Great Malvern Station covered pedestrian walkway and goods entrance tunnel

Great Malvern Station covered pedestrian walkway and goods entrance tunnel

Two tunnels dating from around 1863, possibly designed by E.W. Elmslie, forming a pedestrian approach and goods entrance to the former Imperial Hotel (now Malvern St James' School).

The materials comprise ashlar and rubble stone walling with red and blue bricks, and corrugated iron sheeting for roofing.

The pedestrian walkway forms part of the road bridge at its south end, which carries Avenue Road over the railway cutting. It then runs north alongside the railway track for approximately 100 metres before gently curving through 45 degrees to head east, passing under the drive to the west side of the former hotel and connecting to the basement level. The walkway is not buried for most of its length, and its floor slopes upwards as it progresses north and then east through the earth bank of the railway cutting. The goods tunnel is approached from a short siding on the east side of the main line just north of the road bridge. It has a portal at the railway end flanked by curved retaining walls and runs in a straight line west to east to connect to the hotel basement. Unlike the passenger tunnel, the goods tunnel runs underground for its entire length. Both structures are joined by a brick retaining wall bordering the east side of the railway cutting.

The southern portal of the pedestrian walkway leads from the northern end of the east station platform. An entrance portal forms part of the road bridge structure and features a round-arched head with alternating green and yellow stone voussoirs and a hoodmould following the curve of the arch, terminating on the right with a carved label stop depicting a crowned queen. A similar label stop showing a king's head formerly occupied the left side and is now in storage. Beneath the bridge is a series of five openings with arched heads, sills and cast iron tracery. The main tunnel body has lower walling of blue engineering brick with stone coping at the top. Above this, brick piers with stone dressings support the roof. Between the piers are horizontal lights formerly glazed, with metal frames including cusped and diagonal glazing bars. The arched corrugated metal roof appears original and features a decorative crest of cast iron foliage panels running along its centre. The tunnel has a flat roof and rectangular windows where it abuts the hotel building.

Internally, the pedestrian walkway floor is laid with stone slabs. The roof beneath the road bridge is pitched with a twentieth-century corrugated metal lining to one side, supported by plain iron hoops rising from piers at either side. The tunnel beneath the driveway is lined with red bricks and has an arched roof. Gas lighting brackets survive at the north-eastern end. The tunnel splits into two at this end, with a separate passage lined at its lower walling with timber planking, formerly connecting to the hotel's luggage lift.

The goods tunnel entrance is round-arched with wooden plank doors fitted with iron strap hinges. The retaining wall alongside the tracks has alternating bands of blue and red bricks to its southern end; the angled northern end features stone coping and has been partially rebuilt in red brick. The arched vault is lined with bricks, and railway lines and sleepers remain in place.