sussex Architect: Robinson, Kenning & Gallagher, Croydon, Surrey Lighting Consultant: DO-Architecture Ltd, Glasgow Contractor: Colas Rail Ltd, Brighton, East Sussex

NEWCASTLE: FORTH STREET ARCHES The Trust reported last year on the works to restore the High Level Bridge, designed by Robert Stephenson with Thomas Harrison and opened in 1849

by Queen Victoria.

The approach to the bridge from the direction of Newcastle Station was carried on a half mile long viaduct in coursed sandstone which followed the line of the north side of Forth Street.

Below: Refurbished arches with new glazing and signage

Fifteen round headed arches within the viaduct, set on a gently sweeping curve, were the subject of the Trust’s interest this year, having been completely transformed by conversion into commercial units by Spacia. Eight of the arches, closest to Newcastle Station, are single storey, whilst the remaining seven have been given extra space with the insertion of mezzanine floors.

The frontages have been given a modern ambience by the insertion of a contemporary glazing system with very dark grey glazing bars filling three quarters of the opening width; the remainder has a solid panel finished in a

light beige colour, to which modern stainless steel signing panels have been added to control the signage. The result is especially pleasing and has lifted the appearance of this particular area of Newcastle.

Sponsor: Network Rail Commercial Property, London Architect: ADF Architecture & Design, Glasgow Contractor: AJ Loveland Ltd, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

WESTENHANGER STATION Westenhanger Station was opened on 7th February 1844 by the South Eastern Railway. The station house, added in 1861, is a two storey building constructed in two types of yellow brick with round headed openings to the ground floor and segmented arches to the upper windows.

A fire damaged the interior and resulted in the building being boarded up but refurbishment is now underway to bring life back to the structure through new tenants. The Trust has supported the initial works with a small grant and further support will be provided next year.

Sponsor: Network Rail Commercial Property, London Designer: Lilyrock, Esher, Surrey Contractor: Osborne, London

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RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

GARSDALE STATION

Above: The station in steam days

could throw at it. As part of the resurrection of the line, the station reopened on 14th July 1986 and initially it was partially restored by volunteers from the Friends of the SettleCarlisle Line (FoSCL). As momentum gained pace on the restoration of the other stations, however, Garsdale began to lag behind in terms of its survival, with constant threats from the effects of extremely inclement weather.

During 2007, Network Rail and FoSCL, joined by the Trust, set about developing a set of proposals to restore the station buildings to their former glory. The aim was to bring the station up to twenty first century standard whilst respecting and retaining the qualities of the original MR design. The works carried out are extensive, cover

Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line (centre & left)

The Midland Railway (MR) opened a station named Hawes Junction on the Settle & Carlisle Line on 1st August 1876, renamed Hawes Junction & Garsdale on 20th January 1900. The London, Midland & Scottish Railway renamed the station Garsdale on 1st September 1932 and so it remained until it was closed on 4th May 1970.

Hawes Junction (Garsdale) differed from other stations on the route, which generally followed the Derby Gothic style set out by the standardised MR regime of engineer J S Crossley and architect J H Sanders. At the junction for Hawes the station was served by three platforms on which much plainer stone buildings were located, albeit with detail elements taken from the Derby Gothic style. The island platform was originally provided with awnings.

Garsdale is the nearest station to the summit of the Settle & Carlisle Line and as such has constantly been battered by the very worst the Pennine weather

most, if not all, of the station buildings and are based on the valuable principles set out in the Settle & Carlisle Line Design Guide, produced by The Settle & Carlisle Railway Trust for the guidance of planners, owners and maintainers of railway buildings and structures along the route.

Waiting rooms to both platforms, toilet block, lamp rooms and store room have seen works carried out externally to repair and replace slates and ridges to the roofs, reinstate stonework on chimneys, repair door and window surrounds and reinstate MR style pierced barge boards. Some smaller, later buildings were demolished to tidy up the station environment. Internal work carried out included redecorations, new plasterwork, reinstallation of fireplaces and the introduction of period style bench seating. Replacement cast iron drinking fountains (originally MR features) have also been installed on the exterior of the main platform buildings, no doubt to quench the thirst of the many walkers to whom Garsdale Station is a magnet. Within the waiting rooms exhibition boards have been incorporated to illustrate the myriad stories and anecdotes related to Garsdale and its former existence as Hawes Junction.

At a ceremony on Easter Saturday 2009 a statue of Ruswarp the collie was unveiled on the station. (Ruswarp had already been celebrated as a ‘paw print’ signatory to the petition for the reopening of the Settle & Carlisle Line in the 1980s.) The owner of the dog was Graham Nuttall, the first Secretary of the FoSCL and for whom Garsdale was a favourite place. Whilst out walking in the Welsh mountains in January 1990, Graham sadly died and the faithful dog stayed with the body of its owner for 11 weeks. The statue by Joel Walker was provided as the result of a public appeal and now graces the platform area.

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

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Sponsor: Network Rail London North Western, Manchester Designer: Network Rail Operational Property (Engineering) London North Western, Manchester Contractor: MFG Construction North-West Ltd, Widnes, Cheshire Sculptress: Joel Walker, Tenon Studio, Little Dalby, Leicestershire Above left: General view of refurbished station Far left: Refurbished windows Centre left: Reintroduced drinking fountain Left: Refurbished barge boards and chimney

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

CONISBROUGH VIADUCT Conisbrough Viaduct, constructed by Mammat & White in 1909, is located on a disused route which originally linked the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway just north of the colliery centre of Grimethorpe to the Great Northern Railway just south of Doncaster, at the other significant mining centre of Rossington. It was constructed for the Dearne Valley Railway to carry the line over the valley of the River Don and over the routes of the now closed Hull & Barnsley Railway and the former Great Central Railway linking Doncaster and Rotherham.

An imposing structure, 508 yards in length and rising to a height of 113 feet, the approaches to the river crossing are formed of 21 blue brick semi-circular arches, each with a span of 55 feet.

