Awards

Since its formation in 1965, the Severn Valley Railway has won many awards from various railway, heritage, tourism or other organisations.

Contents

List of awards

  • 1969 Tyseley Cup winner: Best exhibit at the open day on 28 September, for 3205 and three GWR carriages.[1]
  • 1979 Arley: Ian Allan Best preserved station[2]
  • 1980 Arley: Ian Allan Best preserved station[2]
  • 1983 Arley: Association of Railway Preservation Societies Best Restored Station Winners Award[2]
  • 1984 Arley: Ian Allan Best preserved station[2]
  • 1985 Arley: Association of Railway Preservation Societies award for exceptional merit[2]
  • 1986 Highley: Association of Railway Preservation Societies Best Restored Station Champions Award[5]
  • 1986 Arley: Association of Railway Preservation Societies Best Restored Station First Class Award (runners up to Highley)[2]
  • 1987 Highley: Association of Railway Preservation Societies, First Class Award[5]
  • 1987 Kidderminster: Association of Railway Preservation Societies BR Award for the most meritorious entry[8][9]
  • 1999 Severn Valley Railway: Heart of England Tourism Awards 1999, Tourism For All award, Highly Commended.[13]
  • 2000 Severn valley Railway: Heart Of England Tourism Awards 2000, Visitor Attraction Of The Year, Highly Commended.[13]
  • 2002 Bridgnorth was a category winner in the 2002 'Bridgnorth in Bloom' competition.[14]
  • 2005 Victoria Bridge: Institution of Civil Engineers, The Historic Bridge & Infrastructure Awards, Commendation[16]
  • 2007 Severn Valley Railway: Chamber Awards, Excellence in Tourism[20]
  • 2008 Severn Valley Railway: National Railway Heritage Awards, The Ian Allan Publishing 'Heritage Railway of the Year Award'[21][22]
  • 2008 Severn Valley Railway: Heart of England Excellence in Tourism awards, Best Tourism Experience[23]
  • 2008 Severn Valley Railway: Heritage Railway Association, Peter Manisty award for outstanding contribution to railway preservation][23][20]
  • 2008 SVR Chairman Michael York: Transport Trust 'Preservationist of the Year' for "...leading his organisation through a tremendous struggle against the adversity caused by a natural disaster."[24]
  • 2009 Severn Valley Railway: Institution of Civil Engineers, Community Benefit award[20][16]
  • 2009 Severn Valley Railway: National Railway Heritage Awards, Independent Railway of the Year[26]
  • 2009 Arley Station: Bewdley In Bloom, Two first prizes[27]
  • 2010 Severn Valley Railway: Worcester News, The Worcestershire Welcome Awards, Best Grand Day Out[31]
  • 2011 Severn Valley Railway: Worcestershire Life, The Worcestershire Welcome Awards, Outstanding Customer Service Award[32][16]
  • 2012 Severn Valley Railway: Destination Worcestershire, Worcestershire Visitor Attraction of the Year[16]
  • 2012 Severn Valley Railway: UK Coach Awards, Coach Friendly Historic Attraction Award[20]
  • 2012 Severn Valley Railway: Visit England, Tourism Experience of the Year Bronze Award[33][20]
  • 2012 Severn Valley Railway: The Worcestershire Welcome Awards, Visitor Attraction of the Year Winner[16]
  • 2012 Severn Valley Railway: The Worcestershire Welcome Awards, Tourism Website of the Year, Highly Commended[16]
  • 2013 Severn Valley Railway: Visit Worcestershire Awards, Best Tourism Experience[34][16]
  • 2013 Severn Valley Railway: The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service[35][20]
  • 2013 Severn Valley Railway: Wyre Forest District Council, Wyre Forest No Barriers Award[36]
  • 2013 Severn Valley Railway: Group Travel Awards, Best Attraction for Group Visits, Runner Up[20]
  • 2014/15 Severn Valley Railway: BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards, Heritage site of the Year[37][20]
  • 2014 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.[38]
  • 2016 Severn Valley Railway: Heritage Railway Association, Large Groups Award. Joint winner [40]
  • 2016 Severn Valley Railway: What's On readers awards, Best Visitor attraction, Worcestershire. Runner up. [41]
  • 2016 Arley: National Railway Heritage Awards, 'The Stagecoach Volunteers Award'[42][43]
  • 2016 Bewdley: National Railway Heritage Awards, 'Great Western Railway Craft Skills Award', Highly Commended[44][45]
  • 2017 Severn Valley Railway: What's On readers awards, Best Visitor attraction, Worcestershire. [48]
  • 2017 The King & Castle won the "Wyre Forest CAMRA Pub of the Season for Spring 2017."[49]
  • 2017 Severn Valley Railway: Visit Worcestershire Awards, Best Visitor Attraction.[50]
  • 2018 Severn Valley Railway: Worcestershire What's On Readers' Awards, Best Visitor Attraction[51]
  • 2018 The King & Castle won the "Wyre Forest CAMRA Pub of the Season for Summer 2018."[52]
  • 2018 ‘No Barriers’ Mike Oborski Awards for access for people with disabilities in the Wyre Forest area.[53]
  • 2019 The King & Castle won the "Wyre Forest CAMRA Pub of the Year 2019"[54]
  • 2019 Bridgnorth Station was shortlisted for the 'Refurbishment' category of the Brick Development Association 'Brick awards'.[55]
  • 2020 Class 50 Alliance Limited: Heritage Railway Association Awards, Coiley Locomotive Engineering Award runner up for the restoration of 50033 'Glorious'[56]
  • 2020 The King & Castle won the "Wyre Forest CAMRA Bronze Pub of the Year 2020"[57]
  • 2020 Travellers’ Choice Winner by Trip Advisor.[58]
  • 2021 SVR and King and Castle: TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.[59]
  • 2021/22 Severn Valley Railway: Tourism Awards, Resilience and Innovation Award[61]
  • 2022 Severn Valley Railway: winner of VisitEngland’s bronze award for Resilience and Innovation[62]
  • 2022 Travellers’ Choice Winner by Trip Advisor for the SVR and The Engine House.[63]
  • 2024: HRA Awards -
Class 50 Alliance; HRA Mortons Media Rail Express Modern Traction Award, for 100 mainline tours[65]
Award for Diesel and Electric Locomotion for the railway's events celebrating 50 years of diesel preservation.
Jonathan Dunster The Railway Magazine Preservationist of the Year Award
  • 2024 Best Regional Heritage Railway Attraction: UK Transport Award (SME News)[66]
  • 2024 Travellers’ Choice Winner by Trip Advisor 'for the fifth year in a row'.[67]


