THE FFESTINIOG & Welsh Highland Railways (FFWHR) is celebrating the completion of a £5m project thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Building on the inscription of ‘The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage Site’, of which the railway is part, the Heritage Fund project set out to refresh this anchor attraction in North Wales, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this summer.
The project included major works to revive the historic buildings at the railways works at Boston Lodge, Porthmadog. These are the world’s oldest railway works still fulfilling their original function and have built locomotives in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
The multi-faceted project enabled the railway, recently named Best Attraction in Wales, to completely refresh the way it is interpreted for the 200,000 visitors that come in to contact with the railway annually.
Skills training featured strongly in the programme for current employees, volunteers and the local community alike. An outreach programme provided the opportunity for work experience for over 200 young people and more than 250 have been engaged with a schools’ programme.
Nearly 600 individual volunteers have contributed their time to the project, amassing almost 40,000 hours. More than 100 of those volunteers are new to the railway. Overall volunteer contribution to the FFWHR is more than 90,000 hours per year.
Building work to the value of £3.3m has been led by local contractors and subcontractors.
Celebrations took place on May 1 when the project completion was marked by a visit from the Heritage Fund team and heritage and tourism industry leaders.
Andrew White, The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales director, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the completion of this project with the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways that has centred on the Boston Lodge Works.
“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, over £3.7 million has helped to restore and revitalise Boston Lodge, creating opportunities for more people to volunteer, learn new skills and understand how this industry has shaped the landscape and community over 200 years.
“The realisation of this ambitious project is a huge achievement and means this truly world-class heritage attraction will be enjoyed by visitors and its local community for many years to come.”
Paul Lewin, FFWHR director and general manager, said: “After 70 consistent years as a leading attraction and caring for a large collection of rolling stock, buildings and infrastructure of national historic importance, the railway really needed help to refresh the offer to visitors and to make the original workshops at Boston Lodge fit for the next 70 years.
“The National Lottery Heritage Fund listened carefully to the complex needs of our organisation and worked with us to develop a plan that has brought significant benefits for visitors, staff and the local community.”
For those who wish to find out more, a new visitor experience in the shape of a behind the scenes, guided tour of Boston Lodge is now available. The three-hour tour, with its professionally trained hosts, brings visitors in to contact with the railway, its history and operations in a new way.
The guided tours, along with train tickets, can be booked online at the he Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways website.
