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By admin, April 7, 2009

We thought you might like to see the interior of the cafe building as it is today:

This photo shows the horizontal oak panelling in the cafe. This is original, about 130 years old, and has to be retained and restored.  It will make a beautiful interior for the cafe.

You wouldn’t want to use these toilets!  Particularly because there is no water supply to the building, and we are unsure about the drainage! 

More oak panelling to be restored or replaced, windows to the outside world to be unblocked and restored (and made secure) and the original Victorian door can be seen having been boarded in a rudimentary way with a piece of plywood.  All these Victorian features are to be restored in a way that meets the requirements of the Railway Heritage Trust and the Conservation Officer of North Somerset Council.

We will be installing new toilets, including a cubicle for use by disabled people.
 

This photo shows the inside of the ‘cafe’.  It has been used as a store recently.  You can see the Victorian door which needs restoring, more of the oak panelling – and where it has been ‘repaired’ by overlaying it with chipboard.  The ceiling is of wooden tonge and groove boarding as well, so the electricity/gas is overlaid in conduit, which the Conservation Officer would like us to preserve.  The construction of the internal walls is evident – a timber frame with rubble infill.  It is likely that this will need rebuilding.  The floor in this part is solid, but in some parts the floor is missing as floorboards have rotted away.

Although the Listed Building status of the building gives complications and is more expensive to restore, it does mean that the cafe will be unique and a lot more interesting to visit.

This photo shows inside the small store room on the east end of the building.  It cannot be used for public access as the doorway is narrow and would not comply with disability access legislation.  As you see, there was once a water supply – sadly no more as the pipe fractured and has not been replaced.  Out of sight there are some lovely original wooden cupboards which would be restored and used as storage for the cafe.  We might be able to keep our coats, freezer and have a small office desk in here for the manager to work at.
Look at that lovely brass door knob!