Residents asked to share Cambrian Railway memories

Peter Gilbertson said the council would look to recoup funds spent on renovating the building

People are being asked to share their memories and photos of a nineteenth-century railway building, as part of a project to renovate it.

The Cambrian Railway building, in Oswestry, dates back to 1866 and stopped operating as a station 100 years later, according to Shropshire Council.

The council took possession of the Grade II listed building last year and is now trying to make the entire space usable again.

At an open day on 12 June, residents can hear about renovation plans and share memories to help architects understand how the building used to look.

"We’re on the cusp of losing that direct memory of when the railway was operational," Peter Gilbertson, who works on Shropshire Council’s property services team, told BBC Radio Shropshire.

He said it would be particularly useful to see any photos that showed the building's interiors and features.

Mr Gilbertson said poor insulation was one issue that must be addressed for the building to be fully usable again

Mr Gilbertson added that the building had housed offices and bedsits after it ceased to be a railway station, but poor insulation was one issue that must be addressed for it to be fully usable again.

Cambrian Heritage Railways, a local railway charity, currently rents the ground floor while the first floor is vacant.

The council is funding the work on the building's exterior with a £650,000 government grant plus a top-up from its own funds, but it will need further funds if it undertakes interior work also, Mr Gilbertson said.

"We need to make sure that however much we spend on the building, we can look to recoup that through revenue and rental," he added.

"So I think certainly trying to find a more commercial use for the upstairs is quite important."