Boston Lodge/Buildings

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Boston Lodge is the heart of the engineering on the Ffestiniog Railway. Here are the railway's engineering workshops, locomotive shed and carriage works.

It is situated a mile from Harbour Station at the far end of Madocks' Great Embankment ('The Cob') across the Glaslyn estuary and was the location of one of the quarries which provided the stone for the construction of the Cob.

The first building on the site was a barracks for many of the 150 men working from the Merioneth side on the construction of The Cob. Built in 1808 and originally called 'Penrhyn Cottage' it was renamed 'Boston Lodge' in 1811 after Boston, Lincolnshire, the parliamentary seat of William Madocks, the proprietor of the land reclamation venture. Here there were also stables and smithies for the horses and waggons used to carry the stone which was quarried on the site, creating most of the space now occupied by buildings. Later with the coming of the horse drawn Festiniog Railway, the stables and smithies were brought back into use from 1836 onwards and there has been almost continuous development of the site for railway purposes since. There were major developments in 1847-8 when the Company agreed to make their own components for waggon repairs, in the 1860s with the coming of locomotives, and the late 1870s when the Company started to build their own locomotives. The years of dereliction 1946-1954 took their toll on the site but since the revival renovations were done and new developments continue to the present day, including renovation and interpretation of the historic buildings as well as functional developments to support the operation of the Railway and to maintain the site's role as a centre of engineering excellence.

The original barracks building still stands, much modified, and is now known as Nos 1 and 2 Boston Lodge, but the Boston Lodge name is also used to mean the whole Works complex.

More information on Boston Lodge can be found here. For the houses on the site see Boston Lodge Residences. For buildings that no longer exist see Boston Lodge: Former buildings.

The buildings that make up the Boston Lodge complex are reviewed in the order that they appear on the Register as follows:-

