It's full steam ahead for rail trust's track expansion plan
VOLUNTEERS dedicated their weekend to clearing an old railway route as plans progress to re-open the narrow-gauge line.
Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust's dedicated enthusiasts were "up to their ankles in mud," clearing track-bed at Wistlandpound as they prepare the route for expansion.
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BEFORE: Rhododendrons and dead trees clutter the old track bed at Wistlandpound and after (right), Lynton and Barnstaple Railway volunteers with the completely cleared trackbed at Wistlandpound.
The railway has already successfully re-opened from Woody Bay to Killington Lane at Parracombe. Now the Exmoor Enterprise project is gathering pace in readiness for taking the line up to Lynton and down as far as Blackmoor Gate.
Long term ambitions are for the entire line to be re-opened, right back to Barnstaple.
Project manager Ian Cowling said in the two years since the launch, there had been two strands of work.
"One has been the permissions — that is consulting with communities and with town and parish councils and the other is fundraising," he said.
"A professional fundraising study, which will be complete in March to April will show us where we can go for funding, in terms of Government bodies and charities."
A planning application and consultation document has gone to Exmoor National Park and North Devon Council.
"It's not a full application, but there are still options along the route to consider, such as where to put the station at Lynton and what facilities to put at Blackmoor Gate," said Mr Cowling.
Exmoor National Park Authority has included information about the project in their wide-ranging consultation exercise with Exmoor residents into future plans.
They added questions about the re-opening of the railway in questionnaires and placed leaflets and posters at parish consultation meetings.
Mr Cowling said North Devon Council had added enhanced protection to the narrow gauge route — previously only afforded to standard gauge lines.
The route is now earmarked in their Core Strategy plan "for transportation purposes."
Meanwhile hard working volunteers rescued the land at Wistlandpound from years of neglect and undergrowth.
Ian said: "After we finished clearing it, some of the volunteers said they remembered seeing it looking like this — but not for 20 years."
3 Comments
by Andy Butler, London
Sunday, March 14 2010, 11:46AM
“Restoring the railway has been a great acheivement upto now and realising the potential for the future it must not fail, any part that is re-opened is a bonus for visititors to Devon, and a viable income for other industries in the area, ie shops, pubs etc.
Devon council I believe has been very supportive in this project and must be congratulated in there forsight, Once/(if) the line is completed it will be the only line in the UK that will have been restored back to its original nature, that was to allow transport (whatever kind) and customers/passengers to travel between villages and two towns. Congratulations to all involved in this marvellous project.”
by David, Chelmsford, Essex
Wednesday, March 10 2010, 8:40AM
“I would have thought that by clearing the excess vegetation, further deterioration of the bridge may be prevented. Moreover, rhododendrons may be regarded as an alien invasive species and the volunteers who cleared them should be thanked rather than have their efforts belittled.
It is a common misconception that leaving nature to its own devices is the best course of action but ask anyone invloved in forestry and they will tell you that managed woodland is by far the better environment for biodiversity.”
by James, Barnstaple
Friday, February 05 2010, 3:14PM
“Do they really think everyone in North Devon is that naive??
"Preparing the route for expansion" - erm why are you wasting resources clearing a bit of trackbed 4 miles from the current railway? You don't own most the land in between and you haven't even put in a planning application yet. You haven't secured the funding to build it either, but this work is apparently in preparation for expansion? Er, no. Shallow PR and feel good exercise yes.
It probably was a fun weekend, although realistically a fairly pointless one. Let's hope this stretch can now be usefully used as another trail within Wistlandpound? - otherwise you've just chopped up and burnt a small rich wildlife habitat for absolutely no purpose or benefit.
On a positive note, good to see the council providing enhanced protection for the route such that it can be kept secure for when the line can be fully reinstated.”