Next installment of my abandoned Southern Railway stations in the south west.
I visited Mortehoe and Woolacombe Station on June 06, 1983. Unfortunately I only took these four photographs and looking back wish I had taken many more. For some reason or other lost in the mists of time three of the transparencies ended up somewhat over exposed but I have managed to tweak them with Photoshop to make them presentable.
The station was opened by the London and South Western Railway on July 20, 1874. It passed to the Southern Railway at the grouping and then on to British Railways Southern Region on nationalisation in 1948. In the 1960s it was transferred along with other Southern lines west of Exeter to British Railways Western Region. The station, along with the rest of the line to Ilfracombe closed completely on October 05, 1970.
The North Devon Railway Company attempted to reopen the line in the early 1970s but were unable to raise the asking price. The tracks were removed in 1974.
In the mid 1980s the site was redeveloped into the "Once Upon A Time Children's Theme Park" which had a railway theme. However this closed at the end of the 2005 Season.
The site is believed to have been undergoing redevelopment in 2008. There are some photos of the start of this redevlopment work on the Disused Stations web site.
View north towards Ilfracombe from down platform
View south towards Barnstaple Town and Barnstaple Junction from the down platform
Entrance gate to platform
Pooley Weighbridge remains to see an intact example see my report on Okehampton Station
Hope you enjoy them - more stations to follow!
John
I visited Mortehoe and Woolacombe Station on June 06, 1983. Unfortunately I only took these four photographs and looking back wish I had taken many more. For some reason or other lost in the mists of time three of the transparencies ended up somewhat over exposed but I have managed to tweak them with Photoshop to make them presentable.
The station was opened by the London and South Western Railway on July 20, 1874. It passed to the Southern Railway at the grouping and then on to British Railways Southern Region on nationalisation in 1948. In the 1960s it was transferred along with other Southern lines west of Exeter to British Railways Western Region. The station, along with the rest of the line to Ilfracombe closed completely on October 05, 1970.
The North Devon Railway Company attempted to reopen the line in the early 1970s but were unable to raise the asking price. The tracks were removed in 1974.
In the mid 1980s the site was redeveloped into the "Once Upon A Time Children's Theme Park" which had a railway theme. However this closed at the end of the 2005 Season.
The site is believed to have been undergoing redevelopment in 2008. There are some photos of the start of this redevlopment work on the Disused Stations web site.
View north towards Ilfracombe from down platform
View south towards Barnstaple Town and Barnstaple Junction from the down platform
Entrance gate to platform
Pooley Weighbridge remains to see an intact example see my report on Okehampton Station
Hope you enjoy them - more stations to follow!
John