Brick roll banding around the voussoirs, corbelled refuges above each pier and corbelled cornices enhance the detail.

The river crossing is achieved by a 150 foot lattice iron girder spanning between the seventh and eighth arches from the southern end.

The viaduct was closed in 1966 and, preserved in the interim, is now part of the Sustrans network of cycle routes

Above: Main girder span with parapet rails installed Inset top: General view of viaduct Inset bottom: View of safety screening to girder span

around the country. The Trust supported BRB (Residuary) Ltd and its partner Sustrans with the installation of secondary protection to the parapet of the lattice girder in the form of a series of modern meshed steel balustrade panels set inside the original parapet

CAMDEN: MORNINGTON STREET BRIDGE In ‘Dombey & Son’ Dickens vividly described the effect on Camden of the construction of the London & Birmingham Railway (L&BR) in 1836: ‘The first shock of a great earthquake had, just at that period, rent the whole neighbourhood to its centre. Traces of its course were visible on every side. Houses were knocked down; streets broken through and stopped; deep pits and trenches dug in the ground; enormous heaps of earth and clay thrown up; buildings that were undermined and shaking, propped by great beams of wood.’ However, when completed, the L&BR bequeathed, as a gateway to London, a series of cuttings lined with high, gracefully curved, blue brick retaining walls topped with delicate cast iron railings. In the subsequent widening of the lines into Euston by the London & North Western Railway, the grandeur of the retaining walls was Left: Refurbished lanterns at night

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railings. The original iron promenade style balustrade railings remain, maintaining their visual significance on the elevations of the viaduct.

Sponsor: BRB (Residuary) Ltd, London Contractor: Railway Paths Ltd, Bristol

perpetuated, so that the original splendour of the ‘Premier Line’ was preserved.

Around 1900, widening necessitated the construction of a new three span bridge carrying Mornington Street over a multiplicity of tracks. At each of the four corners of the parapets was a circular stone pier surmounted by a cast iron decorative lamp standard holding three globe light fittings. Although these lamp standards survived, the light fittings had long since been removed. As reported last year, at the suggestion of English Heritage, a partnership between it, the London Borough of Camden, Network Rail and the Trust was formed to repair the stone piers and lamp standards and provide new lights.

Having given a grant for the purchase of materials last year, the actual work was carried out this year with a further grant from the Trust.

Sponsor: London Borough of Camden Contractor: Paul Cleghorn Public Lighting & Street Furniture Engineers, Storrington, West Sussex

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

LAURENCEKIRK STATION

Richard Horne

Opened on 1st November 1849 as part of the route of the Aberdeen Railway northwards from Perth to Aberdeen and located to the north of Montrose, Laurencekirk Station served the Mearns area, Kincardine. The station is a single storey construction with two gable roofed pavilions, either side of a recess in which resides a glazed canopy structure carried on cast iron columns and brackets. The gables have distinctive crow-stepping and the façades are finished with harling and sandstone dressings. Internally the station was furnished with timber wainscots and cast iron fireplaces.

In September 1967 a wave of station closures north of Dundee saw Laurencekirk join its neighbours, Marykirk and Fourdoun, which had already fallen victim to an earlier cull in 1956. Fortunately, Laurencekirk Station survived the passing years and, despite declining to a shadow of its former self, many features survived.

Campaigning by locals for the station to be reopened met a response in 2007 when Aberdeenshire Council and Transport Scotland commissioned a project to reinstate the station, restoring the building to its former glory and providing new platforms, an overbridge and mobility access.

The project has seen the station, listed Category B, fully restored with grant support from the Trust. The canopy has been refurbished and reglazed and the interiors refurbished with wainscots restored and fireplaces reinstated based on examples provided by the Caledonian Railway Society, Brechin. The station is now a sparkling example of conservation by regeneration and on the 18th May 2009 the local community had its wish granted with the reopening of the station to main line services once again.

Sponsor: Network Rail Scotland, Glasgow Designer & Contractor: Galliford Try Construction North, Warrington, Cheshire

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

Left: Derelict waiting room prior to work commencing

Top: Restored station buildings Above: Refurbished platform waiting area

POLLOKSHAWS WEST STATION

These proposals are being developed as part of the ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme with First ScotRail, Glasgow City Council, The Architectural Heritage Fund and the Trust as joint funding partners.

The appraisal will include fabric repairs to the buildings and proposals will also address bringing the interiors of the platform buildings up to a modern standard (with a waiting room on the down platform and the upside building turned into a community facility including cycle hire and maintenance and a training and resource education centre) as well as external works. The appraisal also includes a new heating system as part of the investigation into energy saving solutions.

The oldest surviving Glasgow station was built by the Glasgow, Barrhead & Neilston Direct Railway and opened on 27th September 1848 as Pollokshaws.

The station is constructed in red brick with rusticated ashlar quoins and dressings in a light coloured sandstone; two storeys high and sitting above a retaining wall with the platforms accessed at first floor level via an internal stone staircase with decorated balustrades. The platforms are linked by an underpass lined in glazed bricks.

The buildings are listed Category B and have been mothballed for some time with only the platforms seeing use. The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, however, has now developed an options appraisal seeking to bring activity and life back to these important structures.

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Sponsor: Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, Glasgow Architect: Richard Shorter Architect, Edinburgh

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

ST AUSTELL STATION The Cornwall Railway Company (CR), promoted by the Great Western (GWR), Bristol & Exeter and South Devon Railway Companies, gained Royal Assent in August 1846 for a line from Plymouth to Truro, intended to link up with the port of Falmouth. The first section of work began between Truro and St Austell, including two tunnels and associated cuttings, but it was short lived.

The initial works were dogged by delay due to the depression following the period of ‘Railway Mania’ but were resumed by Brunel in February 1851 with a proposition of a single broad gauge line construction which would include the high level Saltash Bridge and all the stations and work recommenced between Truro and St Austell in August 1852. This was followed by extensions eastwards, culminating in the contract for the Saltash Bridge in January 1853.

