Trip to Berney Arms: is the pub still open?

[district]

Hi all,

I am planning a trip to Anglia - possibly this Friday. I am just wondering if the pub near Berney Arms station is still open, and if so how far of a walk is it from the station, and what are the opening hours?

Many thanks

 

[AlterEgo]

The pub is closed, unfortunately.

http://savetheberneyarms.co.uk/about/

 

[district]

That's a shame. You wouldn't happen to know how far the walk is to Reedham, and is it a fairly easy walk?

 

[Llanigraham]

Looks like about 5 to 6 miles along the river bank.
(Look at Google Earth!)

 

[JB_B]

Relevant threads on this include:-

www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=131948

www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=130315

www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=128015

The pub has been resurrected a few times, I think - hope it works out.

 

[Tio Terry]

That's a shame. You wouldn't happen to know how far the walk is to Reedham, and is it a fairly easy walk?

It's some years ago that I was up that way - although I was born in Norfolk. I seem to remember the walk beside the river can be quite difficult to manage during the winter months so be prepared for some mud! Think it's about 5 miles.

 

[HLE]

Wasn't it vandalised not long ago?

Fair play to those trying to get it reopened, but I can only see it suffering the same problems as previous a few months into reopening - little or no custom

 

[Muzer]

It's a very flat walk whichever way you go, obviously if you know the local geography! I agree with what others have said that it's likely to be very muddy in the winter. Probably doable though.

 

[Trainfan344]

If doing it be sure to take a map with you so in the event of emergency you can quote a map reference and get help to you quicker.

 

[Gathursty]

If doing it be sure to take a map with you so in the event of emergency you can quote a map reference and get help to you quicker.

I printed off a Google satellite map and drew a dotted line on it resembling the route from Wickhampton. Fortunately, the stiles and little way markers are very accurate. If it is foggy though, do not attempt the walk!!

 

[al78]

I printed off a Google satellite map and drew a dotted line on it resembling the route from Wickhampton. Fortunately, the stiles and little way markers are very accurate. If it is foggy though, do not attempt the walk!!

Unless you are competant with a map and compass.

 

[lejog]

I printed off a Google satellite map and drew a dotted line on it resembling the route from Wickhampton. Fortunately, the stiles and little way markers are very accurate. If it is foggy though, do not attempt the walk!!

Unless you are competant with a map and compass.

This is hardly a Ben Nevis expedition - as I remember it the walk from the windmill to Reedham runs alongside the broad River Yare and between the river and a overflow channel which soon broadens from a wide ditch to another sizeable water channel.

Google maps

Getting lost on this narrow, 5 mile long island may not be easy unless you choose to go for a swim!

 

[chubs]

Getting lost on this narrow, 5 mile long island may not be easy unless you choose to go for a swim!

The above completely OTT comments are because some people got stranded on the station a while back when a train was diverted down the other line. There's a thread on it here somewhere, a boat had to come and get them.

 

[HLE]

Found a rather sad video of the pub as it is now - inside too.

A sad state. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YiNWhsP6FQk

 

[Bletchleyite]

If doing it be sure to take a map with you so in the event of emergency you can quote a map reference and get help to you quicker.

As I understand it the emergency services aren't equipped to use grid references, so that might not be much use unless it's mountain rescue (ha!) you want.

 

[Llanigraham]

As I understand it the emergency services aren't equipped to use grid references, so that might not be much use unless it's mountain rescue (ha!) you want.

Sorry Neil, but OS map references are very commonly used by the Emergency Services now.

We have recently had an exercise with the local Young Farmers going to all the remote farms and cottages issuing stickers with their MR's to be put by the phones. This was done in conjunction with all 3 services plus the Air Ambulance. All the MR's were double checked from both the 1:25000 map and a handheld GPS.

The mapping dispatch system in the Ambulances and Fire Tenders overlay with OS maps, as does the secondary display in the 3 Welsh Air Ambulances. I'm sure that the English Air Ambulances I have worked with also have the same system.

