Below is one of the views passengers would see while waiting to alight from the train arriving at the platform Bideford. I can imagine them stepping off the carriage and being greeted by the staff from the Royal Hotel which could be accessed from the trackside. Opposite the hotel by the river is Brunswick Wharf, home berth for many years to the iconic Top Sail Schooner 'Kathleen and May'. The wharf and building has been cleared recently cleared in readiness for the 'Brunswick Wharf Regeneration'. >Pic 2 is the iconic hotel rising up from the platform. Welcome to Bideford.
The railway from Barnstaple to Bideford was opened in 1855 but was
sadly closed to regular passengers in October 1965 as part of the
notorious Beeching Report. The line from Barnstaple-Torrington-Meeth
remained open for freight traffic until 1982. The railway track was
lifted in 1985 and the whole of line was purchased by Devon County
Council and converted into the now popular Tarka Trail Footpath &
Cycleway. The Bideford & Instow Railway Group was set up in 1988 and
has worked hard since that date to restore the Bideford Station site.
The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre is situated here
Bideford Long Bridge view from the Tarka Trail. Photo copyright Pat Adams
The Royal Hotel rising up from the Bideford Railway platform. Photo copyright Pat Adams
Bideford Railway Heritage Centre on the Tarka Trail, Bideford. Photo copyright Pat Adams 👀👀👀
Bideford Railway Tracks Blog Post Click Here
Kathleen and May Maritime Heritage Links and the Duke of Edinburgh - Click Here
Explore Bideford Railway Station and the Tarka Trail with the North Devon Focus - Click Here
Join Pat's North Devon Focus on
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About: "Kathleen and May is the last remaining British built wooden hull three
masted top sail schooner. Registered in Bideford, North Devon, but
presently based in Liverpool, she is listed as part of the National
Historic Fleet." (>wikipedia)
