Rousing from sleep

On September 29th 1935 the narrow-gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway closed. The following day the Barnstaple stationmaster laid a wreath on the stop-block; attached was a postcard from a well-wisher that read, "Perchance it is not dead but sleepeth." For the next 44 years the old railway slept soundly and nothing much happened, except that the track bed became overgrown, ploughed up, built on or otherwise obliterated. To all intents and purposes, it had died.

Then, almost imperceptibly, the long-dormant beast began to stir. I freely admit that when we heard of a preservation society being formed, we dismissed their ambition as a pipe dream.  We were wrong!.. though another 23 years were to pass before the first length of track was laid, in 2002.

By this time the old railway had been closed for almost twice as long as it had been open. Unsurprisingly, the task of restoration would be enormous.

We joined the preservation society in the mid-1990s and in 2001 took a week's holiday in North Devon, determined to help in some small way with the work.

Here I am at Woody Bay Station, enjoying a break from filling in a cable trench.  The guy I'm talking to turned out to have employed my father-in-law on his farm, before the war. Small world!

That cable was destined to power a lamp on the 'up' platform starter signal. Here it is, about 15 years later.

The photo is not mine, but I can't help but look at it with a certain sense of pride. Others, as you can see, have put in a lot more work than me since 2001.

A little over a mile of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway is now operational.  Only 18 miles to go! Efforts are currently centred on a stretch of track bed at Parracombe and last weekend we joined the team for one of their Winter Working Weekends.  Here are three photos of the hard work.

 

One of the important tasks for this particular Working Weekend was restoring the lineside fencing. I never cease to be amazed by the number of skills that come together on days like these.  How many digger drivers and fencing experts do you know?

Finally, just in case my rich uncle (of whom I've never heard) reads this, please will you buy me this house?  The owner only wants £325,000 for it.

The garden used to extend across the track bed, so the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway bought the house, trimmed back the garden, then sold it again.  Now it's on the market once more.  The Kay family could be very happy here.