Former Iron Foundry and Smithy at Boston Lodge

Cadw's description

Location

The railway yard known as Boston Lodge is a large complex at the south-east end of The Cob, facing Porthmadoc across the Traeth Mawr. This building is at the north end of the main range, stepped down from the former Machine Shop.

History

Boston Lodge was originally one of the two barracks built for the workforce constructing The Cob in 1808-11, William Madocks' major engineering project. It was widened in 1836 by the addition of the lower Cob to carry the new road and the original embankment was then converted to carry the new Ffestiniog Railway which was built as a narrow-gauge slate railway to connect the quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog with the harbour at Porthmadoc. Boston Lodge was used to provide stabling for the horse-drawn railway but following introduction of steam locomotives in 1863, which in itself was a technological achievement given the gradients on this line, it was enlarged and converted into a locomotive works and yard; it was most unusual for such a small railway to be building its own carriages and locomotives. Boston Lodge retains this use because although the line was closed in 1946 it reopened in 1954 as a private steam railway. It is widely recognised as one of the world's historic railways and is believed to be the oldest surviving railway company. The name of the works derives from the fact that Madocks was MP for Boston, Lincolnshire.

This range is amongst the first to be built after the opening of the railway in 1836, its function being essential to the building of rolling stock.

Exterior

Built of local slatey rubble with corrugated iron roof and wide eaves, bracketed to gable end. 4-bay iron foundry has voussoir-arched openings, 3 of which are filled in to base and given small-pane windows but the left hand one retains boarded door. Stepped back to left is 5-bay, slate-roofed, smithy which has similar round-arched openings of which alternate ones remain open as split boarded doors while the rest are converted, as in the foundry, into windows. Railway track at front with turntables to either end.

Interior

The interior of the iron foundry retains deep brackets in one wall indicating position of the cupola hood. At rear are lateral chimneys and segmental arches into deep lean-to chambers.

Reason for designation

Listed as part of this especially complete example of a C19 railway engineering works which has important historical associations with the Ffestiniog Railway.

Group value with other listed items at Boston Lodge.