Changes

On 8 August 1988 [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC]] gave a Legal Charge in favour of the County Council of Hereford & Worcester in respect of "All that land at Bewdley containing six point seven acres or thereabouts together with the buildings erected thereon." The charge was given as security against "All monies due or to become due from the company to the chargee under the terms of agreement dated 10.5.88." {{As of|20222024}} its status is shown as 'Outstanding'.<ref>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01046274/chargesCompanies House] (Retrieved 13 December 202029 February 2022)</ref> The Council itself was abolished in 1998 and reverted to the two separate historic counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The main passenger access to island platforms 2 and 3 is via the [[Bewdley Station Footbridge|footbridge]], but the only access route for those with restricted mobility is via a barrow crossing at the opposite end of the platform, accessed through the [[Bewdley Down Yard]]. A 2021/22 project funded primarily by the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd|Charitable Trust]] to improve access includes a reinforced concrete path between the gates protecting the rail crossing and the yard gates adjoining the car park, with a branch to the existing disabled toilets; removal of the obtrusive GWR water tower on the island platform; improvements to the crossing itself; and appropriate signage.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/bloct21 Branch Lines, October 2021]</ref>. In October 2022 the SVR announced:'' "it is hoped that external funding can also support the creation of a disabled toilet facility on the station platform. This will hugely improve facilities for our less-abled visitors"''<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/bloct22 Branch Lines October 2022]</ref>.

The phone box outside the station is an a rare example of the K4 type, introduced in 1930. The K4, nicknamed the Vermillion Giant, was a combined telephone and post box. Only 50 were ever produced.<ref>[http://www.redphonebox.info/galleryK4.html RedPhoneBox.info]</ref>  The box is Grade II listed by Historic England and described as "Intact but not on original site".<ref> [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1100700 Historic England listing entry for the phone box] </ref> It arrived on the SVR in winter 1981-82 on permanent loan from the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust<ref>SVR News 62</ref> and was originally situated on Platform 1.<ref>SVR News 66</ref> A planning application proposal to relocate it to a covered location at [[The Engine House]] 'to better protect and display this artefact' was approved in November 2023<ref>[https://planningpa.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=RVZ3FGSILXW00&activeTab=summary Wyre Forest District Council planning application 23/0418/LBC] (Retrieved 14 March 2024)</ref>.

Two water towers at the southern end of Platforms 2&3 and in the MPD area allow watering of locomotives. The tower on the island platform is of GWR origin and was recovered from Stow Heath yard, Bilston in 1969. The tower next to the MPD is of LNWR origin and was retrieved from Hadley, near Wellington, in October 1972.<ref>SVR News 29</ref>. Both columns were installed during the winter of 1973-74.<ref>SVR News 31</ref>. Unlike at Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, the water supply at Bewdley is not specially treated, and so the columns are only used on rare occasions such as galas.

==== Gent's urinal Urinal ====

The token catcher opposite Bewdley North signal box was originally located opposite Bewdley South signal box, where it could be used by locomotives on the former [[Stourport Branch]]. It was moved to its present location during the 1974-75 close season.<ref>SVR News 36</ref>. It is not currently in use, tokens instead being exchanged by hand.

|Thomas Appleton||26 April 1826 Newton-Le-Willows, Lancashire|| data-sort-value="1/8/1863" | August 1863||data-sort-value="31/1/1897" | 31 January 1897||Joined West Midland Railway October 1854. Retired 1897. Died 17 April 1906, Worcester|-|William John Curtis||16 July 1859 Salisbury, Wiltshire|| data-sort-value="1/2/1897" | February 1897||data-sort-value="1/8/1898" | August 1898 ||

|George Smith||14 January 1867 Shipton Oxfordshire||data-sort-value="1/9/1898" | September 1898||data-sort-value="1/12/1909" | 1 December 1909||Started work 6 November 1882. Later Station Master at [[Bridgnorth circa 1917]]

|Ernest James Neate Carter||21 September 1879 Slough, Buckinghamshire||data-sort-value="1/19/1914" | September 1914?|| data-sort-value="1/12/1927" | December 1927|||-|George William Lane||31 May 1872 Hartlebury, Worcestershire|| data-sort-value="1/1/19261928" | 1926?After 1927|| ||Previously station master at Hartlebury|-|William John Barton Banbury||11 June 1880 Teignmouth, Devon|Started work 10 September 1894. Died 7 November 1959|data-sort-value="1/1/1930" | 1930s|| data-sort-value="1/2/1937" | By February 1937||Previously station master at [[Wyre Forest Line#Cleobury_Mortimer|Cleobury Mortimer]], by 1937 station master at Stourport

|George William LaneAlfred Walter Cooke||31 May 1872 Hartlebury15 September 1886 Witney, WorcestershireOxfordshire||data-sort-value="1/14/19241937" | After 1924April 1937|| ||Started work 31 May 1872. Employed Previously employed at Bewdley as a passenger clerk between December 1896 Bridgnorth, [[Wellington to Craven Arms Railway|Much Wenlock]] and October 1899[[Eardington]] and station master at Cleobury Mortimer. Died 9 January 1961

Early Station Masters data taken from census and GWR staff records by Reg Instone, who is involved with the Signalling Records Society, the LNWR Society and the GWR Study Group. Additional information from Chris Haynes.