Meeth Halt railway station
Encyclopedia
Opened in 1925, Meeth Halt was a small railway station on the North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway, a private line until it became part of the Southern Region of British Railways
in 1948. The line was built in part over narrow gauge line that was used from 1881 to take ball clay
from claypits at Marland and Meeth to Torrington
, which was until 1925 the terminus of a branch from Barnstaple
.
The line was closed to passenger traffic in 1965 as part of the Beeching
proposals, but remained open for freight from the Meeth clay workings north of Meeth Halt through Torrington to Barnstaple up to 1982.
The station consisted of a simple short concrete platform and a stone shelter and remains as a recognisable landmark on the Tarka Trail
, a very popular destination for long distance walkers and cyclists. As a result, it is in the process of a major renovation.
50°51′06"N 4°3′58"W
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
in 1948. The line was built in part over narrow gauge line that was used from 1881 to take ball clay
Ball clay
Ball clays are kaolinitic sedimentary clays, that commonly consist of 20-80% kaolinite, 10-25% mica, 6-65% quartz. Localized seams in the same deposit have variations in composition, including the quantity of the major minerals, accessory minerals and carbonaceous materials such as lignite...
from claypits at Marland and Meeth to Torrington
Torrington railway station
Torrington station was a west country railway station that dispatched trains to Bideford and Barnstaple, as well as being a terminus for the North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway line to Halwill in North Devon. The station was closed for regular passenger services in 1965 but special...
, which was until 1925 the terminus of a branch from Barnstaple
Barnstaple railway station
Barnstaple railway station is the terminus of a long branch line, known as the Tarka Line, north west of Exeter St Davids, in Devon.It was known as Barnstaple Junction from 1874 to 1970 as it was the junction between lines to , , and Exeter-History:...
.
The line was closed to passenger traffic in 1965 as part of the Beeching
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
proposals, but remained open for freight from the Meeth clay workings north of Meeth Halt through Torrington to Barnstaple up to 1982.
The station consisted of a simple short concrete platform and a stone shelter and remains as a recognisable landmark on the Tarka Trail
Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It is a figure-of-eight route, based on Barnstaple, and covers some of path....
, a very popular destination for long distance walkers and cyclists. As a result, it is in the process of a major renovation.
See also
50°51′06"N 4°3′58"W