By February 1859 the 45 mile route from Truro to Liskeard had been laid and a solitary engine was hauling ballast trains. The first through train ran on 11th April 1859, the route being opened to passengers in May of that year.

The station at St Austell was constructed in a typical CR style; a low gabled single storey building with

GLOSSOP STATION The station at Glossop was opened on 9th June 1845 by the thirteenth Duke of Norfolk, undertaking the work without an Act of Parliament, as part of the one and a half mile branch line linking the developing manufacturing town to Manchester and beyond via the Sheffield, Ashton under Lyne & Manchester Railway (SA&MR) at Dinting.

The SA&MR extended in stages from Manchester in 1837, across viaducts at Etherow and Dinting Vale, to a temporary terminus at Dinting, arriving there in 1844. Eventually the construction of Woodhead Tunnel would link the route to Sheffield in July 1845, the Glossop branch becoming part of the SA&MR in 1846, which in turn became part of the Great Central Railway.

Once furnished with an island platform, the station was developed with a long goods shed, which shared a

Right: Restored slate and granite boundary wall Below right: Detail of the Cornish long sett paving

distinctive chimneys, low boxed eaves and a projecting horizontal canopy. Over the years the building was heavily modified with extensions in varying styles; eventually, in the 1880s, a lattice footbridge being installed linking up and down platforms as part of the conversion of the route to standard gauge. In the 1990s the downside building, which had been damaged by fire and was in a dilapidated state, was replaced by a new modern facility anticipating the opening of the nearby Eden Project and Cornwall County Council’s aspirations for an improved transport interchange.

As part of the interchange works, the Trust has given support to various elements of the historic landscape of the station, which saw removal of inappropriate gates to the upside car park, repairs to and reinstatement of traditional Cornish long sett paving, also to the car park and the reinstatement of traditional GWR style spear top fencing.

On the south side of the station, the work included the repointing of the slate and granite boundary wall supporting the high level forecourt, which overlooks the town centre. The Trust is looking

frontage with the station. Above one of the stone arched doorways is a carved stone statue of a lion, the emblem of the Howards, Dukes of Norfolk.

The Trust previously reported on the reduction of the station to a single platform and development of the goods shed into a supermarket. The station has now been adopted by the Friends of Glossop Station, a group which has recently been instrumental in improving the overall environment of the station with floral displays, thereby continuing its good work.

The Trust has been supportive of works carried out to improve the environment of the platform which backs onto the supermarket and has provided grant support for general redecoration work and also for the

forward to continuing support next year – for the restoration and regeneration of the upside building.

Sponsor: Cornwall County Council, Truro, Cornwall Architect: Stride Treglown, Plymouth, Devon Contractor: Dyer & Butler (Rail) Ltd, Southampton, Hampshire

Above: Refurbished platform with new fire door Below: Station frontage with the Howard lion above the gateway

removal of a modern and unsympathetic fire door from the supermarket, replacing it with a more appropriate design located at the face of the building.

Sponsor: Friends of Glossop Station, Glossop, Derbyshire Contractor: Hetherington Newman, Glossop, Derbyshire

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RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

The small Derbyshire town of Shirebrook was destined to become a significant junction town in the railway network of the North East Midlands by deriving its prosperity from coal. The Midland Railway (MR) constructed its branch to Worksop in 1875 with Shirebrook Station (later renamed Shirebrook West) being opened on 1st

June of that year. The MR had held significant sway with regard to the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire coalfield and it was not long before the Great Northern Railway took an interest in the Langwith-Shirebrook area, eventually opening what would be the third station, Shirebrook South, in 1901 on the Leen Valley Extension route of 1892. The Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) also joined in, constructing a station at Langwith Junction on 8th March 1897 (renamed

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

Above: Restored station buildings Below left: Regenerated interior Bottom: The station in the 1960s

Shirebrook North in 1924), the location being the junction between the line from Lincoln to Chesterfield and the line to Sheffield. The LD&ECR was primarily interested in coal traffic (Shirebrook Colliery having opened in 1896) and eventually concentrated on freight.

Gradually, however, the stations of the area closed one by one, with Shirebrook West as the final major casualty in October 1964.

The route continued to serve freight traffic, the colliery at Shirebrook finally closing in 1993, but at Shirebrook West the boarded up building fell into a slow decline. However, the area saw a renaissance between 1993 and 1998 when the Robin Hood Line linking Nottingham and Worksop was brought back into use and eventually Shirebrook West was reopened as Shirebrook Station in 1998 with new waiting facilities and accesses, although the station building continued to remain closed and out of use. In 2007 Bolsover District Council commissioned a condition survey of the station with a view to bringing it back into use as a business centre comprising six starter offices. The station itself is not listed but the Trust considered it a worthy subject

Sponsor: Bolsover District Council, Bolsover, Derbyshire Architect: Potts Parry Ives + Young, York Contractor: Cresta, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

YORK: ‘BRUNEL ERA’ DRAWINGS CONSERVATION

Ian Allan Library

SHIREBROOK STATION

for attention, being a good example of a surviving MR station designed by the MR architect J H Sanders following the pattern of standard buildings determined under the guidance of J S Crossley.

The building is constructed of pitch faced stone, with ashlar quoins, window and door heads but the gabled roof, of natural Welsh slates with blue clay ridge tiles decorated with cruciform adornments, was in a poor condition and the building had lost its original MR pierced decorated barge boards.

Internally, on opening up, it was found to be in better condition than anticipated, although rotten floors had to be repaired together with lime plaster to walls and ceiling, rainwater goods replaced, doors and windows repaired and replaced where necessary and stonework repairs carried out. The former waiting space from the platform was closed in with a half glazed screen, the original supporting columns having long gone and although not installed in original MR style, it has helped to improve the available space in the modernised interior. The centre is now in operation with the first business tenants in place and is a good example of the successful regeneration of a redundant building now conserved and given an opportunity to earn its future.

