Maespoeth Locomotive Shed and attached workshops

Cadw's description

Location

The locomotive shed stands alongside the main road, S of Corris village.

History

The Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad was founded by Act of Parliament of 12 July 1858 following a survey of 1850. It opened in 1859 as a horse tramway serving the new slate quarries of the Corris Valley, and ran from Aberllefenni to the seaport at Quay Ward, Derwenlas, SW of Machynlleth. The gauge was 2ft 3in (0.69m), as the Tal-y-llyn Railway. In 1879, as the Corris Railway Company, it ran steam locomotives, running to an interchange with the Aberystwyth and West Coast Railway in Machynlleth. Passengers were carried from Corris 1883, later from Aberllefenni. It was taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1930, when the passenger service was suspended in favour of coaches, and was included in nationalisation in 1948. Maespoeth Junction, 8km from Machynlleth, was where the Upper Corris branch line joined the main line. The railway shed was built in 1878 for 3 steam locomotives in line, built by Henry Hughes, Loughborough, and covered a W loop of line, with accompanying workshops.

Exterior

The building is built of slate, with 13-in pale brick arches to windows and openings. Slate roof. Each side is of 9 bays, each having tall windows under segmental brick arches, and 6 large panes of glass. Slate sills. The eaves outsets. The N end has three large flying buttresses of slate under a pent roof. The S end has a 2m wide opening directly over the line, with a high semi-circular brick arch and, to the left side, a tall and narrow round-headed window, now blocked. Attached at this point, is a single storey workshop range.

Interior

Each bay is defined by king-post and raking strut trusses supporting 2 purlins and a ridge piece. The tramway line runs the full length of the E side, and has 2 inspection pits. A large water cistern was originally set in to roof, with a delivery pipe to a water column placed externally against the main line, now lost. A coach shed in front of the locomotive shed has been removed, as also has the adjacent ground frame.

Reason for designation

Included as the major upstanding monument on the former Corris Railway, built specifically to house and maintain steam locomotives; an aptly designed building of strong industrial character and a good and well-preserved example of its type.