South Brent Station-2011

[46444]

Last weekend I was in South Brent and many a time have I been to the car park (The old goods yard) and watched the constant procession of HST's, Voyagers and Class 150's/153's. This time I decided to take a few photographs of the site.

 

Some of this stemmed from a discussion in The Pack Horse Inn with one of the locals concerning the condition of the signal box which still stands along with the goods shed. I was informed that the South Brent Parish Council had approached Railtrack with a view to using the old signal box as a museum or some other community project but due its proximity to the track this had been turned down.

 

Looking at the signal box today, the steps have been removed and the side windows boarded up. However, it would appear that the box has been broken into and this leaves it open to further vandalism or risk of arson. Here's a few photos of the signal box in it's current run down state.

 

 

 

 

The station originally opened on June 15th 1848 and became a junction with the opening of the Kingsbridge Branch line on December 19th 1893. Sadly, the branch closed nearly 70 years later in 1963, leaving South Brent station to soldier on until its eventual closure in 1964.

 

The signal box remained in use until 1973, being replaced by the Plymouth power signal box.

 

Today the all that remains is the signal box and goods shed which is now a dental practice. The down side platform still stands though has been cut back and some GWR spear fencing is present. Here is a few shots of the goods shed.

 

 

 

Finally, a couple of photos of what you can expect to see today at South Brent. The western end of the station has some beautiful views looking towards Aish and Dartmoor. Also at this end, looking over the bridge can be seen this interesting track work adjacent to the main running lines on the bridge. Presumably, this is to hopefully keep trains on the line if they were to derail on the curve into South Brent?

 

 

 

 

It is a real shame to see the signal box decay and become vulnerable to vandalism and hopefully in the near future the box can be preserved for future generations with the perseverance of South Brent Parish Council.

[Kris]

It would be nice if the signal be could be preserved, but it needs a use for this to happen, especially with current fiscal situation. I wonder if the National Trust or English heritage would show an interest?

[46444]

It would be nice if the signal be could be preserved, but it needs a use for this to happen, especially with current fiscal situation. I wonder if the National Trust or English heritage would show an interest?

 

Hi Kris,

 

I think this is the aim of South Brent Parish Council to convert the signal box into a museum or visitor centre. Though as I said in my post I believe Railtrack were concerned about the proximity of the box to the line, though I'm sure some kind of fencing could be erected.

 

There may be some members on here that are better informed as to the complexities of converting the signal box into another purpose?

 

Also it was great looking at the film footage of the Kingsbridge Branch and the views of South Brent Station. If only you could sit and watch trains making their way to Kingsbridge today.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Ramblin Rich]

 

Hi Kris,

 

I think this is the aim of South Brent Parish Council to convert the signal box into a museum or visitor centre. Though as I said in my post I believe Railtrack were concerned about the proximity of the box to the line, though I'm sure some kind of fencing could be erected.

 

There may be some members on here that are better informed as to the complexities of converting the signal box into another purpose?

 

Also it was great looking at the film footage of the Kingsbridge Branch and the views of South Brent Station. If only you could sit and watch trains making their way to Kingsbridge today.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

 

Hi - I'm a bit surprised about the proximity problem as I believe the old 'box at Topsham is in private use & that's right alongside the track. maybe the rules have cahnged since it was taken over.....

 

I would think the old trackwork you mentioned earlier is just the remains of a disconnected set of points on a siding or loop - the common crossing & a set of switch blades are definitely visible.

[Captain Kernow]

There may be some members on here that are better informed

Hi Mark,

 

Yes, there are! I've lived in the village for 20 years, for starters!

 

I would counsel caution in anything said by locals in the pub. I have had numerous contacts with the Parish Council over the years, and have tried to facilitate their contact with RT/NR with regard to their taking over of the signalbox. It would almost certainly be possible to do something, as the precendent has been set elsewhere (and I'm not thinking of Topsham either!).

 

The problem is that South Brent Parish Council (some of them, anyway), talk a good talk, but have no intention or means to actually do anything. The box is on a list of redundant lineside structures and will eventually get demolished if no one comes forward with a serious proposal. I have absolutely no confidence that the parish council will ever get off their collective backsides and do anything about this structure, yet will probably be the first to moan when it eventually has to be demolished to protect the operational railway.

 

Serious money is needed to make the box safe and pay for the necessary possessions to undertake the building works that affect the operational railway.

