Teign Valley Line
Encyclopedia
The Teign Valley Line was a single track
railway line that ran from Heathfield
, Devon
to Exeter
via the Teign Valley
. Its main stations were at , Christow
and Ide
, and it joined the South Devon main line
at Exeter City Basin Junction.
's station at Heathfield, to Christow. In 1903 the line was extended to Exeter. It served mineral mines in the valley and also had a passenger service. For a brief time there was an engine shed at Ashton.
The mineral traffic that had provided much of the line's revenues was also its downfall, as the quarries provided roadstone for Devon's expanding and improving road network. In the 1920s and 1930s, the new motor bus services meant that passenger traffic dwindled. The mineral traffic soon followed. Meanwhile, the Great Western Railway
placed camp coaches in some of the stations providing holiday accommodation. A small station was opened at Chudleigh Knighton
on 9 June 1924.
The line saw a resurgence of traffic during the restrictions and petrol rationing after the Second World War. However, closure came in June 1958 for passenger trains. In 1961, flooding caused the line closed between Christow and Exeter. Gradual withdrawal of freight saw the line finally close in 1967. The A38 road
covers some of the route from Heathfield to Chudleigh while a short section of the line in Exeter remains a freight siding. At Christow Station there is a preservation society. Many of the stations and some of the line's infrastructure still persist. Alphington Halt was completely demolished with little trace today, the same fate awaited Ide, with St. Ida's Close now built over the station site. Longdown station survives in remarkably good condition. Perridge Tunnel is blocked, but the shorter Culver Tunnel is open. Dunsford halt was demolished, but Christow, Ashton and Trusham station are all still extant having been converted to dwellings. Chudleigh, Chudleigh Knighton and Heathfield did not survive.
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
railway line that ran from Heathfield
Heathfield (Devon) railway station
For the station in Sussex see Heathfield railway stationHeathfield railway station was on the Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway at Heathfield, nearly 4 miles from Newton Abbot, Devon, England....
, 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...
to 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...
via the Teign Valley
River Teign
The River Teign is a river in the county of Devon, England.Like many Devon rivers, the Teign rises on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor is crossed by a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement. It leaves the moor at its eastern side, flowing...
. Its main stations were at , Christow
Christow
Christow is a village located on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, England. It has been around for hundreds of years nestled on the side of the Teign Valley. The village is presently home to around 850 people and grows slowly. It is situated 5 miles from the small town of Chudleigh and 8 miles...
and Ide
Ide, Devon
Ide is a village in Devon, England situated less than a mile to the southwest of Exeter. The village church is dedicated to the German Saint Ida of Herzfeld. The village is home to two pubs: the Poacher's Arms and Huntsman Inn. A long ford crosses a lane on the edge of the village...
, and it joined the South Devon main line
Exeter to Plymouth Line
The Exeter to Plymouth line is a central part of the trunk railway line between London Paddington and Penzance railway stations in the southern United Kingdom. It is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line and runs from Exeter, to Plymouth, from where it continues as the Cornish Main Line...
at Exeter City Basin Junction.
History
The Teign Valley Railway Company was given Royal Assent in 1863 and opened on 9 October 1882, branching from the Moretonhampstead and South Devon RailwayMoretonhampstead and South Devon Railway
The Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway was a broad gauge railway which linked the South Devon Railway at Newton Abbot railway station with Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead, Devon, England.-History of the line:...
's station at Heathfield, to Christow. In 1903 the line was extended to Exeter. It served mineral mines in the valley and also had a passenger service. For a brief time there was an engine shed at Ashton.
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...
placed camp coaches in some of the stations providing holiday accommodation. A small station was opened at Chudleigh Knighton
Chudleigh Knighton
Chudleigh Knighton is a small village in Devon, England, near to Newton Abbot and Bovey Tracey.-Amenities:Chudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary School currently has around 80 pupils, aged 5 to 11. The school has 4 classrooms spread over 2 floors....
on 9 June 1924.
The line saw a resurgence of traffic during the restrictions and petrol rationing after the Second World War. However, closure came in June 1958 for passenger trains. In 1961, flooding caused the line closed between Christow and Exeter. Gradual withdrawal of freight saw the line finally close in 1967. The A38 road
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
covers some of the route from Heathfield to Chudleigh while a short section of the line in Exeter remains a freight siding. At Christow Station there is a preservation society. Many of the stations and some of the line's infrastructure still persist. Alphington Halt was completely demolished with little trace today, the same fate awaited Ide, with St. Ida's Close now built over the station site. Longdown station survives in remarkably good condition. Perridge Tunnel is blocked, but the shorter Culver Tunnel is open. Dunsford halt was demolished, but Christow, Ashton and Trusham station are all still extant having been converted to dwellings. Chudleigh, Chudleigh Knighton and Heathfield did not survive.