2014

TQ7824 : The interior of the Cavell Van, Bodiam Station, East Sussex

taken 10 years ago, near to Bodiam, East Sussex, England

The interior of the Cavell Van, Bodiam Station, East Sussex
The interior of the Cavell Van, Bodiam Station, East Sussex
The ‘Cavell Van', built in 1919, is important in the railway preservation movement for being the prototype of a class of vans used for mail and luggage on express passenger trains from the 1920s.

But it has a far wider and deeper significance historically, for the uses to which it was put following the end of the First World War - from which it acquired its name of ‘Cavell Van' - conveying the bodies of three heroes from Dover to London at the end of the Great War.

The Kent & East Sussex Railway has acquired this extremely valuable historic vehicle and it is our intention to restore it mechanically and then fit out the interior to represent the journeys made to London with the bodies of three British heroes.

There will be a catafalque with coffin draped with the Union Flag in the centre and on the walls of the van will be educational panels and photographic displays to commemorate its extraordinary history. The vehicle is available for school educational visits, special events and for Armistice services as well as being on display to our general visitors.

Restoration cost in the region of £35,000.

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Peter Skynner and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts Railways
This photo is linked from: Articles: · Great War Centenary Galleries: · Tweeted from @geograph_bi in November 2014 Automatic Clusters: · Passenger Trains [22] · Restored by the Kent East Sussex Railway [19] ·
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TQ7824, 213 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Peter Skynner   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Monday, 18 August, 2014   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 18 August, 2014
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TQ 7829 2498 [10m precision]
WGS84: 50:59.7956N 0:32.3629E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TQ 7829 2499
View Direction
North-northeast (about 22 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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