Oh! Dr Beeching - St Andrews Old Traditional Cache
Professor Xavier: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it. Please note that as this cache has now been archived by a reviewer or HQ staff it cannot be unarchived.
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Regards
Ed
Professor Xavier - Volunteer UK Reviewer
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Oh! Dr Beeching - St Andrews Old
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Bring your own pen. In years gone by, steam trains, coal, oil cans, sweat and noise met straw boaters, plus fours, the original pringle jumpers, big bunnetts, niblicks, featheries and other long gone golf clubs and fashion statements. Now an easy walk on public open space along a nice cinder path but - beware - low flying golf balls......
The area where this grand hotel structure now stands was the first St Andrews Railway Station when the original line opened on 1st July 1852, long before the first 'Station Hotel' was built here. The building has subsequently transmogrified itself into an international jetsetting Golf mecca. There is only 1 part of the place that is basically original - the stationmasters house at the opposite end of the building which is now the Jigger Inn - but here at the other end there are some wooden buildings or sheds.
When the passenger station moved into the town the (now) hotel area became the goods depot/yard and the storage sheds and other buildings were extended. The wooden buildings were right upto the boundary fence with the Old Course and they became blackened by soot from the steam engines that operated here.
By default, therefore, it thus became a natural hazard to golfers on the 17th tee of the Old Course and became known as the Black Sheds. Golfers simply could not see the 17th green because of the buildings outline and had to either chicken out and dog leg around it onto the fairway or be brave and blast a straightline shot over the sheds, destination sight unseen, hopefull of reaching a haven some 180 yards plus distant....
The station and railway were closed as a result of the cuts by Dr Beeching in the 1960's but in between times, the land was redeveloped and eventually became the hotel complex it now is. The sheds were initially demolished but their loss was seen as a collosal impact on the par of the championship links so a fence style outline had to be built to retain the par integrity of the hole.
When the original Station/Old Course Hotel was subsequently developed into its current international level the sheds were fully rebuilt into what you now see and now carry the legend of the hotel.
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