Castle Aching

[wagonman]

Wow, thought she was in the all-together for a second there.

That certainly would get some attention.

 

 

Nah, that's further west at Holkham  http://www.naturistdirectory.com/UK/1245/Holkham-Naturist-Beach

[Hroth]

Post removed because it didn't make any sense when I read it!  

Edited July 16, 2018 by Hroth

[corneliuslundie]

When I lived in Cambridge the constant refrain was that there was no high land between there and the Urals to stop the north-easterlies.

It was certainly a credible explanation for the cold winters (and often summers too). After all if we wanted to climb a hill the only local one was Mill Road railway bridge (also an excellent place for watching the trains come and go)  That view has now been blocked by a pedestrian bridge nearer the station, but I assume that that gives an equally good view, though the trains are now much less interesting.

Otherwise Castle Hill north of the river was a little higher.

Jonathan

[Thunderforge]

Don’t worry there’s a solution for lower ground...

 

[TheQ]

That looks like Norfolk 1912

The Picture is from

http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/blog/2012/08/1912-floods-photo-gallery/

[Edwardian]

The Eveleigh creations GER 4-Wheel coach body etches are now available: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/131442-eveleigh-creations-great-eastern-4-6-wheel-coaches/?p=3232874

 

These will make a smart little branch set for use on CA.

 

They are of a vintage perfect for use as grounded bodies for platform shelters etc at the more bucolic or forlorn GE destinations.

[Adams442T]

Yes, won't they indeed!  I've just sent my cheque off for a 6 piece set, amazing value.  I wouldn't even thought of GER without the etches being available!

[Edwardian]

Yes, won't they indeed!  I've just sent my cheque off for a 6 piece set, amazing value.  I wouldn't even thought of GER without the etches being available!

 

Well done that man!

[Killian keane]

Don’t worry there’s a solution for lower ground...

 

D658CB58-C1C3-4111-B132-C64AC16B44D9.jpeg

Puffing Billy anyone?

[Regularity]

Post removed because it didn't make any sense when I read it!  

If we all did that, this thread would be a lot shorter!

 

When I lived in Cambridge the constant refrain was that there was no high land between there and the Urals to stop the north-easterlies.

Jonathan

In the 1930s, that was also true of the politics...

[Shadow]

Found this poster earlier, definitely pre-grouping

 

[Talltim]

Something occurred to me with all this post grouping talk. Castle Aching had a pretty comprehensive back story now, but what of the future? Was the line taken over by one of the larger companies pre grouping or did it survive independently until then (or even later)? What did BR do to it, what ran on it? Is it still open?

And what of the village itself, is the Castle owned by English Heritage, are there lots of tourist on coach tours? Do the Erstwhiles still live there, or were they forced out by inheritance tax, their house becoming a small private school before being requisitioned as an army hospital in WW2? So many questions...

Edited July 16, 2018 by Talltim

[RedGemAlchemist]

Something occurred to me with all this post grouping talk. Castle Aching had a pretty comprehensive back story now, but what of the future? Was the line taken over by one of the larger companies pre grouping or did it survive independently until then (or even later)? What did BR do to it, what ran on it? Is it still open?

And what of the village itself, is the Castle owned by English Heritage, are there lots of tourist on coach tours? Do the Erstwhiles still live there, or were they forced out by inheritance tax, their house becoming a small private school before being requisitioned as an army hospital in WW2? So many questions...

 

Hmm. Well, my own work is (as noted proudly in my sig) set in the same world in the present day, albeit not in Castle Aching.

I can tell you though, as Edwardian may have mentioned, that part of the WNR (presumably the part connecting to the KLR at Telham) nowadays is a heritage railway called the Lavender Line.

Edited July 17, 2018 by RedGemAlchemist

[Hroth]

Something occurred to me with all this post grouping talk. Castle Aching had a pretty comprehensive back story now, but what of the future? Was the line taken over by one of the larger companies pre grouping or did it survive independently until then (or even later)? What did BR do to it, what ran on it? Is it still open?

And what of the village itself, is the Castle owned by English Heritage, are there lots of tourist on coach tours? Do the Erstwhiles still live there, or were they forced out by inheritance tax, their house becoming a small private school before being requisitioned as an army hospital in WW2? So many questions...

One thing for sure, I hope that the Castle became part of the National Trust rather than falling into the hands of English Heritage!

[Nick Holliday]

One thing for sure, I hope that the Castle became part of the National Trust rather than falling into the hands of English Heritage!

Why's that?  Called in at Castle Acre Castle yesterday on the way back from holiday in Fakenham, and my wife and I were impressed by how well kept the ruins and grounds were, with excellent signage and safe access, and parking was free. National Trust would probably have had an expensive tea room, a gift shop and parking charges, not to mention their occasionally interesting slant on history.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Nick Holliday

[TheQ]

Hmm. Well, my own work is (as noted proudly in my sig) set in the same world in the present day, albeit not in Castle Aching.

I can tell you though, as Edwardian may have mentioned, that part of the WNR (presumably the part connecting to the KLR at Telham) nowadays is a heritage railway called the Lavender Line.

No doubt with lots of WW2 re-enactments with the Home guard... Who's playing Pike...Ian Lavender?

[Hroth]

Why's that?  Called in at Castle Acre Castle yesterday on the way back from holiday in Fakenham, and my wife and I were impressed by how well kept the ruins and grounds were, with excellent signage and safe access, and parking was free. National Trust would probably have had an expensive tea room, a gift shop and parking charges, not to mention their occasionally interesting slant on history.

