We are pleased to announce that our submitted planning application has been approved by the Exmoor National Park Authority, allowing us to remove the existing temporary covered structure and build in its place a new permanent timber tearoom at our Woody Bay Station site.
The support for our ‘On Track’ appeal has been truly excellent with over £ 55,000 contributed.
The L&BR has been very fortunate in obtaining various funding grants to help with recovery from Covid which overall should put the finances in good order for 2021.
It has been decided that this would be a good time to close the ‘On Track’ appeal. The aims have been met and the response was heart-warming.
There will be a couple of new funding appeals in the New Year with some exciting – and longed-for - news and progress to be announced shortly.
Some resumption of restoration work at Chelfham is again possible this month.
This report by Nigel Thompson
In the winter sunshine, we were pleased to receive delivery of 3 new castings of the correct style Evans O’Donnell finials as part of recreating the signals at Chelfham.
Malcolm Kitchen has sent us this report on the work to recreate Tyers No.6 Tablet Instruments.
At the start of 2019, the L&B had five Tyers No.6 tablet instruments restored to working order and ready for use in the Phase 2a extension. More operational instruments would be good to enable ‘long-section’ working and for subsequent extension phases.
In between the lockdown periods this year, some considerable progress has been made with the restoration work around the site at Chelfham Station.
The few volunteers, usually working separately, and abiding with the social distancing guidelines, have been able to undertake great progress on a variety of projects, as shown in the following pictures.
Walking Britain's Lost Railways Friday 27 November 8pm Channel 5
Rob Bell discovers the now-abandoned lines that unlocked the wild coastline of north Devon. He begins by following the dramatic Barnstaple and Ilfracombe Railway, which once built, proved an instant success, eventually carrying the glamorous Atlantic Coast Express service, direct from London Waterloo.
Our application bid to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) ‘Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage’ for financial support has been successful.
The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway has now received a grant of £79,300 to see us through the winter.
The ‘Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage’ was created by DCMS to help heritage organisations all over the country survive and recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.