Post preservation gallery

Prior to preservation

Prior to the preservation era, the GWR and BR awarded a number of prizes for the gardens at various SVR stations.

In 1909 the Great Western Magazine reported that "Much satisfaction was evinced in Upper Arley at the announcement that the Company had awarded the Station Master, Mr. Batchelor, the special prize for 1909 for the best kept station garden in the division. Mr. Batchelor was also awarded special prizes in 1903, 1904 and 1905. Being then barred from the special prize he was awarded firsts in 1906, 1907 and 1908 so that for the past seven years he had won the highest prizes possible for which he was eligible."[68].

In 1907 a special prize was awarded for the best kept station garden in Worcester District to Mr Stanley, Station Master at Hampton Loade. He had only been there 3 years.[69]

Mr J T ("Joe") Hill was awarded prizes in 1919, 1920 & 1921 while station master at Hampton Loade and also in 1923, 1924 & 1925 while station master at Arley.

A special award was made to the Station Master at Linley for the station garden in 1934.[70]

T. Brick won a certificate of merit from the Ministry of Agriculture for growing vegetables at Highley in 1944.[71]

Highley Station won 3rd prize in the British Railways (Western Region) Station gardens competition in 1953 & 1954.[5]

Pre-preservation gallery

References

  1. SVR News 210
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 On display in Arley waiting room
  3. www.2857.org.uk
  4. SVR News 55
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 On display in Highley waiting room
  6. SVR News 75
  7. On display inside 9055
  8. SVR News 88
  9. On display in Kidderminster booking hall
  10. On display in Kidderminster signal box
  11. On display in Kidderminster Railway Museum
  12. SVR News 115
  13. 13.0 13.1 Stored in The Engine House Archive
  14. SVR News 142
  15. NRHA web site
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 On display at Comberton Place
  17. 17.0 17.1 NRHA web site
  18. On display at Northwood Halt.
  19. On display at Bewdley Station
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 On display at The Engine House
  21. Photo in SVR News 164
  22. NRHA web site
  23. 23.0 23.1 Kidderminster Shuttle
  24. Transport Trust web site
  25. Kidderminster Shuttle
  26. Birmingham Mail
  27. Arley Station web site
  28. SVR Charitable Trust web site
  29. NRHA web site
  30. On display at Bridgnorth Loco Works
  31. Worcester News
  32. Worcestershire Life web site
  33. Visit England web site
  34. Kidderminster Shuttle
  35. Shropshire Star
  36. Kidderminster Shuttle
  37. BBC Countryfile web site
  38. SVR Facebook post 23 May 2014
  39. 39.0 39.1 HRA web site
  40. SVR Live web site
  41. What's On magazine web site
  42. SVR Live web site
  43. On display at Arley station
  44. SVR Live web site
  45. On display at Bewdley station
  46. Kidderminster Shuttle
  47. SVR Official Facebook
  48. What's On magazine web site
  49. SVR Official Facebook
  50. SVR Official Facebook
  51. Worcestershire What's On Facebook page
  52. Wyre Forest CAMRA Facebook
  53. SVR Facebook
  54. King & Castle Facebook, 18 February 2019
  55. The Brick Development Association web site
  56. 56.0 56.1 HRA web site
  57. Wyre Forest CAMRA Facebook, 9 March 2020
  58. Branch Lines newsletter, September 2020 (Retrieved 29 August 2020)
  59. Branch Lines, September 2021
  60. Branch Lines, December 2021
  61. SVR Official facebook Page
  62. Branch Lines, June 2022
  63. SVR Facebook post 7 July 2022
  64. Branch Lines, December 2022
  65. Rail Express, February 2024, p.14
  66. SVR Website News, 26 April 2024
  67. SVR Facebook post 3 July 2024
  68. Geens (1985) p. 113.
  69. Great Western Magazine January 1908
  70. Great Western Magazine January 1935
  71. On display in Highley ticket office.