 

I was told that they had tried listing the building, but English Heritage weren't interested, after all, it isn't the only GWR Type 5 box left in existence.

 

In the meantime, I've taken my own set of detail photos for use with future modelling projects (of this kind of box, not Brent station).

 

Rich is right re the old rails on the bridge, by the way, the remains of the old Up Loop, latterly a refuge siding prior to 1988, when the station crossover (worked on a GF then) was abolished and the two new emergency crossovers installed at Aish, just around the corner towards Plymouth.

[46444]

Hi Tim,

 

Thanks for your reply. I thought you might be the man who'd know more about this subject.

 

Not living in the village I guess it's easy to listen to some local people who have good intentions. Unfortunately, as you say it requires a lot of work to get a proposed project like this under way as well as the financial outlay too, which probably in this day and age is low down on the agenda.

 

Thanks once again. Might even bump into you one day in South Brent.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[The Stationmaster]

I would say that Brent 'box is hardly any closer to the running line than StAlbans South and there it was possible to even erect temporary fencing so that the preservation group could do some work on it next to a live running line (live in more ways that one as there is also 25kv ohle in the vicinity). However surviving redundant signalboxes do seem to have faired badly in the West of England - Torre was 'preserved' by a group which did a lot of work on it but I believe there was some sort of lease problem (not with the railway) so that one came to an end and of course Dawlish is still sitting there looking for a tenant and seemingly not even attractive as a tearoom as is the case at Totnes and Bodmin Road Parkway.

[Gwiwer]

While I can empathise with the plight of South Brent 'box and perhaps hope that it might yet escape the levellers there are set to be more boxes made redundant in the foreseeable future along the GW main line. I am not aware of any plans to prevent Lostwithiel, Truro or St. Erth also going under the bulldozer at this stage but their working lives are likely to be short.

 

Ultimately we cannot save or "preserve" everything no matter how passionate some of us feel about certain items or structures. We need to be realistic and we need both human and financial resources in significant measure to put our good intentions into action.

 

South Brent has been closed for some time. Is the structure sound enough to be considered for removal to another location or is the woodwork too far gone? Even if it's OK is there a need on one of our preserved lines for such a structure?

 

Whether it could be fenced off (probably with the dreadful pallisade stuff which seems to have spread faster than Oxford Ragwort along our railways) and the safety concerns addressed is a valid but perhaps not insuperable issue. One point on the comparison with Topsham is line speed which at the latter is rather lower than at South Brent.

 

The suggestion to re-open the station to passenger traffic hasn't been mentioned. When I worked for what was then Western National buses they were in regular dialogue with Devon County Council and the rail operators over bus links to the reopened Ivybridge station. South Brent was discussed in the same meetings. History now tells us that Ivybridge has failed to attract anything like as much patronage as the computer predictions suggested. The bus links both within Ivybridge itself and to nearby villages right out to Bigbury ran virtually empty and have since been withdrawn.

 

On the back of that there would be no prospect of South Brent reopening and utilising the signal box for community purposes, rail enquiries and bookings and as a cafe. Which is a shame really.

[gwrrob]

Well as you might expect I'm very interested in this topic.Thanks Mark for those photos and I hope you enjoyed your visit.Seeing that box has made me all misty eyed and even more determined to have one on my layout.If I win the lottery I promise to save the real one too.

[46444]

Thought you'd like these pictures Rob, although the video of the Kingbridge Branch is more like things should be. If only!

[Kris]

Strikes me that a possible use for part of the building would be a parish office. The obviously would not take up the whole building but possibly there would be scope for small office accommodation in the rest of the building. What could prevent this would be the lack of disabled access to the upper floors. Whilst this could be worked around it would not be cheap and would alter the appearance of the building.

[Neal Ball]

How about relocating it to.... Norton Fitzwarren - in charge of the new triange. I know its overkill, but it would be great to see it as a working box.... just a thought!

[Captain Kernow]

It's not as if certain redundant structures (whether currently listed or not) haven't been discussed with various heritage railways, but so far no one has shown any interest whatsoever in acquiring any of the structures mentioned on this thread, for moving and re-erection at a new site (even if Planning Officers would permit this in the case of listed structures, which in the case of a certain box is rather unlikely).

 

However, I continue to live in hope...

[gwrrob]

Interesting item been listed on ebay today connected to the branch.I have no connection before anyone asks !

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350485589421&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

[The Stationmaster]

Interesting item been listed on ebay today connected to the branch.I have no connection before anyone asks !

