Flooding puts cafe out of action.

Thursday 4th January 2024 was a terrible night for many local to The East Somerset Railway. Like most of the south of the country, Cranmore and the wider local area was battered by stormy conditions seeing roads blocked overnight and flooding.

Unfortunately flooding also affected The East Somerset Railway. The Station Café and public toilets were quickly flooded with rising water levels. The Station Café, which has been run by Bistro Catering since February 2022 had in recent years had a complete refurbishment which has been widely praised by locals and visiting tourists alike.

Friday saw restricted access to the site as the damage was accessed and the water levels began to recede. However the clear up was started as soon as possible with the team from Bistro Catering working alongside volunteers of The East Somerset Railway to begin the hard work of clearing and cleaning the areas. A full assessment will then be made of the extensive works which will be needed to return The Station Café to the high standards which our visitors expect.

The Station Café has been closed since 24th December and was due to be closed until mid-February to give the team a well earned rest in the off season. Unfortunately this time will now be used to ensure The Station Café is ready for the 2024 season. Although we are aiming for The Station Café to be back open by mid-February, it is too early in the process to confirm this and a longer closure may be necessary.

Finally, The East Somerset Railway would like to say a huge thank you to the volunteers who answered our calls for help and got stuck in. Tidying up after a flood is definitely not for the faint hearted and as with everything The East Somerset Railway does, the passion and eagerness of our volunteers is invaluable.