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Bridgnorth is the current Northern terminus of the SVR. It has two platforms connected by a [[Bridgnorth Station Footbridge|footbridge]], a yard, and a [[Bridgnorth signal box|signal box]]. The original Severn Valley Railway continued northwards towards Ironbridge through a 550 yard long tunnel underneath Bridgnorth High Town. From time to time the possibility of re-opening the section of the line north of Bridgnorth is raised on discussion forums and elsewhere. The official stance of the SVR varies somewhat confusingly between ''"maintaining a watching brief"'' and ''"the railway land north of Bridgnorth has been long since sold, and there is now no possibility of Severn Valley trains reaching Ironbridge and Shrewsbury ever again"''.
The main station building is listed Grade II by Historic England for its special architectural or historic interest. <ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1053173 | Bridgnorth Station on the Historic England list]</ref>
The yard at Bridgnorth is home to the [[Bridgnorth Loco Works | Loco Works]]. [[Bridgnorth MPD]] (Motive Power Department) is the principal base for the Railway's steam locomotives. Bridgnorth is also home to two new build projects, BR Class 3 locomotive [[BR 3MT 82045 | 82045]] and a replica of the Trevithick locomotive [[Catch Me Who Can]].
==Facilities==
Bridgnorth has a two car parks. The entrance to the smaller coach/car park next to the station building is in Hollybush Road. This is pay and display and includes disabled parking spaces. The entrance to the larger 'West' car parkis at the end of Station Lane off Hollybush Road, with overflow parking available a short walk away100 yards to the north of the main station entrance. Other facilities for visitors include a buffet, a A ticket to exit this car park may be purchased from the [[Bridgnorth Station Shop | gift shop]] and or 'The Railwayman’s Railwayman's Arms' pub. High Town, with its Castle Gardens and Cliff Railway, can be accessed from the SVR via a footbridge outside the entrance to the Station building.
Facilities for visitors include a buffet, a [[Bridgnorth Station Shop | gift shop]] and 'The Railwayman’s Arms' pub. High Town, with its Castle Gardens and Cliff Railway, can be accessed from the SVR via a footbridge outside the entrance to the Station building. A lineside public viewing area is situated at the foot of [[#Pan_Pudding_Hill | Pan Pudding Hill]], on the opposite side of the line from Platform 1. This can normally be accessed by taking the steps down from the car park near the Railwayman's Arms pub (the '[[Donkey Gallops]]') and going through the [[Engine Shed Underpass]]. A flight of steps on the right then leads up to the viewing area. When access is allowed to the Bridgnorth Works (normally only during Gala events), access to the viewing area is possible direct from the south end of Platform 2.
==Bridgnorth Development Project==
===The 'Inchcape' site===
On 17 June 2014 David Postle attended an SVR(H) Board meeting to propose the acquisition of the adjacent 'Inchcape' site at ‘no cost’ to the railway, leasing the site at a cost of £65,000 per annum for three years with an option to purchase at a price of £1,200,000. Together with colleagues he offered that the first three years' costs would be underwritten so that there would be no financial impact on the railway. The Board considered that the price was over-stated as advisors had indicated a market value of approximately £750,000.<ref>[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2422 General Manager's Statement 23 June 2014]</ref>
===Evolution of plans===
A year later, the SVR announced that there was £264,000 remaining share monies, which was ring-fenced for the remaining phase I of the project (the Bridgnorth station building conservation and extension of the bar). It required detailed plans to be drawn up before going for confirmed costings. Phase II of the project, which includes the turntable and renewal of track work in Bridgnorth yard along with the provision of a new loco pit, will follow, but there will be a need to raise further finance, once Phase I is completed.<ref name="bloct20"/>
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File:Bridgnorth_Plans_20150930.jpg | Proposed site plan on display, September 2015
Bridgnorth_20170430.jpg|The completed base for the new building, April 2017.
This view from Bridgnorth Station shows the footbridge connecting the station to New Road. It is sometimes referred to as the Hollybush Road footbridge, after the road which passes beneath it. The War Memorial in Bridgnorth High Town’s Castle Gardens can also be seen in this image.
