South Devon Railway sea wall
Encyclopedia
The South Devon Railway sea wall is situated on the south coast of Devon
in England
. It is probably the most photographed section of railway in the United Kingdom
as a footpath runs alongside the railway between Dawlish Warren
and Dawlish
, and another footpath forms a continuation to the sea front promenade at Teignmouth
. Both these form part of the South West Coast Path
.
The South Devon Railway
was built to the designs of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
and takes a route from Exeter
which follows the River Exe
to Dawlish Warren, runs beneath the sea cliffs to Teignmouth, and then follows the River Teign
to Newton Abbot
. It follows tidal waters for about 13 miles, 4 of which are open sea.
, running from Exeter St Davids railway station
to Teignmouth railway station
on 30 May 1846 and extended to Newton Abbot railway station
on 31 December 1846. It was a broad gauge
railway of 7 feet ¼ inch gauge and intended to be worked as an atmospheric railway
, although atmospheric trains only ran from 13 September 1847 until 9 September 1848.
The South Devon Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway
on 1 February 1876 and the gauge converted to the standard 4 feet 8½ inches after 20 May 1892. A station was opened to serve Dawlish Warren in 1905, all the other stations on the Sea Wall having opened with the line in 1846.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways on 1 January 1948. The line is now owned by Network Rail
and the stations and majority of trains operated by First Great Western
.
, to Starcross railway station
, situated in the middle of Starcross
village. Opposite the pier for the ferry to Exmouth
is the Starcross engine house.
A little further along the river, the railway crosses the mouth of Cockwood harbour
. Near here was the 1,285 feet long Exe Bight Pier, in use from 1869 for about ten years. On the opposite side of the river trains can sometimes be seen near Lympstone Commando railway station
.
The river enters the sea at Exmouth while the railway runs behind the sand dunes of Dawlish Warren to reach Dawlish Warren railway station
.
.
The footpath is level with the railway except for a short section at Sea Lawn where it drops down almost to beach level. This section is impassable at high tide and so walkers need to cross the line on Rockstone Footbridge and return to the sea wall using another footbridge at Coastguard's Cottage. This building was used by the railway during its construction and then sold to the coastguard; their boat house is at the top of the beach next to the footbridge.
Immediately beyond the Coastguard Footbridge are the long platforms of Dawlish railway station with the town seen off to the right from Colonnade Viaduct at the other end of the station.
The line now enters its first tunnel, Kennaway, beneath Lea Mount, beyond which is Coryton beach, the furthest point accessible by the sea wall footpath from Dawlish. The Coryton tunnel leads to the next beach, Shell Cove, accessible by foot only via the shore at very low tide or by a private path from the clifftop. The railway then passes through Phillot Tunnel and Clerk's Tunnel, emerging onto a section of sea wall at Breeches Rock before diving into Parson's Tunnel beneath Hole Head. The last two tunnels are named after the Parson and Clerk Rocks, two stacks
in the sea off Hole Head.
Beyond Parson's Tunnel is a short viaduct across Smugglers Lane and then the footpath resumes for the final stretch past Sprey Point to the cutting at Teignmouth Eastcliff. On the landward side of the railway near Sprey Point can be seen the remains of a lime kiln used during the construction of the line.
the line continues through a cutting to emerge behind the busy Teignmouth Harbour, after which the railway resumes its course alongside the water, the River Teign
. The cuttings on both sides of the station were originally tunnels and were opened out between 1879 and 1884.
After going under the Shaldon
Bridge and passing a boat yard on the site of Teignmouth gas works, the line follows the river past the small promontories
at Flow Point, Red Rock, and Summer House, before passing though two small cuttings and crossing Hackney Marshes near the race course to reach Newton Abbot railway station
.
Across the river opposite Summer House can be seen the waterside inn at Coombe Cellars
.
around £500,000 annually.
In 1936 the Great Western Railway surveyed an inland deviation between Exminster
and Bishopsteignton
and a shorter route starting near Dawlish Warren, but the advent of World War 2 brought these projects to an end. In a Parliamentary debate in 2010, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport reiterated the importance of the line to the economy of South Devon and Cornwall, and confirmed that even if there were to be plans for the building of an alternative inland route in the future, "in our view, it would not be a substitute in any shape or form for the main line along the coast". This is despite the acknowledgement of an inevitable increase in maintenance costs due to rising sea levels.
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...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is probably the most photographed section of railway in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a footpath runs alongside the railway between Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren is a small seaside resort near the town of Dawlish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England. Dawlish Warren consists almost entirely of holiday accommodation and facilities for holiday-makers especially caravan sites....
and Dawlish
Dawlish
Dawlish is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England, from the county town of Exeter. It has a population of 12,819...
