A GRANT of £99,600 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has been awarded to the Calder Valley Community Land Trust (CLT), which is preserving the redundant Grade II listed Lancashire & Yorkshire signalbox and creating a heritage centre.
Built in 1891, the ’box still retains its lever frame but began to suffer low-level vandalism after closing in 2018. In partnership with the Friends of Hebden Bridge Station, the trust will now oversee the restoration of the interior of the box.
A computer simulation system will be installed, allowing visitors the virtual experience of using the existing signal levers ‘to signal a train’ through the Hebden Bridge section of the Calder Valley line.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is also supporting the appointment of a project officer who will work with local people to enable a better understanding of the ‘box’s heritage through a series of oral history recordings by former signal operators.