Hi Paul. What a great memory to have thank you for sharing it! 🙂👍

I’ve seen the tunnel portals and walked by the brick ventilation shaft above but not been inside the tunnel. It would be fantastic for Ventnor and the Island if the line could be reinstated but sadly I doubt it will be. The government would rather throw money into the black hole that is HS2.

I remember the old Ventnor station vividly because, as a kid, I found the tunnel, right next to the station, fascinating in a slightly creepy sort of way. I've been through that tunnel a few times too. I hope they bring it back one day.

Thank you so much for your kind words 😊

Very kind of you to say! Glad you enjoyed the video, hope you manage to check out the others aswell on the channel 😊 all the best 👍

It was closed due to a poor business case for its retention. BR knew from ticket sales and receipts that the bulk of passengers alighted at Shanklin as that was where the bulk of the hotels, B&Bs, and Guest Houses were. some 20% of passengers went to Wroxall and Ventnor, with even less in the winter. Secondly, it would cost an extra £264k to electrify down to Ventnor from Shanklin as a 4th 33kV/750V DC substation including a 33kV pole mounted O/H line would be needed. This would have put the £500k budget to electrify down to Shanklin at risk of being unviable. Now had the situation been the other way around in that the bulk of the passengers alighted at Ventnor then a solution would have to have been found. Also due to the number of complaints about hardship received by the TUCC and the Minister, I do believe that BR did not anticipate the backlash the closure would cause. Equally when the closure notice was served in Feb 1964, BR did not know how an incoming Labour government would react and unsurprisingly they refused closure.

I'm sorry to hear that Mandy. Hope the videos will bring you joy, next one will be out in the next couple of weeks. All the very best x

Glad you enjoyed it. It is a lovely walk 🙂

Absolutely, we are thinking of doing a side series where we visit every view point on the island, so Gatcombe and Chillerton down area will definatly feature in one of theose episodes 👍

@@WightWanderer That will be Wonderful,I am looking forward to seeing more of your walks and hikes,and talks.❤️

That is a very interesting bit of infomation Frank, thank you for that! And thank you for the kind words 👍

You're welcome! Yes it is a rather stunning area around Bembridge and St Helens. We will be doing an episode on the Brading to Bembridge branch soon so keep an eye out for that. All the best 👍🙂

Yes it would be lovely, unfortunately lack of future planning was the result with the line to Ventnor. It would be an asset in the present day. Thank you for watching & have a good evening 🙂👍

Thank you Ellen! For the kind words. We have 6 more railway lines to go and looking forward to them. All the best 😊👍

Thank you! Very kind 🙂

Hope you have a wonderful time here! Have you walked the line yet? It is a lovely walk to Wroxall.

That's hilarious! Thank you for the sub and glad you liked the video. Filming the next episode next week 👍

Hi Rob. Thank you very much for the kind words, we do try and put as much time into the editing as possible 🙂 and thank you for watching 👍

Thank you for the kind words 🙏 we will hopefully be walking both of those lines very soon. Episode 2 will be up on Wednesday.

Thank you! Episode 2 will be out soon 🙂

Thank you! Filming next episode next week so hopefully some nicer weather 👍

Haha cheers mate 👍

Not true, it closed due to a weak business case, for its retention as BR knew that the bulk of passengers alighted at Shanklin, with a few at Ventnor, and even less in winter. Also a fourth 33kV/750C DC substation plus 33kV O/H line and conductor rail, costing an extra £264k, would be needed. This would have serious cost implications as £500k was quoted as the scheme to electrify down to Shanklin with three substations, and that scheme always hovered on failing. It is only in latter years (c 1990s) that Southern water have a water main in the tunnel feeding Ventnors water supply, on one side and a waste pipe on the other. I suspect that Southern water owns the tunnel.

