Appledore (North Devon) railway station

Appledore
The old railway route and ruins of Appledore station
Location
Place	Appledore
Area	Torridge
Coordinates	51°03′22″N 4°11′42″W / 51.0561°N 4.1950°WCoordinates: 51°03′22″N 4°11′42″W / 51.0561°N 4.1950°W
Grid reference	SS463307
Operations
Original company	Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Pre-grouping	British Electric Traction
Platforms	1
History
1 May 1908[1]	Opened
28 March 1917	Closed[2]
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

Appledore railway station was a railway station in North Devon, situated close to the village of Appledore, a community lying on the peninsula formed by the sea (Barnstaple Bay), the River Torridge, and the River Taw.^[3]

History

The station was, from 1908, the terminus of a line running some 7½ miles from Bideford.^[4] This line had until 1901 run only as far as Northam.^[3] Mr Harold Robert Moody was the station master.^[5]

Infrastructure

The route of the railway.

Appledore had a 300-ft long, one-foot high platform, situated on the down side of the line.^[6] Brick built public toilets, a general and ladies waiting rooms and ticket office were provided,^[7] similar in appearance to those built at Westward Ho!. Two railway cottages also existed at the site.^[8][9] The station had gas lighting and was unique for the line in having a footbridge; this allowed access from Irsha Street to nearby allotments.^[8]

A run-round loop was provided, together with a dead-end siding, engine shed, water tower, hydrant, and coal store. The signal cabin, situated on the platform, had ten levers and the station was controlled by up, down, and distant signals.^[7] An example of the unusual B,WH&AR single post buffer stop was at the end of the siding.^[8]

Micro history

A terracotta memorial entitled 'Appledore station', on a background of locomotive wheels and gearing, commemorates the old station.^[10]

The trackbed from Appledore to Richmond Road Halt was converted into a road and the station buildings were demolished, apart from the back wall.^[11]

See also

Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Legend Appledore Lovers' Lane Halt Richmond Road Halt Northam Beach Road Westward Ho! Cornborough Abbotsham Road Kenwith Castle Halt Causeway The Lane Halt Locomotive shed Strand Road Halt Bideford Quay Bideford North Devon Railway

• Northam station
• Westward Ho! station

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Terminus		Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway		Lovers' Lane Halt Line and station closed

References

Notes

1. Baxter, Page 23
2. Jenkins, Page 123
3. Jenkins, Page 110
4. Garner, Page 29
5. Jenkins, Page 116
6. Garner, Page 70
7. Jenkins, Page 142
8. Jenkins, Page 113
9. Garner, Page 76
10. Garner, Pages 105 & 6
11. Garner, Page 105

Sources

• Baxter, Julia & Jonathan (1980). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore railway 1901–1917. Pub. Chard. ISBN 0-9507330-1-6.
• Garner, Rod (2008). The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway. Pub. Kestrel Railway Books. ISBN 978-1-905505-09-8.
• Jenkins, Stanley C. (1993). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. Oxford : Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-452-0.
• Stuckey, Douglas (1962). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway 1901–1917. Pub. West Country Publications.

External links

• Appledore at DMOZ