Once again, the Trust has met the ongoing cost of employing a conservator to help Network Rail in the daunting task of cleaning and repairing its priceless collection of Great Western Railway ‘Brunel Era’ drawings. Following the transfer of records previously held in regional centres to a National Records Centre located at York, this work is now being carried out there.

As many of the drawings relate to stations and structures that are now non-operational, a portion of the Trust’s grant has come from BRB (Residuary) Ltd sponsorship.

Sponsors: Network Rail HQ, London BRB (Residuary) Ltd, London

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REVIEW OF PROJECTS

MIDDLESBROUGH STATION The regular appearance of Middlesbrough Station in our Annual Report reflects the significance of Middlesbrough in railway history.

Middlesbrough was one of the first ‘railway towns’, with its existence resulting from the search by the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) for a location for new docks to complete a railway link between the collieries to the west and the coast. The location chosen on the River Tees was a tiny riverside community destined to become the industrial giant of Middlesbrough.

The eastern expansion of the S&DR from Stockton to Middlesbrough was achieved in December 1830, the route crossing the Tees on a suspension bridge, an unsuccessful structure later to be replaced by a more traditional design.

In July 1863 the S&DR amalgamated with the North Eastern Railway. The current station, designed by William

MAXWELL PARK STATION Constructed by the Caledonian Railway and opened on 2nd April 1894, Maxwell Park Station is now unique and listed Category B. It is one of the ten original stations on the Cathcart Circle (1886) on a route which eventually became a loop back via the main line to Glasgow Central in 1894. The station is located in the Conservation Area of Pollokshields and is flanked by Maxwell Park (laid out 1890) and the Edwardian red sandstone tenements of Fotheringay Road.

Designed by James Miller of Glasgow, the elegant timber building is furnished with fully glazed canopies. The island platforms provide level access in either direction and the station building is accessed at high level via lattice framed overbridges. The unique two storey

Peachey (who was also the architect of the ‘through’ station at York), was opened in 1877 and designed in a Gothic style in golden sandstone, with highly decorative carved details. The distinctive glazed train shed roof was lost to a Luftwaffe bomb in August 1942.

Last year we reported on the construction of a new infill building to replace the 1960s four storey office block, Zetland House. To the west and adjacent to this new building is the former parcels office and fish dock building which Middlesbrough Council has now developed, with grant support from the Trust, into a set of artists’ studios and workshops, collectively known as Platform Arts Studios.

The former parcels building has been extensively renovated externally, with the canopy structure reglazed and redecorated whilst the office portion has

Above: Refurbished facilities and canopy Inset: General view of new arts facility Below left: Interior of one of the studios

design was determined by the location of the station in a cutting. The ticket office was located at first floor level, with waiting rooms, toilets and staff rooms at platform level.

Last year we reported on the options appraisal which was promoted by the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, aided by The Architectural Heritage Fund and the Railway Heritage Trust.

This appraisal exercise indicated broad public support for the sympathetic regeneration of the building but this is currently being thwarted by major and costly obstacles. In the interim, in order to preserve the security of the structure, Pollokshields Heritage has undertaken work in association with the Trust and Glasgow City Council’s local Area Committee, as part of First ScotRail’s ‘Adopt a Station’ initiative, to bring the

former booking office back into use as a small community venue for meetings and heritage displays.

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been refurbished and redecorated. The timber wainscot panelling to the external walls has been retained, as have the full height fielded and panelled sliding access doors. Internally, a mezzanine floor has been inserted to provide 12 studios for artists working in a variety of media.

Further customer facilities are proposed at the station, including lifts to the subway, and the Trust will continue to be supportive of the works at this significant location.

Sponsor: Middlesbrough Council, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire Architect: Transport & Design Services, Middlesbrough Council, Middlesbrough, NorthYorkshire Contractor: Thomas Armstrong Construction Ltd, Maryport, Cumbria

Sponsor: Pollokshields Heritage, Pollokshields, Glasgow Contractor: Commercial Property Maintenance Services Ltd, Johnstone, Renfrewshire

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

STALYBRIDGE STATION The Sheffield, Ashton under Lyne & Manchester Railway (SA&MR) obtained its Act of Incorporation on 5th May 1837, with the intention of progressing a route from Store Street in Manchester to Sheffield, following the valleys of the Etherow and Don rivers and cutting through the Pennines with the three mile long Woodhead Tunnel.

The work began on 1st October 1838, but with changes in engineering leadership, with Charles Vignoles resigning and Joseph Locke appointed, progress reverted to a series of stages of construction with Stalybridge very much at the tail end. In November 1843 a meeting was called with the intention

Above: Restored conservatory Below left: Interior of conservatory bar Below right: Detail of reinstated stained glass panel

of forming the Ashton & Stalybridge Junction line with support from the Manchester & Leeds Railway. The SA&MR also represented itself with the intention of providing an alternative southern link through Manchester.

In the end both lines were given approval and the Ashton, Stalybridge & Liverpool Junction Railway was authorised on 19th July 1844. Despite much turmoil, including the collapse of a viaduct under construction over the River Tame with the loss of 17 workmen, the line finally opened to its terminus at Stalybridge on 5th October

1846. Eventually Stalybridge was turned into a joint station by the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) (renamed from SA&MR on 1st January 1847), the former terminus of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) branch was closed and the joint station connected into the route at the west end in July 1847. The addition of London & North Western Railway (L&NWR) services to Yorkshire increased the load on the facilities to such an extent that they proved insufficient and in 1869 the L&YR returned to its former station leaving Stalybridge with the MS&LR and L&NWR. A new station was constructed and brought into use on 21st May 1885.

One of the features of the new station was a long accommodation building constructed in red engineering brick under a slated roof with a decorative glazed canopy. Catering facilities were located at the western end of the building and these consisted of a conservatory, bar area and kitchen. This was later extended to include the Ladies Waiting Room, which became a revised bar area.

The conservatory lasted 123 years but recently had deteriorated to a point where it was simply beyond repair. Care was taken to replicate the structure, albeit in modern materials, but with the original stained glass features in the windows retained and restored. The Trust was delighted to be able to help preserve this well known feature at a popular location, which has been a regular haunt for real ale connoisseurs in the North West.

