autocoach Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 It has just been discussed in the last few days on SEMG group that the Padstow council is proposing to demolish the former North Cornwall Railway/SR/BR station building in Padstow due to "Radon Gas Hazard" conditions and to make way for 20+ parking spots. In the chance that this fate will soon befall this core building to my model railway, I shall have to take a trip to the UK for final measurements and pictures and what I understand are overpriced and overrated fish and chips....or chips and raw oysters.... I had a friend who recently stayed in Rock while attending a wedding and was amazed at the pretension and prices. And we live in the San Francisco Bay area which is definitely not cheap. I understand September would be a good time. After the hubbub of the Olympic games in London has subsided and before the long English winter sets in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2012 Jen That will be a shame if they do demolish the building. Its been many years since I last visited Padstow so might have to make a trip there. Yes its best to avoid the Olympics and September should be a good time although no guarantees on the weather. June should be good weather but so far its mainly rained! Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2012 Rock was like Sloane-on-Sea the only time I visited in summer. Regarding Padstow Station, is the radon gas just an excuse to increase the car park income? I remember a study some years ago which decided that Carbis Bay had one of the most radioactive beaches in the UK. It turned out not to be from nuclear power stations but naturally occurring local stones. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meil Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 North Cornwall sits on granite which contains Uranium. Radon is a daughter product of Uranium decay - and it is a gas. So the whole of North Cornwall has Radon Gas seeping up through the ground. In confined spaces, such as homes, it can build up and give people quite a high dose of radiation. If they are condeming the satation building because of Radon what about the rest of Padstow? The buildings there, being so old, won't have Radon gas barriers either - so will they condem the whole of the town? Of course not they only need the 20 car park spaces where the station used to be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 24, 2012 I visited Padstow in May of this year. The station building is increasingly tatty (not derelict by any means) despite being used as the meeting place for Padstow Town Council for many years. All manner of apparently hotch-potch developments have been approved over the years on former railway land meaning that while a substantial chunk of that land is a car park the station itself has been overshadowed by fishmarket and commercial developments not all (but many) of which are connected with a certain Mr. Stein. It would be sad to lose yet another piece of railway history from this area but - to be honest - the way that part of Padstow has been "developed" since the rails were torn up is entirely unsympathetic with the old buildings and indeed looks rather an eyesore in total. Which is a pity because the rest of the area around Padstow harbour remains rather pretty. There is no need to increase car parking and a larger car park will not increase revenue. The huge car park is already under-used and even on Obby Oss Day this year (easily the busiest day of the year in Padstow) it was not even half full. The coach parking facilities are likewise hugely over-generous compared with demand. The radon discussion appears to be a red herring; radon emerges naturally from the ground throughout the region in levels which are not even on the scale of being a risk. Readings taken inside a building which is not opened up on a regular basis (perhaps only for an hour a month for a council meeting) will be higher simply because the place has had no chance to be aired I'll attach a few images I took on 1st May this year. More are available on request for anyone interested. 1. The view towards Waterloo from the buffer stops. It's hard to believe the ACE once called here as the new Steinmarket has occupied most of the former track space. 2. The station building seen from the approach road looking towards the buffers 3. The platform face is still partially exposed and forms a back-wall to the coach park which, despite it being May Day, was almost empty as seen here. Alterations, additions and boarded windows are evident. While the basic structure of the station building is more or less in tact there is nothing else left standing from railway days. 4. Milepost 259¼ is extant outside the Harbour Inn and reminds us of the limit of rails from Waterloo; while rails never reached quite this far they did extend beyond the terminus onto South Quay which was 259 miles 57 chains from Waterloo at its limit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2012 Thanks for the photos. Didnt realise there had been so much development around the old station area! Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 24, 2012 I had a friend who recently stayed in Rock while attending a wedding and was amazed at the pretension and prices. Rock is incredibly expensive and pretentious. Padstow not so bad. You don't have to patronise one of Mr. Stein's establishments (unless you wish to) as there are others in town and fish & chips need not cost a King's ransom. If you're in the area in anything like summer try staying along the coast at Trevone, Constantine, Harlyn or Treyarnon rahter than in Padstow, or if you're across the river then Polzeath is much cheaper than Rock and friendlier with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRat Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I think its grade 2 listed. As for Rock etc, I can remember when the shop there sold jam. They no longer sell jam, but you can buy 'fruit preserve'. Looks like jam to me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2012 Having known Rock long before I was old enough to get myself as far as Padstow - staying in Port Isaac, Rock/Daymer Bay was one of the regular days out, even before we had a car - I was amazed to see a tv programme about it a while back, showing it to be grossly over-developed, and as said above, just bursting with affluence. First Doc Martin screws up Port Isaac, now this. What next - executive homes at "delightful St Enedoc"? Betjeman would rotate in his grave. What it is to be old! My recollection of Padstow is that there is a large car-park above the town, from which it is easy to descend through lanes and paths into the back of the little town - even on 'Obby 'Oss Day. No doubt the lazy find this too much like hard work. Something must have changed. North Cornwall was always a happy second-fiddle to the Riviera end, which offers palm trees and genteel hotels for those seeking rest, while the North is rugged, windswept and bracing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I bet you could do something commercial with that, but of course certain other people might not like having competition so close. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 24, 2012 My recollection of Padstow is that there is a large car-park above the town, from which it is easy to descend through lanes and paths into the back of the little town - even on 'Obby 'Oss Day. No doubt the lazy find this too much like hard work. And your memory does not deceive you Ian. There is a fairly substantial car park at the top of the older part of town which is normally ample for day visitors; from there it is a short walk down to the harbour. The station car park is beyond the several signs suggesting access for motor vehicles is restricted and so is often only used by locals unless the top car park is full. On Obby Oss Day a large field on the edge of town (adjacent to what is now Tesco's) is also used as a park and ride site. Something must have changed. North Cornwall was always a happy second-fiddle to the Riviera end, which offers palm trees and genteel hotels for those seeking rest, while the North is rugged, windswept and bracing. The "genteel hotels" of the so-called Riviera end have gone bust, have been converted to time-share / serviced apartments or simply gone. Few large traditional hotels remain. Places such as Newquay and St. Ives are very much the playground of the young drinking classes and those taking younger families away for a couple of weeks. As many of the former are resident as visitors while of the latter group the great majority will be staying in camps such as Trevelgue outside Newquay or the numerous John Fowler establishments including Lelant Downs and Hayle Towans. The north remains rugged and while Port Isaac can be a pain to visit since Doc Martin put it on the map you can still enjoy Port Quin, Port William (Trebarwith Strand) and some others. Tintagel sold out to the plastic-sword tourists years ago but Boscastle remains ruggedly refreshing and has more or less recovered from the devastating flood of a few years ago. I offered alternatives to Padstow above. Those are based upon a current knowledge of the area. There is plenty of accommodation within an easy drive / short bus ride / moderate walk of Padstow without needing to be in the town itself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 24, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 24, 2012 you can still enjoy Port Quin, Port William (Trebarwith Strand) and some others. Tintagel sold out to the plastic-sword tourists years ago but Boscastle remains ruggedly refreshing and has more or less recovered from the devastating flood of a few years ago. I offered alternatives to Padstow above. Those are based upon a current knowledge of the area. There is plenty of accommodation within an easy drive / short bus ride / moderate walk of Padstow without needing to be in the town itself. While I haven't been to any of these except Port Isaac in much less than a decade I certainly endorse your findings that these are great spots. Port Quin was an easy walk for my parents from PI, slightly less so for little legs! And the abandoned cottages there have grown less obvious over the years. Cream teas at Doyden! Apologies to our man in California for the nostalgic hijacking detour! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
