The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust (The Trust) is an educational charity supporting the rebuilding and operation of the railway by the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company, in North Devon, England.
Working closely with its subsidiary the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company and other sister organisations, the Trust's charitable objectives are:
(1) To acquire preserve and restore for the public benefit items of historical, architectural, engineering or scientific value in connection with railways; and
(2) To advance the education of the public in the history sociology and technology of narrow-gauge railways and railways in general by the acquisition, restoration, preservation, creation and exhibition of railway locomotives, carriages, rolling stock, equipment, artefacts, documents and records, together with any appropriate land, buildings and structures in particular but not exclusively those of the former Lynton & Barnstaple Railway in Devonshire ('the railway') and to provide educational and training facilities to those engaged in the restoration and operation of the railway or railways general
The Trust has over 2,000 members worldwide, with the majority coming from the UK.
Members receive a magazine three times a year with articles on the history of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway and news of rebuilding the line and the restoration of locomotives and rolling stock, illustrated with historical and modern photographs, and evocative drawings and paintings recapturing the atmosphere of the line.
Members are also encouraged to help with construction, maintenance and operation of the railway, as well as publicity and fundraising activities. Several area groups have been formed around the country to publicise and raise funds for the Trust. [1]
On 30 September 1935, the day after the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway closed, Barnstaple Town stationmaster Harold Ford and Porter Guard Walkey laid a wreath of bronze crysanthemums on the Barnstaple Station stop block. [2]
The wreath bore a black-edged postcard, hand-written on both sides, sent by Paymaster Captain Thomas Alfred Woolf, R.N. (Retd.), of the White House Woody Bay. The Captain died on 12 May 1937, aged 55 and is buried in Martinhoe Churchyard not far from Woody Bay.
Inspired by these few words, In 1979 a small group of enthusiasts met to form the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association with the intention of reopening part of the line within about 18 months. In fact, it took somewhat longer. Not until 1995 did the former station building at Woody Bay became available for sale, and following extensive negotiations, was purchased by the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company on behalf of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association. Following further negotiations and purchase of other parts of the trackbed, Woody Bay is now the centre of operations for the restoration project. The former station at Chelfham is now also owned by the Railway Company.
The Association was absorbed into The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust which was first registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 22 September 2000.
The Trust has to date received only a small amount of grant funding, the vast majority of income having been raised through the efforts of its members.
Financial Year | Gross Income | Total Expenditure |
---|---|---|
1 Jan 2014 – 31 Dec 2014 | £361,696 | £191,539 |
1 Jan 2013 – 31 Dec 2013 | £403,813 | £111,750 |
1 Jan 2012 – 31 Dec 2012 | £272,323 | £125,613 |
1 Jan 2011 – 31 Dec 2011 | £201,693 | £55,344 |
1 Jan 2010 – 31 Dec 2010 | £115,996 | £55,167 |
1 Jan 2009 – 31 Dec 2009 | £82,289 | £43,033 |
1 Jan 2008 – 31 Dec 2008 | £165,432 | £65,128 |
1 Jan 2007 – 31 Dec 2007 | £229,545 | £98,588 |
1 Jan 2006 – 31 Dec 2006 | £64,744 | £29,229 |
1 Jan 2005 – 31 Dec 2005 | £44,771 | £35,134 |
1 Jan 2004 – 31 Dec 2004 | £44,753 | £50,146 |
1 Jan 2003 – 31 Dec 2003 | £85,662 | £52,179 |
1 Jan 2002 – 31 Dec 2002 | £51,887 | £26,750 |
1 Jan 2001 – 31 Dec 2001 | £51,887 | £26,750 |
25 Jul 2000 – 31 Dec 2000 | £28,640 | £4,926 |
The Trust, the Railway Company, Area Groups, and various volunteers, run The L&B Project, researching, restoring, rebuilding and operating the railway.
Woody Bay station reopened in 2004 and the line was extended in 2006. Trains now run on a two-mile round trip over the original route within Exmoor National Park above the Heddon Valley near Parracombe.
Each September, at the Annual Steam Gala, a wreath of bronze chrysanthemums is carried on the pilot loco, and afterwards, laid on Captain Woolf's grave in remembrance, and in gratitude for his inspirational words.
The South Tynedale Railway is a preserved, 2 ft narrow gauge heritage railway in Northern England and at 875ft is England's second highest narrow gauge railway after the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in north Devon. The South Tynedale line runs from Alston in Cumbria, down the South Tyne Valley, via Gilderdale, Kirkhaugh and Lintley, then across the South Tyne, Gilderdale and Whitley Viaducts to Slaggyford in Northumberland.
The A39 is an A road in south west England. It runs south-west from Bath in Somerset through Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Bridgwater. It then follows the north coast of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall through Williton, Minehead, Porlock, Lynmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Stratton, Camelford, Wadebridge and St Columb Major. It then joins the route of the A30 road for around 5 miles (8.0 km), re-emerging near Zelah to head for the south Cornish coast via Truro and Falmouth.
