Sampford Courtenay railway station
Encyclopedia
Sampford Courtenay railway station is a railway station at Belstone Corner
serving the nearby village
of Sampford Courtenay
in Devon
.
The station was originally opened by the London and South Western Railway
(LSWR) as Okehampton Road when it formed the terminus and it was renamed as Belstone Corner when the line was extended to Okehampton in 1867, and later renamed again as Sampford Courtenay. Services on the line were extended further west to Lydford railway station
with the inauguration of Meldon Viaduct in 1874. Constructed to rival the South Devon Railway
route to Plymouth
, the completion of the LSWR's own route to Plymouth
saw this line become an important route with lines to Padstow
and Bude
as well as Plymouth
. Boat trains carrying passengers from ocean liners calling at Stonehouse Pool, Plymouth
and prestige services such as the Atlantic Coast Express
and Devon Belle
all used the route.
With the publication of the Beeching Report in 1963, the Exeter to Plymouth Line was cut back to Okehampton
.
Bow
, North Tawton
, Sampford Courtenay and Okehampton
lost their passenger services from 1972. The line survived, however, for the purposes of freight thanks to the activities of the British Rail
ballast
quarry
at Meldon
, three miles from Okehampton, which had an output of 300,000 tons per year. The quarry survives to this day. It is now owned and operated by Aggregate Industries
.
The station name is sometimes given as Sampford Courtney, but it is unclear as to whether it was ever officially spelt this way.
reopened the former up side platform at the station in 2002. Heritage passenger services now operate from the station, running to Okehampton
and Meldon Quarry
.
Four Summer Sundays only Dartmoor Rover services are operated by First Great Western
from Exeter and also calls at the station. It is timetabled to link in with Dartmoor Rover bus services and Dartmoor Railway services at Okehampton
.
. The company is looking to create a railhead at Okehampton which would serve local industry and thereby save 50,000 lorry journeys per year.
British American Railway Services Ltd, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago, became the new owner of the Dartmoor Railway on 4 September 2008. The company intends to develop freight, passenger and tourist services on the railway.
Belstone Corner
Belstone Corner is a hamlet in West Devon in the English county of Devon, part of the civil parish of Sampford Courtenay.The Sampford Courtenay railway station, on the Exeter to Okehampton line, is at Belstone Corner and originally bore this name....
serving the nearby village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay is a village and civil parish in West Devon in England, most famous for being the place where the Western Rebellion, otherwise known as the Prayerbook rebellion, first started, and where the rebels made their final stand...
in 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...
.
History
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(LSWR) as Okehampton Road when it formed the terminus and it was renamed as Belstone Corner when the line was extended to Okehampton in 1867, and later renamed again as Sampford Courtenay. Services on the line were extended further west to Lydford railway station
Lydford railway station
Lydford railway station was a junction at Lydford between the Great Western Railway and London and South Western Railway situated in a remote part of north-west Dartmoor in Devon, England.-History:...
with the inauguration of Meldon Viaduct in 1874. Constructed to rival the South Devon Railway
South Devon Railway Company
The South Devon Railway Company built and operated the railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England. It was a broad gauge railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel-Chronology:* 1844 South Devon Railway Act passed by parliament...
route to Plymouth
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...
, the completion of the LSWR's own route to Plymouth
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
saw this line become an important route with lines to Padstow
Padstow railway station
Padstow railway station was the western terminus of the North Cornwall Railway. It was opened in 1899 by the London and South Western Railway to serve the port of Padstow...
and Bude
Bude railway station
Bude railway station was the western terminus of the Bude Branch. It was opened in 1898 by the London and South Western Railway to serve the coastal town of Bude and closed in 1966 after having been proposed for closure in the Beeching Report....
as well as 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...
. Boat trains carrying passengers from ocean liners calling at Stonehouse Pool, Plymouth
Devonport Kings Road railway station
Devonport Kings Road railway station was the London and South Western Railway station in Devonport, Devon, England. It opened in 1876 and closed in 1964...
and prestige services such as the Atlantic Coast Express
Atlantic Coast Express
The Atlantic Coast Express was an express passenger train in England between Waterloo station, London and seaside resorts in the south-west...
and Devon Belle
Devon Belle
The Devon Belle was a luxury express passenger train in England which ran between London Waterloo station and Ilfracombe and Plymouth in Devon in the years from 1947 to 1954.-The train:...
all used the route.
Okehampton
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and has an estimated population of 7,155.-History:...
.
Bow
Bow railway station, Devon
Bow railway station was a railway station serving the town of Bow and the hamlet of Nymet Tracy in Devon. Bow lies about 8 miles west of Crediton.- History :...
, North Tawton
North Tawton railway station
North Tawton railway station was a railway station serving the town of North Tawton in Devon, England. North Tawton lies on the river Taw.- History :The station was originally opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1865...
, Sampford Courtenay and Okehampton
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. Heritage train services currently operate on certain weekdays, weekends and bank holidays...
lost their passenger services from 1972. The line survived, however, for the purposes of freight thanks to the activities of the British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
at Meldon
Meldon, Devon
Meldon is a village in West Devon in the English county of Devon. Situated close to Okehampton, its best known feature is the Meldon Quarry, from which granite is still extracted...
, three miles from Okehampton, which had an output of 300,000 tons per year. The quarry survives to this day. It is now owned and operated by Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries, a member of the Holcim Group, is an aggregates, construction and building materials group, with its base in the United Kingdom. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Holcim in 2005.-History:...
.
The station name is sometimes given as Sampford Courtney, but it is unclear as to whether it was ever officially spelt this way.
Reopening
The Dartmoor RailwayDartmoor Railway
The Dartmoor Railway is a long railway line in Devon, England. From Crediton the line parallels the Tarka Line to the site of the former Coleford Junction. Heading west it then serves Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton and Meldon Quarry. The route is owned from Coleford to Meldon by Aggregate...
reopened the former up side platform at the station in 2002. Heritage passenger services now operate from the station, running to Okehampton
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. Heritage train services currently operate on certain weekdays, weekends and bank holidays...
and Meldon Quarry
Meldon Quarry railway station
Meldon Quarry railway station is a railway station at Meldon in Devon.- History :The station was originally constructed in the 1920s as Meldon Quarry Halt. It had no public access and functioned as a staff halt for quarry workers, their families and railway staff working at Meldon Quarry...
.
Four Summer Sundays only Dartmoor Rover services are operated by 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....
from Exeter and also calls at the station. It is timetabled to link in with Dartmoor Rover bus services and Dartmoor Railway services at Okehampton
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. Heritage train services currently operate on certain weekdays, weekends and bank holidays...
.
Future options
The Dartmoor Railway proposes to restore the interchange at Yeoford Junction where its line meets First Great Western's Tarka LineTarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
. The company is looking to create a railhead at Okehampton which would serve local industry and thereby save 50,000 lorry journeys per year.
British American Railway Services Ltd, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago, became the new owner of the Dartmoor Railway on 4 September 2008. The company intends to develop freight, passenger and tourist services on the railway.