Minffordd Station

Cadw's description

Location

At the junction between the Ffestiniog and Cambrian railways, between Penrhyndeudraeth and Minffordd village.

History

The Ffestiniog Railway was built between 1832 and 1836 as a narrow-gauge slate railway to connect the quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog with the harbour at Porthmadoc. Initially a horse-drawn railway, the line was converted to use for steam locomotives in 1863, a great technological achievement given the steep gradients on this line. The line was closed in 1946 but 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.
Minffordd Station, originally named Minffordd Junction, was situated at the junction of the Ffestiniog and Cambrian railways, the latter, main line, standard gauge railway completed c1867. The station formally opened on 1st August 1872. Photographs show the present station building in 1886, though it is likely to date from the early 1870s. As well as ticket offices, waiting room and the conventional offices, the station building included a refreshment room adjoining as a separate block to the W.

Exterior

Railway Station, comprising T-plan storeyed stationmaster's house with adjoining ticket office and covered platform with refreshment room. Snecked slatestone with (whitened) sandstone quoins and dressings; slate roofs with projecting eaves and decorative bargeboards; large, squat central chimney to the station master's house. The latter has a single-bay gabled crosswing with single bay recessed main block. Plain glazed cross-windows to the track (N) side, with relief plaque of the Prince of Wales' Feathers in the gable apex. Single-storey 2-bay contemporary block to the L (E) with 4-panel door to L; upper panels glazed, plain glazed overlight, modern 2-pane glazed window to R. A low parapet wall runs in front of this recessed block flush with the gable end. The central, station part, has an open central section with single-bay flanking stone bays; windows as before. The whole has a monopitch slate roof with decorative fascia to the platform side. The advanced, hipped-roofed former refreshment room adjoins to the R; large window with modern glazing to the platform side; 3-light mullioned and transomed window to the gable end.

The road-facing elevation (S) is roughcast with expressed quoins and has 16-pane sashes to the advanced gable on both floors; Extruded modern porch in the angle to the R; cross-window above, modern glazing to single-storey section adjoining to the R.

Reason for designation

Listed as a Victorian railway station retaining relatively unaltered character; part of the highly-important narrow-gauge Ffestiniog Railway.