November 28, 2018 5.24 pm This story is over 64 months old

Royal to open Market Rasen station revamp

Royal seal of approval

Princess Anne will be visiting the newly refurbished Market Rasen station on Tuesday 11 December, where she will unveil a special plaque and speak with volunteers from the community project who helped bring the Grade II listed building back to life.

The Princess Royal will also be chatting to children from Market Rasen and Nettleton primary schools, who have designed posters about the station’s history.

The station was finally unveiled to the public in September after a three-year long restoration scheme that totalled around £700,000.

The once dilapidated building has now been turned into a heritage and community centre and business units.

Lynn Ritson, property manager at the station said: “We are honoured that Her Royal Highness is going to visit the station and officially unveil the plaque at the heritage centre.

“The restoration of the building involved so many people from the local community and without hard-working volunteers driving the project forward, it would never have happened.”

Prior to the work, the building had been standing empty for over 20 years and was even placed on the Buildings at Risk register.

However thanks to an initial development grant of £71,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund followed by a further £463,900, restoration work on the building was able to commence in June 2016.

Works included replacing the stonework at the entrance to the building with locally sourced Ancaster Stone, as well as restoring brickwork and refurbishing windows.

Lindum will be leasing the restored building to the Market Rasen community project for a peppercorn rent for the next 25 years.