Case study: Filey Station restored to its former glory

Filey railway station was originally opened in 1846. The station serves the seaside town of Filey in North Yorkshire and is situated on the Hull to Scarborough line.

Now a Grade II listed building, it was designed by G. T. Andrews and has long been a gateway for passengers and tourists arriving at the seaside town for day trips and holidays, for this reason the station has communal value. So, when planning permission was sought to refurbish areas of decay, there were obvious concerns that this lovely little station would lose its charm and character. Network Rail and its Principal Contractor had to be careful how they managed the refurbishment work. While much of the refurbishment plans called for like-for-like repairs, some of the works proposed replacements with modern materials.

Historic England said it was particularly concerned about the replacement of the trainshed lantern with a polycarbonate alternative. The public body suggested that the replacement would have “a detrimental impact on the building’s appearance and a negative impact on the spatial qualities of the station interior.”

With North Yorkshire council defending the plans, commenting that the refurbishment intervention was required to extend the life of the station and to prevent further deterioration of the fabric of this historic building. The Railway Heritage Trust was in full support of the preservation of this historic structure. Going on to say that Filey station operates as part of a modern railway and risk of accidents to passengers and staff must be reduced wherever possible. The Trust added that repairs would make the station more attractive for passenger and the commercial activities within it, all helping to sustain its future. It also stated that it supported the use of polycarbonate for the lantern replacement.

A crucial decision was reached that “New Materials, if undetectable by the average person, are an appropriate response to reduce the requirement for future maintenance.” Filey Station remains a fine example of G. T. Andrews’ work, being one of the best remaining architectural examples on the network. This left only one question remaining, who do you go to when you need to replace an important piece of architectural history with modern materials that need to be undetectable to the average person?

Fortunately, there is just such a place. A place that has a long and distinguished past of helping restore our architectural history while offering all the benefits of modern materials, modern health & safety, modern building principles and modern sustainability thinking. A place where the past, the present and the future come together. This place is, of course Twinfix. Known as the “Pioneers of Polycarbonate”, Twinfix are the recognised experts at this sort of thing. Based in Warrington, their products are letting light shine through some of the most historic buildings in the country along with some of the newest including airports and education institutions. Twinfix’ products are easy to handle, easy to work with, light weight and indistinguishable from glass once installed. Their reputation is such that the scope of works produced for the project specifies Twinfix products to be used.

The refurbished lantern lets light flood into the interior of the trainshed, bathing the interior and platform in warm, natural light. This modern material makes it easier to maintain and reducing the stress or loading on the rest of the building. To those who pass through the station or view the station from the outside, there is little change. G. T. Andrews’ original vision looks as good today as when it was first built. For the little seaside town of Filey, the gateway is well and truly open.

“We were pleased to be part of this 2.9million project and it was great to work with Colt Construction, Twinfix and other Supply Chain partners. Twinfix successfully installed a bespoke glazing system, delivering value and sustainability in a collaborative way for the client.” Ian Danby, Contracts Manager Orchard Roofing and Building.

Vicky Evans, Twinfix Director said: “It’s great to see Filey Station restored to its former glory and collaboratively deliver a full repaint and metalwork repairs of all roof trusses and timbers with new roof lights and roof repairs.”