Morebath Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Morebath Junction Halt was a railway halt at the junction of the Devon and Somerset Railway
and Exe Valley Railway in Devon
, South West England.
operated the D&SR from the outset and took it over in 1901.
Morebath Junction is the only location in Britain to have had a signalwoman
in the 19th century. Mrs Towns was appointed in 1890, and in October 1913 the Railway Magazine reported that she was "very proud" of her job after 23 years' service and hoped to continue indefinitely.
village, but was accessible only by a footpath across fields, as can be seen on the OS inch-to-the-mile map for the area, revised in 1960.
The halt was a single platform and was designated as a halt throughout its working life. Morebath Junction was never intended to be more than a halt, and trains on the Exe Valley line continued to terminate at , the next station to the west. British Rail
ways withdrew services from the Exe Valley line in 1963 and from the Devon and Somerset line in 1966.
Devon and Somerset Railway
The Devon and Somerset Railway was a branch line from near in Somerset to in North Devon. It was operated from the outset by the Bristol and Exeter Railway which became part of the Great Western Railway on 1 January 1876.-History:...
and Exe Valley Railway 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...
, South West England.
Junction
The railway junction at Morebath was opened in 1884 to connect the newly built Tiverton and North Devon Railway with the Devon and Somerset Railway that had been completed in 1873. The T&NDR became part of the Exe Valley Railway in 1885. The Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
operated the D&SR from the outset and took it over in 1901.
Morebath Junction is the only location in Britain to have had a signalwoman
Signalman (rail)
A signalman or signaller is an employee of a railway transport network who operates the points and signals from a signal box in order to control the movement of trains.- History :...
in the 19th century. Mrs Towns was appointed in 1890, and in October 1913 the Railway Magazine reported that she was "very proud" of her job after 23 years' service and hoped to continue indefinitely.
Halt
The GWR opened the halt in 1928. Trains on both lines called there, giving it a more frequent service than station, which was on the Devon and Somerset line about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east. Morebath Junction was much nearer MorebathMorebath
Morebath is an upland village in the county of Devon, mostly given over to sheep-farming, and situated on the southern edge of Exmoor.An account of life in Morebath in the sixteenth century can be read in The Voices of Morebath: Reformation and Rebellion in an English Village by Eamon Duffy...
village, but was accessible only by a footpath across fields, as can be seen on the OS inch-to-the-mile map for the area, revised in 1960.
The halt was a single platform and was designated as a halt throughout its working life. Morebath Junction was never intended to be more than a halt, and trains on the Exe Valley line continued to terminate at , the next station to the west. 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...
ways withdrew services from the Exe Valley line in 1963 and from the Devon and Somerset line in 1966.