Dalegarth Station and Visitor Centre

Client: The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Company Ltd

Location: The Lake District National Park

The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is one of the Lake District National Park's most popular tourist attractions. The new station needed to be a functional, highly sustainable building which would attract tourists and be in sympathy with the spectacular backdrop. It had to include a ticket office, waiting room with toilets, cafe and gift shop, all large enough to accommodate a full 'trainload' of visitors and coach parties. It also had to be a venue for children's parties, meetings and conferences.

Pinelog's architects designed a two-storey structure, constructed in timber frame with glulam laminated trusses, giving a vaulted roof style on the upper floor. Highly insulated, the frame is clad in Siberian larch panels and blockwork finished with local Lake District render. Decorated in the livery of the original Furness Railway Company, the building has full height narrow windows to echo the railway theme, giving excellent ventilation and daylight penetration. The roof is finished with locally sourced reclaimed Cumbrian slate and the overhang over the platform gives shelter for visitors waiting for their train.

Visitors have level access from the platform to the ticket office, cafe and gift shop, a staircase leads down to the lower floor.

Chief Executive of the R&ER, Jim Walker is delighted with the new facility, "The fact that Pinelog provided a complete design and build solution was a tremendous benefit to us. The new building provides better facilities, especially for disabled users....upgrading has improved the financial sustainability of the railway - an important consideration given its significance to the local economy of the Eskdale Valley".

"I would recommend Pinelog without reservation to any others who might enquire about the standard of your service and finished product. I hope that we will be able to work with you again in the future on similar projects."