Bodorgan Railway Station, goods shed

Cadw's description

Location

Located on the N side of the Chester to Holyhead railway, c. 1km SW of Bethel and opposite the Meyrick Hotel; the goods shed is at the NW end of the range.

History

The Chester to Holyhead railway was proposed to improve links between London and Dublin. The bill was passed in July 1844, with Robert Stephenson as engineer and Francis Thompson of Derby as architect. Bodorgan (originally proposed as Trefdraeth) was one of the initial 14 stations planned between Chester and Holyhead; it was specifically provided for in the 1849 Act and was opened in October of that year. It is a good example of Thompson's 'small' country station design, and is one of only 2 of the early stations to be entirely stone built. In 1851 the goods shed was built along with sidings and a crane to create a coal yard serving the Malltraeth Vale Collieries; the design is typical of early goods sheds on this line.

Exterior

Built of rubble masonry, slate roof with skylights. The platform-facing elevation is of 3-bays with trace plates and tall, square-headed recesses; similar recesses to each gable end, a broad timber lintel over small-paned windows in left hand recess of SE gable end. The elevation facing the goods yard has a lean-to canopy to centre carried on diagonal braces and stone corbels; camber-headed voussoir arched entrance and boarded door.

Reason for designation

Included for group value with the adjacent station building at Bodorgan; together the buildings present a coherent group of early railway buildings of a design and style typical of this line.