ILMINSTER AREA NEWS: How do you beat the Donyatt Halt vandals?

DISCUSSIONS are ongoing about what to do with the vandal-hit memorial at the old Donyatt Halt railway station on the outskirts of Ilminster.

It was back on Wednesday, November 25, 2015, when vandals struck at the long-time disused railway station at Donyatt.

A wooden shelter – which had been built as part of a restoration project to show the station’s importance during the Second World War and its association with young evacuees arriving in Somerset – was burnt to the ground in a pointless attack.

A wooden statue of Doreen Ash, who was evacuated to Donyatt during the war, which sits on the platform and is a reminder of all those children who arrived in the village to get away from the German bombs, was also badly damaged.

People are now discussing what can be done to repair the damage and try to make it “unattractive” for potential future vandalism.

Cllr Linda Vijeh, speaking at last Tuesday’s (February 23, 2016) meeting of Ilminster Town Council, said: “It is all very unfortunate, but we are currently looking at funding to help sort it out.

“It is in a remote location and prone to vandalism. It is situated in the middle of nowhere and very vulnerable – hence why there was no insurance.”

Cllr Carol Goodall told the meeting that she had been involved with talks as well about restoring the memorial.

Cllr Sophie Storey suggested that it would be good to get members of the public involved as well.

“It would be great if we could get normal people involved from the Ilminster and Donyatt area,” she said.

And then quickly quipped: “Can I apologise for the inference that councillors aren’t normal people!”

The restoration of Donyatt Halt was part of a community project between 2005 to 2009 which saw a group of volunteers from Ilminster, Donyatt, Knowle St Giles and Chard work together with district and parish councils to link the communities along the disused railway line with a cycle path.

The original Donyatt Halt was built in 1928 with a single platform faced with wooden sleepers and a small wooden waiting shelter.

In 1940 it became part of the Taunton Stop Line which was built by the Army to contain any German invasion of the South West.

The defences were 50 miles long and ran from Burnham-on-Sea on the Bristol Channel to Seaton on the English Channel comprising of a continuous line of anti-tank obstacles with pillboxes and road blocks.

Between Ilminster and Chard it followed the Great Western Railway branch and is a prominent feature of Donyatt Halt with the anti-tank obstacles – large blocks of concrete known as dragon’s teeth – still visible thanks to the heritage project, which received National Lottery funding, uncovering them from overgrown vegetation as part of the restoration.

The site is in the ownership of the county council and the authority entered into a ten-year maintenance contract with Donyatt Parish Council in 2008.

PHOTOS: Taken following the vandal and arson attack at Donyatt Halt in late November 2015.

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