Lynton & Barnstaple expansion

[DavidBrown]

It's full steam ahead as scenic railway line plans expansion

A picturesque railway is going full-steam ahead with ambitious plans to extend the line after winning the backing of Exmoor National Park.

The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line being slowly rebuilt from “scratch” by volunteers after it fell into disuse, has been handed £36,000 towards tripling the existing one mile of track. The grant will go towards topographical and ecological surveys, ground investigations, hydrological reports and environmental impact assessments.

Tony Nicholson, trustee of the line, said many locals felt the Lynton and Barnstaple was “their railway”, adding: “We are merely putting back what should never have been taken away.”

The railway carries more than 30,000 passengers and brings in excess of £800,000 into the local economy every year.

Now the trust hopes to boost that figure by extending the line three miles south from Killington Lane on the edge of Parracombe to Blackmoor Gate. It is hoped it will then progress north from Woody Bay to Lynton and conclude with rebuilding the original railway all the way back into Barnstaple. A terminus will be created at Blackmoor Gate, on the edge of Exmoor, so that visitors can park and ride without damaging the fragile moorland.

Great news for the railway. Shame that the £36,000 can only pay for some of the legal necessities, but it's all needed and it seems to be a big step forward to creating a much more significant attraction and railway in the area. I would guess then that, given they're starting the environmental surveys, they now own all the land down to Blackmoor Gate?

 

[caliwag]

That is excellent news. They've got an excellent website, shared between railway and the trust...separate responsibilities. The good news hasn't hit the site yet however. You'll need to download old-maps.co.uk to make sense of the place names!

 

[PinzaC55]

Great news. Everything I hear about this railway makes me wish I lived near it.

 

[caliwag]

Quite so...likewise. I think it's really going to capture the imagination now.
Just looked at old-maps.co.uk: put Parracombe in the location box...select 1905 map and bingo the essential part of the proposed extension, to just shy of the former Blackmoor station.

 

[ACE1888]

One of the many 'Holy Grails' of Britain's railways slowly returning...best of luck to all concerned

 

[341o2]

a visit to their site shows proposals to reopen the entire line - although wern't they evicted from a former site at Barnstaple, how much of the trackbed survives to the former Town station?

 

[caliwag]

The fine website has maps and photos of all the goals including Barnstaple

http://lynton-rail.co.uk/extension/blackmoor-gate-barnstaple

Check the website for a simple and free means of donating a penny for every web search you do...Every Click

 

[341o2]

It's still unclear how far the rebuilt railway will penetrate back into Barnstaple. Most of the trackbed between Pilton & Town station has been built over. Will they end up Welshpool style with a new station the other side of the town to the Junction station?

I wish them well and consider that it was the closure of this line amoungst others which started the preservation movement.

What happened with the story ciurculating about 10 years ago regarding the discovery of Lew

 

[Waddon]

Good luck to them, its an interesting project...

on a slightly different point, am I the only one who wishes the press could write a story about any rail subject without using the phrase 'full steam ahead' in the headline? Even the HS2 stories have been 'full steam ahead for high speed link'...

 

[aylesbury]

Had a ride on this line a few years back,good experience friendly staff and well maintained rolling stock.It was pouring with rain on my visit but this did not detract from the pleasure of riding on the line,good luck to them.

 

[Tiny Tim]

One of the many 'Holy Grails' of Britain's railways slowly returning...best of luck to all concerned

More than one Holy Grail? That's great news. Has anyone told Dan Brown?

 

[CarltonA]

Getting to Barnstaple Town station would be nigh on impossible as there would need to be at least two level crossings and the line would have to go through Pilton Park and there is the matter of the police station and a large car park in the way. The term full steam ahead applied to ships I thought.