A railway centre has welcomed descendants of Isambard Kingdom Brunel to lay one of the first plinth stones for a reconstructed station building.
Didcot Railway Centre hosted Brunel’s great-great-great-grandson, Jim Noble, as well as his son, Zeb.
Mr Noble was considered the ideal person to perform this role for the Brunel-inspired 1850s station building.
Heyford station building is based on Brunel’s design for the station at Box, near Bath in Somerset.
Heyford station was donated to Didcot Railway Centre in 1986, whose volunteers had to dismantle it and remove it from site.
In the last few years, volunteers have worked to finally reconstruct the building in its new home.
After three years of clearing and preparing the ground, casting the reinforced concrete foundations and installing ducts and pipes for services, the building is now starting to rise above ground level.
The plinth stones are newly-cut stone, as the originals were so big they had to be left in the ground when the station was demolished.
These newer stones, cut in the style of the originals, allow for more modern adjustments, such as damp-proof courses, to be effective.
The stone laying is being undertaken by a contractor, who will be working with the volunteer team over the summer months.
Jim Noble is a long-term supporter of Didcot Railway Centre, having led the parade at Didcot Christmas Street Fair in 2010.
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