A vehicle similar to the land train at Nottingham Castle could be introduced at sites including Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey in future. Nottingham City Council says there are no current plans to do so, but that it is an idea which it will look at for the future.
The land train took its first journey in June last year, with the idea that the electric vehicle would improve access for Nottingham Castle visitors during the summer. The trust which was running the Castle at the time went into liquidation in November and the future of the land train, along with the rest of the venue, was thrown into doubt.
But when Nottingham City Council announced it was taking charge of the Castle once again, the authority eventually confirmed the land train would return. The vehicle was visible outside the ducal palace when the site fully reopened to the public for the first time last month.
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The council says the train will operate at weekends and during the peak holiday season, with the journey lasting around 20 minutes. It takes passengers from Brewhouse Yard, down by Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem and to the top of the Castle at the Colonnade.
Now, the council has been asked whether a similar vehicle should be introduced at other sites. In particular, a member of the public asked whether such a vehicle could improve accessibility for those with mobility issues at Newstead Abbey.
The member of the public's question, which was discussed at a full meeting of the council on Monday (July 10), said of Newstead Abbey: "I recently visited this fantastic historical attraction via a Pronto Bus, but unfortunately once dropped outside the main entrance there was still a two-mile round walk to actually get to the Abbey itself, and this can be an arduous (and dangerous) trek for those like me, with mobility problems."
Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning at Nottingham City Council, responded to the question by saying at Monday's meeting: "As part of the redevelopment of Nottingham Castle, the project was able to purchase the land train.
"The purchase was possible thanks to external funding secured. This is a fairly new asset, obviously not being used by the Trust, obviously we're using it now.
"To date, we do not have plans or funding to purchase similar vehicles for Newstead Abbey or Wollaton Hall and Deer Park, this is all subject to funding I'm afraid. As we look to improve the operation of the land train at the castle and better understand its uses and limitations, this might be something that in the future we may want to expand to other sites."
The member of the public who posed the question suggested that Newstead Abbey would need at least two electric vehicles and that these could be emblazoned with illustrations of the site and quotes from Lord Byron, the renowned Romantic poet who once lived at Newstead. The Nottingham Castle land train features silhouettes of Robin Hood.
Councillor Kotsonis added: "I do appreciate for some, the walk from the bus stop to the abbey is a long one and I will ask for options in the short-term that... When we do secure additional funding, we are always trying to improve the site's offer and look very carefully at what interventions we can make to improve access for all."
