Derbyshire Historic Buildings project co-ordinator Lucy Godfrey has explained the architectural importance of Wingfield station.Derbyshire Historic Buildings project co-ordinator Lucy Godfrey has explained the architectural importance of Wingfield station.
Derbyshire Historic Buildings project co-ordinator Lucy Godfrey has explained the architectural importance of Wingfield station.

See inside 'unique' Derbyshire railway station as £250,000 project launched to secure future of building abandoned for decades

These images reveal the inside of an historically ‘unique’ Derbyshire railway station as an ambitious restoration project continues to transform the building.

Wingfield Station, built in 1840, is one of the earliest surviving examples of a rural station and has links to railway pioneers George and Robert Stephenson.

Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust is leading the project, and thanks to funding from Historic England – along with match funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund – appointed heritage and conservation specialists, ASBC, to undertake urgent repair works at the station in September last year.

Lucy Godfrey, project coordinator, said: "Progress started in earnest on the weekend of the October 16/17, 2021, with overnight working taking place to begin to erect the scaffolding on the trackside elevation of the building.

The aim was to fully encapsulate the scaffolding and to create a temporary platform wall fence using as few line closures as possible.

Lucy said: "Since then, work to make the building watertight has continued to progress well – work to date includes reinstating and repairing the chimneys, work to the roof of the station and the parcel shed, internal masonry and new oak lintels.

"This work is all part of 'phase one' of the project and has primarily been funded via a repair grant for heritage at risk from Historic England and funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.”

DHBT has to raise £250,000 of match funding to take the project forward, with plans to convert the building into offices, as well as allowing guided tours for members of the public, and has launched a fundraising campaign.

Lucy Godfrey, project coordinator, said: "Progress started in earnest on the weekend of the October 16/17, 2021, with overnight working taking place to begin to erect the scaffolding on the trackside elevation of the building.