Nick Bye: Time for a new ‘Heritage Line’ for the Bay?

First, many thanks to any reader who made their way to the end of my previous article.

It caused a few comments in the Town Hall and I simply expressed delight that anyone had ploughed their way through it. 

When it appeared in print and I took the trouble to read through again I decided it was far from my best work, not helped by attempting to cover three topics with the first two running together without even a new paragraph to make sense of it. Whether that was my mistake or the publisher I shall gloss over.

For this week I want to get something off my chest and very much inspired by what was said at a recent Wellswood Community Partnership meeting. These meetings are uplifting indeed except when folk are talking about local planning issues which always seem to be my fault and cause temperatures to rise.

Fortunately on this occasion I was let off reasonably lightly and those present heard a second very positive presentation by James Hull from Kents Cavern. 

In particular I was delighted to learn visitor numbers are up, the number of school children who come along to the caves is substantial and plans are afoot to increase the number of classrooms to accommodate even more. 

I was in my mid forties when I first visited Kents Cavern and now rather wonder why it was not included in my charmed childhood which included numerous trips to the Zoo, the Model Village, steam train rides and shows at all the local theatres. Indeed there were visits to long gone museums at Exeter (ships), Totnes (old cars) and Barton Pines (aeroplanes) on top of everything else, so I can hardly complain of a deprived childhood.

But somehow Kents Cavern is a little "tucked away" and like so many of Torquay's attractions takes some finding, especially for the first time visitor. Unlike many seaside places our geography is a bit complicated although of course all the various hills, twists and turns add to the visual appeal of the place.

I remember overhearing visitors at the Broadsands Beach cafe one summer discussing Torquay. They concluded the seafront and harbour were "quite nice" but other than a few shops "there was nothing really there to do" and they decided they had been wise to stay on the Brixham side of the Bay for their holiday.

It was tempting to break into all this and point out how they had missed (to name a few) Cockington Village; Torre Abbey and Gardens; the Museum; Kents Cavern (see above); Daddyhole Plain and the Coast Path; marvellous Meadfoot Beach; Babbacombe with the gorgeous Downs, Model Village and Cliff Railway down to Oddicombe, never mind St Marychurch with Bygones and the delightful Precinct.

Some of this missing out might result in a failure as I see it of the various attractions, especially the heritage attractions, to work together on a single tourism "offer" as happens elsewhere. In particular I have been banging on for years about Kents Cavern, Torquay Museum and Torre Abbey working more closely together. 

After all, the Museum, strictly our Natural History Society, came about in part as a result of the important nineteenth century excavation of the caves. 

All of this "coming together" should be under the umbrella of our UNESCO international Geopark accolade intended to celebrate our amazing natural environment. So I was pleased to hear that the Museum and Kents Cavern ARE now working more closely.

Transport links of course are a very necessary part of bringing everything together and this was a part of the discussion at the Wellswood meeting, with a suggestion by James Hull there might be a dedicated bus service at some stage in the future as well as additional parking for Kents Cavern.

My reflection after all this (drum roll please) is we already have a brilliant bus service in the Bay and why not brand the 22 service as the Heritage Line or similar? Why go to the trouble of creating something new when you have (nearly ) got what you want up and running?

There is now a more frequent service and later this year we shall have brand new electric buses, one of the first fleets outside London.

The 22 route which starts (or ends, depending on how you look at it) at the South Devon College includes or passes by Paignton Zoo, Paignton town centre with the historic cinema and steam railway; Oldway Gardens; Cockington Lane providing a delightful walk to You Know Where; Torre Abbey Meadows with the Abbey and Spanish Barn not far away; Torquay Harbour with the Pavilion and statue of Agatha Christie; Torquay Museum; Kents Cavern just ten minutes walk from wonderful Wellswood Village; Babbacombe with all the attractions listed already together with St Marychurch at the end of the line.

There are numerous historic churches, parks and gardens enroute together with opportunities for those who enjoy a gentle stroll to make their way to the coast path and perhaps take a break at Ansteys Cove or Meadfoot depending on energy levels, before making their way back to the 22.

It seems to me a classic case of not celebrating what we already have under our noses: a convenient and frequent link to very nearly all the Bay's top attractions.

All aboard everyone!