Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

That is just wonderful news! Really, really great. Ok, let's all dip in for that extra few thousand plus disbursements, and get the job nailed down.
If anything, this bridgehead is a major psychological leap as much as physical.
A HUGE well done to everyone at EA and the Trust who have put this together.

 

Removed as duplication

 

Fantastic!

 

This is great! I'd love to know the story.

But it won't happen without us, so I've just bought a second 'slot'. So far they only boosted their funds with loans, so please everyone consider a top up.

 

Great news - Let's hope all goes smoothly with the legal work and an exchange of contracts expedited without delay. This positive news should generate some further funding.

 

Hopefully it will bring further funding. It goes to show that this line in the Exmoor area is worth supporting and not a picture of doom and gloom.

 

Doom and gloom?
I never got that in the slightest, rather hope and (steady) progress, even if several fronts are having to be covered simultaneously.
Prævaleamus.

 

I suspect @Greenway was referring to another railway not too far away from the L&B with that comment!

 

I was Alex, thanks for pointing it out. I support the aims of the L&B, after all it is a Devon line.

 

Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about them.

 

Lucky you, ignorance is bliss!

 

Don't forget them, Mark. There are plenty of lessons there on how not to run a railway!

 

Rather lke a slow motion car crash. Except that eventually I had to look away, as their thread became even more depressing than GMB.
just had a quick glance at their thread now, and it's like nothing has changed in 2 years. Somebody saying what so-and-so should have done long ago, and somebody else quoting Oliver Cromwell's "You have sat too long for any good you may be doing..."
Holy cats. And people read this stuff on a daily basis?!

 

Hopefully the Stamp Duty may not be needed in these Covid times, if the rumoured temporary change happens.

 

Obviously it is still a work in progress and the tracks will not reach BF for some considerable time, but...

When the railway does extend through the site, would there be any merit in keeping BF as a residential building and renting it out, either long term or as a holiday let, rather than restoring it as a station building?

There are a number of reasons why this might be worth thinking about:
The lane approaching the station is very narrow which would discourage anyone from walking to/from the station
The village of BF does not seem to be a particularly touristy place
The income from renting out would help finance the maintenance of the station/railway
Less cost in renovating the building
Less demand on scare volunteers to man another station

Obviously the railway would still work through the site so any rental option would have to work with that caveat and the rest of the site could still be returned to 1930s appearance. If thought necessary the building could be renovated and the modern extensions removed and replaced with something more sympathetic, but obviously this would have a high cost.

Just a random thought for the distant future!

Keith

 

Interesting observations, but one could argue that several of them also apply to Chelfham. I doubt that even Woody Bay could be described as a 'touristy' place

 

Indeed, although Chelfham may have the advantage that people could get off the train just to spend some time at the station and the views of the viaduct/valley below etc. I'm not sure that Bratton Fleming would have the same attraction?

Woody Bay has the advantage of a good area of parking and of course it's the HQ at present so has the engine shed, tea rooms, shop etc, but perhaps in years to come some of those functions may move to Blackmoor Gate and WB returns to being a sleepy station perhaps with holiday or volunteer accommodation upstairs?

Keith

 

I expect the house will be run as a holiday let until the railway arrives. At that point the owners / railway can decide what to do. Is there precedent? Yes, but not unambiguous! Chelfham is being turned back to 1930s condition and is no longer liveable in. On the other hand, the plans for Blackmoor are to keep the additions and to keep running it as a restaurant. Who knows!!

 

By the way, if you look at the floor plan of the BF station, it looks as if it could be converted into a 3 bedroom let. Use the sitting room as bedroom 3, and the conservatory as the sitting room.

 

Now that this part of the puzzle is (nearly) complete, is there a map of the L&B showing which parts of the line are now owned by, or controlled by, the various L&B groups? I have looked on the website but it is not clear on there.