Sponsor: Network Rail London North Western, Manchester Design Consulting Engineer: jnpgroup, Brighouse, West Yorkshire Contractor: MFG Construction North-West Ltd, Widnes, Cheshire

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

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REVIEW OF PROJECTS

WHITBY STATION The Yorkshire & North Midland Railway (Y&NMR), approved by Parliament in 1836, was one of the companies of which George Hudson, the ‘Railway King’, was Chairman. In 1845 the Y&NMR bought the existing Whitby & Pickering Railway (W&PR), which had opened a station at Whitby on 8th June 1835. The route had originally operated by horse power and had been one of the first railways in Yorkshire. In the same year the company developed the route from Rillington Junction to Whitby for steam operation and eminent architect George Townsend Andrews developed a design for the new Whitby Station which replaced the earlier W&PR structure in 1847.

Andrews incorporated an overall roof using ‘Euston truss’ designs which

utilised a wrought iron structure of a lighter design than those afforded by wooden structures. This roof was removed in 1953. He also eschewed his normal detail of a portico with column supports in favour of one with arched colonnades. The portico along the flank of the station was constructed with five arches, whilst the head of the station was accessed through a two arch example. The buildings were constructed in ashlar stonework with projecting Above: Platform entrance portico Right: Refurbished entrance gates Below: Platform fencing and refurbished canopies

cornices with a deeply incised dentil detail and reflected Hudson’s aspirations to develop Whitby as a holiday town.

The station is now listed Grade II. Over the years the station has resisted further modifications and is now once again on an upwards spiral with the addition of services by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) from Whitby to Pickering, utilising the Esk Valley line linking to the NYMR line at Grosmont Station.

The Trust has been supporting the Network Rail engineering team in York with its work at the station to improve the railings around the platform perimeter.

This has been carried out using detail from the entrance gates and examples based on details of railings which exist at other stations in the North East, notably Newcastle. The team has also worked to improve the under canopy and platform lighting and to install appropriate modern lighting in the portico, which has previously been subject to vandalism. The Trust has also supported works to reslate the smaller portico roof in an appropriate manner for a building of this status.

Sponsor: Network Rail London North Eastern, York Designer & Contractor: C Spencer Ltd, Barrowupon-Humber, North Lincolnshire

SALTCOATS STATION The Ardrossan Railway opened a route between Ardrossan and Kilwinning as early as 1831 under the title of the Ardrossan & Johnstone Railway (originally a waggon way built to ‘Scotch’ gauge of 4 foot 6 inches and worked by horses). The line was regauged to the standard in 1840 and the first station at Saltcoats was opened on 27th July of that year. In 1858, following an earlier merger with the new Glasgow & South Western Railway, a new station was located due west of the original site with further revisions in 1882 and 1894. The 1894 design

included a two storey block in red ashlar sandstone with round arched Romanesque openings to the ground floor and pedimented doorways. The gravitas of the resultant structure reflected the significant civic status of Saltcoats as a resort and port.

Beyond the two storey block a single storey range was constructed in the same style and this was repeated on the opposite platform but with a sloping glazed platform canopy added, carried on long ornate iron brackets, with the whole terminated in glazed end screens.

The station, which is listed Category B, was modernised in 1987 with restoration supported by the Trust.

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The building adjacent to the ticket office is currently empty. North Ayrshire Citizens Advice Service, looking for a more suitable central location, commissioned a feasibility study, with help from the Trust, for the refurbishment of the building and conversion of the interior. The aim is to improve accessibility and enhance the appearance of the building and the local environment. It is anticipated that the results of the feasibility study will be developed into a full proposal over the coming year.

Sponsor: North Ayrshire Citizens Advice Service, Saltcoats, Ayrshire Construction Consultancy: CRGP Ltd, Inverness

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

COLNE VIADUCT The history of Colne is one of a market town developing on the edge of the East Lancashire industrial area - the seat of the burgeoning textile industries and the land of the mill and pit economy.

Colne developed a reputation for fine weaving, developed from a domestic system. Regarded as something of a fringe industrial community when related to the proximity of the open countryside and despite the obvious association with neighbouring textile centre Nelson, Colne was always linked to the adjacent area of West Yorkshire.

The railway route between Skipton and Colne was opened on 2nd October 1848 by the Leeds & Bradford Extension Railway (Lds&BfdExR), a good four months before the arrival of the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) linking Colne to Burnley in February 1849. The arrival of the railway was not without some turmoil as the Lds&BfdExR was originally to be leased to the Manchester & Leeds Railway (MLR) but at the last minute the lease was made instead to the Midland Railway (George Hudson being Chairman of both companies, eyebrows were raised). The ELR, expecting to run through services between Lancashire and Yorkshire on the Burnley to Colne route, had opposed the anticipated lease to the MLR. The opening of the Lostock Hall to Liverpool line in April 1849 meant that the route to Colne was

LITTLEHEMPSTON In October 1843 the Bristol & Exeter and Great Western (GWR) Railway Companies, joined by the Bristol & Gloucester Railway, issued a prospectus for the Plymouth, Devonport & Exeter Railway. Later the name was changed to the South Devon Railway (SDR) and a Bill for construction was deposited in 1844. The route was to be based on the atmospheric principle, with plans for ten

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

Above: Twilight view of illuminated viaduct Left: Detail of viaduct Right: The viaduct in its setting

opened up to fast trains. These connected at Lostock Hall with Preston trains and at Accrington with Manchester services. ELR passengers from Yorkshire had the inconvenience of changing to and from Midland trains at Colne. The opening of the Settle & Carlisle Line and the transfer of through services to the Hellifield route in 1880 signalled the return to Colne being an end-on junction.

The viaduct, constructed in 1848 with piers of coursed rock faced stone and arches executed in mildly figured ashlar work, carries the Burnley to Colne line over Colne Water and Primet Bridge. Forming the northern boundary of the Primet Bridge Conservation Area, it is a significant feature in the town, framing, as it does, the industrial buildings which form part of the history of Colne as a Victorian industrial centre.

