Templecombe station

[whole diary]

[johnneyw]

I must say it's a very strange way for SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) to show gratitude for FoTS maintenance of the benches.

[Bmblbzzz]

Is SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) responsible for the whole station and it's a lack of communication? Or are FOTS solely responsible for the unused platform and SWR have, in effect, stolen your benches?

[JayMac]

As far as I'm aware SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) manage the whole station site and remain the ultimate guardians of the buildings, of the assets, fixtures and fittings.

[JayMac]

Here's two of the three 'missing' benches in their new location:



I fully understand that benches are made for sitting on, and they weren't being used for that purpose on the closed off platform at Templecombe, to which only staff and volunteers have access. They did though add a nice symmetrical look to the front of the Art Deco signal box, and despite being from a later era they fitted the 1930s aesthetic.

[onthecushions]

They looked much better in their Network South East colour scheme, as did most things...

OTC

[infoman]

Not knowing the true cost of the seats,

can it be really worth it to remove the bench's from one station and re-locate them to another station?

[JayMac]

Not knowing the true cost of the seats,

can it be really worth it to remove the bench's from one station and re-locate them to another station?

Probably cheaper than buying new. And it's recycling. Also, SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) would probably argue that they weren't being used at Templecombe.

[JayMac]

I may be biased, living in Templecombe, but this signal box is glorious. One of few remaining 'Modern Movement' architectural style boxes. Or, in railway language, a Southern Type 13 box.

The Templecombe box is externally well maintained by the Friends of Templecombe Station, but it remains the property of Network Rail. It's not under any current threat of removal but who knows the future...

My personal take is that it should be listed for its architectural merits.

[GWR 158]

I couldn't agree more. Railway history needs to be protected for future generations to experience.

[PhilWakely]

Couldn't agree more. Definitely should be listed.

At the other end of the scale, the 'new' platform has ruined the look and appeal of the station and probably killed any prospect of re-doubling through the station and onwards towards Buchkorn Weston.

[Lee]

I agree the signal box should be listed, but I wont forgive Friends of Templecombe Station for what they did to the waiting room on that platform.

I used to use Templecombe quite a bit as a kid on my through to Wincanton Racecourse when my dad used to take me in the 1980s, and later on my own as a young adult in the early 1990s. The original friends group made that waiting room so homely and welcoming, with books to borrow, quirky little heater, and toilets open for most of the day. It was proudly resplendent in Network SouthEast colour scheme, with a list of awards the group deservedly won during that period. Along with the signal box doubling as a ticket office, the station was such a joy to use.

It remained like that right up to a few years ago, and I used to love to visit from time to time and reminisce. Then the new platform - although modular and probably movable for redoubling purposes - was built with its limited opening hours travesty of a impersonal ugly ticket office/waiting facility and platform "shelter", and the original platform was locked out of bounds, with its waiting room and its priceless reopening period memories hollowed out and replaced with horrific faux-heritage decorative items and pieces.

[JayMac]

Lee, all that reopening period ephemera is still there. Some in the waiting room, some in the signal box and some in storage.

FoTS are not to blame for the lack of access. That's down to SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)/Network Rail.

Visit Templecombe Station on one of FoTS coffee mornings and chat with the members. They're happy to bring out some of the ephemera. Join the group, as I did, and you can get accompanied access to the old up platform, waiting room, and signal box.

[Lee]

Lee, all that reopening period ephemera is still there. Some in the waiting room, some in the signal box and some in storage.

FoTS are not to blame for the lack of access. That's down to SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)/Network Rail.

Visit Templecombe Station on one of FoTS coffee mornings and chat with the members. They're happy to bring out some of the ephemera. Join the group, as I did, and you can get accompanied access to the old up platform, waiting room, and signal box.

I appreciate what you are trying to say, and all of it may be true, but it doesn't change the fact that as it was, that waiting room was a little bit of crucial living rail history, and it should have been left as it was IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

Many thanks for the offer, but I will stick with my memories.

[JayMac]

Just had a chat with a FoTS member who was gardening as I returned to Templecombe.

Much of the old ephemera was from a personal collection, returned to family when that person passed on. Other stuff was removed at the behest of SWT^▸ (South West Trains)/Network Rail prior to the station remodelling. It was a couple of years after that before FoTS were again granted access to the up side buildings.

[bradshaw]

We managed to get the station and signal box at Maiden Newton listed some years ago. My role was to write the listing submission based on the reasoning for its listing. If you go down this road, please ket me know if I can be of any help.