Derbyshire: Historic Grade II* rural railway station restored

(Left to right): Volunteers Ian Holliday, Carole Brown and Peter Milner have all been part of the station restoration

One of the earliest surviving examples of a rural railway station has been restored to its former glory.

Wingfield Station has been improved with £1.7m from the National Lottery.

The Grade II*-listed station is the sole survivor of 16 that were originally part of a scheme developed by railway engineers George and Robert Stephenson.

Project lead Peter Milner said: "It became much more than just saving a building."

The station opened in 1840 and served the Midland Mainline, between Derby and Leeds, until it was closed in 1967 as part of the Beeching cuts.

Carole Brown, of the South Wingfield History Group, said: "We badgered Historic England and Amber Valley Borough Council to see if they would upgrade the listing from Grade II to Grade II* - this may seem meagre but this is very significant.

"It puts the building into the top 5% of all historic buildings in the country."

Tours of the station start in December and January

The council purchased the building and handed it over to Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust. The listing upgrade meant it went into the "heritage at risk register" and enabled a release of money for restoration.

The building was designed by architect Francis Thompson for the Stephensons' railway and it became the template for urban villas across the country.

Mr Milner said despite 40 years of neglect, the original buildings were largely intact with original features.

How the station looked before the restoration

How the 19th Century station looks now