CAMBRIAN RAILWAY BUILDING IN OSWESTRY WIND NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE AWARD
5 December 2025
Cambrian Railway Building in Oswestry using Ffestiniog roofing slate wins National Railway Heritage Award
Oswestry’s historic Cambrian Railway building wins a prestigious National Railway Heritage Award following extensive conservation work.
The restoration, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Shropshire Council, was carried out by skilled craftsmen from local specialists Phillips and Curry Ltd and included the careful removal of hazardous asbestos tiles. These were replaced with high-quality 500mm x 300mm Ffestiniog Blue Grey Capital-grade slates supplied by Welsh Slate. The team also undertook vital repairs to the building’s exterior to prevent masonry from falling and refreshed the windows and doors with authentic Cambrian Railway colours.
Roger Evans, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for finance, said:
“This is brilliant news for the council, for Oswestry and for Shropshire, and is a real credit to the council’s Property Services Group (PSG) who managed this project, and to the conservation experts from Phillips and Curry. My thanks and congratulations go to all involved. This building holds significant cultural value for our community, and these essential repairs will ensure it remains safe and usable for future generations. Shropshire Council took possession of this historic building, to help secure a viable long term use for it. We’re committed to maintaining the heritage and integrity of this important site and we look forward to finding a suitable use for it so that it can continue to serve the community for many years to come.
Duncan Kerr, Councillor for Oswestry South, added:
“This is an iconic and symbolic building for Oswestry and the standard of the external renovation is remarkable, but it is still a long journey back to finding a sustainable and vibrant use for this building. It wasn’t that long ago that it housed several start-up business and a great cafe, along with a ticket hall for the Cambrian railway; let’s hope we can use the success and publicity generated by the works to date to complete the course so this heritage asset can inspire and serve residents and visitors alike for the next century.”
