L&B revivalists need help to buy triple trackbed lengths
AN APPEAL to fund the purchase of three vacant sections of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway has been made by the line’s supporting land-owning body Exmoor Associates.
The acquisition of these three sections, along with a Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust-owned length, will result in more than two miles of continuous trackbed – minus a few bridges and one very short gap – being added to the overall project to rebuild the original line.
However, Exmoor Associates CIC, a not-for-profit organisation, will be left very short of funds to complete all three purchases, which are currently in the hands of solicitors.
Like buses
“There is a well-established saying that you wait ages for a bus, then three come along at once. It seems that in our case, a similar position exists with the acquisition of trackbed,”said an EA spokesman.
“We have now been offered three parcels of trackbed, all of which connect with sections we already own and will give us a considerable unified length of the route, hence we are launching a new appeal for contributions.
“We know that this is very ambitious coming so soon after the purchase of the trackbed at Hunnacott Farm, but we feel that this is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.”
Supporters are being asked to help either by buying shares in EA, or if they are UK taxpayers, making a donation to the associated Yeo Valley Trust and specifying that it is intended for trackbed purchases; the trust will then be able to claim 25% Gift Aid from the Government but will hold the shares in its name and not that of the donor.
As we closed for press, the exact location of the three sections was not being made public until the contracts had been exchanged.
The spokesman continued: “We can assure shareholders that these are significant sections that will greatly strengthen our position in the southern section of the former Lynton & Barnstaple and hopefully convince sceptics that rebuilding the L&B is not just a pipe dream.”
EA’s next meeting will be held at its regular venue of Goodleigh Village Hall, EX32 7LU, at 10am on Saturday, May 14. All interested non-shareholders and volunteers are welcome to attend.
The L&B Trust will holding a gala over the weekend of May 14/15.
Trackbed walks
EA has arranged a trackbed walk along the newly-purchased Higher Hunnacott trackbed on the Saturday afternoon and a visit to Bratton Fleming station between 10am and 4pm on the Sunday. For direct applications from existing shareholders to increase an EA shareholding, a bank transfer can be made to Lloyds (sort code 30-93-08, account no. 01550790) or by sending a cheque to the company secretary at: Edgemoor, Moorland Close, Yelverton PL20 6DD. Would-be new shareholders should email secretary@exmoorassociates.co.uk for the application forms.
An appeal for more new volunteers has also been issued by EA. Help is needed in the areas of bookkeeping, finance, share issues and Companies House returns, publicity, publications, website maintenance, landscaping and maintenance of its various sites.