Large stations C ASE STUDY
Large stations From time to time Network Rail or Train Operating Companies carry out major restorations of their largest stations. Many of these are listed at the higher grades of 1 and 2* in England and Wales, or A in Scotland, and consequently the RHT has a great interest in the work that is carried out. However, the cost of these schemes can be many millions of pounds, so the RHT cannot, with its very finite financial resources, adopt its usual approach of paying up to 40% of the built heritage cost. Even then our grants tend to be given over several years, so we can spread our support widely. On some stations we have been able to pay a contribution towards the total cost of the work, even though much less than our usual amounts. A classic case is Wakefield Kirkgate, where the station building was totally derelict. The scheme to restore the station buildings for use ended up costing some £5m, of which the RHT contributed £500,000 through a total of four grants over four financial years. In the largest stations we cannot make a meaningful contribution to the overall project, so we give our grants towards specific items of work. Hence, we did not contribute to the overall rebuilding of the Grade 1 Listed Kings Cross station, but focussed grants on heritage items where we could make a real difference. The redevelopment cost £400m overall,
whilst our six grants totalled £285,000 over three years. These grants, although relatively small enabled the following, very visible, heritage works:
• Replacing the gantries that supported
the overhead electric wires with headspan wires, making the original arch roofs much more open and visible; • Helping re-erect the redundant footbridge from the station (famous from the Harry Potter films) at Ropley on the Mid Hants Railway. • Funding the re-erection of the clock from the redundant footbridge on Platform 8 at the station • Funding the recreation of the Great Northern Railway’s War memorial, using the original plaques with the names of the Fallen in a modern setting • Funding new doors to the station clock tower – the originals had been replaced by plywood, in a particularly visible position; and • Paying for new cast iron columns to enable the restoration of the canopy that extends out form Platforms 8 and 9 at the north end of the station.
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1 London King’s Cross
2 Wakefield Kirkgate 3 Ropley 4 Newcastle
5 Manchester Victoria 6 Liverpool Lime Street
Front
London Bridge
Back Nottingham
Other large stations where we have given grants towards major schemes include Liverpool Lime Street, London Bridge, Manchester Victoria, Newcastle, and Nottingham. We have also contributed towards Conservation Management Plans for some of these stations. Such documents, which are relatively inexpensive to produce, help guide how developments on a station can be carried out whilst recognising and improving heritage features. If you are involved in works at major listed stations, we encourage you to start talking with us as early as possible, so we can give advice towards getting the necessary Listed Building Consent, and in giving grants that help bring out major heritage features.
1 Eversholt Street | London NW1 2DN @RailwayHeritage | rht@railwayheritagetrust.co.uk | railwayheritagetrust.co.uk The Trust is registered in England and Wales Company number: 1876790