Monuments

Railways require much support infrastructure including a variety of functional buildings.. The largest and most recognisable structures are generally rail stations but there are also depots, storage buildings, sheds, workshops, dwellings for rail workers and many others.

There may also be buildings associated with the construction of the railway like navvy’s (railway builders) huts and cottages made of timber, turf or corrugated metal. These temporary structures rarely survive – they were abandoned by labourers as the work moved along through the country.

Many early railway buildings survive and remain in use, but buildings associated with abandoned lines may only exist as foundations or building platforms. Visually, evidence of a track can suggest buildings are associated with railway workings and additional information from historic maps will contribute.