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Summary

Devon And Cornwall Railway. London and South Western Railway shown on 19th century map which joins the 'Launceston Branch' of the 'Great Western Railway' at 'Lydford Junction'. Dismantled in the 1960s and now part of the 'West Devon Way' or 'Granite Way'. Formerly known as Okehampton Railway.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Remains of a coaxial field system thought to be Bronze Age in date south of Meldon preserved in the modern field layout
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a section of the South Devon Railway and the London and South Western Railway lines at Wortha Mill
• SHINE: Remains of the London and South Western and part of the South Devon Railways south of Mary Tavy Bridge as well as mine shafts from Wheal Friendship
• SHINE: Remains of an early medieval strip field system on the north-eastern side of Lydford, mostly fossilised in the surviving fields in use today

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: LINEAR 929
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1360662
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58NW/60/2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RAILWAY (XIX to Late 20th Century - 1865 AD (Between) to 1972 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'London and South Western Railway' shown on 19th century map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'London and South Western Railway' shown on early 20th century map.

Thomas, D. St. J., 1966/1973, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain Volume 1 The West Country, 69-73 (Monograph). SDV363838.

Dismantled railway. Originally authorised as the Okehampton Railway in 1862 to build a narrow gauge railway from Coleford Junction on the North Devon line to Okehampton. In 1863 powers were obtained for extension to Lydford. In 1865 its name was changed to the Devon and Cornwall Railway, and it was absorbed in the LSWR in 1872. The first section between Coleford and North Tawton was completed in 1865, but due to financial stringencies, Okehampton Road (later Sampford Courtenay was not reached until 1867 and Lydford in 1874. At first the track was single, but doubling proceeded rapidly and was completed in 1879. The line was closed in 1972.

Thomas, D. St. J., 1981, A Regional History of Railways of Great Britain, 101-4 (Monograph). SDV168.

The Devon and Cornwall Railway opened on 12th October 1874.

Trevelyan, R. E., 1998, A Winter Remembered. Events recalling the winter of 1962/63 and its effects on the railways of Dartmoor (Monograph). SDV361769.

Details of the efforts to clear and keep open the line during the winter storms of 1962/63.

Manning, P., 2008, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Sewage Treatment Works at Lydford, 11, Figures 6-7 (Report - Assessment). SDV351460.

The Devon and Cornwall Railway opened to Lydford on the 12th October 1874.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

'Dismantled Railway' also shown as 'West Devon Way' on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6171 - Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Sewage Treatment Works at Lydford (Ref: 08.31)
• EDV3474 - Earthwork survey of Okehampton Castle and Park
• EDV8007 - Okehampton Camp Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment and Earthwork Survey (Ref: 50171.01)
• EDV8841 - Survey of archaeological features in Meldon Woods

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.