Monument record 15354/2/1 - West Cheshire Railway (WCR) - Helsby and Alvanley Station Goods Yard

<1> White Young Green, 2004, Stage 1 Assessments; Helsby Sites, Lostock Sites, River Weaver, Wallerscote, Cledford, Bewsey Meadows., p.56, no.7 (Client Report). SCH4686.

Siding shown on the 1873-4 OS map running southwards on either side of the railway towards the Chester Road; A building straddled the wester sidings, while the eastern sidings ended in a turntable. On the 1908 map, the western building is named as a goods shed and the western sidings had been extended to serve the Britannia Telegraph Works; the eastern sidings had expanded and now included an engine shed. The same arrangement is shown on the 1938 map. The siding are not shown in the 1984 map. Site of the western sidings is now marked by fenced area with hard-core surface.

<2> Lambeth. R, Catford N, Young A., 2012, Disused Stations, Helsby & Alvanley (22/09/2021) (Web Site). SCH6822.

Goods facilities for Cheshire Lines Committee’s (CLC) Mouldsworth to Helsby Junction railway (opened 1869). They were located to the north-west of Helsby and Alvanley Station, on the northern side of Chester Road, and on the western side of the line. The goods facilities included a goods shed and a five-ton lifting crane. In 1893 a two road engine shed was opened on the opposite side of the line to the goods facilities. There had been a siding and a turntable at that location since the line opened in 1869. The shed had a short life closing in 1929. In 1884 The Telegraph Manufacturing Company opened a works in Helsby just to the west of the CLC line on Chester Road. The works was provided with a siding which connected to the station goods yard.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ4874, 1874 (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

This map depicts a goods yard located to the north-west of Helsby and Alvanley station. The yard is served by a siding located to the immediate west of the branch line. The map depicts a good shed, two weighing machines, a small turntable and head shunt. To the east of the branch line is a further siding associated with a turntable.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1896-1898, Ordnance Survey First Revision County Series (Epoch 2) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ4874, 1898 (Maps and Plans). SCH3848.

A spur has been added from the goods yard to the nearby Britannia Telegraph Works. An engine shed and additional sidings have been added to the east.

<5> The GeoInformation Group, 2005, 1940s RAF Aerial Photographs from Operation Review (Aerial Photograph). SCH4608.

The goods shed, turntable and sidings are visible on this aerial photograph, however the engine shed is no longer extant.

<6> Huntings Surveys Ltd, 1971-1973, 1971-1973 County Survey, Run 18 no.4431, 23/08/1972 (Aerial Photograph). SCH4881.

Only the branch line is still extant.

<7> Dyckhoff, N, 1984, The Cheshire Lines Committee: Then and Now, p.10 (Book). SCH6825.

Most stations had goods facilities incorporating a standard 5 ton crane for the loading and unloading of wagons.

<8> Bolger. P., 1984, An illustrated history of the Cheshire Lines Committee, p.24, 48 (Book). SCH6823.

Helsby Goods: opened 01/09/1869. Closed: 02/03/1964, except for private sidings. Plan of Station, goods yard etc. c.1873.