Barnstaple Victoria Road railway station
Encyclopedia
Barnstaple Victoria Road railway station was the terminus of the Devon and Somerset Railway
line from Taunton railway station
. It served the town of Barnstaple
in Devon
, England
and was opened when the Devon and Somerset line was extended from Wiveliscombe
to Barnstaple on 1 November 1873.
line that was operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
. It was taken into the ownership of the Great Western Railway
with the B&E. It was converted to standard gauge
in 1881.
In 1887, a link line was provided from Victoria Road station to connect to the London and South Western Railway
's Barnstaple Junction railway station, enabling trains from Taunton to run through to Ilfracombe. At this stage, through-running still entailed a reversal at Victoria Road, but in 1905 a second loop line was built that made a triangular junction, enabling direct running from the Devon and Somerset line into Barnstaple Junction. This direct running appears to have been used more for excursion trains than for the normal traffic: in April 1910, four of the five trains a day on the Devon and Somerset Railway went on to Barnstaple Junction and Ilfracombe, but all called at and reversed out of Barnstaple Victoria Road.
The Victoria Road name was acquired when all the Barnstaple stations came together under nationalisation in the late 1940s. Passenger traffic to Barnstaple was, though, increasingly concentrated on the former L&SWR line from Exeter, and Victoria Road was closed to passengers in 1960, after which the Devon and Somerset line trains ran directly to Barnstaple Junction.
Goods traffic remained at Victoria Road, however, with all parcels business for Barnstaple concentrated there. In 1966, the Devon and Somerset Railway link to Taunton closed to passenger services, but Victoria Road remained open for goods as the end of the spur from Barnstaple Junction for a further four years, finally closing in March 1970.
The station buildings have now been demolished and the site is part of an industrial estate. However, the goods shed survives and is used as a church and the platforms are visible alongside the A39 and are used as a carpark for Western Power Distribution, an electricity provider.
Devon and Somerset Railway
The Devon and Somerset Railway was a branch line from near in Somerset to in North Devon. It was operated from the outset by the Bristol and Exeter Railway which became part of the Great Western Railway on 1 January 1876.-History:...
line from Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station
Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, from London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, England and is operated by First Great Western...
. It served the town of Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was opened when the Devon and Somerset line was extended from Wiveliscombe
Wiveliscombe railway station
Wiveliscombe railway station served the town of Wiveliscombe in Somerset. It was on the Devon and Somerset Railway that ran between Taunton and Barnstaple...
to Barnstaple on 1 November 1873.
History
The Devon and Somerset was a broad gaugeBroad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line that was operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
Bristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
. It was taken into the ownership of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
with the B&E. It was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in 1881.
In 1887, a link line was provided from Victoria Road station to connect to the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
's Barnstaple Junction railway station, enabling trains from Taunton to run through to Ilfracombe. At this stage, through-running still entailed a reversal at Victoria Road, but in 1905 a second loop line was built that made a triangular junction, enabling direct running from the Devon and Somerset line into Barnstaple Junction. This direct running appears to have been used more for excursion trains than for the normal traffic: in April 1910, four of the five trains a day on the Devon and Somerset Railway went on to Barnstaple Junction and Ilfracombe, but all called at and reversed out of Barnstaple Victoria Road.
The Victoria Road name was acquired when all the Barnstaple stations came together under nationalisation in the late 1940s. Passenger traffic to Barnstaple was, though, increasingly concentrated on the former L&SWR line from Exeter, and Victoria Road was closed to passengers in 1960, after which the Devon and Somerset line trains ran directly to Barnstaple Junction.
Goods traffic remained at Victoria Road, however, with all parcels business for Barnstaple concentrated there. In 1966, the Devon and Somerset Railway link to Taunton closed to passenger services, but Victoria Road remained open for goods as the end of the spur from Barnstaple Junction for a further four years, finally closing in March 1970.
Description
Victoria Road had a very long single platform which was used for the arrivals, plus a bay at the eastern end that was used for departures. The building was wooden and was provided with a large canopy that extended to the platform edge. There was a signalbox at the eastern end of the platform. Extensive goods facilities were provided on lines that ran parallel to the tracks leading into the station, and a large goods shed had good road connections. There was a small engine shed and turntable at the terminus end of the goods yard.The station buildings have now been demolished and the site is part of an industrial estate. However, the goods shed survives and is used as a church and the platforms are visible alongside the A39 and are used as a carpark for Western Power Distribution, an electricity provider.