Lynton and Barnstaple Railway

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway was opened in 1898 and closed in 1935.

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway - Peter Pan

This Station, Woody Bay, acquired in 1995, is one of four stations between the terminus at Lynton and the main line station at Barnstaple.

In 1999, Chelfham Station was purchased and the following year the adjacent viaduct underwent major restoration partly funded by donations from members. The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company was formed in 1993 by the members of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association, now a Trust, with the aim of reconstructing as much as possible of the original railway.

Despite the length of time since closure, remarkably little development has taken place on the route of the railway. Given the continuing support of the public, landowners and local authorities it is possible that the entire railway between Lynton & Barnstaple could one day be reopened, with the potential of becoming one of the most famous heritage railways in the world.

At 980ft above sea level Woody Bay was the highest station on the Southern Railway and it has now been returned to all its Southern Railway charm of I930s. It is an idyllic spot, shaded by mature trees which were planted by the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company when the line was opened, with sweeping views stretching down to the sea five miles away. The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway was built to link the Victorian holiday resorts of Lynton and Lynmouth with the capital of North Devon and the rest of the railway network nineteen miles away. From Lynton and Lynmouth Station 300ft above Lynton and 700ft above Lynmouth the line climbed along a narrow ledge high above the swift-flowing West Lyn river and over the shoulder of Exmoor before snaking down the beautifully wooded valley of the River Yeo to sea level at Barnstaple. To save costs and to allow for tighter curves as the line twisted and turned to gain height from Barnstaple, the L&B was built to the narrow gauge of 1 ft 11½ in.  The Railway was constructed as a main line in miniature, with eighty bridges and numerous cuttings through solid rock. At Chelfham a magnificent viaduct still strides seventy feet above the valley floor.  The largest structure of its kind on the narrow gauge in Britain, it has been fully restored to enable it to carry rail traffic once more.

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway 

This legendary narrow-gauge line was opened in 1898 to transport Victorian Holiday makers through glorious Devonshire scenery to Lynton and Lynmouth, where Exmoor meets the sea, and local farmers to the market town of Barnstaple. Increasing competition from the motorcar forced the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway to close in 1935 but the memory of this much loved little railway refused to die. On the day after the last train ran, a wreath was sent by a "constant user and admirer" with the inspiring message "perchance it is not dead but sleepeth." Suitably encouraged, a dedicated band of enthusiasts laboured long and hard to bring the railway back to life. Now trains run from the delightful Woody Bay station, four miles from Lynton and the highest station on the Southern Railway, to Killington Lane on the edge of the village of Parracombe.

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway - Peter Pan

An original Lynton & Barnstaple Railway brake van has been restored and can be seen at Woody Bay Station while a replica of the handsome Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Manning Wardle tank engines has already visited the station. A replica of Lyn is currently being built as are heritage carriages.

This really is the most exciting narrow-gauge railway restoration project in England today.

More information, and Trust Membership, can be obtained from our website www.lynton-rail.co.uk or from the station.

History
The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway officially opened on 11th May 1898. The choice of narrow gauge - 1' 11½". (600mm) - was supposed to lower the cost of construction, since the line would be able to follow the natural contours of the country.  The narrow gauge railway linked the market town of Barnstaple over a winding route following river valleys, up and into scenic Exmoor to reach the tourist destination twin villages of Lynton & Lynmouth.

With a ruling gradient of 1 in 50, the total length of the line was 19 miles.
Stations were also provided at Chelfham, Bratton Fleming, Blackmoor and Woody Bay, with halts at Snapper, Parracombe and Caffyns. Track, rolling stock and buildings were constructed to high standards. 

Four Manning Wardle 2-6-2T steam locomotives, named YEO, EXE, TAW, LEW and a Baldwin 2-4-2T locomotive LYN, operated all the mixed trains. 


