‘Engine shed’ next to East Lancashire Railway set to become restaurant

The railway goods shed on Rowlands Road, Summerseat, next to the Bury to Rawtenstall railway, run by the East Lancashire Railway, was built in 1847, shortly after the line opened.

It was designed to serve the local cotton mills with the transport of raw materials inward, and the finished products outward.

It has been designated a Grade II-listed building, mainly because it contains a rare and working, hand-cranked crane.

Inside the site

Now, Holcombe based Mala Cuisine Ltd, who operate several eateries locally, wish to convert the engine shed to a restaurant.

A statement in support of the plans said: “It will be themed with railway paraphernalia and links with the railway would be forged, encouraging train passengers to break their journey at Summerseat railway station to enjoy a meal in the engine shed.”

The plans aim to "utilise the building without forming any new openings, maintaining all original features".

The railway sidings and yard were still in use up to the early 1960s, but the tracks were removed around the time the railway became single track in 1967.

The building has most recently used as a ‘one man’ engineering business, dealing in the repair of motors and generators.

Permissions have been previously granted for restaurant use of the building, the most recent being in August 2013, but no such development has yet taken place.

The railway line

A heritage statement with the plans highlights the importance of the building.

It states: “The Rowlands Road railway warehouse survives as an excellent example of a small railway goods shed or warehouse from the mid-19th nineteenth century.

“The exterior of the building remains virtually unaltered from the time of its construction.

“The hoist system probably dates from 1860 and is a very rare in-situ survival of this type of feature. As such it has high archaeological value.”

Planners at Bury Council will deliberate on the plans in the next few weeks.

The East Lancashire Railway is a 12 mile heritage railway line which runs between Heywood and Rawtenstall.

There are other stations at Bury Bolton Street, Burrs Country Park, Summerseat and Ramsbottom.