Really? That's fascinating, could you point me in a direction of any info on the station? Books, websites etc ... many thanks & cheers for watching 🙂

@@WightWanderer I have started to look through the numerous books I have on the Islands railways. As I find mention of the original Lake halt I'll send messages. The first reference is in the book "Southern Rails on the Isle of Wight " Volume 2 The Ventnor and Bembridge lines by Ian Drummond with Alan Roe ,2010 and 2014. First reference with photo (don't know how to send photos as I'm a bit of a luddite) on page 60-- "W27 locomotive south of Skew bridge passing the county ground (?) on left. Near here was the site of the original Lake halt" Page 61--,there is reference to the new Lake station, it then goes on to say " From here ( new station- heading south) the line climbs again passing under Lake skew bridge. The line passes the site of the county cricket ground where a halt had been erected in 1889, and which had latterly served a convalescent home before being closed in 1914" I presume it mean the halt closed in 1914 as I have seen this date of closure elsewhere. It is very hard to find any info on exact site of station or other details. If I find more I'll come back to you

@@WightWanderer I have found another reference to the halt. "Steam on the Isle of Wight ( 1956-1966)" P Paye and K Paye printed 1979. Page 28, "To the south of the bridge ( Skew bridge) on the up side of the line a halt was opened in 1889 to serve the county cricket ground and a train called in connection with sporting events only, until WW1. " So it seems it wasn't a station as such, only serving the cricket ground or Convalescence home, but it was there. A bit like the halt on the Newport to Cowes line. I hope that has helped you. Did you also know there was a "Racecourse station " on a curving line from Ashey station ? The line curved south from the station and actually went south about 1/2 mile , under road in short tunnel, then into a quarry. The racecourse station was built a couple of 100 yards down the line. I have not watched all you station videos yet ( going to today) so you may have mentioned them. mentioned

The Isle of Wight Railway. R.J. Maycock and R. Salisbury Oakwood press OL109 --printed 1999. Page 101. " Although the residents of Lake were repeatedly refused their own station, in 1889 the company spent £14. 7s. 10d on the construction of a " platform at Lake" adjacent to the cricket ground; it was ready for use by 17th August "

Past and Present- Special- Isle of Wight. Colin. A .Pomeroy. 1991/93 Page 54 gives a Ordanance survey grid reference for 1889 Lake station. SZ 588827 ( the new Lake station opened in 1987-- 99 yrs after old original-- is at SZ 590833) So gives a exact site.

I think that statement echoes for many of the UKs lost railways, it is a big shame. Thank you for the kind words 👍

Firstly, to correct you, Beeching never closed any railways. He and his staff were responsible for publishing a report, based on a survey of passenger and freight traffic, week ending 23 April 1961. The report, which is colloquially called the Beeching Report, was published in 1963, although you will not find his name or the names of his staff in it or on it. Closures were handled by the TUCC in accordance with the 1962 Transport Act, and once a decision was made the relevant Minister of Transport, tory or labour, agreed the closure(s). But in 1966 onwards closures were undertaken by BR themselves. Also note that: In March 1964 the notice to close the remaining IoW lines was actioned, in Oct 1964 there was a general election with a new labour Wilson government in power. Beeching left office in May 1965. It was latterly in 1966 that the electrification scheme came into being following all the complaints from the public and businesses, and the Minister refused to close the line. There are two specific business reasons why Ventnor (and Wroxall) stations closed. Firstly, BR knew that the bulk of passengers alighted at Shanklin, where the bulk of the B&Bs, Guest Houses and Hotels were. With about 20% alighting at Ventnor, even less in winter time. Also note that Ventnor station is some 100ft on a hill, above the town. Secondly, to electrify down to Ventnor, a fourth 33kV/750V DC substation plus 33kV O/H line, transformer, rectifiers and conductor rail would be needed costing £264k, with the original scheme cost of £500k to electrify down to Shanklin with three transformers etc. The latter scheme was under costed and always hovered on failing, as the original costings were undertaken by engineers not familiar with the scheme as the best brains were working on the Bournemouth Scheme at the time. In reality we are lucky to have the truncates section electrified today, as the original intention was to close all the IoW lines in 1964.

It is part of the sunshine trail yes 🙂👍