Struggling on through the early part  of the 20th century it was eventually purchased by the Southern Railway in the1920’s who made a series of improvements to the railway. At a time when road traffic was becoming more reliable and cheaper, these changes did not create more traffic or revenue. Consequently, the line was to close at the end of the summer season 1935.  With closure imminent more travellers were encouraged to ride the line but even this could not turn the tide so on 29 September the 11.50 from Barnstaple was the last down train, double-headed by locomotives 'Lew' and 'Yeo'. The return from Lynton was accompanied by the playing of "Auld Lang Syne", cheering crowds and the whistling of engines.  The next day a wreath from a well wisher from Woody Bay was laid on the stop block at Barnstaple Town Station with the words: "From a constant user and admirer - Perchance it is not dead but sleepeth. ".

Some of the equipment was sold at an auction where locomotives could be bought for as little as £34. Locomotives and rolling stock were scrapped. By late 1936 all the track had been lifted The stations and land were later sold off
Limited development took place along the trackbed; some bridges were removed for road widening, a viaduct was demolished and a reservoir flooded a small part of the trackbed at Wistlandpound. The railway was passing into history.

In 1979 a handful of Lynton residents formed the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Association and it now seemed that at last the railway might indeed reawaken. Support grew both locally and nationally and the Association began fund raising and acquiring equipment to rebuild the railway. A railway was opened at the 'Milky Way', Clovelly, in 1994 solely for the purpose of raising funds.  This led to Woody Bay Station being purchased in 1995 and planning permission being sought to rebuild the first stage of the line towards Parracombe.

Woody Bay was intended to be a junction station for a short branch to Woody Bay itself.  A cliff lift like the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway from the branch line was planned and a pier was built in 1896 to encourage passing steamers to call. However the pier was badly damaged by storms in 1899 and was eventually demolished in 1902.

Local promoter and London solicitor , Colonel Benjamin Greene Lake was declared bankrupt and imprisoned for spending his clients money on the development of Woody Bay which remains delightfully undeveloped.

Woody Bay Station at 980ft above sea level was the highest station on the Southern Railway. Built of local stone under a tiled roof to a so-called Nuremberg or Swiss chalet style at the time when the Victorian promoters of Lynton were marketing the area as "the English Switzerland'. The station also served as home for the stationmaster, having a kitchen, parlour, and yard downstairs and two cosy bedrooms upstairs. The Barnstaple end of the station building incorporates a booking hall, office and ladies' waiting room. Gentlemen, however, were exiled to an open-roofed lavatory outside!

The Station was provided with a passing loop and a loading dock siding accessed from a headshunt at the up end (Barnstaple). A small signal cabin comprised of a 7 lever frame controlled the points and signals. As most trains were mixed with goods wagons as well as passenger carriages, several complicated shunts were required in order to drop off and collect wagons as required.  After the railway closed, the station buildings were not sold until 1938 when Woody Bay was sold at auction for £425 and the station and surrounding goods yard passed into private hands.

When the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company purchased the station and some adjoining trackbed in 1995, the station still retained many original features such as the booking office partition and ornamental fireplaces.

Chelfham station was purchased in 1999 and restoration of the adjacent viaduct was carried out by contractors to BR during 2000.

After a long struggle, tracklaying by volunteers from all over the U.K.
finally began at Woody Bay in June 2002.  The first track was laid from the transhipment siding in the car park down towards the station. Later that summer, works diesel loco "SNAPPER" became the first engine to move at Woody Bay since the demolition train back in November 1935.

With the laying of rails through the station platform in May, the site was able to be officially opened to the public.

The character of the original railway was further enhanced with the arrival of restored Bogie Goods Brake Van 23, and recreation of the signals and up platform railings. Passenger trains began running in July 2004 using Hunslet diesel EXMOOR RANGER and a carriage constructed at our Bratton Fleming workshops.

Since then was have reopened even more of North Devon's "toy railway", as it was once affectionately called, taking visitors a mile along the hillside towards Parracombe. This first stretch of the new railway takes in unspoiled views across the Exmoor landscape towards Heddon's Mouth and the Bristol Channel, and provides a great trip out for all the family.

