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Station Building

Overview

The Station building was the former headquarters of the Cambrian Railway Company and was built around 1865 of brick with stone dressings and a hipped slate roof. This was an important building in the railway network and its status was reflected in its rich architectural detailing which includes chamfered angle quoins, decorated eaves cornice with rosettes, round headed sashes with projecting keystones and moulded stone rectangular panels between the ground and first floor windows. On the platform side the building is embellished with a central ashlar faced canted bay. Internally, surviving historic features include the strongroom, the upper floor boardroom and protective metal flooring on the principal staircase intended to withstand wear and tear from the hobnailed boots of the workmen.

The station became redundant in the 1960's and was subsequently used by Cambrian autoparts and was most recently used as a furniture store. Over the years the building structure suffered from vandalism and neglect and was classed as a Listed Building At Risk. Its appearance was further diminished by a lean-to extension with corrugated iron roofing and other unsightly 20th century additions and needless to say the building became an eyesore on the major approach road into the town centre.

Shropshire's Cambrian Visitor Centre

The Community strategy for Oswestry, led by Oswestry Borough Council, identified the Old Station building as key to regeneration. In 2002, the Council began consultation with its partners, Advantage West Midlands, Oswestry Borderlands Tourism, Cambrian Railway Society, Cambrian Railway Trust and Oswestry Town Council on how they could regenerate the former headquarters.

The consultation had several aims: to investigate how the area could achieve economic regeneration, and to look at the strengths and identity of the past and build them into the new regeneration programme. The Council also wanted to identify gaps in business accommodation for the town, to maximise the abundance of high quality produce and local craftsmanship, to ensure appropriate visitor infrastructure and to support the voluntary sector to develop a sustainable social enterprise.

Oswestry Borough Council secured funding from Advantage West Midlands Rural Regeneration Zone, Objective II European Regional Development Fund, the Market Town Initiative, Shropshire Tourism Action Plan, Heritage Lottery Fund and the Townscape Heritage Initiative, amounting to £2.1 million to renovate the building. The funding secured the building, now managed through a charitable trust, and allowed the Council to create the Cambrian Visitor Centre, an informative and interactive craft and visitor area, together with a modern Tourist Information Centre, and a restaurant utilising local produce. The upper floors have been converted into high quality office accommodation and are now home to a number of high profile technology and media companies.

The project has truly met its aims and objectives; a major building in the town has been restored to economic use creating a sense of place for the area. Above all it has restored a sense of pride to the people of Oswestry to see this once dilapidated, significant landmark restored to its former glory. The building was recently awarded joint first in the National Heritage Railway Awards 2006, sponsored by Network Rail.

Text above taken from "Perspectives on Place-Shaping and Service Delivery, A Report of Case Study Work Conducted for the Lyons Inquiry" © Crown copyright 2007