Little things - for the layout outside the railway fence

[corneliuslundie]

And lots of attractive "Dutch" style houses as well. A very pleasant place though I have not visited for some years since my grandparents died. I'll look out some suitable details from the Severn, though I don't think I have a photo of our local heron.

Jonathan

[Rivercider]

40 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

And lots of attractive "Dutch" style houses as well. A very pleasant place though I have not visited for some years since my grandparents died. I'll look out some suitable details from the Severn, though I don't think I have a photo of our local heron.

Jonathan

I remember family visits to Topsham as a child back in the 1960s, and in the last 20 years or so have been back many times. Until fairly recently it was also possible to do the 'Topsham Ten' pub crawl, though how many currently survive I have no idea as I have not been there for a couple of years.

 

The Bridge Inn is an interesting old pub, which I see has just reopened which is good.

Bridge Inn Topsham 25/6/2016.

 

This old mill building near by beside the River Clyst always catches my eye when I walk by.

Fishers Bridge Mills, Topsham 1/10/2012

 

cheers

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

A random selection today though with a generally watery theme, as we have not been out so much.

First another manhole cover, so inconspicuous that you could easily miss it. As far as I could see there was no blue paint or sign flagging up its presence.

 

The lower end of a short culvert. Not sure why it was created as it only passes between two fields.

 

If you thought the earlier cover was inconspicuous how about these? Again no blue paint or sign that I could see.

 

Not quite sure what this is. It is on the Severn and looks as though it might have been a landing stage, but the river has a few stretches of rapids in the area so I am not sure. And it doesn’t seem to have had much use lately. Perhaps for fishing from?

 

We’ll have to see what I can put together for next week.

Jonathan

[Nearholmer]

Great thread.

 

I always enjoy these odd bits and pieces, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s city, town, village, or middle of nowhere, there are always some to find.

 

Out local cricket club has a splendid collection of mowers and rollers, which emerge from their sheds at this time of year, so here is the best of ‘em (IMO).

 

If wheeled vehicles aren’t allowed here, then the concrete garage/shed is worth a look - two such back-to-back, with a good clippings heap and a stinging nettle patch.

 

(I’ve included the obligatory small dog)

 

 

 

 

[Compound2632]

Brilliant thread. I've only got half-way through so apologies if someone has already commented on this:

On 18/03/2021 at 18:24, steve1 said:

How to make detached houses into a terrace?

 

steve

 

 

 

The building on the right is "new" - note stretcher bond throughout. But what I like, in a twisted way, is the faux bricked-up window, which I presume is actually on the line of the party wall. I'd be tutting if I saw a building modelled that way! The flashing-capped section is presumably a reinforcement to the party wall with the older building on the left - I wonder if the new building replaces a demolished continuation of the old terrace?

 

Those chimneys will be fake too!

[corneliuslundie]

All contributions most welcome. I don't regard it as "my" thread even though Istarted it. I would like to see lots of little ideas which modellers can use on layouts, whether urban or rural. Much of modelling concentrates on the "railway" but some of the layouts I have liked most have been the railway in its surroundings - Chee Tor, Luton Hoo, Pendon etc. Mind you water meter access covers are a bit small in 2 mm.

Jonathan

[Michael Salb]

This sign  was at a river bridge near a disused railway line in Devon. They don't make them at that angle any more!

[eastglosmog]

On 15/05/2021 at 16:54, Kris said:

I'm going for a slight nautical theme today. How about weathering the bottom of your boat or blocking access to the boathouse with reeds. 

 

Thanks for posting that, Kris.  Buscot needs a disused boathouse!

[Philou]

Please sir! Please sir!! I have a topic for you - especially for those in rural areas particularly places like the wilds of Wales - cattle grids! I can't supply any photos as I'm a tad removed from the UK, but I do know they vary from place to place and are very rarely modelled. Of interest would be the arrangement for pedestrains to get around them. I know proper Welsh sheep aren't bothered by grids as they just roll over them!

 

Ooh! Ooh! And another topic - gated roads. I have never been on a gated road so I haven't the foggiest of what the gate part would look like. There were a few gated roads south(?) of the A41 between Waddesdon and Bicester (possibly Brill/Piddington area). I never got to see them in the flesh due to rushing between Chelmsford and Ledbury.

 

Photos of the Permissive Paths reminded me of this: When is a Bridleway not a Bridleway?

 

 

 

 

When it's a BOAT (Bridleway Byway Open to All Traffic). You do see sometimes off-roaders on Bridleways and unfortunately if it's a BOAT, they may have a right to be there. There are also RUPPs (Road Used as a Public Path), but I don't remember now if wheeled traffic was allowed or not.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

Edited May 18, 2021 by Philou
Thanks to Nearholmer for correctly describing the BOAT (see below).

[corneliuslundie]

Re cattle grids, there are some on one of the main roads near Llandrindod Wells, though I am not near there. But I don't come across any on my daily walks or cycle rides. 

