Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 10th Anniversary: Looking To The Past & Future

Any chance of a link to the location. Thanks.

 

I don't know whether you can link to a specific google street view picture. But here goes:
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.188139,-3.899017,-152.38h,5p,1z
If you look downhill on Church Lane, the bungalow is on your left. Turn 180 degrees and the older house is Fair View. You can see the remains of a bridge over the trackbed behind the bungalow and to the right of Fair View.

If this doesn't work, just use instant street view and put in Parracombe, Devon, and then place the little figure as far east on Church Lane as you can go.

 

Erm, wouldn't you ask for lots of money if someone wanted to buy your house and knock it down to let them pursue their hobby/extend a tourist attraction?

 

Not if I knew that cp powers would allow the railway to buy it at market value....

 

Yes, but I might feel I had a good chance in opposing the PP.
I am completely in favour of restoring the L&B, which I think is by far the most exciting thing happening in UK preservation (all those new builds included).
Nevertheless we have to see things from the point of view of those who will be impacted - and severely (loss of what for all we know is a much loved family home). We wouldn't be glib about it if it was our home. I know, in fact, that the various parts of the L&B family ARE being extremely considerate and patient and reasonable. So lets keep the tone of supportive comments the same - I think some of the affected people might be unimpressed by some comments on here. We can't afford anyone to decide we think taking someone's home is minor and that playing with trains is more important.

 

If I was looking at it cold heartedly as a negotiation, if (a) I thought I could oppose the CP and/or (b) I thought that opposing the CP would make the railway more inclined to pay over the going rate to avoid other costs, then it would be worth trying.

That's without considering @andrewshimmin's point that it may be as simple as the current owners liking their home and not wishing that to be disrupted.

 

The Walhalla Goldfields Railway in Australia have announced they have signed a Twinning Agreement with the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway.

See : http://www.walhallarail.com.au/

Chris

 

I see the Fare View isn't listed now, so has it been sold or taken off the market until the planning application is decided. The bungalow which is built on the track bed might belong to the railway family already as if I can remember when talking to one of them at the galas when the first two restored/rebuilt L&B coaches came into use, that the couple who had the bungalow built refused to consider selling to the railway, but both of them have passed away ant there children were happy to talk about selling the bungalow.

Another thing one of the farmers who still owns some of the track bed around Parracombe is willing to sell, as long as the railway keeps to a condition which is a years deadline to get the section up and running to Blackmoor Gate from acquiring his section of track bed. So it could be a case of "Challenge Anneka" to get the work done.

 

New from Exmoor Associates:

Exmoor Associates – ‘Going the extra mile’ Teaser video
Exmoor Associates are producing a video of the L&BR trackbed captured by a camera on a drone flying over the route. Funded by donations from a few EA shareholders, prior to release of the final version a very short ‘teaser’ video has been uploaded to YouTube.

See the teaser video here >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRtMbk3IJso&feature=youtu.be
The full video when released will at a minimum include all the trackbed sections owned by Exmoor Associates, and is being produced for us by the Altitude58 Film Company.

 

The property has been reguarly 'on' and 'off' the market for some years now.

The section of land to which you refer is owned by Exmoor Associates and therefore already controlled by the preservationists. It will be relatively easy to undertake the civil works across that section in order to meet the contractual condition that it has to be completed within 12-months, providing of course that the work is properly planned and managed.

Chris

 

Just out of interest, do Exmoor Associates employ conservationists to advise them of mitigation before they clear overgrown trackbed and damage habitat?

 

Fairview in Parracombe seems to be advertised still, by Smale & Co.: http://www.dezrez.com/estate-agent-...o?Brochure=Internet%BFParticulars&PID=3446016 A snip at £425,000!!!

 

'Show someone on another planet they're loved this Christmas' comes to mind..

If I remember, it's grade F eco rating so there's 50K to bring it up to modern standards before anything else. Add stamp duty and other disbursements and yr up to nearly half-a-million. Then sell the trackbed to the L & B for 10 Grand and your total outlay will be around 485K. Then put it on the market and you'll be lucky to get 350K so then you can join Smale & Co on their planet..

 

News from members newsletter that the rebuild of coach 5 has begun

 

Excellent news! Many thanks for sharing!

I've alway's enjoyed the Essex updates on the website and have been looking forward to the next bit of news since the completion of Coach No.11. Good to know that a new update shouldn't be far away!

Is there any news with regards to Van 23, the Howard bogie van or 4 wheeled van? I'm sure these will all have there uses in the future for items such as bicycles and buggies. Should make for some nice photo charters too!

News from the recent working parties has also made very welcome reading. I must admit it took me a while looking at and comparing the pre and post pictures of the track allignment at Woody Bay to fully understand the work in hand. If the webmaster is open to suggestions, may I suggest a comparison photo then and now taken from the same spot would be really useful to accompany the excellent reports.

Best Wishes

Paul

 

Nothing about the vans - I have wondered whether a separate Heritage Freight Vehicle Group could be set up to quietly raise some funds for these three ..... (If one could find out how much each one would cost to restore!)

Some exciting hints that offers are out and being negotiated on further sections of trackbed and that some has already been secured. Announcements and funding requests (!) will be made in the near future.

 

If anyone is interested in helping start a small L&B Heritage Freight Vehicle Group, to raise funds to rebuild the original vehicles for which the railway has parts, then please contact me. All potential members should be L&B Trust members. If enough people show interest I can find out cost estimates for rebuilds.

 

This is not an attempt to dampen your enthusiasm, but the L&B already has a designated 'Carriage & Wagon Works' at Great Yeldon in Essex. Van 23 is currently there for its next rebuild. Have you discussed your proposal with them?

Chris