‘Plaque’ to its former glory

A plaque dedicated to the historic opening of a railway has been restored, thanks to a funeral home.

Kilpatricks Funeral Service of Littleborough has funded the restoration of the plaque commemorating the opening of the Manchester to Leeds railway line by George Stephenson on 1 March 1841.

The restored plaque was unveiled by Northern Rail’s Stephen Green, the Friends of Littleborough Station and Littleborough Historical Society.

Manager of Kilpatricks Funeral Service Iain Woodhead said: “The commemorative plaque was very badly weathered and was difficult to read – after all, it’s been there since 1951.

“We successfully applied to Northern Rail for permission to have it re-gilded and I think it looks brand new now. It’s part of Littleborough’s history and I’m proud we have been able to preserve it.”

Staff from the funeral home have been helping the Friends of Littleborough Station and Littleborough Historical Society care for the station for the past three years by planting flowers in tubs and containers and picking up litter.

Image: Iain Woodhead with the plaque.