Bromsgrove Station receives prestigious IMechE Engineering Heritage Award

Bromsgrove Station in Worcestershire has received an Engineering Heritage Award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in recognition of its unique place in the history of the Institution.

• Engineers met at the station in 1846 and decided to form the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
• The Award also celebrates our 175^th anniversary this year

This year the Institution is celebrating its 175^th anniversary and it was at Bromsgrove Station in 1846 that a group of engineers met to watch locomotive trials, and during this gathering, they discussed the idea of forming a new Institution to meet the needs of mechanical engineers. The Institution was founded the following year, with its first meeting held in Birmingham in January 1847.

IMechE President Peter Flinn unveiled a plaque at the Station to celebrate its receipt of the 132nd Engineering Heritage Award.

John Wood, Chair of Engineering Heritage Committee, said “the aim of the Institution’s Heritage Award scheme is not only to support and recognise important historic sites and artefacts but also to promote the stories behind them as a source of inspiration to everyone and especially to the young engineers of tomorrow.”

The Bromsgrove Station Award is part of a series of events this year to celebrate our 175th anniversary and highlight the achievements of IMechE and the contribution of mechanical engineering to society, whilst also inspiring a future generation of engineers.

Ally McConnell, descendant of James McConnell who was one of the founding engineers at Bromsgrove Station, attended the ceremony, said “it was a privilege to attend the event and celebrate the work that my ancestor and others did to establish and promote the Society in its fledgling years, and to see how high regard those in the Society see him even 175 years later.”

The Engineering Heritage Awards, established in 1984, aims to celebrate the past, and present, by promoting artefacts, sites, or landmarks of significant engineering importance. Bromsgrove Station will sit amongst previous winners, such as RAF Museum’s Supermarine Spitfire and Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

We were also joined by Kevin Blacktop, Midland Region Chair, who was responsible for submitting the application for the Bromsgrove Heritage Award.

Find out more about our 175^th Anniversary celebrations and the Engineering Heritage Awards.