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Summary

Description

1859; enlarged 1906 by Caledonian Railway. Single-storey, U-plan former railway station building with later infill and wings. Stugged and snecked rubble sandstone with tooled ashlar dressings, grey slate roof. 4-panelled doors, 12-pane timber sash and case windows, deep eaves with exposed rafter and purlin ends, ashlar ridge stacks.

E ELEVATION: pentice-roofed timber infill to centre flanked by gable to left with block-pedimented projecting window, and gable to right with 12-pane window; addition to far left flush with gable and with door an window, slightly recessed addition to far right with door and 2 windows, decorative cast-iron drinking fountain fixed to wall at right, two 4-light rooflights. W ELEVATION: 5-bay domestic block to left, door 2nd bay from right; later single bay with window recessed to right.

INTERIOR: in dilapidated condition, but some original boarding and chimneypieces.

SIGNAL BOX: (Map Ref: NT 03974, 37252) Caledonian Railway Company, Type S4, 1906. Red brick, piended slate roof. Timber mullioned multi-light glazing to 1st floor, deep cill shelf with metal brackets; deep eaves with boarded soffits and brackets fixed to mullion heads; 2 segmental-headed multi-pane windows to front elevation ground floor, 9-light window to signal cabin; door to ground and 1st floor at right return, reached by timber forestair. 4-light window. 5-light window to left return. Outshot and stack rising through eaves to rear. Interior altered to form office; timber panelling; remains of fireplace.

WASH HOUSE: red brick, rectangular wash house with stack and slate roof to NE corner of principal building; 2 windows, roof vent. Boiler and 2 ceramic sinks.

OUTBUILDING: single storey outbuilding to E of principal building. Stugged and snecked sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings, slate roof; deep eaves with exposed rafter ends, purlin ends to gables cut-back. 2 boarded doors to front; 12-lying-pane window to left return; ashlar stacks rising through eaves at NW corner. Interior not seen.

GOODS SHED: large rectangular-plan goods shed to N of principal building. Masonry base course, horizontally-boarded walls, piended slate roof with deep eaves. 2 large sliding doors to S elevation, single sliding door to end elevations formerly opening to railway siding. Remains of platform to W. Interior not seen.

Statement of Special Interest

Biggar station is a good and early example of a former railway station group in the Lanarkshire region, comprising principal station building, goods shed, signal box, former wash house and platforms. It was built in 1859 when the railway between Symington and Broughton was opened. The station was enlarged in 1906 by the Caledonina Railway Company to coincide with the Royal Highland Show held that year in Peebles. The structures as a whole form a significant group with numerous origainl features surviving. A second track was laid which necessitated a footbridge, platform and waiting room on the south side of the track, all since removed. The station yard, including the buildings, later formed part of Cuthbertson's engineering works. The station building is currently unused (2013).

Signal boxes are a distinctive and now rare building type that make a significant contribution to Scotland's diverse industrial heritage. Of more than 2000 signal boxes built across Scotland by 1948 around 150 currently survive (2013), on and off the public network, with all pre-1948 mechanical boxes still in operation due to become obsolete by 2021. The signal box at Biggar is a particularly rare and important example of perhaps the most significant Scottish signal box design - the Caledonian S4. Once widespread, this archetypal box with carved brackets fixed to the head of each window mullion, has been adaptively re-used to operate as offices for a local busines. One other S4 (the former Garnqueen South box now relocated at Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway) is also listed. A non-standard Caledonian box with similar decorative detailing is at St Fillans in Perth and Kinross (see separate listing). The Caledonian Railway's Southern Division also produced S1, S2, S3 and S5 boxes, none of which are known to survive.

List description updated as part of Scottish Signal Box Review (2012-13).

References

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