08.04.08
Restoration complete at art deco station
An original signboard has been restored and returned to its former home at Hoylake station – 70 years to the day it was first hung
The sign was originally erected when the art deco station was rebuilt and reopened on March 14th 1938, following the electrification of the rail lines from Birkenhead Park to West Kirkby.
However, over the years the sign was replaced, fell into disrepair and was only discovered by chance in a Merseytravel store room.
Now it has been refreshed and returned to its former home.
The news comes after Hoylake station narrowly missed out on a National Railway Heritage Award – second only to the £800 million transformation of St Pancras station in London – following a £600,000 restoration project by Merseytravel last year.
The works, up for the national Station Restoration Award, took just four months to complete and were carried out with careful precision to protect the building’s period features. The project saw improvements to the platforms, booking hall and ticket counter, waiting facilities, toilets, windows, platforms, car parking and exterior brickwork.
Judges of the awards said the station was “a delightful trip back to the 1930s”, adding: “Hoylake is one of very few stations renewed in the inter-war period and, thanks to the vision of the architect, it is a superb example of the tragically short-lived art deco style”.
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]