But I do know of a gated road, though it will have to wait until I am feeling energetic and it is a nice day.

Can anyone else offer examples?

Jonathan

 

[Nearholmer]

Not in photos, but I'm pretty sure from memory that minor roads at the edge of Ashdown Forest, which is a sort of "restricted common", have them, similarly near The Long Mynd IIRC. They're probably a common feature at the edge of common land.

[Nearholmer]

40 minutes ago, Philou said:

When it's a BOAT (Bridleway Open to All Traffic).

 

A BOAT is a byway open to all traffic (i.e. including motosised vehicles). A bridleway is a bridleway, so open only to walkers, riders, and cyclists. The "cyclist" part sometimes causes controversy, and I have a photo of the relevant part of the legislation in my phone, in case I ever get caught in such controversy (I never have, fortunately, but I know people who have).

 

There are quite a few BOATs and gated roads (the two are not synonymous) in North Bucks, so next time I traverse one on pedal cycle, I shall try to remember to take a snap.

 

One of the BOATs that I use a lot has five gates in about a mile and a half, one with cattle grid and a bike bypass gate, also with grid, one with a weird bike-stile, and three with just a road gate. Another that I often use has no gates at all. And, I know of an otherwise ordinary B road that has gates that are closed for one day a year, just to prove that there is no public right of way (although, in practice, there is!). Which proves that not all variety has been expunged from life.

Edited May 18, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Philou]

1 minute ago, Nearholmer said:

A BOAT is a byway open to all traffic

 

Ahh .... thank you for that. It's been some time since I was involved in highway matters. There were some other oddities of which I have forgotten.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

PS: I will correct it just in case.

[eastglosmog]

There are a number of gated roads around the Cotswolds but I haven't ever felt inspired to photograph the gates!  Maybe I'll go and do so now.

Anyway, here are a few random items.

Stone slab fences are quite common up in Gwynydd, but we have some in the Cotswolds as well.  This is one south of Kelmscott (of William Morris fame):

 

The footbridge I'm standing on here was the site of Eaton Weir, the last flash lock on the River Thames (done away with in 1936).  The Angel Inn also used to stand here, but it burnt down many years ago.  This little building is now a boat club.

 

Some slab footbridges across the roadside ditch at Buscot.

 

A ford over a Saxon Canal from the Thames to Bampton at Shifford.

 

[Kris]

2 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Re cattle grids, there are some on one of the main roads near Llandrindod Wells, though I am not near there. But I don't come across any on my daily walks or cycle rides. 

But I do know of a gated road, though it will have to wait until I am feeling energetic and it is a nice day.

Can anyone else offer examples?

Jonathan

 

There used to be a gated road near Westbury (Capps lane) however having just checked via Google maps it is no longer gated.

[iands]

Found a cattle grid near Keswick, complete with passing gate and bus stop (hope the link works).

 

https://goo.gl/maps/czwigSYHdR9bCFTV6

[Nearholmer]

That was interesting.

 

Using the same method, I can parachute you onto the "closed once each year" road that I mentioned. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9245377,-0.7185113,3a,75y,90t,357.76r/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDvn995yHmpZIzd06-7ZTfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

"Drive" forward, and see if you can actually spot the gates - very easy to miss!

 

The same village also has another quirky thing that would be fun on a layout: a glacial erratic rock that got dragged there by the glacier from Derbyshire, and dumped inconveniently in the middle of the road.

 

[Compound2632]

7 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Using the same method, I can parachute you onto the "closed once each year" road that I mentioned. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9245377,-0.7185113,3a,75y,90t,357.76r/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDvn995yHmpZIzd06-7ZTfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

"Drive" forward, and see if you can actually spot the gates - very easy to miss!

 

Clicking on that link, I get the sort of view of the road one gets when one has gone over the handlebars of one's bike.

[Nearholmer]

Been there ........

 

Try clicking on the little yellow figure in the lower LHS, then you'll stand up.

 

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Compound2632]

9 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Been there ........

 

Try clicking on the little yellow figure in the lower LHS, then you'll stand up.

 

 

 

That's better. Knees and elbows a bit sore but no damage done.

[Nearholmer]

PS: Never noticed before, but Sir Nicholas Bonsor appears to be such a permanent fixture of the place that they've marked him on the map. 

[steve1]

More village observation

 

1 Bricked up windows.

 

2 Intriguing black pattern on the house end. My guess is that it tracks the chimney and is soot from over the years that has leeched out.

 

steve

 

 

[MrWolf]

That is something that is not often modelled. 

 

 

I was determined to try and replicate it on a backdated model of this crossing keepers house.

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

The add on sheds are rather nice, too.

Jonathan

[MrWolf]

The white building far left is the bathroom! My friend had quite a trek from the upstairs front bedroom if she was caught short on a winter's night!