Historic plaque of 1913 royal visit handed over to Crewe Heritage Centre
Crewe Heritage Trust has celebrated the handover of a historic plaque commemorating the 1913 Royal Visit to Crewe Works.
The plaque, which was located in one of the de-commissioned signal boxes at Basford Hall freight depot was donated by Network Rail and will now be protected and preserved by Crewe Heritage Trust, at the Heritage Centre for the long-term benefit of the people of Crewe.
The Heritage Centre is sited on the Old Works, famously established in 1843 as the original engineering facility for the railways in Crewe.
1913's Royal Visit to the Works of King George V and Queen Mary was a huge moment for the whole town.
King George V and Queen Mary were met at Crewe Railway Station by large crowds waving flags and streamers and the town was decorated with bunting and fairy lights.
The decision to formally pass the plaque, which serves a key part of Crewe's rich history, to Crewe Heritage Trust was made by The Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board (RHDAB).
The board considers items of national significance and agrees which institution should receive and look after those items when they are no longer required by the railway business that owns them.
Chair of Crewe Heritage Trust, Gordon Heddon, said: "We are thrilled to be able to accept this item and look forward to putting it on public display, where it belongs, at Crewe Heritage Centre."
"For so long, Crewe has been overlooked as a place that can look after its own heritage.
"This is therefore a fantastic sign that there is a growing understanding that we can be custodians of historic objects like this, and that we are able to provide both the appropriate care, and the historical context.
"We are currently working towards Museum Accreditation as part of a wider transformational project that will result in a large-scale capital redevelopment here at the Heritage Centre.
"The growth, and care, of our collection is therefore a significant area of development for us."
The plaque became available after its former signal box home was decommissioned by Network Rail as part of a major overhaul to the signalling at one of Britain's busiest railway junctions.
The team at Network Rail contacted the Trust to make sure the important item wasn't lost.
Network Rail's North West route director, Phil James, said: "We' are so happy to see the plaque find a new home at Crewe Heritage Centre.
"It is a cherished piece of our history that highlights Crewe's pivotal role in the development of the railway industry.
"This move ensures the legacy of Crewe's railway history continues to be celebrated and remembered by future generations."
Crewe Heritage Centre hopes to have the plaque on display in time for their new season opening on Saturday 29 March.
As part of this year's Railway 200 celebrations, a national year-long programme of events and activities celebrating the 200th anniversary of the invention of the modern railway.
Crewe Heritage Centre is open from March 29 to November 2, every weekend and bank holiday Monday, and Wednesdays during the Cheshire East school holidays.
READ MORE: Driver escapes arrest after crashing into two parked cars in Crewe.
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