And you've forgotten the Lowland Rescue Teams, that are quite active in East Anglia.

 

[broadgage]

The above completely OTT comments are because some people got stranded on the station a while back when a train was diverted down the other line. There's a thread on it here somewhere, a boat had to come and get them.

Yes but surely they became stranded due to the trains not running, not because they were lost. A map and compass and competence in the use thereof would not have helped.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sorry Neil, but OS map references are very commonly used by the Emergency Services now.

When did that change?

About 5 years ago I was unfortunate enough to need to call myself an ambulance when on a canal towpath (crashed my bike into a bridge parapet causing what would be a minor injury except for that I went into shock and started losing consciousness, and ended up being taken in in said ambulance with very low heart rate and blood pressure due to the shock - and my blood pressure is normally on the high side). I offered them an OS grid reference, and they said they wouldn't know what to do with it - the thing they wanted was on-road directions, fortunately there was a pub, the name of which I knew, on the next bridge, so they parked there and walked up.

Or is it the case that call centres serving more rural areas are better geared up to this?

There really could do with being "an app for that" or a means of them easily remotely activating the GPS on a smartphone they are called from. (Yes, they can use cell-locate, but it's not half as good as GPS). Mobiles are great, but they have removed the ability of the emergency services to get an address directly from the number of the calling phone.

 

[lejog]

The quality of the IT utilised by Police and Ambulance services varies greatly, I don't think you can generalise. Mountain rescue have for many years used an app called SARLOC which if the lost person can download it will send their GPS location to be displayed in the call centre. Although they are also perfectly happy to accept GPS locations over the phone!

I forgot to add Google maps is pretty well useless for walks in the country - extracts from Ordinance Survey maps fine for walks like this can be printed out from Bing maps (on a PC). Just go the area you require, select OS from the drop down list in the top right, hit full screen, zoom and move about till you're happy with what's displayed and hit print. Not good for compass work because the image may be scaled when printing.

 

[Class 170101]

Most trains go to Berney Arms on a Sunday.

 

[dk1]

Most trains go to Berney Arms on a Sunday.

Well every other train does but only in the hours of daylight.

 

[randyrippley]

What is the point of Berney Arms station? Why hasn't it been closed? Presumably the farm has road/trackway access?

 

[JW16]

With the pub having been shut down and set on fire by vandals, I wonder what future the station has...

 

[Bletchleyite]

With the pub having been shut down and set on fire by vandals, I wonder what future the station has...

No more or less a future than with the pub, I'd say. The pub mainly served those arriving on boats. The station is really more of a "get the train there and hike back" thing, and operates at a marginal cost.

 

[Class 170101]

With the pub having been shut down and set on fire by vandals, I wonder what future the station has...

Can't believe they would walk that far to set it on fire.

 

[dk1]

There has also been a few issues on the line in the last year or so. A pair of user worked gates at Breydon Access where forced to open across the railway then chained together. The first train, 05:06 ex-Norwich, broke through them. Mindless.

 

[Tio Terry]

With the pub having been shut down and set on fire by vandals, I wonder what future the station has...

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the provision of the station and trains stopping there was part of the Parliamentary Act that allowed the building of the line, so it may well be that it would require an amendment to the Act to close the station.

 

[dk1]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the provision of the station and trains stopping there was part of the Parliamentary Act that allowed the building of the line, so it may well be that it would require an amendment to the Act to close the station.

Exactly. Would cost a fortune so why bother? Leave well alone.

 

[HLE]

Apart from a small saving on brake pads and diesel from trains stopping there, I fail to see what benefit closing it would have.

It can't cost much to keep open surely?

 

[dk1]

Apart from a small saving on brake pads and diesel from trains stopping there, I fail to see what benefit closing it would have.

It can't cost much to keep open surely?

There would be a public outcry at closure & other stations with even less use. Good luck to any attempts to try.