Cable cars in Cheddar

[Elaine]

That's good - I have no style.

 

[martinm]

...and base jumpers -

Awesome footage! Wish I'd got the guts, lol. 

 

[Burt]

Hey, if the cable car doesn't go ahead, what about a giant stannah stairlift up Jacob's ladder? That'll please the fatties!

 

[mrodoc]

The last time the idea was floated the then manager explained that people weren't used to walking any more so needed a cable car if they wanted to get to the top of the gorge.  : are just some of my reactions to that comment.  Anybody seen that film Wall-E: looks like we're headed that way.

Dartmoor National Park to get rid of styles
wait for it, wait for it,
because their visitors are too fat to get over them   
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2128749/Just-Stiles-set-banned-Dartmoor-National-Park-bid-improve-access-fat-people.html

Satire is dead!

 

[fi]

Longleat have submitted a 'scoping report' - being discussed at Cheddar parish council tomorrow evening (7pm parish rooms) - meeting is open to public but public not allowed to ask questions.
Last month Longleat said feedback from their events before Easter was positive - just wondering what everyone here thinks about the cable car (serious question)... will the viewing platform obstruct some of the climbs in the gorge?

 

[Burt]

I'm sure there will be many points of view expressed here, but what we say or do doesn't matter a stuff.
If the planners receive a nice bung or even just enough bu****t they will let it happen.
What with the addition of both Tesco's AND Sainsbury's coming to Cheddar, then why not a cable car? Airport?
Cheddar for capital of Somerset!!!!

 

[Sid]

NT say NO


http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Cheddar-Gorge-cable-car-plan-gets-thumbs-National/story-16464515-detail/story.html

 

[Sid]

AONB and SWT also to say no this week.

 

[Les W]

But look at all the publicity they are getting, what ever the final result...  :-\

 

[Sid]

The plan for the cable car in 1964.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendipcaveregistryarchive/sets/72157636436277566/

 

[Jopo]

Next step

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/rejuvenation-or-a-blot-the-great-divide-over-cheddar-gorge-cable-car-8909338.html

or another publicity stunt?

Jopo

 

[Bump]

After building the cable car the next stage no doubt will be drilling a 2m hole into TFD 

 

[graham]

If the decline in visitor figures quoted in that article is correct (and I don't see why not) then they do need to do something. the problem is that the rest of Cheddar, below Gough's is pretty damned run down and frankly unattractive.

However, I strongly doubt that they'd consider commercialising TFD. Experience in other multi-cave sites across Europe (& probably other places) shows that an additional cave does not, particularly, generate additional footfall. In addition, the way in which you get the profit from the punters is to throughput them through the cafe and the shop with the cave. if you sell tickets down the hill then you'll have to bus them up the hill & they will not visit to shop & cafe - unless you duplicate the entire thing up the hill. In which case you are just in competition with yourself.

Which is silly.

Seriously, any leisure consultant will tell them that one is a non-starter.

 

[bograt]

The cable car / showcave association seems to work OK at Matlock Bath, although their showcave is at the top of the hill :

 

[martinm]

The cable car / showcave association seems to work OK at Matlock Bath, although their showcave is at the top of the hill :

And there are shops and cafes and play and picnic areas up there too! That is why it is successful. I've taken my daughter up there and love it, but:-

Like Graham says:- "if you sell tickets down the hill then you'll have to bus them up the hill & they will not visit to shop & cafe - unless you duplicate the entire thing up the hill"

 

[mrodoc]

After building the cable car the next stage no doubt will be drilling a 2m hole into TFD 

That, in fact, would not be necessary; as the survey shows.

 

[Maj]

That, in fact, would not be necessary; as the survey shows.

Shhhhhhh !




Maj.

 

[graham]

That, in fact, would not be necessary; as the survey shows.

Shhhhhhh !




Maj.

Hugh has seen it. I am sure they are well aware that 'yet another cave' is not sufficient of an attraction to bring in that many new punters and, as already been explained, one of the points of the cable car scheme is that it takes punters from & brings them back to a facility in the village where there will be both parking ample retail opportunities, ones they cannot and would not duplicate up at Reservoir.

 

[estelle]

If the decline in visitor figures quoted in that article is correct (and I don't see why not) then they do need to do something. the problem is that the rest of Cheddar, below Gough's is pretty damned run down and frankly unattractive.

I think that is the biggest problem, apart from the caves and gorge, Cheddar itself is looking quite run down and drab and a facelift in the village itself would help.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Its a socio economic thing. People have far more scope to do things on weekends now. I bet the footfall at Cribb's Causeway shopping centre has not gone down. Also in relation to Cheddar      ( you will note the empty Cox's Hotel ) people are spending fewer days booked into a specific location. I think the average at Cheddar has also dropped considerably. We have been in the gorge today and it was very quiet. The odd bus load of old folks going up and down. Very few people walk up as far as the reservoirs or even use the car park there. Perhaps we should encourage the cable car as it may detract Longleat Estates from other plans. A visitor drop ( as quoted ) from 400,000 to 150,000 PA is very significant and no sensible company would ignore any remedy to put things right. I wonder what they are paying cave guides nowadays? :-\