Geograph - photograph every grid square

As the railways rather belatedly spread into mid-Wales, Llanidloes seemed destined to become the meeting point of three of them, namely the Newtown and Llanidloes from the north, the Mid Wales from the south, and the Manchester and Milford from the south west. Consequently by agreement the Newtown and Llanidloes built this imposing station building to house the offices of the three companies. It also extended its line a short distance to the south to Penpompren to meet the lines of the other two companies. In the event, the Manchester and Milford failed to complete its line over the Cambrian mountains and never used the station, while the Newtown and Llanidloes joined with other lines to form the Cambrian Railways, with its headquarters in Oswestry, so the building was rather underused, particularily after the Cambrian absorbed the Mid Wales some years later. Llanidloes lost its passenger service and also the line to the south in 1962, with the northern line used for some freight until closed in 1967. Thereafter the building was left idle, until splendidly restored in 1984 to house local offices and businesses.