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Getting the most from your visit…
When To Come
There is always work to do around the railway and, whilst we can be busy and need help in school holidays, we can often be in need of help in term time and even the winter!
When you know what dates you want to come to the railway, give us a ring at the station or drop us an email and let us know. It is also helpful at this stage to give us an indication of the kind of work you would like to be involved in. We can then confirm those dates and ensure you are assigned work to do on those day(s).
What You Need
Suitable clothing and footwear for your work (see separate note below). Overalls or protective clothing may be required. If you are working outdoors, waterproofs are recommended. Packed lunch (tea making facilities are available in the mess hut and basic food can be purchased through the railway shop if required).
Clothing
When working on the railway, it is important to have the right clothing for personal comfort, safety and the image of the railway.
- If you are working in a customer care / front of house area of the railway (catering, retail, on-train) you will need to look smart and be part of the corporate image of the railway.
NB - You will need good sturdy shoes (e.g. in the event of a breakdown you may be required to leave the train and walk along the track to assist etc.) Shoes with fashion heels etc. are not suitable and could affect your personal safety. Trainers are never acceptable.
- If you are not working in a customer care area of the railway (trackside, gardens, workshop, loco crews) you will need appropriate old clothing in which you can work safely.
NB - Trainers/ soft footwear are a definite ‘no’ when working on the railway. Instead, comfortable, sensible footwear with good grip is far better. If your work involves you in working with heavy objects, on the tracks or in building work, then proper safety boots with steel toecaps are essential. Remember, whilst you may not drop anything, somebody else could - possibly on your feet.
When You Arrive
Not to worry, we won’t want to spend hours doing excessive paperwork with you. We do ask you fill in our volunteer registration form before you start any work, and hand it to either Martyn or Nik in the station. This means we can keep basics such as emergency contact details about you (hopefully we’ll never need them, but its better to be safe!)
You can download this form and fill it in before you come if you want to save time!
Around the Area
For any days you are not working, there is a wide selection of other interesting local places to visit.
We are surrounded by the National Park and we are a stone’s throw from several designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Beaches with good sand (and surf) can be found about half an hour away at Croyde, Woolacombe and Saunton, and both nearby Lynmouth and Combe Martin are attractive historic seaside villages with a selection of shops and eateries. There is a sports centre with swimming pool in Barnstaple, and the town also hosts a range of high street shops, the pannier market and the Museum of North Devon.
If you are into history, Parracombe village is home to the Grade One listed St Petrock’s Church, which dates to the eleventh century. An excellent example of the remains of a Motte & Bailey Castle can also be seen on the far side of the valley. In Lynton make sure you take a peek in the Lyn & Exmoor Museum. Not far away is also Arlington Court, National Trust house and gardens. The area provides many miles of countryside walks through stunning scenery - recommended walks include Watersmeet, Valley of Rocks, Heddon Valley and the Tarka Trail.
Lynton has a Costcutter for those requiring shopping. There are also larger supermarkets such as Tesco/Sansburys in Barnstaple and Ilfracombe.
If you want ideas for the children (or those older kids amongst us!), there is a near endless list of attractions across North Devon. Locally we have the Glen Lyn Gorge, Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park and Exmoor Zoo to name but a few…
The local tourist information centres are full of leaflets on things to do with your time in the area - far too many for one visit. The Lynton Tourist Information Centre phone number is 0845 6603232. The Lynton TIC is also happy to help with those trying to seek local accomodation.
Eating Out & Social Life
Being in such a fantastic tourist area, we are very lucky to have an incredible range of places to eat and socialise. Here are some such example to get you started…
- The Reform Inn (Barnstaple), good home made draught beers.
- Old Station Inn (Blackmoor Gate), L&B Trust members get 20% discount on food at the restaurant - bring your membership card!
- The Fox & Goose (Parracombe), Award winning food made from local produce - also the closest pub to the railway!
- The Greenhouse (Lynton), serves great value meals and regularly serves a good range of specials.
- The Ship Aground (Mortehoe), Open Mic Sessions Friday Evenings.
- The Red Barn (Woolacombe), Live Music Thurs Eve. Good sea view and plenty to eat. Also voted one of the top venues in Britain to meet that someone special…
- The Crown (Lynton), Food served in back room - also great to grab a drink.
- Ex-Mex (Lynton), Mexican Food - a great quiet venue and friendly service.
We also have some great live music at the station in connection with events as well as some summer afternoons and dedicated evenings. Its a great bit of fun - check out our railway’s music myspace!