Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum

I think the fact that the managing committees of both SRT Museums have both independently offered to contribute a portion of their funds to the sos appeal is a reflection of the magnitude of the crisis facing the railway as a whole. If the SRT is unable to save its the operating subsidiary, the track bed and stations revert to the landlord, Dorset Council, who have never been particularly supportive. The future of the museums under these circumstances is very much in doubt. The PMMM is also sits land owned by Dorset council. I think when the very existence of the railway is under threat its rather ridiculous to squabble about semantics.

I'm afraid you are mistaken here. The Pad was built on land that used to carry the clay narrow gauge its true but this parcel never belonged to SRT PMMM.

 

[/QUOTE=I'm afraid you are mistaken here. The Pad was built on land that used to carry the clay narrow gauge its true but this parcel never belonged to SRT PMMM.[/QUOTE]

Oh - I didn't know that the railway bought the land directly off the clay company. I always thought it was bought with Land North and Land South by the Museum members. Sorry if I am in error.

 

Its slightly more complicated than that.
The North and South Land was bought many years ago from 'I can't remember who' by the SRT with funds donated by Museum volunteers and others. The donors stated the land was specifically for the use by the PMMM which is part of the SRT. This land is still intact but is not the land that the PMMM itself sits on. The PMMM is on a third parcel of land leased from Dorset Council. This Parcel is land locked and only accessible by passing over the railway land or the car park land which is a 4th Council owned plot. Still with me?

The Pad is built on a 5th parcel of land the other side of the road, also owned by Dorset Council who I assume bought all this from the clay company way back. This parcel was merged in to the trackbead lease some time ago and includes Eldons sidings and the site of the old clay cross loading shed. If you are not already bored the truth is even more complex as there were other strips that had to be merged to make this all happen.

I know some at the PMMM were disappointed at the construction of the Pad because they had a vision to rebuild the clay narrow gauge to Eldons but to be honest this was never going to happen because the Wych Farm oil field road sliced through the embankment before you get to the Pad. Better to focus on getting over Skew Arch Bridge and across the South land.

Norden Land by Mogul posted May 7, 2020 at 11:17 PM

For those unfamiliar this image is looking from the west, the Pad is in the centre. Eldons is bottom left, North & South land is the wooded areas north and south of the railway tin the top right corner. The PMMM and car park is obvious above Norden station and the road running up and down in the picture is the Wych farm road. The clay narrow gauge we are discussing here used to run parallel to the railway.

 

You miss out one important fact that all the tunnel arches, the tubs, and compressed air piping that is in the museum was stored for several years by the volunteers on the land running up to and including Eldons that had been bought by the museum. The clay railway that you were talking about, was to be separate from the Museum site. The bridge under the Sleepe Road still has the soot on the roof from Russell (now on the Welsh Highland) In the early days before the museum opened fun raising tours were done that passed by the Weighbridge (now under the pad) then past the foundations of various narrow gauge storage sheds (Still there) under the bridge through to the exchange sidings (both narrow and standard gauge). Various groups attended the tours including the National Trust and the Ball Clay Heritage Society. Any development on this site was soon forgotten as it became designated a SSSI site.

 

A useful comparison mapping site - https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=50.64726&lon=-2.06744&layers=168&b=1

Will

 

On a large screen the map works well. Good to "slide" between the current Google satellite current view and the historical map to trace the tramway routes.
Although I have visited Swanage every other year for some time for a family holiday, with a highlight going to Corfe Castle by train for a creme tea, I saw Secundis but did not realise the narrow gauge railway existed at Norden. Only a poster for the museum sparked my interest.
In some ways it is if the Swanage Railway did not want to acknowledge it's smaller brother?
Some questions I can't find the answer on the internet (the museum website does not say much).
1 whats the pad
2 what was found at Eldons sidings of a scientific interest that stopped the narrow gauge railway being rebuilt?
3 in another thread the repair of the bridge over the SR to the mine was stopped as the council was going to redevelop Norden station. Some money was spent last year on the Purbeck park, was that it?.
4 are the long term aims still to get creditation, to get (back the borrowed, plus new) funds for air cons, a new home for Secundis, the bridge repair and north extension to the mine?

 

A bit off topic (sorry!), but why is the station called "Norden - Park and Ride"? Is this a new name, or was there a previous (Council?) scheme prior to the Swanage Railway looking at running services into Wareham etc... when 'community transport' was a "thing". Just curious!

Will

 

1) The Pad is a large area of concrete off the Oil Field road (Just past the Level Crossing) that allows lorries carrying rolling stock to unload.
2) Snakes and other reptiles
3) No, more development by both SR and Council is planned for the future.
4) Work to obtain creditation is on hold due to virus.
The old website had more information on it relating to the past, like peoples memories and more history. You can find it in the British Library Archives https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20100621102444/http://www.pmmmg.org/Tours.htm

The phrase "Park & Ride" has always caused problems at Norden. The idea was instead of driving into Swanage, you could park your car at Norden and then catch a train which would not be free like the "Park & Ride" concept. That is why the name change now to "Norden Park"

 

Thanks 'Biggles', that makes sense about the P&R scheme - never heard of any other preserved railway using the idea in such a way, probably because of the misconception that you suggest!!!

Cheers
Will

 

Thanks for the answers

 

I have done a little more research and Eldon Sidings were bought by SRT at the time Land1 &2 were bought from Imersy by the Museum Volunteers for future museum requirements. I don't ever believe there was any intention to extend museum railway onto Eldons. The fact that Mike Stollery was involved, seems to suggest that Eldons was being considered for carriage shed. However, the museum recognised the importance of Eldon Sidings to both railway and clay industry. The history of the land is fascinating and should not be forgotten. I have put together the history of the extension of South West England's first Rail Way and the link up with the Swanage Railway.

 

A good watchable video (slideshow!) of the history.
Guess there was no film of the "tramway" made?
Ideally should be in the narrow gauge forum.

Sad the museum will not open this year.
Lets hope in 2021 some progress will happen for the new "controlled atmosphere building in which to house delicate artifacts" which will also house the Secundus loco?
Also the bridge will be repaired to allow the narrow gauge trains to run over the Swanage railway along the historical quarry route to the west.

 

There is a 1969 cine film taken of the narrow gauge that was enhanced into a digital film by the BBC. It shows 30 mins of clay trains and was on display in the Museum until the screen went U/S. The finances have not allowed a replacement.
There is an older film shot by John Snell https://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Snells-Railways-Recalled-Snell/dp/B07J3HQ1X4
The Purbeck section starts around 3mins in and finishes with Russell at about 6mins The rest of the film is worth watching for real train buffs.

 

Thanks saw some videos before cancelling Prime, but missed that one, noticed the DVD is £12 to 16 otherwise may take out a free trial to Bristh Pathe TV which is slightly cheaper than Prime https://www.britishpathe.tv/railways/videos/john-snell-s-railways-recalled

 

It would seem that the mining museum has been granted money to erect a building of an outdoor, flexible open air structure. Doesn't sound like the buildings required to preserve the future of Secundus and all the artifacts donated to the Museum. It is strange that following the "Purbeck Clay Festival" at the museum in 2010 that never happened due to lack of skilled volunteers, that this path is still being followed.

 

u

 

The PMMM has been granted £4000. I'm not sure what you think that sort of money builds?

 

Not much - a coat of paint?

 

It took 11 years to build the museum


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Now Swanage Railway has decided to let the Museum Manager Job go, does it mean they can no longer afford the Museums.