Corporate Information

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Organisational Structure

The L&BR has undergone several structural changes since the formation of the unincorporated Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association back in 1979.

Today the project is managed by the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust - a UK registered Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee.

L&BR Trust

The L&BR Trust was incorporated in 2000 to allow the L&B project to benefit from having charitable status. Although its directors are referred to as trustees, it is actually a "Charitable Company" with a Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&As) and is governed by both Charitable and Company Law.

M&As(PDF)
Conditions of membership (PDF)
Charity Commission register entry: 1082564
Companies House register (enter 4040633 to retrieve from CH database).

Commercial activities, including the operation of the railway, are carried out by the Trust's wholly-owned trading subsidiary the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Community Interest Company. This structure was created to streamline the previously "top heavy" structure and to make best use of the resources available, including the use of group VAT. The Trust's AGM is always held on the Saturday evening of the Spring Vintage Weekend

L&BR CIC

The L&BR CIC was created in 2007 by converting an existing Trust subsidiary. Having a trading subsidiary enables the Trust to sell non-charitable items and simplifies the total management of the project. There is a perceived value in being a CIC as it encourages greater local community involvement - *see below.*

The CIC is a Company Limited by shares - the majority of which are held in perpetuity by the L&B Trust.

M&As(PDF)
Companies House register (enter 3390170 to retrieve from CH database)

*What is a Community Interest Company?(from the CIC Regulator)*

A community interest company (CIC) is a limited liability company with the specific aim of providing benefit to a community. This legal form can be adopted by a range of social enterprises and ‘not-for-profit’ projects serving communities throughout the UK, which combine the pursuit of a social purpose with commercial activities.

Social enterprises can comprise of partnerships between local authorities, businesses and other stakeholders working for the community’s benefit – for example, in operating day care centres, out of hours GP care, waste recycling, local transport or the provision of low-cost work units for start-up businesses.

The CICs AGM is always held on the Saturday evening of the Spring Vintage Weekend and follows the Trust AGM.

Exmoor Enterprise

Exmoor Enterprise was launched on 28th September 2007 and is a loose association of L&B Trustees, Company Directors and others together with political and economic supporters. It's principle aim is to stimulate, promote and manage the reinstatement of the L&B across the National Park, from Woody Bay to Blackmoor and Wistlandpound Reservoir and then back to the twin towns of Lynton & Lynmouth. But also, eventually all the way back to Barnstaple.

The 762 Club Ltd

Formed in 2009 as a company limited by shares it became a registered charity in 2010.

Established specifically to build, preserve, maintain and exhibit a replacement for the L&B's original Baldwin locomotive, LYN. Although completely independent from the official L&B organisation. The 762 Club has an "asset lock" so that, in the event that the charity is wound up, all assets, including LYN, will be transferred to the L&BR Trust.

The company is now concentrating its efforts on building two Manning Wardle locomotives, YEO and EXE.

Project Lyn page on this website
The 762 Club website
Charity Commission register entry: 1139839
Companies House register(enter 7401325 to retrieve from CH database).

Exmoor Associates Ltd

Formed in 2002 as a Private Limited Company limited by shares it exists solely to purchase and maintain available land on the former route of the former Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. There is no legal connection between the official L&B and EA, which is completely independent of the L&BR, however, all of EA's directors and a majority of its shareholders are L&BR Trust members. Naturally the L&BR Trust supports EA's aims and objectives.

Exmoor Associates page on the L&B website
Exmoor Associates website
Companies House register(enter 4502895 to retrieve from CH database)