Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

The land we own is private, but you are correct in that there is a public right of way which crosses the land but one end of this ends up in the back garden of Heddon Hall, so I think they may object to us having a station just outside the big house don't you?

 

You're deluding yourself if you think anyone is going to do both attractions in a day.

Looking at the zoo, it is getting on for £60 for a family (2 Adult + 2 Children). At that price I'd suggest it is an "all day" attraction to get value out of it (the map certainly suggest there is a lot to see - more animals for example than at e.g. the new Bristol Zoo).

The railway is basically a late morning - mid afternoon deal. So if you use the railway to get to the zoo, you get a best about 3 - 4 hours for your £60 zoo entrance, and the train fare on top. If instead you start at the zoo and choose to have a train ride, you lose several hours out of the core part of your day at the zoo while paying an additional £25 (2A + 2C) in train fares for the privilege. Either way it is nearly £85 for a family to end up compromising your time at both attractions.

It's a non-starter: no-one sane is going to spend good money on either attraction and then waste time at the other. At best, for people on holiday in the area, you'd do one on one day and the other on another. But you wouldn't use the train to get to the zoo.

Tom

 

it isnt a public right of way...see
https://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/enjoying/out-and-about-essentials/access-and-recreation-map
the track at the bottom is, Centery Lane, but there is a gate at the end of CFL.

 

North of Bratton Fleming. A very good day out with friendly and helpful staff and a wide variety of animals

 

see this, it doesn't look like it, although I'm not sure what the dotted line means... https://osm.mathmos.net/prow/progress/devon/north-devon/parracombe/

 

While riding our pedantic horse, as it were, might I humbly remind you that it is Wistlandpound. There is no whistle in Wistlandpound: well, not yet anyway.

 

Ah, but how much rerouting we might well ask.

 

The entire length of Cricket Field Lane is a privately owned path. It is NOT a public right of way.

However, the railway has a public right of way to pass across it, thus effectively creating an occupation crossing. The down side is that should a platform be built at CFL, there will be no access to or departure from the railway on foot at that location. As no single tickets can therefore be issued, it is likely that tickets for return railway travel between WB and CFL will be subject to VAT.

 

Unfortunately what is written on Wikipedia seems to be copied from other places without being checked with original sources. 24 residents voted for a station either north of Parracombe Head Lane or Rowley Cross when the Company's solicitor, Charles Chanter and the valuer, George Smyth Richards attended a meeting to discuss where it might be built. Henry Blackmore asked for a full station. The Rector, and Chairman of Parracombe Parish Council, John Chanter (brother of the Solicitor Charles and the Engineer Frank) actively supported a station, and was largely responsible for the abortive siding partially built north of Parracombe Head Lane (pressing his brother Frank to put it in and which he had hoped would lead to a station) The siding would have been on private land, so out of BoT jurisdiction. John Chanter subscribed for some shares so he could make the case at a general meeting for a station shortly after the opening. Henry Blackmore 'dissented' when all landowners, lessees and occupiers were asked to assent, dissent, or give a neuter. He had reason to do so, being an occupier of part of his brother's land taken for the railway and would lose the trade at the Fox and Goose Inn from the Barnstaple to Lynton coach stop if the L & B scheme succeeded in Parliament (but retaining the Ilfracombe-Lynton traffic). His brother Charles had a life interest in Court Place, the 18-19 room house 70 yards SE of where the halt was opened in 1899. He was vehemently against and wanted no railway at all but if there was one, the Filleigh scheme (also partially on his land). He said the L&B would be on his best fields. He gave evidence in support of the petition of landowners, lessees and occupiers opposing the L & B at the House of Lords Select Committee of Parliament (signed by both Charles and Henry). A third known opposer (according to John Chanter) was Arthur Smythe who was a thorn in the side of the local authority, regularly writing to the local paper complaining about all manner of issues. During the drought when the railway was being built he complained about Navvies polluting the River Heddon washing their clothes. The overall impression from the surviving evidence is that the people of Parracombe supported the station, but the Company having included one in the Prospectus, rapidly changed their mind when they realised it would mean 3 stations in a short distance, at Martinhoe - Wooda Bay Station - insisted on by Col. Lake to serve his resort that he was building under threat of opposing and therefore scuppering the Bill in the House of Commons, and Blackmoor needed for a possible branch to Combe Martin. And a station at Parracombe on a 1 in 50 gradient would interfere with the desire to reduce the journey time, already way above the hour that Newnes wanted. And it was assumed it would have to have a tablet section and staffing costs. I could go on, but I think that's enough to make the point.

 

Personally I think it's best if the legal teams etc thrash out between themselves what's possible and what isn't regarding CFL as they will have far more details than anyone has here. They don't need to be hindered by those on the sideline.

Regarding the Exmoor Zoo, that's quite a diversion. I think the cost though would be more than perhaps trying to put in a lazy S or spiral? I also think that unless an attraction or organisation is already on the old route such as the Calvert Trust, making specific diversions for one which may or may not continue to survive in the future is risky.

It may be that we come close to the Zoo but that would only be as a consequence of seeking a solution to Whistlandpound rather than a specific aim to include the Zoo.

 

Absolutely fascinating! Thank you

 

You are quite right. The legal team needs to be able to resolve this without endless speculation.

 

Just out of idle interest, how much work can be done on the land that is owned without the planning?
Presumably you are allowed to cut grass, trim hedges and trees, fix fences and gates etc. Would you be allowed to lay ballast or even lay sleepers and rail?
What exactly does the planning allow... If its to run trains, then presumably anything up to that, but exluding running would be allowed?
I own a field. I am allowed to lay a miniature railway and run it for my own private enjoyment without permission.
Ian

 

They do, but the conclusions need to be shared. And the whole process needs to be performed in a way that commands trust and respect.

The issue is that this trust doesn’t generally exist, and that the recent consultation was conducted in a way that looked very like it was designed to confirm a pre-defined answer, rather than genuinely explore options.

At the same time, those not supportive of the trust’s leadership need to respect that they have a managerial role, and that their detailed discussions won’t be in the public domain. That, perhaps especially, includes those who were once rather more influential in and around the Trust than they now are.


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There is no speculation in the post (8129) by Chris D, only facts. Of course, if you want to "wish away" those facts, well I guess that was essentially the strategy with the S73 application.

 

Wow! Thanks Michael, more brilliant information from you.
Wikipedia should not be considered a reliable source of anything, but it looks like an update to that article is in order...

 

Would it be feasible to have a footpath from a halt at CFL running alongside the track to join Parracombe Lane? I don't know if that is possible, but that might be a possible solution, thereby enabling single tickets to be sold and also walking into Parracombe as well.

 

I didn't think I had said that that post was speculation. There are many who contribute to this forum who are in possession of the facts [and Chris D is one of them] and he doesn't speculate. There are some who contribute who do speculate. I don't want to 'wish away' facts - but equally I don't want to be influenced by speculation.

 

I don't think the lack of single tickets precludes zero rating of vat. Excursions by coach or train (including steam railways) are specifically mentioned as being zero rated in HMRC guidance and I've yet to come across an excursion that didn't return you to your starting point and, if it didn't, it would be a single journey, in any case.