As part of the Market Town Initiative, Colne Connected embarked upon

engine houses for the stationary engines used to create the vacuum on which the system would operate. Eventually the SDR line from Exeter to Teignmouth was opened on 30th May 1846 using more conventional engines leased from the GWR. By July 1847 the line was opened to passengers between Newton Abbot and Totnes, although the atmospheric system never arrived on this part of the route, and in May 1848 the railway finally opened for passenger traffic

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improvements to raise the quality of the environment of the Conservation Area.

As part of the works, the Trust was pleased to support the provision of floodlighting to enhance the night time setting of the viaduct and, by that, to also improve the security of the immediate area of the viaduct.

Sponsor: Colne Connected, Nelson, Lancashire Designer & Contractor: Lighting and Illumination Technology Experience Ltd, Burnley, Lancashire

between Totnes and Laira Green, Plymouth.

Littlehempston is a tiny village in the valley of the fast flowing River Hems, which criss-crossed the route of the railway several times. The arrival of the railway in 1847, passing as it did on a series of embankments and bridges, divided the village and, as a result, it was necessary for the incorporation of pedestrian routes beneath the railway to reunite the separate parts of the

REVIEW OF PROJECTS

community. One such route, running to the south west of the village adjacent to the Rectory, had been provided with a pair of kissing gates to prevent livestock straying from their meadows whilst allowing free movement of pedestrians beneath the railway bridge spanning the river.

The bridge had a very low headroom and the gates were constructed in the typical style of the GWR (square section cast iron columns topped by ball finials and quadrant gates with spear top balustrades and fencing) and were located just outside the faces of the span.

Recently, one set of the gates had deteriorated badly and timber replacements had been installed. The Trust joined with the Parish Council to undertake replacement of this set of gates in a replica style, whilst the original gates at the other side of the bridge were refurbished. The result has seen a transformation of the pedestrian route into one which is now attractive, safe and secure.

Sponsor: Littlehempston Parish Council, Littlehempston, Totnes, Devon Contractors: Hammer & Tongs, Newton Abbot, Devon; Royston Wilson, Littlehempston, Totnes, Devon & community volunteers Below: Newly installed replacement gates

WROXHAM SIGNAL BOX Norwich saw the arrival of the Eastern Counties Railway in 1844 and gradually it and other railways in the area amalgamated under the overall command of the Great Eastern Railway (GER) in 1862. Within the network of railways in East Anglia, the route from Norwich through Wroxham to North Walsham was commenced in 1865 by the East Norfolk Railway. Dogged by problems, the route did not open until nine years later on 20th October 1874.

In 1877 the coast was reached at Cromer and in 1881 the line was absorbed by the GER. Wroxham Signal Box lies to the north of Hoveton & Wroxham Station which, prior to 1985, had been known simply by the universally recognised name of Wroxham. In previous Reports we have noted that the Grade II listed GER Type 7 box, built in 1900 and housing a McKenzie & Holland 50 lever frame, had become redundant due to the electric resignalling of the line. The building, constructed in timber and with a slate roof, was physically moved away from the line to cure a signal sighting problem and was located closer to the narrow gauge Bure Valley Railway, on the former GER route to County School.

Wroxham Signalbox Trust took over the building and, with intentions to turn it into a museum, has continued to be supported by the Railway Heritage Trust while it undertakes the continuing restoration of the box.

The brick lamp room which was demolished during the relocation of the box was faithfully reconstructed and this project was included in last year’s Report. This year the box has been scaffolded out, with a start being made on the external fabric restoration, and the roof has been reslated. Although the work this year has been modest, which has been reflected in the level of grant support given, work continues and we wait with bated breath to be able to

Top: Roof works underway on box Above: View from Bure Valley Railway site

report next year on completion of the refurbishment and conversion into the museum facility.

Sponsor: Wroxham Signalbox Trust, Wroxham, Norfolk Contractor: John Grimwood, Hickling, Norfolk

NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE AWARDS The Railway Heritage Trust Conservation Award for 2008 was won by BRB (Residuary) Ltd for the restoration of the Britannia Bridge Memorial, Llanfair PG, which was described in the Trust’s Report for 2006/07.

Additionally, the following projects to which the Trust gave grants also received other National Railway Heritage Awards: Hull Paragon Interchange (Hull City Council, Network Rail and First TransPennine Express), High Level Bridge, Newcastle (Network Rail, May Gurney Ltd and Mott MacDonald).

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RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

GRANTS AND EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTIONS: 2008/09

NETWORK RAIL 47 projects (2007/08: 38) were supported by the Trust’s 48 grants, which totalled £1,809,019 (2007/08: £1,576,643). The grants funded repair and restoration work carried out on the heritage aspects of buildings and structures in Network Rail’s ownership. A total of seven grants were either brought forward or deferred.

BRB (RESIDUARY) LTD Three projects (2007/08: three) were supported by the Trust’s three grants, which totalled £75,000 (2007/08: £130,000). The grants assisted BRB (Residuary) Ltd in its management of non-operational buildings and structures remaining in its ownership. The structures include redundant viaducts on closed lines. One grant was deferred.

