Chester Station roof designs

[Sox]

Does Chester Station hold the record for the most higglety-pigglety collection of roof designs?

Must be half a dozen in this shot alone:

 

[Adlington]

the most higglety-pigglety collection of roof designs

It's definitely not a higgledy-piggledy design, it's an eclectic one :roll:

 

[jopsuk]

All the architecture, at once!

 

[Adlington]

A bit like the Chester Zoo - all animals in one place!

 

[Sod]

It certainly has a stunning facade, but, once through the archway into the concourse, it is a serious disappointment - a bodge of different architectural styles in linear opposition, overlaid with a recent attempt to jazz it all up which rings sadly hollow. I need to research the history of the station, but the layout (I cannot bring myself to use the word "design") is redolent of a committee that never met, or more probably of at least two competing pre-grouping companies that were not on speaking terms. But that facade is to die for and creates a fabulous (if unfulfilled) impression at the end of a long and straight approach road. This is a place to be impressed before you get on the train, rather than get off it with the best aspect of the station at your back.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It used to have an overall roof, of course, over the through lines, removed before 1960.
The ambience was not helped by the way they dismantled the GWR section of the station (also with an overall roof), leaving gaping gaps as though they just chopped it out and then left it.
Then there was the 1970s collision and fire at the east end of the island platform, which took out a section of the roof that they haven't put back.
A recent fire also destroyed the old goods warehouse (reused as a business centre), though luckily this is not too apparent from the station.

Eclectic is a very generous term!
Have people noticed the recent restoration of the "Carriage Shed" at the south end (funded by the City Place development)?
This used to be the original Chester-Crewe line terminus, and is now where BTP and Arriva's catering dept live.
The platform lighting here (used to be the parcels platform) still has the red LMR Chester lettering on the lighting tubes.

Some of the work done is good quality - the roof glazing and the footbridge were nicely done, and the frontage is nice too (mainly done by the city).
But the new structures inside are quite hideous in Arriva green.
And the abandoned section alongside P2 (all that's left of the GWR section) is a shambles.
There is still the useless Post Office access path through the site which takes valuable space off the car park.

 

[Bevan Price]

The canopy on Platform 3 was rotting - indeed in the 1960s, a small piece fell onto my head (fortunately without causing injury). - It was urgently in need of renewal. Two bays at the west end were removed, becoming surplus after the end of steam working, and the withdrawal of services to Mold/Denbigh/Ruthin.

And also only one of the original 3 footbridges still exists

 

[Sox]

The other thing I must report, on the back of Storm Doris, is that the roof leakes like a sieve

 

[kermit]

Chester and Manchester Victoria always struck me as being similar - impressive from the front, then completely incoherent inside.