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File: Footbridge_outside_Bridgnorth_Station_20150411.jpg |The new footbridge
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The original footbridge at this location was built by [[David Owen#Rubery_Owen|Rubery Owen & Co. Ltd.]] in 1895at a cost of £1400.<ref>[http://specialcollections.le.ac. uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/278547 Kelly's Directory of Shropshire, 1913]</ref> Its condition was allowed to deteriorate following the closure of the railway at Bridgnorth in 1963, and by 1967 owners Bridgnorth Council had announced plans for its demolition. A Public Enquiry into the future of the footbridge was held on 1 April 1968,<ref>SVR News 19</ref> and a [[Bridgnorth Footbridge Trust#Events prior to the establishment of the Bridgnorth Footbridge Trust|campaign to save the bridge]] was launched in 1969. The footbridge was closed and boarded up on 30 September 1970. In [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#19745| April 1974]] Bridgnorth was demoted to rural borough status, losing its powers to spend money maintaining the footbridge. Later that year it was sold to the SVR for a nominal £1, but was reluctantly deemed beyond repair and demolished in 1976.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 105.</ref> A short section was cosmetically restored by SVR volunteers and placed as a feature on the roundabout at the junction of the A458 and A442 on the outskirts of Bridgnorth. <ref>[https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5279776,-2.4123035,3a,75y,68.21h,85.73t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sblf9KSdqoLBDX4V_-HByLA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Section of footbridge visible on Google Street View]</ref> The 1895 bridge can also be seen in photographs 8 and 9 in the gallery of Sellick photographs below. <gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
File:Bridgnorth foot bridge.jpg | The original 1895 footbridge
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In early 2016 volunteers completed a further extension of the platform at the north end.<ref>[https://svrbridgnorth.wordpress.com/tag/platform-1-north-extension/ Bridgnorth Station 'platform 1 north extension'] Retrieved 14 February 2017</ref> This enabled 9-coach trains such as those with an additional observation saloon to be fully 'on platform'. The work also included replacing the adjacent 'barrow crossing'.<ref>SVR News 194</ref>
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File:Bridgnorth_Platform_1969.jpg | Bridgnorth Platform 1 in 1969 (David Cooke)
File: Bridgnorth_Platform_20150503.jpg | Bridgnorth Platform 1
In February 2017 it won the CAMRA Bridgnorth Pub Of The Year Award 2017.
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File: Railwaymans_Arms_20150503.jpg | The Railwayman’s Arms occupies the south wing of the station.
File: Railwaymans_Arms_20150516.jpg | The pub sign looking north
File: Railwaymans_Arms_20150816.jpg | The pub sign looking south
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===Hanbury Cottage===
Hanbury Cottage forms a distinctive backdrop to Bridgnorth MPD. The cottage, together with a half-acre of land, was bought by the SVR for £165,000 in May 2007 after it fell vacant.<ref>SVR News 158, Boardroom Notes</ref>. By 2009 it had been converted into the MPD crew room with DSM and Inspector's offices, plus a small kitchen and a pattern store.<ref>SVR News 168</ref>. The 1884 OS Map below refers to the property as 'Ambrose Cottage'.
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Hanbury_Cottage_20150614.jpg|Hanbury Cottage
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==== Pan Pudding Hill ====
In 2000 the TV series 'Time Team' visited Bridgnorth to investigate the area around St Mary’s Church.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0957382/ Internet Movie Database, Time Team, Series 8, episode 11, first broadcast 11 March 2001] (Retrieved 29 December 2020)</ref> Part of the dig concentrated on Pan Pudding Hill – then in the ownership of The Apley Estate.<ref>[http://apleyestate.co.uk/film-location/ The Apley Estate] Retrieved 5 October 2017</ref> The episode is available on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8o1yhCNpXg YouTube]. In October 2015 the SVR purchased ten acres of land to the west of Bridgnorth Station from The Apley Estate Trustees, which includes Pan Pudding Hill.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/copy-of-bridgnorth-development-1 SVRLive 'Purchase of 10 acres of land to the West of Bridgnorth Station' 5 October 2015] (Retrieved 14 February 2017)</ref>
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File: Pan_Pudding_Hill_20150503.jpg | Pan Pudding Hill, with the public viewing area below
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===Weighbridge===
All locomotives must be weighed before first use on the SVR to ensure they comply with axle weight limits. Individual wheels are also weighed to check for correct weight distribution after replacement of springs. A locomotive is moved slowly over a section of strain gauged track adjacent to platform 1 at Bridgnorth with the results displayed on a screen in the signal box.
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File:Weighbridge.jpg | Weighbridge adjacent to Platform 1
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