The projects were: NETWORK RAIL BUDGET GRANT £

Page ENGLAND 7 Ainsdale Station: Repair of station clock 6 Barnstaple Station: Repair & restoration works Bath: Devonshire Tunnel: Digging out & restoring tunnel portals (£40,000) 13 Bexhill Station: – Ticket hall refurbishment – Conversion of parcels office to pharmacy Birmingham Moor Street Station: ‘Centenary Lounge’ (£45,000) 18 Brighton: Trafalgar Street: Highway & street works 21 Camden: Mornington Street Bridge: Restoration works Carlisle Station: Platform 1-3 waiting room: Renovation & improvements (£10,000) 4 Chester Station: – East wing frontage: Stonework repairs – East wing offices: Repair & restoration works (£150,000) – East wing offices: Restoration of windows (£15,000) – Architectural lighting: Installation of new timers – Concourse: Modernisation 28 Colne Viaduct: Floodlighting 21 Conisbrough Viaduct: Parapet safety works 16 Cromford Station: Repair, restoration & conversion works 10 Edge Hill Station: Upside building renovation & conversion 6 Eridge Station: Northside platform buildings restoration 20 Garsdale Station: Station buildings restoration 23 Glossop Station: Fire door relocation & platform canopy repainting 8 Hull Station: – Restoration works & creation of ‘Travel Extra’ units – Former Red Star parcels office restoration & fitting out works – Stonework repairs 17 Keighley Station: Repairs to stairs, ramps & glazed screen 11 Leamington Spa Station: – Former coal compound & lamp room restoration works – Stone wall tiles restoration (£5,000) BROUGHT – Booking hall additional restoration works – Provision of GWR replica benches 28 Littlehempston: Repair of footpath kissing gate & railings 25 Middlesbrough Station: Provision of artists’ studios & workshops in old parcels shed & fish dock 19 Newcastle: Forth Street Arches: Restoration & refurbishment 14 Nidd Viaduct: Repairs to drainage channels, resurfacing & waterproofing 10 Nottingham Station: Centre footbridge refurbishment 18 Ormskirk Station: Refurbishment of station building 12 Settle Station: Repairs & improvements 24 Shirebrook Station: Repair & restoration works to building 4 Sowerby Bridge Station: Conversion to refreshment rooms

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

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BRB (R) BUDGET GRANT £

EXTERNAL EXTERNAL CONTR’B’N CONTR’B’N NETWORK BRB (R) RAIL £ £ 400 (1) 170,000 (2)

400 82,000 DEFERRED

100,000 (3) 13,000 (4)

70,000 37,750 DEFERRED

32,400 1,150

78,050 (5) 5,286 (6)

DEFERRED

13,255 (7)

47,500 DEFERRED DEFERRED

345 100,000 2,995

0 260,000 (8) 2,500 (9) 30,000

0

46,000 75,000 10,000 73,000 1,421

119,175 (10) 125,000 (11) 15,000 (12) 21,000 (13) 5,973 (14)

30,000 100,000 37,000 15,000

231,000 (15) 127,500 (16) 0 21,947 (17)

3,950

3,950 (18)

FORWARD

7,500 4,676 1,500

13,416 (19) 7,014 (20) 1,500 (21)

70,000 50,000

168,000 (22) 0 10,000 (23)

40,000 25,000 102,000 20,905 138,000 62,000

0 486,000 (24) 83,415 (25) 162,000 (26) 76,518 (27)

GRANTS AND EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTIONS: 2008/09

Page 15 Spalding Station: Conversion of surplus accommodation 23 St Austell Station: Additional heritage enhancement works 26 Stalybridge Station: Restoration & enhancement works to buffet Stroud: Former Goods Shed: Purchase of lease (£12,500) 19 Westenhanger Station: Repair & restoration works 27 Whitby Station: Restoration works Worcester Foregate Street Station: Restoration & refurbishment works (£23,000) 29 Wroxham Signal Box: Repair & restoration works 24 York: ‘Brunel Era’ Drawings Conservation: Employment of conservator (two grants) SCOTLAND 13 Arbroath Station: Feasibility study 9 Arisaig Station: Refurbishment 5 Cupar Station: – Bridge 090/146: Restoration of metal railings – Feasibility study for heritage centre 16 Girvan Station: Restoration of station clock 8 Kilmarnock Viaduct: Floodlighting 15 Kyle of Lochalsh: Former Signal Box: Feasibility study 22 Laurencekirk Station: Renovation & reopening 25 Maxwell Park Station: Restoration & fitting out 22 Pollokshaws West Station: Options appraisal 27 Saltcoats Station: Feasibility study

NETWORK RAIL BUDGET GRANT £ 142,000 60,000 21,000 19,000 77,000

0 0

DEFERRED

15,500 10,000

0 5,000

0

7,050 3,000

7,050 (30) 4,700 (31)

4,000 600 200 40,000 1,677 150,000 2,000 4,000 4,500

0 600 (32) 200 (33) 100,000 (34) 2,700 (35) 354,000 (36) 4,000 (37) 5,984 (38) 5,500 (39) 75,000

3,015,633

0

10,000

1,884,019

COMBINED NETWORK RAIL AND BRB (RESIDUARY) LTD EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTIONS TOTAL

External contributions were from: (1) Ainsdale Station: Merseyrail (2) Barnstaple Station: Devon County Council, Devon Renaissance, Silent Partner (3) Bexhill Station: Southern (4) Bexhill Station: Foundation Medical Ltd (5) Brighton: Trafalgar Street: Brighton & Hove City Council (6) Camden: Mornington Street Bridge: English Heritage, London Borough of Camden (7) Chester Station: Chester City Council, English Heritage (8) Chester Station: Arriva Trains Wales, Chester City Council (9) Colne Viaduct: Neighbourhood Management, Pendle Borough Council (10) Cromford Station: The Architectural Heritage Fund, DCC/DDEP, HERS, Pilgrim Trust (11) Edge Hill Station: Culture North West, English Heritage, ERDF, Heritage Lottery Fund, Liverpool City Council (12) Eridge Station: Spa Valley Railway (13) Garsdale Station: Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line, Friends of the SettleCarlisle Line Ruswarp statue (14) Glossop Station: The Co-operative Group, Friends of Glossop Station, Northern Rail Ltd (15) Hull Station: Acorn/Yorkshire Forward, Department for Transport, First TransPennine Express (16) Hull Station: First Group (17) Keighley Station: Keighley & Worth Valley Light Railway (18) Leamington Spa Station: Friends of Leamington Station (19) Leamington Spa Station: Chiltern Railways

£

EXTERNAL EXTERNAL CONTR’B’N CONTR’B’N NETWORK BRB (R) RAIL £ £ 213,000 (28) 0 7,000 (29)