I've found that while EH keep ruins and grounds neatly trimmed, there isn't much in the way of interpretive signage and once you've wandered around the ruins thats it.  Meanwhile the cost of access to the property is on a par with that charged by the National Trust.  You don't have to visit the gifte shoppe or the expensive tearooms at a NT property, and there tends to be more content in the property to keep the visitor occupied.   As for parking, the NT seems to charge at extremely popular properties and at properties with extensive free access grounds. Otherwise parking tends to be free.

 

I'm interested in the "slant" comment.  What particularly irked you?

[corneliuslundie]

More to the point, what is the weather forecast for Castle Acre for the summer of 1905?

Continual warm, fine days with a gentle breeze, I assume, with the calendar ever set in late July (August is too wet).

Or is our host going to be daring and set the time of year in early autumn when the trees are beginning to change colour, the crops are being harvested and the chill winds from the Urals are beginning to make themselves felt.

I thought about this for some time when starting the Sarn layout, as I didn't want yet another high summer setting. So I opted for early spring with the trees not yet in leaf but celandines growing around the edges of the fields, the beech trees still with their old leaves and just a few lambs in the fields - if I had chosen late April or  May I would have needed more lambs than sheep but they only come in small numbers in the various packs.

This kind of decision then affects the choice of backscene, the clothes being worn etc  etc (the latter by the figures on the layout, not the operators).

When it comes to Cwmnantdu it should probably be grey and raining but I have chickened out of trying that scenario - though there is one very effective South Wales industrial layout which depicts a scene on a very wet day.

Or Edwardian could take one of two other routes.

There is a "four seasons" layout based on the Wisbech & Upwell at Butterley, with four layouts which can be rotated in a frame to bring each scene into view. I have not actually seen it but have seen high praise.

Or there is the approach considered by a friend for his next layout - but unfortunately rejected - of running the lighting and sound effects to take one through the day. Start with an early morning light, the sun just rising and sounds of preparing the loco for the day coming from the loco shed, moving on through the day with the birds waking up, later in the day more general countryside noises etc, and the "sun" moving across the sky and changing the direction of the shadows. Then evening with the rooks gathering noisily for the night and sounds of putting away the loco for the night while the sun sets in the west. In the village there would be appropriate sounds for the time of day.

Just a thought.

Jonathan

[corneliuslundie]

Our best local castle is in the care of Cadw (Montgomery) and is free with free parking and good and imaginative signage aimed at both adults and children. It is well cared for but not over restored. There is no need for a cafe or gift shop as the town is just down the hill and has both.

I must admit that when we go to Powis Castle (NT) we don't usually go inside even though we are members. And since we go by bus and walk through the extensive grounds we don;t have to worry about parking. But yes the cafe is expensive and the gift shop is extensive and also expensive. Of course the NT has to pay for the management of its properties which does not come cheap, and in addition to the houses there are many open spaces which are free (but not listed in the Handbook).

Jonathan

[wagonman]

 on the way back from holiday in Fakenham, 

 

 

My, you know how to live it up!   

[St Enodoc]

No doubt with lots of WW2 re-enactments with the Home guard... Who's playing Pike...Ian Lavender?

Don't tell him!

[Donw]

More to the point, what is the weather forecast for Castle Acre for the summer of 1905?

Continual warm, fine days with a gentle breeze, I assume, with the calendar ever set in late July (August is too wet).

Or is our host going to be daring and set the time of year in early autumn when the trees are beginning to change colour, the crops are being harvested and the chill winds from the Urals are beginning to make themselves felt.

I thought about this for some time when starting the Sarn layout, as I didn't want yet another high summer setting. So I opted for early spring with the trees not yet in leaf but celandines growing around the edges of the fields, the beech trees still with their old leaves and just a few lambs in the fields - if I had chosen late April or  May I would have needed more lambs than sheep but they only come in small numbers in the various packs.

This kind of decision then affects the choice of backscene, the clothes being worn etc  etc (the latter by the figures on the layout, not the operators).

When it comes to Cwmnantdu it should probably be grey and raining but I have chickened out of trying that scenario - though there is one very effective South Wales industrial layout which depicts a scene on a very wet day.

Or Edwardian could take one of two other routes.

There is a "four seasons" layout based on the Wisbech & Upwell at Butterley, with four layouts which can be rotated in a frame to bring each scene into view. I have not actually seen it but have seen high praise.

Or there is the approach considered by a friend for his next layout - but unfortunately rejected - of running the lighting and sound effects to take one through the day. Start with an early morning light, the sun just rising and sounds of preparing the loco for the day coming from the loco shed, moving on through the day with the birds waking up, later in the day more general countryside noises etc, and the "sun" moving across the sky and changing the direction of the shadows. Then evening with the rooks gathering noisily for the night and sounds of putting away the loco for the night while the sun sets in the west. In the village there would be appropriate sounds for the time of day.

Just a thought.

Jonathan

 

 

Having the lighting change through a day was done by Dave and Shirley Rowe with their Spanish Layout.

 

Don

[Donw]

My, you know how to live it up!   

 

You can find a lot of interest is staying in unusual places and it is nice to be away from the crowd.

 

Don

[runs as required]

I agree, particularly about Fakenham. We enjoyed camping on the racecourse there in our Baywindow VW years ago when my kids were young.

There were other unlikely places you could smell out - Woodhall Spa Lincolnshire comes to mind, also somewhere with rich farmyard smells near Bishops Castle and around the far side of the Clyde estuary.

I always got accused of choosing somewhere with inrteresting railway connotations.

dh

 

PS

Just back from Valletta (with the remains of an interesting underground steam railway)

[Caley Jim]

Just back from Valletta (with the remains of an interesting underground steam railway)

It was only the last short stretch through the walls which was underground. I have a book on the Malta Railway which I bought when we were there a few years ago. On grandparent duties at the moment, so not able to reference it.

 

Jim