An interesting snowy visit yesterday afternoon to see a North Midland Railway crest at Old Hall Littleover.
When Derby Station was rebuilt in 1892 by Charles Trubshaw this crest, which adorned the frontage of Francis Thompson’s masterpiece, was made redundant and was (thankfully) relocated to the Old Hall.
The ‘Tri Junct Crest’ was carved by John Thomas of Birmingham and includes the arms of Derby, Leeds and Sheffield.
A contemporary lithograph of Derby Station, which is in the British Museum collection, confirms that this crest was the one that adorned the central entrance to Thompson’s station building at Derby.
Many thanks to @ivygrovehomes for supporting us in our endeavour to save the crest and hopefully relocate it to Wingfield Station. Thanks also to @asbc_ltd for their expert advice and support today. The logistics of moving such a heavy and large (3m x 2.8m), yet vulnerable, object should not be underestimated!
We’re grateful to the Littleover Historical Society for alerting us to its existence and to @midlandrailwaysociety for their knowledge and research.
Watch this space for more information about the crest and our plans for displaying it at Wingfield
PS - spot the little winter visitor who was listening intently during the whole hour we were discussing things!
#northmidlandrailway #Derby #Derbyshire #derbyshireheritage #heritage #railway #midlandrailway #francisthompson #station #crest