DEFERRED

1,809,019 COMBINED NETWORK RAIL AND BRB (RESIDUARY) LTD BUDGETS GRANT TOTAL

BRB (R) BUDGET GRANT

3,025,633

(20) Leamington Spa Station: Chiltern Railways, Friends of Leamington Station (21) Littlehempston: Littlehempston Parish Council (22) Middlesbrough Station: Arts Council North East, Heritage Lottery Fund, Middlesbrough Council, One North East Single Programme (23) Nidd Viaduct: Harrogate Council Area Committee, Harrogate Council NYCC (24) Ormskirk Station: Access for All, Lancashire County Council, Merseytravel, NWDA, West Lancashire District Council (25) Settle Station: English Welsh & Scottish Railway, Friends of the SettleCarlisle Line, North Yorkshire County Council, Northern Rail Ltd (26) Shirebrook Station: LEG 1 (Alliance for Enterprise) (27) Sowerby Bridge Station: A & C Wright (28) Spalding Station: Community Lincs, Lincolnshire County Council, South Holland District Council (29) Stalybridge Station: Lord Pendry (30) Arbroath Station: Forward Scotland (31) Arisaig Station: HITRANS (32) Cupar Station: Cupar Heritage, Fife Council (33) Girvan Station: First ScotRail, SAYLSA (34) Kilmarnock Viaduct: East Ayrshire Council (35) Kyle of Lochalsh: Former Signal Box: HITRANS, Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise Company Ltd (36) Laurencekirk Station: Aberdeenshire Council, Transport Scotland (37) Maxwell Park Station: Glasgow Area Committee, Pollokshields Heritage (38) Pollokshaws West Station: The Architectural Heritage Fund, Glasgow City Council (39) Saltcoats Station: North Ayrshire Citizens Advice Service

31

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

THE TRUST’S ACCOUNTS: 2008/09

This Annual Report and Accounts covers the operations of the Railway Heritage Trust during the period 1st April 2008 to 31st March 2009.

Established in 1985, the Trust is an independent registered company limited by guarantee, supported by Network Rail and BRB (Residuary) Ltd, with the remit of: ■ The conservation and enhancement of buildings and structures owned by these organisations that are listed or scheduled, or of special architectural or historical interest.

■ To act as a catalyst between outside parties and these owners on the conservation and alternative use of non-operational property, including the possible transfer of responsibility to local trusts or other interested organisations.

In 2008/09, the Trust awarded 51 grants towards the costs of 50 restoration and other projects. Eight grants were brought forward or deferred.

AUDITED ACCOUNTS The Trust’s Accounts for 2008/09 were audited and approved by Price Firman, London.

The audited Accounts were considered at the Trust’s Annual General Meeting held in July 2009. The Accounts were approved and adopted by the Executive Board and signed. As required by law, the signed Accounts were deposited with Companies House, accompanying the Trust’s Annual Return. Copies of the Accounts will also be presented to the Boards of both our sponsors.

In their Report and Financial Statements, 31st March 2009, the Auditors stated: ‘In our opinion: the financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, of the state of the company’s affairs as at 31st March 2009 and of its result for the year then ended; the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985; and the information given in the directors’ report is consistent with the financial statements.’

Price Firman Chartered Accountants Registered Auditor London July 2009

FINANCIAL REPORT The Trust’s financial activities in 2008/09 are summarised as follows: £ FUNDING ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS

By Network Rail

By BRB (Residuary) Ltd EXPENDED ON PROJECTS 48 Grants to Network Rail projects 3 Grants to BRB (Residuary) Ltd projects

1,809,019 75,000 1,884,019

FUNDING FOR TRUST’S OPERATIONS From Network Rail From BRB (Residuary) Ltd

192,000 10,000

Total Income Total Expenditure – Administration

202,000 200,617

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY 2008/09 was a year of relative stability for the railway industry with passenger franchise changes at a minimum, although clearly the economic downturn has placed increased pressures on the financial viability of at least one of the train operating companies.

Despite this scenario, the Trust has had a busy and rewarding year with requests for grants and for our involvement through consultation showing no signs whatsoever of declining. The range of projects has been as large as ever and of particular pleasure is the fact that some long outstanding proposals have made major steps forward towards completion.

An excellent example of this is the restoration and regeneration of the former station building at Sowerby Bridge where the prospective tenants have been striving for more than 11 years to overcome the bureaucratic vagaries of the rail industry. It is a real pleasure for me to see their determination rewarded at last.

The removal of the drearily designed 1960s office blocks known as Zetland House and Paragon House at Middlesbrough and Hull respectively was the opportunity not only to restore the damage inflicted upon the original historic buildings but also to exploit excellent regeneration opportunities for the benefit of rail passengers and our built railway heritage.

In assessing the Trust’s performance for 2008/09, I believe that it was largely successful with the only disappointment being the non-delivery of the budget associated with BRB (Residuary) Ltd related projects. The single cause of this was the deferment of the portal restoration works at Devonshire Tunnel, brought about by extraordinarily long consultation procedures between Sustrans and the local authority.

The scale of projects undertaken has again demonstrated the pragmatic approach taken by the Trust which stakeholders welcome.

Network Rail, our major sponsor, continues to be encouragingly supportive of our efforts and has awarded the Trust a five year sponsorship commitment through until 31st March 2014. This is excellent as it enables and encourages forward planning in a much more meaningful manner and gives confidence to existing and potential stakeholders. I am extremely grateful for this support.

Malcolm Wood is now well settled into the role of Company Secretary and I welcome this Annual Report which is largely the result of his efforts.

Jim Cornell Executive Director London July 2009

The Trust is registered in England and Wales as company number 1876790.

RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST 2009

1,808,000 135,000 1,943,000

32

Railway Heritage Trust 40 Melton Street, London NW1 2EE Tel: 020 7557 8598 Fax: 020 7557 9700 e-mail: rht@networkrail.co.uk