Boston Lodge, Plan of the Yard 2015


No Name Terry Corner's ID Operational Description Listing Status History, Character and Significance Current Use Current Condition Urgent Repairs Required Other Repairs Required Wish List for Improvements
not on plan No 4 Boston Lodge ? No House, rented out Grade 2 Not assessed Rented house Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed
86 No 3 Boston Lodge BL001 No House, rented out Grade 2 Not assessed Rented house Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed
86a Garage BL001 No Garage on old turntable Not known Loco turntable of historic interest Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed
88 Halt Room BL002.01 Yes Stone walls, slate roof. Conjoined to 1863 Loco Shed Grade 2 Old Weigh house from 1856-1873 Waiting Room/store room Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed
89 Old Engine Shed BL002.02 Yes Engine shed - stone walls, slate roof. Side extension corrugated iron Grade 2 Highly significant as built for first locos in 1863 Engine and carriage shed Recently restored None Workshop end to be restored for display To be used for historic locos
90 Plas Smart BL003 No Former superintendent's office Grade 2 Part of building dating from 1842 Unused Ext repairs 2014 inc. original chimney stack etc. Internal restoration now required Internal restoration now required installation of floor; electrics
91 Brown 20ft container now removed BL004 No Removed
92 Old S&T Office now scrapped BL005 No Scrapped
93 S&T Workshop now scrapped BL006 No Old Tunnel Mess - scrapped 2015
94 Britomart Shed BL007 No 1960s Corrugated iron. Demolished
95 Brown MDX Cabin now removed BL008 No Scrapped
96 20ft container now removed BL009 No Scrapped
97 Telephone Exchange part BL010? No Rendered blockwork walls under single pitched roof unknown Built 1970 To be removed none none none To be removed
97a Old Oil Store BL010 No Solid stone walls under a duo pitched slate roof Grade 2 Originally oil store, later S&T stores To be cleared for repairs general repairs to be done Removal of Tel Exch bldg To be conserved To become IT room
98 Old Brass Foundry BL011 Yes Solid stone walls under duo pitched slate roof. Grade 2 Built 1838 as Smithy Store, previously Workshop and stores for brass items general repairs to be done . To be conserved Future store and display area
99 Blacksmiths Shop BL012 Yes Stone walls, duo pitched roof of Welsh Slate Grade 2 Major part of historic workshop complex Waggon repairs Major ext repairs completed 2020 Chimneys restored Restoration of hearths, in hand
100 No 2 Machine Shop originally Foundry BL012 Yes Stone walls under a duo pitched slate roof Grade 2 Originally Iron Foundry Store Current Condition Urgent Repairs Required To be conserved To be historic workshop area
101 Den (mess room) BL014 No 1970s rendered blockwork Not listed Modern (1977), some asbestos Staff amenities Demolished Feb 2023 - - Replacement by new larger building within envelope of old Sawmill
102 No 1 Boston Lodge BL015 No Prominent 2 storey building with white painted stone walls under duo pitched roof covered with Welsh slate Grade 2 Originally built in 1808 as a barracks for the workers building the Cob embankment Rented out as a house General renovation See main article See main article See main article
103 No 2 Boston Lodge BL016 No As No 1 Boston Lodge Grade 2 As No 1 Boston Lodge Rented out as a house As No 1 Boston Lodge As No 1 Boston Lodge As No 1 Boston Lodge As No 1 Boston Lodge
104 Electrical workshop (Old Den) originally Carpenters' Shop BL017 No Stone walls, duo pitched slate roof hipped one end Grade 2 listed Part of historic workshop complex previously mess room, Stores, Electrical workshop and locker room General Repairs in hand . . To be Den once again (mess room, locker room, staff amenities)
105 Oil Store BL018 No Stone walls, metal roof. Attached to 104 Listing Status probably as 104 Originally part of old Sawmill being rebuilt, roof removed 2023 . . . To be rebuilt in form of old Sawmill, to accommodate staff amenities.
106 Former S&T Workshop behind Foundry BL019 ? Modern (1970s?) flat roof, rendered walls unlikely unknown unknown unknown unknown unkown unknown
107 Electricity Sub Station BL020 Yes Rendered blockwork walls, flat roof Listing Status Built 1974[1] Electricity substation Extension to office built on top - - -
107a Compressor House - Yes Description Listing Status History, Character and Significance Compressor House Current Condition Urgent Repairs Required Other Repairs Required Wish List for Improvements
108 Gas Store BL021 Yes Description Listing Status History, Character and Significance Gas store Current Condition Urgent Repairs Required Other Repairs Required Wish List for Improvements
109 No 1 Machine Shop, Works Office over BL022 Yes Solid stone walls, render, glass 'blocks', under a duo pitched slate roof. 2 storey. Grade 2 High. See main article Machine Shop, Office above Current Condition Urgent Repairs Required To be conserved Wish List for Improvements
110 Old Erecting Shop BL023 Yes Stone walls, slate roof Grade 2 high. See main article Construction, maintenance and repair of rolling stock Current Condition Urgent Repairs Required Other Repairs Required Wish List for Improvements
111 New Erecting Shop BL024 Yes Atcost pretressed concrete building Listing Status Built 1973 Construction, maintenance and repair of rolling stock Current Condition Urgent Repairs Required Other Repairs Required To be replaced by larger building
112 Loco Shed BL025 Yes Steel frame, corrugated cladding (front), stone (rear) Listing Status Modern front, stone former carriage shed (rear) Loco Shed Cladding renewed 2019 Due for rebuild in current plans none General rebuilding
113 Brown MDX Carriage now removed BL026 No Removed
114 Carriage Works BL027 Yes Atcost prestressed concrete frame, corrugated cladding not listed Modern (1973-4) Carriage Works Good - - -
115 Carriage Shed BL028 Yes Steel frame, corrugated cladding not listed Modern Carriage Shed Good none none Extended 2019-21, 3 extra roads (20-22) not shown on plan
116 HLF Workshop (Roads 11,12 & 15 extension to Carriage Works) BL029 Yes Steel frame, corrugated cladding not listed Modern Carriage Workshop Good None not known -
117 (not on plan) Carriage Works Wood Store BL030 yes Removed 2022. This and the adjacent triangular space now roofed and have become part of the main Carriage Works building not listed Modern Carriage workshop and store - - -
117a C2 Shed - Yes Steel frame, corrugated cladding not listed Modern Locomotive workshop Good - - -
not on plan New Small Locomotive Shed - No Steel frame, corrugated cladding not listed Modern, 2022-3 Loco shed and display area under construction - - Pit & foundations built 2022-3, cladding 2023
not on plan Heritage Carriage Shed - Yes Steel frame, corrugated cladding not listed Modern, 2016 Rolling stock storage Good - - Additional ventilation
118 (not on plan) Crane BL031 No Cast iron, stone base not known Historic Still in original position (2023) Jib and other parts missing - - -
N/A Wall on Quarry edge N/A No Dry stone wall Not listed Significant as this wall has been present since the early days of the railway. N/A - Wall removed 2023 due to decay of the rock face - To be rebuilt at later date

See also[edit]

  1. ^ Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 66, page(s): 5