Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Whilst yes, I'm sure things could be done better, we must remember that almost all those involved in supporting the L&B contribute on a voluntary basis (as do ALL of Exmoor Associates directors and members), and web-related matters are dealt with by only a handful of those individuals. Many of those involved in all aspects will have been concentrating in recent months with the more immediate issues relating to their health, employment, income, families, and the pandemic, so to my mind, it is pretty impressive that so much has been raised in a relatively short - and very difficult - time. As you say, hopefully, this will be third time lucky.

 

Just checked the Justgiving page and it is now well over £10,000. That is another £2,000 in a day! Obviously there is a lot of L & B support!

 

If the purchase succeeds, what do people suggest they do with it?

In my view there is no point in back converting it to the simple 2 room station building it was, as there is no chance of the track arriving any time soon. Better to keep what they have and rent it out.
Another L&B group bought a farm with time shares, or it could be holiday let, or rented as a plain occupational house. I suspect EA don't have a lot of people on the spot to run it, so a plain rental might be best? How is Chelfham run?

 

Much as I'd love to see it restored to its former glory, I agree that renting it out makes the most sense. A plain occupancy would probably provide EA with a higher level of income than a holiday let, although the latter would allow more people to enjoy the place, and would also allow EA to more easily hold open days if they so wished. I think though as you say, the course would be dictated by the number of bods able to manage it. I'm inclined to say try it as a holiday let for a year, and if it isn't worth the effort, then go over to regular occupancy.

 

Distant Point (formerly Chelfham Station Master's accommodation) and Rowley Moor Farm were both acquired in association with the L&B as timeshare properties, but now owned and operated independently of the L&BR Trust. Chelfham station, which is owned by the trust, is currently under restoration, and is not occupied.

As for Bratton Fleming, there will most likely be no major changes there until required by the railway, and rental would seem the logical solution, but that is to be decided by the purchasers as and when, although that is still jumping the gun a little - we need to secure the property first!

 

I would suggest that the immediate plan is quite simple:-
Step 1 - buy the property!
Step 2 - then decide what to do with it until such time as the railway returns

In practice, the 'interesting' questions will arise once the return of the railway is imminent. At Chelfham the circa-2000 station consisted essentially of the original 2-room building and a later extension built on the front over the platform. So clearly it is a 'no brainer' that the extension will have to be removed into order to bring the Up platform back into use. Thereafter the station building will be (just about) back to its pre-1935 condition.

BF will be slightly different. There is a glass conservatory built on the front over the Up platform at the Chelfham end which can be removed with relative ease. However at the Blackmoor end there is a porch (built out over the platform) and also an extension which goes both part way onto the platform and also along towards Blackmoor. So, do you remove the latter completely or simply cut it back to the building line, making the interior narrower? And what about the small rear extension? Might it be feasible even to widen the Up platform, effectively shifting the passing-loop and Down platform a few yards to the west? Who knows....... I can years of speculation ahead !

 

As Martyn said - we have to secure the property first!

There has indeed been a good inflow of donations to JustGiving today, so many thanks to those who have put in some money towards the longed for purchase. We do still need quite a bit more, so please do consider giving us a helping hand. The target is 700 'slots' of £500 each, but smaller amounts via Just Giving are greatly appreciated.

You can see more details on https://www.lynton-rail.org.uk/story/bratton-fleming-station-sale-again-friends-bratton

Thanks in anticipation

Mike

 

Is not the adjacent length of trackbed northwards held by a supporter of the restoration?

 

It is. In fact there was a working weekend there just a couple of years ago, where a considerable amount of clearance work was undertaken, as i believe he is getting on a bit now, and regular maintenance is becoming increasingly difficult for him.

 

No it's not. The trackbed you refer to has been owned by the L&BR for sometime now. It is shown as such on the interactive map on the front webpage of the old L&B website.

 

Quarry House, next to Long Acre (BF station), has a small section of trackbed and part of the path down to the station.

 

Interestingly, "Long Acre" is now only about half an acre. The property used to extend quite a way along the trackbed towards Barnstaple, but has been terminated just south of the station building. I'm not sure if it even includes the full length of the platforms. That will be another piece of the jigsaw.

 

Are they likely to pursue a short extension from Killington Lane To Parracombe halt? Not sure how long this is but don't they own it all? Would offer a longer run for the existing set up at least.

 

No. The destination for the extension south of Killington Lane is to Wistlandpound via Blackmoor. In any case, the ENP planning permissions prohibit the railway from commencing any work south of Killington Lane until we have access (either by ownership or by lease agreement) to all the trackbed between Killington Lane and Blackmoor.

 

Unfortunately no. It is a condition of planning that they cannot until the whole trackbed is owned to Blackmoor. If I interpret the plans correctly there are two sections which they do not currently own. They also have to apply for a TWAO - if I understand correctly this is almost ready to submit. This may require a Public Inquiry. So it may be a little while before anything can happen.

 

Thanks for the reply on just started following this thread. Hows the Station Inn Negotiations going? Think I need to get a membership form sent off

 

Good to know that you are going to join the L&BR Trust - the more members we have the better!

Rather than posting a membership form you can join online if you wish - you will find details on this page on the L&B website https://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/join-lb-trust-online-today

Welcome, and may you enjoy many years of membership!

Mike

 

IIRC it is not just a case of owning the land, but also being able to demonstrate that sources of funding are in place to complete the work. Quite understandably, the ENPA (and the local residents) do not want to be left with bits of unfinished construction dotted about the Park in the unfortunate event that the L&BR failed.

Having said that, one should not overlook the fact that the section of line from Blackmoor Station to Whistlandpound is the subject of a different planning consent from NDDC and indeed work on that stretch has started in the form of rebuilding two bridges. Without wishing to start any hares running , but in theory - and I stress theory - one could build that stretch moderately quickly and then start running trains on it. The practical problem would be that the locomotive(s) and rolling-stock could not be housed or maintained in the new Blackmoor Depot as that will be north of the main road and therefore in the ENPA area. Similarly, without the OSHI, passenger facilities at Blackmoor would be little more than bare platforms. There would also be the drain on funds and resources trying to run two separate short stretches of railway at the same time. So probably really not worth the effort......

 

Just posted on the Friends of Bratton Fleming Station Facebook page:

UPDATE 7 July. The good news is that the FoB team now has a provisional agreement with the vendors and their estate agents to buy Long Acre (the station)! We have had several large donations recently so that the funding is almost there for the purchase. However, there is still a gap of several thousand pounds that currently we can fill via loans from supporters. Needless to say, we'd prefer not have to take the loans so PLEASE do keep donating. In any case the loans will need to be paid off quickly. We'll need the purchase price by the end of July and soon after that we'll need over £6000 for Stamp Duty and probably an extra thousand or so for other fees.

DONATIONS via the bank transfer system using the form obtainable now from llabnitram @ yahoo dot com Or at the JustGiving site https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/brattonfleming

 

Excellent news!
Well done to All those who have contributed so far......another step forward for the L&B.