Barrow Hill Roundhouse
National
Lottery grant boost for last surviving engine roundhouse
Britain’s only surviving operational railway
roundhouse is set for a major revamp after the Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) confirmed funding of £1,170,600. The money
will be used to repair and refurbish Barrow Hill Roundhouse in Derbyshire, transforming
it into a nationally important museum.A new
entrance, shop and café will be created alongside high quality new visitor
facilities, adedicated learning
and meeting space and a conservation workshop. A wide range
of learning, training and skills activities will accompany this, ensuring that
the Roundhouse can
attract a much wider and more diverse audience. It is hoped that
work will start in June this year and be complete by mid-2019. Mike
Kennedy, chair of Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society, said: “We are delighted by
thenews of our
success. The project will enable us to safeguard the Roundhouse for futuregenerations,
and provide the improved facilities that we need to attract a new audience, whilst
retaining our existing audience of rail enthusiasts.“ It will also
provide us with the expertise and equipment to tell the story of the Roundhouseand its workforce
to a wide range of people, particularly local people including families and schoolchildren.”
Barrow Hill
Roundhouse was built in 1870 for the Midland
Railway and houses an operational Turntable serving
24 radiating roads or tracks. It was used to repair and maintain engines and
rolling stock for the Staveley Iron and Coal Company. As one of
the few roundhouses to survive the transition from steam to diesel engines, it operated
until the industry went into decline during the 1970’s and 80’s. In 1991 it was
saved from demolition by local campaigners with just 48 hours to spare and has
since become a popular place to visit, primarily for railway enthusiasts. Now
the Engine Shed Society wants to bring in local people as well, many of whom
are unaware of what is on their doorstep and its history.
Visitors can
currently see a host of rare locomotives and over 4,500 items including tools, lamps,
uniforms and photographs. Many years
of service have taken their toll on the main building, and it now requires
urgent attention to
make it water-tight and save the collections from getting damaged. There is
also a pressing need to record the memories of the people who worked at the
site, many of whom
are now elderly. Jonathan
Platt, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund East Midlands, said: “As the last
surviving operational
Roundhouse, Barrow Hill has a unique role in telling the story of the UK’s evocative transport
heritage.“ There’s no
better way to learn about this history than getting up close to the buildings
that survive from that time, so we’re delighted that thanks to National Lottery
players we can support this much needed project to repair the building and
enhance visitors’ understanding and enjoyment of the site.” HLF
previously provided a £96,400 development grant in 2014 to work-up plans for
the project. Now, following a further application, the full grant has been
awarded allowing the major works to commence.