With your support, we will continue to reopen more of this unique little railway as we extend the present line in both directions. It is our vision that in years to come we will be able to offer you a leisurely journey where you can take in the delightful scenery across North Devon and Exmoor from the comfort of your train seat, and where you can leave the car outside the National Park and travel to Lynton in comfort and style. As well as extending our track to a station to serve Parracombe and Blackmoor we have a continuing programme that will see the return to service of original vehicles, construction of new replica steam locos and coaching stock. As with all heritage railways we rely on the support of the general public and were it not for a dedicated group of volunteers and our members through the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust we could not exist.

If you would like to be involved as a volunteer or member please go to our website www.lynton-rail.co.uk or enquire in the shop for details.

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway - Titch

The Railways of North Devon

On 12 July 1854. the North Devon Railway was ceremonially opened. Passenger services from Exeter to Barnstaple started on 1 August. The line was extended to Bideford the following year and then on to Torrington in 1872, while the Great Western Railway built a line from Taunton to Barnstaple (Victoria Road) via Filleigh and South Molton in 1873.

In July 1874 the Barnstaple & Ilfracombe Railway was opened.  Operated by the London and South Western Railway it was fully absorbed by that company in the following year. This route included a steep (l in 36) gradient from Ilfracombe to Mortehoe for nearly three miles. The line closed in 1970.

In 1898 the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway was built to one foot eleven and half inch gauge. A new station called Barnstaple Town was opened on the north bank of the River Taw to enable cross-platform connection with the Ilfracombe line. The narrow-gauge line ran for nearly twenty miles over the edge of picturesque Exmoor to its terminus at Lynton. The opening ceremony was on 11 May 1898, with passenger services starting five days later.

History of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

During the 1880s the publisher and Liberal MP George Newnes toured North Devon with his wife. They fell under the spell of the area around Lynton and Lynmouth and built Hollerday House overlooking Lynton as their holiday home. Sir George (he was made a baronet for services to popular literature in 1896) built the Cliff Railway between Lynton and Lynmouth as well as Lynton Town Hall.

In the latter part of the nineteenth century various proposals were made to connect the twin towns with the national rail network. In 1895 the Great Western Railway suggested a standard-gauge line from Filleigh through the Bray Valley to Blackmoor Gate and then on to Lynton. This proposal was blocked by Sir George's scheme to build a narrow-gauge line from Barnstaple to Lynton via Blackmoor Gate. Narrow gauge was chosen because it would cost less and use less land. With Sir George's popularity then at its height, the GWR scheme was thrown out and the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Bill received the royal assent. Historians have speculated that Sir George's scheme was deliberately intended to keep mass tourism out of this part of North Devon.

Wealthy London publisher Sir George Newnes, had given the world the stories of Sherlock Holmes and also gave Lynton and Lynmouth the famous Cliff Railway and their splendid town hall. From its hilltop terminus above Lynton the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway could have continued round the hillside, curved across the Valley of Rocks on another viaduct and come to rest close to the Cliff Railway station - and Sir George's holiday home. Instead the company prospectus boasted: "The position of the station at Lynton has been chosen so that it will not be visible from Lynton or Lynmouth, and hence the beauties of the place will in no way be injured."

In 1923 the Company was taken over by the Southern Railway, who made considerable investments in the line and repainted the locomotives and carriages in their cheerful green and yellow livery so evocative of summer. But the Railway could not compete with the ever-improving road transport and the decision was taken in London in 1935 to close it down. Closure was greatly regretted by both the local community and the many visitors who loved the little railway not only for the delightful scenery through which it ran but also for the handsome little 2 6-2 tank engines which pulled the solidly built carriages full of happy holidaymakers. To open the line the company had bought three locomotives from Manning Wardle & Co of Leeds which they named after local rivers -Yeo, Exe and Taw -and one from Baldwin of Philadelphia, named Lyn but was always known to the staff as the Yankee. In 1925 the Southern bought a fourth Manning Wardle for the line and named it Lew. After the Railway was closed, the original engines were all sold for scrap but a replica of LYN is now being constructed as has LYD a replica of LEW. Volunteers have also restored original L&B carriages and an original L&B brake van.