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...atchlink:top:en

So how do they know they came off the Kingsbridge branch? They are standard circuit 'phone instruments without the cards (unless there is something inside them) of a type which was still being installed a decade after the Kingsbridge branch was closed.

[gwrrob]

So how do they know they came off the Kingsbridge branch? They are standard circuit 'phone instruments without the cards (unless there is something inside them) of a type which was still being installed a decade after the Kingsbridge branch was closed.

 

No idea Mike.I suppose you have to trust the sellers telling the truth.I won't be bidding anyway.

[Rugd1022]

I would say that Brent 'box is hardly any closer to the running line than StAlbans South and there it was possible to even erect temporary fencing so that the preservation group could do some work on it next to a live running line (live in more ways that one as there is also 25kv ohle in the vicinity). However surviving redundant signalboxes do seem to have faired badly in the West of England - Torre was 'preserved' by a group which did a lot of work on it but I believe there was some sort of lease problem (not with the railway) so that one came to an end and of course Dawlish is still sitting there looking for a tenant and seemingly not even attractive as a tearoom as is the case at Totnes and Bodmin Road Parkway.

 

Afternoon Mike,

 

A couple of years ago one of our Shunters at Bardon made enquires about the possible purchase of Dawlish 'box, at the time he was told it would cost him around £25,000, but they couldn't actually sell it to him as it was was within fifteen feet of the running line.... go figure!

[Captain Kernow]

A couple of years ago one of our Shunters at Bardon made enquires about the possible purchase of Dawlish 'box, at the time he was told it would cost him around £25,000, but they couldn't actually sell it to him as it was was within fifteen feet of the running line.... go figure!

That's rather bizarre, because the signal box at Dawlish is listed and nothing can be done without the permission of Teignbridge District Council, and particularly it's Conservation Officer. The nearest they would come to permitting anything like that was allowing the box to rebuilt at the back of the car park. It's unlikely they would be happy with it going anywhere outside of their council area...

[Rugd1022]

Morning CK,

 

I've checked back with my mate at Bardon, he says he was told this in 2008... was the box listed by then Tim? He said when he first asked about it, it was with a view to keeping it where it was and opening it up as a tea room / cafe, similar to Totnes box.

[Highlandman]

I know Network Rail works in weird and wonderful ways and could probably come up with some form of arguement against having the box as a museum. But surely not to close to the line. Attached is a picture of the old crossing keepers cottage at the Elm Road crossing in New Malden Surrey. This is now a private residence and as you can see from the picture there isn't even fencing along the railway side of the house.

 

[Captain Kernow]

Morning CK,

 

I've checked back with my mate at Bardon, he says he was told this in 2008... was the box listed by then Tim? He said when he first asked about it, it was with a view to keeping it where it was and opening it up as a tea room / cafe, similar to Totnes box.

Hi Nidge,

 

Yes, the box was listed well before then and has also been too unsafe for occupation since before that time. It needs a lot of money spending on it before it could be occupied, whether in situ or moved to another location.

 

Perhaps you could PM me the details of the person your mate spoke to, and I'll look into it a bit more?

[Rugd1022]

Hi Nidge,

 

Yes, the box was listed well before then and has also been too unsafe for occupation since before that time. It needs a lot of money spending on it before it could be occupied, whether in situ or moved to another location.

 

Perhaps you could PM me the details of the person your mate spoke to, and I'll look into it a bit more?

 

Certainly CK, I'll be seeing my mate later today when I get to Bardon Hill, I'll ask him for more info.

[BRealistic]

All the talk about listed railway structures takes me back to one of my proudest moments in the eighties (was it the eighties?!) when I served a Building Preservation Notice on the station buildings and canopy at Kingswear, and got the lot listed... putting something of spanner in the 'proposal' to replace it with luxury houses and a 'bus stop' platform further up the line. I was South Hams conservation officer at the time!

 

The canopy, apparently, was "beyond repair and about to collapse"!!! The things people say!

 

Happy times... but happier now I've retired!

 

Alan

[Captain Kernow]

That's an excellent and lasting service you have done for the railway community, Alan, something I would be equally proud of!

[RailWest]

On the subject of listed disused signal-boxes, another one sorely in need of much TLC is Stoke Canon Crossing. Realistically though, I can't see that anything can be done with it in situ and I don't know who would have the money and need to move it somewhere else (assuming that they were allowed to). It must be (one of) the last S&F boxes surviving from the B&ER.