Disused Victorian station poised to become museum piece

The former Raglan Station has been part of a council maintenance depot

A Victorian railway station in Monmouthshire which has been closed for half a century is poised to become an exhibit at a Welsh museum.

County councillors are keen to see the single platform Raglan station preserved for future generations.

The station was on the Pontypool to Coleford railway line which opened in 1856. It finally closed 99 years later.

The National History Museum at St Fagans near Cardiff says it would consider putting the station on show.

Councillor Bob Greenland, Monmouthshire council's deputy leader, said: "We would like to see the station preserved for future generations.

"This is why we are considering presenting it to the people of Wales. Although it would be uneconomic for us to renovate the station for our own use, this is not a soft option."

It's not particularly large, quite typical I suppose of the sort of station you would find the length and breadth of Wales Gerallt Nash, Museum of Welsh Life

Mr Greenland added: "We would need to work with St Fagans over a period of several years to make this project a success. And giving the station to St Fagans supports our green agenda.

"It ensures the preservation of an old building and could help reduce the carbon footprint of St Fagans by potentially allowing visitors to reach the museum by train."

Councillors will decide on whether to offer the station to the museum at a meeting on Wednesday.

It is currently in an authority maintenance depot.

Trevor Phillips, chairman of Raglan Community Council, said he was initially disappointed that after being shut off from the village for many years, the station could now be taken away altogether.

"My initial thoughts when I first heard about it was yes they would, But having talked to some of the older people and young people in the village they think it's the best thing for the station to be somewhere where it will be looked after," he said.

Static station

The Pontypool to Coleford railway line opened in 1856 and its main job was to carry iron ore from the Forest of Dean to furnaces near Nantyglo in the south Wales valleys.

Gerallt Nash, senior curator of historic buildings at the museum, said said they would give the station "due consideration to see if it would fit in".

"It's not particularly large, quite typical I suppose of the sort of station you would find the length and breadth of Wales."

"You could have it as a static station with a railway line next to it. The other alternative is you could have it as a live railway, who knows, with even trains stopping at the railway station. But that would be outside our remit I think at the moment.

Mr Nash said reconstructing buildings was "a bit like a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle".

"Of course invariably some pieces will have been lost over the years as well so some bits will have to be repaired or replaced. Every building's a challenge I suppose," he added.