Bere Ferrers railway station
Encyclopedia
Bere Ferrers station on the Tamar Valley Line
is situated near the village of Bere Ferrers
in Devon
. The station is on the former Southern main line between Exeter
and Plymouth
via Okehampton
. The station is operated by First Great Western
.
opened the station on 2 June 1890 with its main line from Lydford
to Devonport
, which gave the London and South Western Railway
a route into Plymouth
that was independent of the Great Western Railway
.
The station was originally called Beer Ferris after the local Beer family who owned several nearby villages. However in 1898, the railway authorities of the time decided that this name promoted an unrefined image of the village due to the association with beer
, and therefore changed the name to Bere Ferrers. The original spelling can still be seen on the sign on the old signal box
, which is being converted into a small railway museum. The signal box, while an LSWR original, is quite new to the site having been erected in 1989/90 – it was formerly at Pinhoe railway station
on the outskirts of Exeter.
Through services from Lydford were withdrawn on 6 May 1968 and the line reduced to a single track on 7 September 1970.
were being transported from Plymouth
to Salisbury
following their arrival in Britain. At Bere Ferrers station they alighted from their troop train for a brief rest (on the wrong side of the train, between the tracks) and, being unaccustomed to British railways, were struck and killed by an oncoming express. The men are buried in a Plymouth war cemetery, and a plaque was unveiled in 2001 in their memory in the village centre.
from Gunnislake
to Plymouth
. Connections with main line services can be made at Plymouth, although a small number of Tamar Valley services continue to or from Exeter St Davids
.
. The line is promoted under the "Tamar Valley Line
" name.
The Olde Plough Inn
takes part in the Tamar Valley Line rail ale trail
, which is designed to promote the use of the line. The line is also part of the Dartmoor Sunday Rover network of integrated bus and rail routes.
Tamar Valley Line
The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route.-History:...
is situated near the village of Bere Ferrers
Bere Ferrers
Bere Ferrers, sometimes called Beerferris, is a village and civil parish on the Bere peninsula in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 3,066, and is located to the north of Plymouth, on the west bank of the River Tavy...
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...
. The station is on the former Southern main line between Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
via Okehampton
Okehampton
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and has an estimated population of 7,155.-History:...
. The station is operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
History
The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction RailwayPlymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway in England was built by an independent company but operated by the London and South Western Railway as part of its main line to give it independent access to Plymouth. It ran from to Devonport Junction, just west of Plymouth North Road...
opened the station on 2 June 1890 with its main line from Lydford
Lydford railway station
Lydford railway station was a junction at Lydford between the Great Western Railway and London and South Western Railway situated in a remote part of north-west Dartmoor in Devon, England.-History:...
to Devonport
Devonport Kings Road railway station
Devonport Kings Road railway station was the London and South Western Railway station in Devonport, Devon, England. It opened in 1876 and closed in 1964...
, which gave 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...
a route into Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
that was independent 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...
.
The station was originally called Beer Ferris after the local Beer family who owned several nearby villages. However in 1898, the railway authorities of the time decided that this name promoted an unrefined image of the village due to the association with beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, and therefore changed the name to Bere Ferrers. The original spelling can still be seen on the sign on the old signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
, which is being converted into a small railway museum. The signal box, while an LSWR original, is quite new to the site having been erected in 1989/90 – it was formerly at Pinhoe railway station
Pinhoe railway station
Pinhoe railway station is a railway station on the eastern edge the city of Exeter, Devon, England, that serves the village of Pinhoe. It was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1871 but is now operated by South West Trains which provides services on the London Waterloo to Exeter...
on the outskirts of Exeter.
Through services from Lydford were withdrawn on 6 May 1968 and the line reduced to a single track on 7 September 1970.
1917 accident
The station was the scene of a fatal railway accident on 24 September 1917. Ten soldiers from New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
were being transported from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
to Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
following their arrival in Britain. At Bere Ferrers station they alighted from their troop train for a brief rest (on the wrong side of the train, between the tracks) and, being unaccustomed to British railways, were struck and killed by an oncoming express. The men are buried in a Plymouth war cemetery, and a plaque was unveiled in 2001 in their memory in the village centre.
Services
Bere Ferrers is served by trains on the Tamar Valley LineTamar Valley Line
The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route.-History:...
from Gunnislake
Gunnislake railway station
Gunnislake railway station serves the village of Gunnislake in Cornwall, England. There are also connecting buses from here to the town of Tavistock. However the station is located in or nearer to the villages of Drakewalls and Albaston...
to Plymouth
Plymouth railway station
Plymouth railway station serves the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. It is situated on the northern edge of the city centre close to the North Cross roundabout...
. Connections with main line services can be made at Plymouth, although a small number of Tamar Valley services continue to or from Exeter St Davids
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
.
Community railway
The railway from Plymouth to Gunnislake is designated as a community railway and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail PartnershipDevon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is the largest Community Rail Partnership in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1991 to promote the use of, and improvements to, rural railways in Devon and Cornwall, and also to promote the places served in order to improve the local economy.The...
. The line is promoted under the "Tamar Valley Line
Tamar Valley Line
The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route.-History:...
" name.
The Olde Plough Inn
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
takes part in the Tamar Valley Line rail ale trail
Rail ale trail
A rail ale trail is a marketing exercise in the United Kingdom that is designed to promote tourism to a rural area, by encouraging people to visit a series of pubs that are close to railway stations along a railway line. Participants are rewarded for visiting the pubs by train. In doing this they...
, which is designed to promote the use of the line. The line is also part of the Dartmoor Sunday Rover network of integrated bus and rail routes.
External links
- The Tamar Belle, a visitor centre based in the old station building.
- BBC News: "Memorial unveiled for Kiwi soldiers" dead link