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Summary

The Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway opened in 1866 and ran from Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead, serving the eastern side of Dartmoor, using part of the route of the earlier Haytor Granite Tramway and closely following the Bovey and Wray valleys. It closed to passengers in 1959 and to freight above Bovey Tracey in 1964. Moretonhampstead station was subsequently redeveloped for modern industrial use but a former engine shed and part of a goods shed still survive.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a section of the late 19th century Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway in Sanduck Wood, as well as weir and leat to East Wray Mill
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a section of disused railway and station site, as well as Stewards Mill Leat and cross at One Mill Bridge, Moretonhampstead

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: Linear 1904
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445624
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NE/10
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RAILWAY (XIX to Late 20th Century - 1866 AD (Between) to 1971 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Marked on the 1880s-1890s Ordnance Survey map.

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

Marked on the 1904-1906 Ordnance Survey map.

Thomas, D. St. J., 1966/1973, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain Volume 1 The West Country, 87-88 (Monograph). SDV363838.

(SX 75578570-SX 82427587). The Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway, twelve miles long between Newton Abbot and Moretonhampstead, was opened on 4th July 1866, incorporating a section of the granite tramway opened in 1820 between Teigngrace and Bovey Tracy. Traffic was light until the end of the century but with the growth of the Torbay resorts it increased until the Second World War. After the war traffic again declined and the line ceased to carry passengers on 2nd March 1959. The section above Bovey was closed to freight in 1964 and the rails were withdrawn from Bovey itself after a special one-day service of passenger trains from Newton in 1971. The sidings at Heathfield are still used, and a little ball clay comes from Teigngrace.

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 22, 176-7 (Monograph). SDV149229.

The Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway opened in 1866 and ran from Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead, serving the eastern side of Dartmoor, using part of the route of the earlier Haytor Granite Tramway and closely following the Bovey and Wray valleys. The line was used for carrying goods traffic, as well as visitors to the moor, and there were stops at Pullabrook and Lustleigh. Visitors could continue on foot or by pony-trap on to Haytor or Chagford. In 1878, the line was bought by the Great Western and was busiest during the first part of the twentieth century. The increasing use of buses and private cars contributed to its decline and it was closed in 1959, after which the rails were removed and other parts demolished. Moretonhampstead station has been redeveloped for modern industrial use, but the main station building and a former engine shed remain.

Minchinton, W. E., 1976, Industrial Archaeology in Devon, 8 (Monograph). SDV7016.

The Moretonhampstead line; a branch line of the Great Western Railway has ceased operation.

Thomas, D. St. J., 1981, A Regional History of Railways of Great Britain, 87-88 (Monograph). SDV168.

The Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway opened on 4th July 1866 and was worked by the South Devon Railway. Traffic was poor until the end of the century when tourism made an impact. After the war traffic declined and passengers ceased to be carried on 2nd March 1959. The section above Bovey Tracey was closed in 1964 to freight and withdrawn from Bovey Tracey in 1971. Freight still runs to Heathfield. The line overlies the Haytor Granite Tramway for part of its course. The terminus of the tramway where it met the Stover Canal was at Ventiford Wharf.

Hemery, E., 1983, Walking the Dartmoor Railroads, 7, 74, 128-135 (Monograph). SDV345331.

Detailed description of the line from Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead.

Pike, J., 1987, Iron Horse To the Sea: Railways in South Devon, 78-83 (Monograph). SDV345333.

In 1858 a public meeting was held at the Globe Hotel in Newton Abbot to discuss the desirability of a train line to Moretonhampstead but it wasn’t until the Devon Central Railway Bill was promoted in late 1860 that it became a real possibility and the line was eventually opened in 1866, having been built during the exceptionally bad weather in January 1866. Later the motor bus services lead to a decreased use of the train line, preceding its eventual closure.

Kingdom, A. + Lang, M., 2004, The Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead Railway (Monograph). SDV345332.

Extremely detailed text with many photographs of the line from Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead, also including time tables, engineering and operating data, memories of the line and current condition of the line.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Costen, D. + Passmore, A. + Pink, F., 2019, Land at Station Road, Moretonhampstead, Dartmoor, Devon Historic Environment Assessment, 1 (Report - Assessment). SDV365156.

Area assessed in 2018 and 2019 as supporting information for a forthcoming planning application for a proposed residential development on land at Station Road, Moretonhampstead, Dartmoor, Devon (centred on NGR SX 75637 85717). Within the application area it is considered likely that the construction of the railway and subsequent resurfacing and landscaping of the site following its closure would have truncated any archaeology predating the railway in 1866. The potential for previously unknown below ground archaeological deposits to survive within the application area is therefore considered to be low. There is however, considered to be potential for below-ground archaeological deposits associated with the railway to survive within the application area. Any surviving archaeological deposits have the potential to be disturbed by groundworks associated with the proposed development. Several buildings and structures associated with the former railway also survive within the site amongst modern warehouse buildings.
An appraisal of designated heritage assets has been carried out and it is considered that residential development within the application area has the potential to result in a minor negative change to the significance of the Grade II Listed Former Engine Shed immediately to the east of the site as a result of a change to one aspect of setting that contributes towards the significance of this asset. The proposed development is considered to cause no change to the significance of the Moretonhampstead Conservation Area or the Grade II Listed Toll House at King’s Bridge. See report for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7393 - Archaeological condition survey in Sanduck Woods
• EDV7411 - North Bovey Woodlands archaeological survey
• EDV7430 - Woodland Survey (1985) in Wray Cleave, Sanduck Wood, Caseley Wood, Kings Wood and Fingle Woods
• EDV8858 - Heritage assessment of Land at Station Road, Moretonhampstead (Ref: ACD1776/1/2)

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