autocoach Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 As "Our Man in California", I don't lack for picturesque coastlines, overly quaint tourist overrun seacoast towns (Sausalito, Carmel, Mendocino, Bodega Bay etc...) or fairly decent local seafood (in health conscious California, the chips(aka "fries") are dry as the climate..not a trace of grease.) What happened to Rock happened long ago along our coast in the Monterrey bay area. This trip, if it comes off, is strictly to visit rail sites of interest to me. Strictly on my own, no female baggage to be kept entertained. The possible demise of the Padstow station building just makes it a little more urgent and not to be put off until the distant future. My other goal this trip will be a roam around railway sites in the southeast such as the Bluebell that I have not visited. I usually stay out of London on trips to the UK. The weather seems to be more unstable everywhere these days. We even had a threat of a rain shower last night interrupting our usually rainless 180 summer sunny days (I won't mention the persistent summer coastal fog as I live far enough inland beyond its chilling reach.) thanks to all for your comments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonhaynes72 Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 As for Radon quite a few areas in Cornwall have received radon testing kits from the council. As others have said there are many other properties in the area with high radon levels too. Shame to see it go. Get a campaign to get it locally listed? Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted June 29, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 29, 2012 As for Radon quite a few areas in Cornwall have received radon testing kits from the council. As others have said there are many other properties in the area with high radon levels too. Shame to see it go. Get a campaign to get it locally listed? Cheers Simon Maybe I'm naive, but I assumed it was already listed. And if not it certainly should be. As for the radon, that sounds like a trumped-up excuse to me. If it really was a problem you would have to demolish half the town! Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted June 29, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 29, 2012 Radon ..... If it really was a problem you would have to demolish half the town! Correction. Most of Cornwall. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I thought Radon was something you used when you wanted a relaxing hot bath...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted June 29, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 29, 2012 Get thy coat and make thy departure announcement, good Sir! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted June 30, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 30, 2012 Having known Rock I was amazed to see a tv programme about it a while back, showing it to be grossly over-developed, and as said above, just bursting with affluence. Hmm, I've never been to Rock; don't think I will now.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles2 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 You don't have to go far from Rock and Padstow to get away from it all. http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h87/Debe2233/Port%20Quin%20Bay%2028%204%2011/DSCN5046.jpg[/img]"]http:// Port Quin Bay looking up the coast towards Trebarwith, April 2011. One of the best things about the North Cornish coast and this form of transport is that 5 mins after paddling away from a crowded beach you can have just yourself for company. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted July 4, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 4, 2012 One of the best things about the North Cornish coast and this form of transport is that 5 mins after paddling away from a crowded beach you can have just yourself for company. Quite so, and that goes for many places. Walk 100 yards along the footpath away from the crowd, and you've got the beach/cliff/mountain/riverside to yourself. Dave. Still looking forward to summer... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted July 4, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 4, 2012 Not only that but you can actually get to a lot of quiet and peaceful spots by public transport. The railway may be gone but bus services have seldom been better along the north Cornwall coast. Hourly Padstow - Newquay and Padstow - Wadebridge for example with regular connections there to Polzeath, Port Isaac, Port Quin and beyond. It's only a short walk from the main road bus stop down to Trebarwith Strand as well. See westerngreyhound.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcb 3c Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Our councils usual line to get rid of buildings they own and don't want is to declare somewhere in the planning 'not fit for purpose' . Nine times out of ten this is because they have totally neglected their maintenance for decades! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Radon Gas my assumption is that this is just an excuse - there are ways to mitigate the risk if it really does exist in this building. XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Padstow - Here is my log from 23 July 1963, aged 11, travelling with my elder brother whilst on holiday. Loco No first. 34100 - Ilfracombe - Barnstaple Jcn 41214 & 41294 Barnstaple Jcn - Torrington 41214 - Torrington - Halwill Jcn 31840 - Halwill Jcn - Padstow 31840 - Padstow - Wadebridge 31843 - Wadebridge - Okehampton D6321 - Okehampton - Yeoford 34072 - Yeoford - Barnstaple Jcn Unidentified Spam Can - Barnstaple Jcn - Ilfracombe My notes state Torrington to Halwill Jcn trainshould have been mixed, but no freight that day so 1 coach only.Drank from tap affixed to water column at Padstow (and still alive !!!!). Same train Padstow to Okehampton, loco changed at Wadebridge. 1 hour wait at Yeoford. No fish and chips back then - no nothing except our butties !!! (and the loco water !!). Great days. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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