The day after the Railway closed, "a constant user and admirer" living at Woody Bay placed a wreath at the station in Barnstaple with a card saying: "Perchance it is not dead, but sleepeth". Now this unique and much-loved line has re-awakened from its long slumber. Despite the length of time since its closure, remarkably little development has taken place on the route of the Railway and with the continuing support of the public, landowners and local authorities, the entire line between Lynton and Barnstaple could one day be reopened. For times of trains, pick up a leaflet, visit the Railway's website at www.lynton-rail.co.uk or visit Woody Bay Station itself. Woody Bay Station stands alongside the A39 halfway between Lynton and Blackmoor Gate; the 300, 309 and 310 buses all stop outside the station. For the times of trains telephone the station on 01598 763487 or go to our website www.lynton-rail.co.uk

In the grand scheme of things, the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway was not important. It was, for a mere thirty-eight years, a nineteen-mile railway in a national system of 20,000 miles. It carried little in the way of goods, and the only minerals were domestic coals. It was born in late Victorian days and died, prematurely, in the Thirties. It was conceived by local men who were sensitive to the countryside through which the railway was to run. Foremost among them was the eminent publisher Sir George Newnes who, through his Strand Magazine, had brought Sherlock Holmes to public attention. He had built a weekend house on Hollerday Hill in Lynton, and no doubt it was his desire to speed the business of travel to and from London that caused him to join with other Lynton men, such as E.B. Jeune, and Thomas Hewitt to promote the railway. Of course, it had been tried before, but it was Newnes' scheme that received parliamentary approval in 1895.

That the railway had its own Act largely determined the character of its equipment. It was just too early to take advantage of the Light Railways Act of 1896 that was designed to simplify and cheapen the authorisation and construction of railways. And so its carriages were, miniatures of the best mainline practice, with button leather panels and padded armrests in first class, and among the very first - if not the first - Observation Cars in the country. The carriages even had roller bearings. An absence of significant freight or mineral traffic helped the railway to take on an air of cultured and distinguished service to passengers. Connection was made in Barnstaple with the London & South Western Railway, which moved its Town Station a few yards along the north bank of the Taw to provide a joint station and thus facilitate easy access to London. The timetable allowed just that, and for a few years the little railway flourished.

There was, of course, another reason why the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway was a thing of beauty; Devon itself. The railway in Barnstaple started more or less at sea level, wended its way through the town, and found its way to the narrowing valley of the Yeo at Snapper. Then it started to climb up the slopes of the valley, and by the time it reached Chelfham it was well up the side of the valley and, to cross a tributary, had to use a substantial viaduct. Ever climbing through woods, it served Bratton Fleming before reaching Blackmoor Gate. Now the country was more open, with distant views to be seen as the line served Parracombe and Martinhoe Cross, where it reached a summit at 980 feet above sea level. A more substantial climb, we might note, than narrow gauge railways of more recent repute in North Wales. Then the line ran down, past Caffyns, to a terminus improbably perched on the hillside above Lynton.

The railway was a little perverse, particularly in naming its stations. Snapper was named after the hamlet which it served, but Chelfham was named after a house rather than the nearby village of Stoke Rivers, and Bratton Fleming was at first named Bratton until the villagers petitioned for a change of name.

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway - Peter Pan

Blackmoor was misspelt by the company as Blackmore and at Parracombe, the second largest village en route the village was given an unstaffed halt rather than a full station with tickets being sold at the Post Office. Woody Bay Station was at Martinhoe Cross and was so called because it was hoped that there would be a branch line to Woody Bay itself, but it was never built.

And it is said that it was Sir George Newnes himself who insisted that Lynton station be built away from the town so that its setting would not be spoilt.

