Land off West Street, Crewe. Archaeological Building Recording (Level 2)

Lanpro was commissioned to undertake a photographic historic building survey of the former early 20th century railway works buildings that occupy the western end of the Crewe Railway Works site, adjacent to West Street, Crewe (SJ 6892 5608), prior to their demolition in advance of the residential redevelopment of the site. The railway works buildings that occupy the proposed development site are not 'non-designated heritage assets' and are considered to be of no more than local significance. It was therefore agreed with the Cheshire Archaeology Planning Advisory Service that the demolition of these buildings could be mitigated through a programme of historic building recording, comprising an Historic England Level 2 building survey. This report provides the results of the phased record of the site undertaken in May 2018 (Phase 1a), and October 2018 (Phase 1b). The survey has identified that parts of Sheds 1 and 3 may include structural elements that relate to the earliest railway sheds on the site, which were constructed at the end of the 19th century or beginning of the 20th century. These sheds were later combined through the addition of Shed 3 between them during the late 1920s. At this time Shed 4 to the south and Shed 5 to the south-west were constructed as part of a substantial expansion of this part of the railway works, following the take-over of the site by the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Due to the ongoing use of the buildings, there have been numerous functional additions and alterations to these through the 20th and early 21st centuries, including the insertion of internal office spaces, which have altered the historical character of these buildings.