The South Devon Railway (SDR) is a 6.64-mile (10.69 km) heritage railway from Totnes to Buckfastleigh in Devon. Mostly running alongside the River Dart, it was initially known as the Dart Valley Railway. The railway is now operated by the South Devon Railway Trust, a registered charity.
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre CIC in Devon, England, is responsible for the management of the Bideford station site. The company is also responsible for Instow signal box which opens on occasional Sundays and bank holidays from Easter to October.
The Cambrian Heritage Railways is a heritage railway company, trust and society based at both Llynclys and Oswestry in its newly restored Oswestry railway station, Shropshire, England.
The Fairbourne Railway is a 12+1⁄4 in gauge miniature railway running for 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village of Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast, alongside the beach to the end of a peninsula at Barmouth Ferry railway station, where there is a connection with the Barmouth Ferry across the Mawddach estuary to the seaside resort of Barmouth.
The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway (L&B) opened as an independent railway in May 1898. It was a single track, 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in narrow gauge railway and was slightly over 19 miles (31 km) long running through the rugged and picturesque area bordering Exmoor in North Devon, England. Although opened after the Light Railways Act 1896 came into force, it was authorised and constructed prior to that act. Therefore, as with all other railways, it was authorised under its own Act of Parliament and built to higher standards than similar railways of the time. In the United Kingdom it was notable as being the only narrow gauge line required to use main-line standard signalling. For a short period the line earned a modest return for shareholders, but for most of its life the L&B made a loss. In 1923, the L&B was taken over by the Southern Railway, and eventually closed in September 1935.
Woody Bay is a bay on the North Devon coast of England, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Lynton and 8 miles (13 km) east of Combe Martin with a stony beach. It lies in the civil parish of Martinhoe at the edge of the Exmoor National Park and is a waypoint on the South West Coast Path. There were once plans to develop the area to become a holiday resort.
The Walhalla Goldfields Railway is a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge tourist railway located in the Thomson River and Stringers Creek valleys in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, near the former gold-mining town and tourist destination of Walhalla.
Chelfham railway station was a station on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line that ran through Exmoor from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth in North Devon, England. The station stood at the head of the spectacular Chelfham Viaduct, and served the village of Chelfham below.
Parracombe railway station was a halt on the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line that ran through Exmoor from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth in North Devon, England. The Halt which served the village of Parracombe comprised a simple wooden shelter and was not opened until 1 May 1899 — almost a year after the line was opened on 16 May 1898 — and closed along with the rest of the railway on 29 September 1935. It is planned this station will be reopened next by the Lynton & Barnstaple Trust. It will replace the station at Killington Lane a bit further to the north that was opened in 2006.
Woody Bay, within the Exmoor National Park, is a station on the former Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, a narrow gauge line that ran through Exmoor from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth in North Devon. The station was situated inland, about 1 1/2 miles from Woody Bay itself.
Barnstaple Town railway station was an intermediate station on the L&SWR line to Ilfracombe, England.
Pilton Yard, in Barnstaple was, between 1898 and 1935, the main depot and operating centre of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway ('L&B'), a narrow gauge line that ran through Exmoor from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth in north Devon, England. Pilton station was served by regular passenger services advertised between 1898 and 1904 after which only goods facilities were provided. Passengers were catered for at the nearby LSWR station, Barnstaple Town, which provided connections with trains on the standard gauge branch line to Ilfracombe. The L&B's main offices were also based at Pilton, in a building formerly belonging to the Tannery which had earlier occupied the site, and which took over the site after the railway closed.
Lyn was a 2-4-2 tank steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1898 for the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in England.
The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Company Limited was a private company, limited by guarantee, with no share capital. It was incorporated on 11 August 1993 as The Lynton & Barnstaple Light Railway Company Limited, the company was registered at Companies House in Great Britain as company number 02844182. The company was dissolved in 2009.
The Statfold Barn Railway is a narrow gauge railway based near Tamworth, Staffordshire and partially in Warwickshire, England. Founded by engineering entrepreneur Graham Lee and his wife Carol at their farm-based home, they originally designed what is still termed the garden railway, in which Graham could run his trains and Carol could design an extensive English country garden around a lake.
Lyd is a narrow gauge steam locomotive built by the Ffestiniog Railway in their Boston Lodge shops over a period of 15 years.
The Tarka Valley Railway in Devon, England, is a proposed heritage railway based on plans to rebuild the Barnstaple to Halwill Junction railway line. So far only a short demonstration line has been set up, and planning permission was granted for 300 ft of track in the direction of Bideford. The railway has been fenced off from the Tarka Trail ensuring the safety of all involved. Restoration of various items of railway stock is currently under way.
Martinhoe is a small settlement and civil parish in North Devon district of Devon, England. Martinhoe is within the Exmoor National Park, the smallest National Park in England. In the 2011 census Martinhoe Parish was recorded as having a population of 159. Martinhoe is in the Combe Martin ward, for elections to the district council. Martinhoe's local government takes the form of a parish meeting and as such has no parish council nor elected parish councillors.