Eastnor Castle Steam and Vintage
(26th - 27th May, 2024)
This is one of a series of pages which I have uploaded to illustrate facets of steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Such events occur all over the country in the summer months, they are easily found by using your favourite search engine and may have anything between a handful of steam engines and hundreds (as at the Great Dorset Steam Fair which could probably be fairly described as having an excess of riches). Click here for the overall index for 2024.
Eastnor Castle (https://eastnorcastle.com) is a privately owned early 19th century castellated grade 1 listed mansion just outside Ledbury in Herefordshire. Like most such places, it needs to open to the public to pay its enormous maintenance and running bills. This event attracted a large number of visitors who also enjoyed walking in the arboretum and queuing for ice creams - 'one scoop three pounds, two scoops four pounds'. The house itself is grandiose and exceptionally well maintained and decorated. It offers the kind of peculiarly English experience which also attracts film makers and TV series producers like the rather better known Castle Howard and Chatsworth House in the North of England.
As predicted it was a largely cloudy day with light showers which cleared from time to time. Movement would have been almost impossible beyond a 'tug of war', and as the engines were lined up facing west, it needed only a little bit of patience to wait for the sun to come round, by which time most of the visitors had moved on. We walked round the lake and traipsed through the house. I had no great expectation of 'rare steam' but it was an opportunity to earn some Brownie points from Yuehong as she lapped up the several rooms decorated in a Chinese style and the inevitable Victorian style bathrooms. it must be a nightmare to heat in the winter.
Steam Rollers
|
Maker |
Number |
Registration |
Notes |
|
|
Aveling and Porter | 8550/1915 | KM 512 |
"Councillor Billy" Great North Steam Fair 2015 Picture |
|
Trotter | */1933 |
Formerly in the Gloucester Folk Museum Welland Rally 2016 Picture Welland Rally 2017 Picture Speech House Show 2017 Picture Welland Rally 2018 Picture South Cerney Rally 2018 Picture Shrewsbury Rally 2018 Picture Marcle Rally 2019 Picture South Cerney Rally 2019 Picture Marcle Rally 2022 Picture Welland Rally 2022 Picture South Cerney Rally 2022 Picture Shrewsbury Rally 2022 Picture Banbury Rally 2023 Picture Shrewsbury Rally 2023 Picture |
|
|
Wallis and Steevens | 7878/1926 | HO 6482 | Trevthick Day 2017 Picture Cornish Fair 2017 Picture Trevithick Day 2018 Picture Trevithick Day 2019 Picture Welland Rally 2019 Picture Welland Rally 2023 Picture |
General Engines
Portable
|
Maker |
Number |
Notes |
||
|
Marshall | 59763/1912 | Yorkshore Rally 2018 Picture |
