Future of Altrincham Station
Lord Stamford returns to take up residence in Dunham Hall
All has gone quiet on the Altrincham Station front following the last "kite flying exercise". No doubt the consultation report, conducted at great expense, will be consigned to a filing cabinet. Don't hold your breath in the hope of seeing the outcome. I expect a freedom of information request would result in a refusal on grounds of commercial sensitivity. Am I too cynical?
It is most essential that users and others with concern are vigilant. Eventually some other scheme or hand wringing demolition proposals will arise. Make sure that your views are made known.
Letters to Trafford Council should be addressed to the Head of Altrincham Area Services at Trafford Town Hall and to GMPTE at 2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG.
In both cases individual copy letters should be sent to to Altrincham councillors.
Altrincham Railway Station
When the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway opened in 1849 the town of Altrincham was served by two Stations; Altrincham which was alongside the Stockport Road level crossing (near the current Old Mill public house) and Bowdon which occupied the site of the current health club on Lloyd Street.
These two stations; were replaced by the current station buildings in 1881 to provide additional capacity at a more central location. As a result until 1971 the station carried the name "Altrincham and Bowdon".
A description of the Altrincham station building has been provided by the Victorian Society:
"The Main building [on platform 1] is a long single-storey range in red-orange brick with stone dressings. A central block with a high-hipped roof contains the booking hall and this is linked by symmetrical wings to pavilions at each end. The building is given character by the use of coloured bricks in the voussoirs of the window and door arches. The extensive platform awnings are glazed and are supported by cast iron columns and arched brackets. The effect is elegant and pleasing..."
"The method of supporting the platform awnings and the use of coloured brick at Altrincham may also be seen in the brickwork and roof of the main shed at London Road [Piccadilly] station, and one may therefore conclude that the LNWR architect's office was responsible for the design of Altrincham."