Application filled in to list the iconic railway carriage camping site at Dawlish Warren with Historic England

Historic England do not list railway carriages for preservation. They are concerned only with buildings, and with sites. They have sent a link to their online application form which enables us to ask them to consider a site for listed status. It took a while, but the form has been completed, so, fingers crossed, Historic England might agree with Starcross History, and decide that the site is an important part of our seaside heritage, and designate it so. This will mean that the site will have to continue to use railway carriages to accommodate the holidaymakers.

THIS LINK
explains the steps to take to get the site listed.

The Great Western Railway Staff Association have explained that they have explored all avenues to getting the carriages preserved, but that this is not economically viable. If a buyer for the carriages and the site can be found, the iconic railway camping carriages will continue. In any case, GWRSA will sell at the end of this season in August. Tracy Baker, the secretary of the Great Western Railway Staff Association (who own and manage the iconic site) writes that the carriages may have to be cleared before they are able to sell the site.

Historic England will consider all the information provided, and decide the fate of the Dawlish Warren camping carriages.

Here's some of the details from the online application:

Threat

 The iconic railway carriage camping site at Dawlish Warren has been used since the 1930s. It is still owned by the Great Western Railway Staff Association. Articles in the press, and a piece on the television, alleged that it is to close. 

Reasons

The iconic railway carriage camping site at Dawlish Warren is called The Brunel Camping Railway Coach Park, after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who is associated with this site as he built the adjacent Great Western Railway. It is owned and managed by the Great Western Railway Staff Association. The GWRSA secretary Tracy Baker has emailed me to say that she intends to clear and sell the site to the highest bidder, if a buyer cannot be found who will continue to run the site as a railway carriage camping site, and who will put in an offer for both the carriages and the site...

There is a media campaign to save this iconic site. People are very sad that the site could close forever, and an important part of English heritage will be lost.

Here is the wiki entry for the site:
"In 1935 a camp coach was stationed in the goods yard which could be rented by holiday makers but the facility was withdrawn in 1940. Camp coaches were reintroduced in 1952, and by 1959 there were nine coaches stationed here. After 1964 the public camp coach service was withdrawn but the coaches at Dawlish Warren continued to be managed by the British Rail Staff Association for its members. The old coaches were replaced for the 1982 season by the current vehicles, since when the connection to the goods yard has been removed."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawlish_Warren_railway_station

Comments

You kindly explained that the movable railway carriages would NOT be something that Historic England can list. Please be aware that it is not the railway carriages that need to be protected. It is the iconic site which is such an important part of our heritage. If it became yet another caravan site, (which could happen since no planning permission would be needed as there is no change of use,) we will have lost something irreplaceable, since the carriages would need to be enthusiastically maintained so it would not be a commercial option unless grants could be found to finance the work. The carriages themselves will need to be constantly reviewed and replaced or mended. Many people have already added their voice to the campaign to save this iconic site, and getting it recognised by having listed status with Historic England would ensure its continuation since that would be a passport to getting some funding.