Important. Please note that due to any unforseen circumstances it may not be possible to open on Saturdays. To ensure that the Visitor Centre is open… Please contact the Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust via abbeystationshrewsbury@gmail.com or please write to The Secretary, SRHT, Abbey Station, 192A Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH. A brief history of the Trust follows, since its original opening. Please also visit http://www.abbeystationshrewsbury.com. There is also information on the National Transport Trust website: http://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk following the award of a Red Wheel Heritage plaque to our Trust.
OFFICIAL UNVEILING OF A NATIONAL TRANSPORT TRUST ‘RED WHEEL’ HERITAGE PLAQUE AT SHREWSBURY ABBEY STATION
Shrewsbury’s Abbey Station was awarded a prestigious Red Wheel heritage plaque by the National Transport Trust in recognition of the importance of the historic Abbey Foregate site. This is the first Red Wheel for Shrewsbury and a real accolade for the Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust.
An official unveiling took place at Abbey Station, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury in December 2023; when Mrs Anna Turner, His Majesty the King’s Lord-Lieutenant for Shropshire officially unveiled the Red Wheel heritage plaque, which bears some concise information and a QR direct link to the National Transport Trust website https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/
Civic guests included Mrs Mandy Thorn, MBE, DL High Sherriff of Shropshire and the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Rebecca Wall. NTT dignitaries included Stuart Wilkinson, Chairman; Jerry Swift, Vice Chairman and NTT committee members John Reed, Reg Banks, and Peter Waller. Martin Wood, Shrewsbury’s official Town Crier (he stands at a magnificent 7ft 2in and is the world’s tallest town crier!) opened the proceedings in style! Shropshire Railway Society nominated the Shrewsbury Railway Trust for the award, and president Berwyn Stevens, and chairman Rob Smout attended together with Geoff Cryer, SRS Committee Member.
Philip Davies, SRHT Chairman said: “The award for acknowledges the significant history and transport heritage of Abbey Station which was originally founded in 1866. It is now called the Abbey Station Visitor Centre; where people can discover the important railway heritage of Shrewsbury and the surrounding area. Abbey Station Visitor Centre displays historic artefacts and information creatively to visitors; and it also enjoys a role as a community venue for social and charitable organisations. The Red Wheel heritage plaque looks stunning in one of Shrewsbury’s most important conservation areas – so thank you to the National Transport Trust for this recognition, which both myself and the trustees are most appreciative”.
The Official Unveiling was also attended by all the SRHT Trustees and other civic signatories. Please visit https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/ or https://www.nationaltransporttrust.org.uk/heritage-sites/heritage-detail/abbey-station-shrewsbury to view the Shrewsbury Abbey Station entry.
The Abbey Station Visitor Centre was opened for the Public for the first time on the weekend of 8th and 9th September 2012. This was well supported with a large number of visitors who appeared very interested, asking varied questions on what we are hoping to achieve with the site in the future.
To coincide with the visit of two steam hauled charter trains to Shrewsbury on the afternoon of Saturday November 24th 2012, behind 70000 “Britannia” and 60163 “Tornado”, the Trust was delighted to open the Abbey Station for inspection on both the Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th between 10.00 and 16.00. Entrance was free and donations were welcome.
There were displays on the history of the Potts line and items and artifacts on the General Shrewsbury Railway Scene and its history, including two vintage typewriters used in the BR Civil Engineers Office at Shrewsbury.
This second Open weekend was very succesful, especially on the Saturday when we had a number of visitors who braved the very heavy rainfall to walk from the main station. They had arrived on the two steam hauled charter trains, with visitors from as far afield as Eastleigh to spread the word that we are nearly fully open for business. Our temporary display received a lot of positive comments.
The public view a small display but see how much space there is in the building. Note the original ticket window in the background.
Local people work out where their local halt would have been when the Potts was open! The railings on the right, Donated by Network Rail will soon be our entrance gate.
Our late Chairman Mansel Williams mans the Sales stand.
Please Visit the Gallery section of the site to see the latest sets of pictures concerning the work being carried out at the Station.
January 2011:
Work has commenced ( At last !!!) , on clearing the site and starting the planned restoration work on the Abbey Station building. Below are some photographs taken by Dave Giddins to confirm that it has actually happened.
Above are the latest elevations upon which the tender was accepted.
Clicking on the drawings will enlarge them for you
July 13th; Terence Turpin has reported to the Board of Directors that tender specifications have now been sent out to interested contractors and these should be returned by August.
May 18th 2010
Some of the Trust members visited the site after the clean up to inspect the building. It has been agreed that a detailed photographic record will be kept of the project’s progress.
Click below to view photographs taken on May 18th after the council went in to clear and clean up the site, prior to going out to tender.
Compare these pictures with those taken on:1st July 2009.
What are we hoping to Achieve with this project?
Abbey Foregate Station was the terminus for the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway in Shrewsbury. It had a very eventful history, as did the railway itself, with a number of closures and re-openings.
The very individual building at Abbey Foregate Station. The passenger platform slopes upwards behind the photographer.
In 1960 the station closed for the last time as the War Department ceased operations along the old S&M line. For many years, after this, it was used as premises for local trades people, including some time as a coal merchants.
Eventually it was closed down completely. the building boarded up and left to the elements, at the bottom end of what was now a large municipal car park.
Passenger platform showing strange slope and layout in the 1980’s
Platform as it is today, part of Abbey Car Park.
In 2003 the Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust ( SRHT ) was formed and part of its brief has been to explore ways in which the Abbey Station could be saved, in some form, as it was considered to be a significant part of Shrewsbury’s railway heritage.
The SRHT held talks with Shrewsbury and Atcham Council and secured a 25 year lease on the building. This was followed by a successful application to the Council to provide funding for the sites development into a heritage site.
The work on the site has been delayed for a number of years, for a variety of reasons. The formation of the new Shropshire Council, in 2009, has given the project new impetus. The original funding from the old Shrewsbury and Atcham Council has been protected and the trust is now working with the new Council to move the project forward.
A number of meetings have been held with Council Officers and the Committee and a plan has been agreed to take forward for detailed costing and implementation.
The SRHT has appointed one of its Directors, Mr. Terence Turpin, to oversee the project on the Trust’s behalf.
Click on link below to view photographs of Building and surrounding area in July 2009:
Terence has drawn up some provisional sketches which will form the basis for the plans to develop the station area. The main emphasis of the project will be to maintain as much of the old building as is practical and safe, while providing an area that can be used by the SRHT for exhibitions and space for interpretation activities on a temporary and permanent basis.
This is seen as the first stage in a longer term project to develop on site a secure Heritage Centre with permanent displays and rooms for storage of artefacts and a base for meetings and talks etc. This will obviously need a considerable amount of extra funding, but the Trust is anxious that as much work as possible is done now to preserve what is left of the old structure.
The initial sketches are shown below, alongside photographs of how the building looks at the present time.
Click on images to enlarge.
Front of Station as it is now.
Proposed Front of Abbey Station, retaining mural.
Proposed rear of station.
Present state at the rear of the Station building.
Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust 