A new brewery, community space and bar have officially opened at Henley-in-Arden Railway Station, following months of work from volunteers.

Yesterday (Thursday 22 February), representatives from the Railway Heritage Trust, Henley-in-Arden Parish Council, West Midlands Railway, Friends of the Shakespeare Line and Friends of Henley Railway Station joined Network Rail's Lord Peter Hendy to open the newly refurbished station building.

The original station building, which dates back to 1908, has been repurposed into a "stylish and welcoming" community space and bar, after being left empty since the 1990s.

Concerned about the deterioration of the building and the developing signs of anti-social behaviour, local community group Friends of Henley Railway Station (FHRS) stepped into action to lead the major transformation.

With the support of Network Rail, West Midlands Railway, Henley-in-Arden Parish Council and the Railway Heritage Trust, FHRS carried out structural repairs to the building before reworking and renovating the space which now houses a fantastic community bar and lounge.

The building has space for the The Henley Mile brewery which is being run by local brewers, with their products being served in the bar alongside other local beers, local wines, soft drinks and snacks.

The Henley Mile Brewery has opened at the railway station (image via Network Rail)

The lounge will provide a multi-functional community space, equipped with IT facilities, which can be hired for small functions.

Peter, Lord Hendy, chair of Network Rail, said: "It's an absolute pleasure to officially open this brilliant new community space that has been created in the old station building.

"It is wonderful to see partners and volunteers coming together to put the railway at the heart of the local community.

"I'd like to thank everybody involved in this project and I hope passengers from Henley and beyond will experience the benefits that this repurposed building brings for years to come."

The bar will open to the public for the first time at 12noon on Saturday (February 24), following a day for the contractors today, and a morning for the volunteers on Saturday.

Henley-in-Arden Station before the works (image via Network Rail)

The new community space and bar at the station (Image via Network Rail)

Angela Okey, chair of Friends of Henley Railway Station, said: "After living in Henley for several years and walking my dogs past the derelict station building every morning, it saddened me to see the state of disrepair of what was once an iconic and beautiful building.

"The aim was always to make this a community project and by involving local people with the same love of their town, it has been a delight to work on and watch the enthusiasm of everyone.

"As well as being a welcoming meeting place for residents, we hope it will attract more footfall to our beautiful town of Henley-in-Arden, which in turn will support our local businesses and traders."

Fraser Pithie, chair of Friends of the Shakespeare Line, said: "What has been delivered by the Friends of Henley Railway Station shows the tremendous impact that people from their own community can achieve when they come together for the benefit of their community and engage with the railway. 

"This is an awesome facility which will benefit the community, local economy, railways and encourage people to travel by train."

All income and profits from the bar and community space will be invested back into the building, facilities and station area.

A blue plaque in dedication to the tireless work of the volunteers (image via Network Railway)