Victorian railway station moves nine miles down road and rebuilt brick by brick

The restored station, which now has a different name, is hoped to provide an attractive gateway to a railway site

A disused Victorian railway station that was facing demolition to make way for a major road scheme has almost completed its brick-by-brick relocation nine miles away.

Wansford Road station in Sutton, near Peterborough, was threatened with destruction to accommodate what is now the abandoned construction of a new dual carriageway on the A47. The proposed £100 million upgrade near Wansford was scrapped last summer due to costs.

However the station, which dates back to 1867, was dismantled in April 2024 and has nearly been reconstructed in the city under its new identity, known as Woodstone Wharf Station.

The original Wansford Road station, constructed in brick with a limestone façade and featuring a booking office, waiting room and administration office, was built to serve Wansford residents. Following its closure in 1929, it was converted into a private home before eventually falling into disuse.

Stan Bell, who has been helping to spearhead the project at The Wansford Road CIO, said: “It’s clear that the building will have a huge rejuvenating impact on this often-forgotten part of Peterborough. We’ve been incredibly lucky to have the support of National Highways.

“We’ve moved it from the original site to its new site in Peterborough, carefully moving the stones. The station will look almost exactly as it did in the Victorian times.

“It’s such a good example of the architecture and it’s too good an opportunity to miss. It’s very important that we save it for future generations.”

It’s anticipated that the structure will be reconstructed and sited to create an appealing entrance to the Railworld site and the Nene Valley trains.

Its primary purpose will be ticket sales and it will be styled as a Victorian ticket office, featuring period artefacts on display. The new railway station is scheduled to open in summer 2026.