Lostwithiel railway station
Encyclopedia
Lostwithiel railway station serves the town
of Lostwithiel
in Cornwall
. First Great Western
operate the station along with every other station in Cornwall.
The station is on the banks of the River Fowey
in Cornwall
. At the east end of the station is a level crossing
while at the west end the line is carried over the river, beyond which is the junction for the Fowey branch
which is now used by china clay
trains only. Between the station and the river stand the remains of the Cornwall Railway
workshops, converted and extended in 2004 as a housing development.
Lostwithiel
's famous medieval bridge is just outside the station, with the town on the opposite bank of the river.
The main entrance is on the platform served by trains to Plymouth
, this is the platform nearest the town
. A second platform for trains to Penzance
is reached from the level crossing.
on 4 May 1859. A report at the time claimed that it "is generally admitted to be the handsomest station on the line, and looks as gay and bright as fresh paint can make it. It consists, first, of a departure station, a wooden building covered by rusticated boarding, having a projecting verandah, extending eight feet on each side of the carriage approaches, and extending over the railway platform. This contains a spacious first class waiting room, second class ditto, ticket, and other necessary offices, and conveniences. Immediately opposite to this, is the arrival station, which is also of wooden erection, having spacious waiting rooms, and porter and lamp rooms. The roof also projects over the platform in a similar way to that of the departure station. A short distance lower down the line is a convenient goods shed, 75 feet long by 42 feet span of roof. Near to the departure station is the train shed, 100 feet long, in which, in addition to the engines employed on the line, it is intended to contain first, second, and third class carriages, in order to meet any extra requirements that may at any time arise."
The workshops had been established during the construction of the railway to prepare the timber needed for the wooden viaducts, stations and track. It expanded to also maintain the carriages and wagons of the railway and was retained for some years by the Great Western Railway
when the two companies amalgamated on 1 July 1889.
The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway
opened for goods traffic on 1 June 1869. A more direct route from Par
to Fowey
stole most of the traffic and the trains from Lostwithiel were suspended on 1 January 1880. The Cornwall Railway
subsequently leased a part of the line to store rolling stock. The line was reopened by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
on 16 September 1895 for both goods and passengers. The passenger service was withdrawn on 4 January 1965 but the line remains open to carry china clay
to the jetties at Fowey.
Sidings on the east side of the level crossing came into use on 30 April 1932 to handle traffic from a new Nestle milk factory.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948 which in turn was privatised in the 1990s. British Railways demolished the original station buildings and replaced them with a new booking office on the platform nearest the town, although these are no longer needed. A signal box
is situated on the other platform to control the signals and level crossing
.
The box is situated at the Northern end of Platform 1.
After the Bodmin Road Signal Box
was closed. The sidings at Bodmin Parkway connecting to the Bodmin and Wenford Railway
were controlled by this box at Lostwithiel.
trains on the Cornish Main Line
between Penzance
and Plymouth
. Some trains run through to or from London Paddington station and one of the evening trains is provided by a CrossCountry
service from Scotland
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. 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....
operate the station along with every other station in Cornwall.
The station is on the banks of the River Fowey
River Fowey
The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, United Kingdom.It rises about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last ....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. At the east end of the station is a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
while at the west end the line is carried over the river, beyond which is the junction for the Fowey branch
Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway
The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway opened in 1869 as a broad gauge railway and links the port of Fowey in Cornwall with the Cornish Main Line at Lostwithiel...
which is now used by china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
trains only. Between the station and the river stand the remains of the Cornwall Railway
Cornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
workshops, converted and extended in 2004 as a housing development.
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
's famous medieval bridge is just outside the station, with the town on the opposite bank of the river.
The main entrance is on the platform served by trains 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...
, this is the platform nearest the town
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
. A second platform for trains to Penzance
Penzance railway station
Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The station is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line from London Paddington station. The current journey time to or from London is about five hours....
is reached from the level crossing.
History
The station opened with the Cornwall RailwayCornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
on 4 May 1859. A report at the time claimed that it "is generally admitted to be the handsomest station on the line, and looks as gay and bright as fresh paint can make it. It consists, first, of a departure station, a wooden building covered by rusticated boarding, having a projecting verandah, extending eight feet on each side of the carriage approaches, and extending over the railway platform. This contains a spacious first class waiting room, second class ditto, ticket, and other necessary offices, and conveniences. Immediately opposite to this, is the arrival station, which is also of wooden erection, having spacious waiting rooms, and porter and lamp rooms. The roof also projects over the platform in a similar way to that of the departure station. A short distance lower down the line is a convenient goods shed, 75 feet long by 42 feet span of roof. Near to the departure station is the train shed, 100 feet long, in which, in addition to the engines employed on the line, it is intended to contain first, second, and third class carriages, in order to meet any extra requirements that may at any time arise."
The workshops had been established during the construction of the railway to prepare the timber needed for the wooden viaducts, stations and track. It expanded to also maintain the carriages and wagons of the railway and was retained for some years by 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...
when the two companies amalgamated on 1 July 1889.
The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway
Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway
The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway opened in 1869 as a broad gauge railway and links the port of Fowey in Cornwall with the Cornish Main Line at Lostwithiel...
opened for goods traffic on 1 June 1869. A more direct route from Par
Par railway station
Par Station is a railway station serving the village and port of Par, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is the junction for the Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay. The station is operated by First Great Western, and served by trains operated by both First Great Western and...
to Fowey
Fowey railway station
The railway from Fowey to Newquay was opened by the Cornwall Minerals Railway on 1 June 1874. Fowey railway station was opened on 20 June 1876 when a passenger service was introduced, the next station being at Par....
stole most of the traffic and the trains from Lostwithiel were suspended on 1 January 1880. The Cornwall Railway
Cornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
subsequently leased a part of the line to store rolling stock. The line was reopened by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
Cornwall Minerals Railway
The Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
on 16 September 1895 for both goods and passengers. The passenger service was withdrawn on 4 January 1965 but the line remains open to carry china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
to the jetties at Fowey.
Sidings on the east side of the level crossing came into use on 30 April 1932 to handle traffic from a new Nestle milk factory.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948 which in turn was privatised in the 1990s. British Railways demolished the original station buildings and replaced them with a new booking office on the platform nearest the town, although these are no longer needed. A 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...
is situated on the other platform to control the signals and level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
.
Signal box
Status: Open, Signal Box Code: LLThe box is situated at the Northern end of Platform 1.
After the Bodmin Road Signal Box
Bodmin Parkway railway station
Bodmin Parkway railway station is a station on the Cornish Main Line and serves the nearby town of Bodmin, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The station is west of , in the civil parish of St Winnow....
was closed. The sidings at Bodmin Parkway connecting to the Bodmin and Wenford Railway
Bodmin and Wenford Railway
The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is a heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has an interchange with the national rail network at Bodmin Parkway railway station, the southern terminus of the line.-History:...
were controlled by this box at Lostwithiel.
Services
Lostwithiel is served by about half the First Great WesternFirst 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....
trains on the Cornish Main Line
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
between Penzance
Penzance railway station
Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The station is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line from London Paddington station. The current journey time to or from London is about five hours....
and 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...
. Some trains run through to or from London Paddington station and one of the evening trains is provided by a CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
service from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Further reading
- The records of the railway companies can be consulted at The National Archives at Kew.