All of these characteristics lent great charm to the railway. Its architecture was distinctive and well accepted. Its carriages and engines unique. Its impact on the landscape was minimal including its two viaducts. Of these, Chelfham is in a beautiful setting.

In the early 1920s the railway was bought by the Southern Railway, which invested some money in the line. By the 1930s the motor car and the bus were making inroads into passenger traffic and, although the railway received publicity from a number of enthusiasts who discovered the railway and published many photographs of it, in 1935 the Southern gave up the struggle to keep the line as a self-sufficient railway. The last trains ran on 29 September 1935.

The loss of the lovely Lynton & Barnstaple made people resolve that it should never happen again which was why some sixteen years later (just after the War), an unexpected movement ensured the survival of the Talyllyn and Ffestiniog Railways in Wales. For a very long time, the Lynton & Barnstaple was thought to be beyond saving. After all, all of the equipment had gone save a couple of carriages, and of course the line itself had been taken up and the land sold to dozens of new owners. The formation of the railway in much of Barnstaple is no longer discernible, and at Wistlandpound it has disappeared under the reservoir. It is perhaps extraordinary that all of the station buildings still stand. The vast majority of the earthworks are still there, unlike railways in Lincolnshire, for example, where they have simply been ploughed back into the landscape. Most of the L&B is still visible, albeit overgrown and with some of the smaller bridges removed. And compare the opportunities today with those of the start of the railway preservation movement fifty years ago. Tourism has grown, patience with road delays has dwindled. Disposable income is up, financial markets and grant-giving mechanisms are far more refined. Steam railways are an accepted part of the landscape, and are seen to be magnets for passengers who also spend money in hotels, shops, cafes and restaurants, bed and breakfasts, campsites, pubs and other visitor attractions. It is against this background that the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway has been formed as a volunteer organisation to promote the re-creation of the old railway.  The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust is acquiring land and setting itself the task of rebuilding the whole line, from Barnstaple to Lynton. The stations at Chelfham and Woody Bay are already bought, and the overhaul of Chelfham Viaduct including replacing the parapets removed many years ago has ensured that the structure can now take railway traffic again. The concentration is now on talking to landowners, and to the raising  significant funds. Will it be done?
Yes. Ah, but when? When will visitors to Barnstaple be able to take the little train to Bratton Fleming, or to Parracombe, or all the way to Lynton? When will the holidaymaker in Lynton be able to go down by train to Barnstaple for the day?  The simple answer is as soon as the Trust can convince others of the desirability of the re-opening of the railway, and can obtain the funds to achieve this dream. Not easy, but possible. The restoration of railways across the land has seen extraordinary feats accomplished which serve to tell us that nothing is impossible - even the reconstruction of England's best-loved narrow-gauge railway. All that is needed is the imagination to find the ways of raising money, raising confidence, and realising the dream.

Hand written on the card that accompanied the wreath placed on the buffer stop at Barnstaple Town in 1935 were the “Perchance it is not dead, but sleepeth.”; it is our determination to fulfil that dream.

Lynton and Barnstable Railway Company

The plaque reads:

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway was opened in 1898 and closed in 1935. This Station, Woody Bay, acquired in 1995, is one of four stations between the terminus at Lynton and the main line station at Barnstaple. In 1999, Chelfham Station was purchased and the following year the adjacent viaduct underwent major restoration partly funded by donations from members. The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company was formed in 1993 by the members of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association, now a Trust, with the aim of reconstructing as much as possible of the original railway. Despite the length of time since closure, remarkably little development has taken place on the route of the railway. Given the continuing support of the public, landowners and local authorities it is possible that the entire railway between Lynton & Barnstaple could one day be reopened, with the potential of becoming one of the most famous heritage railways in the world. More information, and membership forms, can be obtained at the station building.

www.lynton-rail.co.uk

www.exmoor-associates.co.uk

Contributed by: Freda Jones, Jim Makin, John Lincoln, George Roberts, Tim Knight, P Shelton