, and another footpath forms a continuation to the sea front promenade at Teignmouth
Teignmouth
Teignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
. Both these form part of the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
.
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...
was built to the designs of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
and takes a route from Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
which follows the River Exe
River Exe
The River Exe in England rises near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, near the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lies in Devon. It reaches the sea at a substantial ria, the Exe Estuary, on the south coast of Devon...
to Dawlish Warren, runs beneath the sea cliffs to Teignmouth, and then follows the River Teign
River Teign
The River Teign is a river in the county of Devon, England.Like many Devon rivers, the Teign rises on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor is crossed by a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement. It leaves the moor at its eastern side, flowing...
to Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580....
. It follows tidal waters for about 13 miles, 4 of which are open sea.
History
The section was opened by the South Devon Railway CompanySouth 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...
, running from Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
to Teignmouth railway station
Teignmouth railway station
Teignmouth railway station is on the Exeter to Plymouth line and serves the town of Teignmouth, Devon, England. It is operated by First Great Western.-History:...
on 30 May 1846 and extended to Newton Abbot railway station
Newton Abbot railway station
Newton Abbot railway station serves the town of Newton Abbot in Devon, England. It is from London on the Exeter to Plymouth line via the Reading to Taunton line, at the junction for the branch to . For many years it was also the junction for Moretonhampstead and the site of a large locomotive...
on 31 December 1846. It was a broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
railway of 7 feet ¼ inch gauge and intended to be worked as an atmospheric railway
Atmospheric railway
An atmospheric railway uses air pressure to provide power for propulsion. In one plan a pneumatic tube is laid between the rails, with a piston running in it suspended from the train through a sealable slot in the top of the tube. Alternatively, the whole tunnel may be the pneumatic tube with the...
, although atmospheric trains only ran from 13 September 1847 until 9 September 1848.
The South Devon Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway
Great 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...
on 1 February 1876 and the gauge converted to the standard 4 feet 8½ inches after 20 May 1892. A station was opened to serve Dawlish Warren in 1905, all the other stations on the Sea Wall having opened with the line in 1846.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways on 1 January 1948. The line is now owned by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
and the stations and majority of trains 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....
.
River Exe
The river comes into view at Turf. The square pond and disturbed ground between the railway and river are the remains of Turf engine house, one of the engine houses used for powering the atmospheric trains. After a short distance the river wall comes alongside the railway at Powderham. After passing the railway then runs between the river and the deer park of Powderham CastlePowderham Castle
Powderham Castle is located south of Exeter, Devon, England. The Powderham Estate, in which it is set, runs down to the western shores of the estuary of the River Exe between the villages of Kenton and Starcross....
, to Starcross railway station
Starcross railway station
Starcross railway station is a small station on the Exeter to Plymouth line in the village of Starcross, Devon, England. It is on the shore of the River Exe estuary and is linked to a pier used by the ferry to Exmouth on the other side of the estuary...
, situated in the middle of Starcross
Starcross
Starcross is a riverside village with a population of 1,780, situated on the west bank of the estuary of the River Exe in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon...
village. Opposite the pier for the ferry to Exmouth
Exmouth, Devon
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...
is the Starcross engine house.
A little further along the river, the railway crosses the mouth of Cockwood harbour
Cockwood
Cockwood is a small village on the west side of the Exe Estuary in the county of Devon, England. Lying between the villages of Dawlish Warren and Starcross, it is separated from the estuary by the main railway line between Exeter and Torquay, and is set around a small tidal harbour which boats must...
. Near here was the 1,285 feet long Exe Bight Pier, in use from 1869 for about ten years. On the opposite side of the river trains can sometimes be seen near Lympstone Commando railway station
Lympstone Commando railway station
Lympstone Commando railway station is a railway station on the branch line from Exeter to Exmouth in Devon, England.The station is a rare example of a passenger station not open to the general public: it is exclusively for the use of visitors to the Royal Marine Commando Training Centre at...
.
The river enters the sea at Exmouth while the railway runs behind the sand dunes of Dawlish Warren to reach Dawlish Warren railway station
Dawlish Warren railway station
Dawlish Warren railway station serves the seaside resort and holiday camps of Dawlish Warren in Devon, England, at the mouth of the River Exe. The station is on the Exeter to Plymouth line 10½ miles west of Exeter St Davids...
.
Sea Wall
On leaving Dawlish Warren the railway comes onto the Sea Wall proper with the walkway alongside, although it quickly enters the short and deep cutting at Langstone Rock. Emerging above the beach, views can be had towards TorbayTorbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
.
The footpath is level with the railway except for a short section at Sea Lawn where it drops down almost to beach level. This section is impassable at high tide and so walkers need to cross the line on Rockstone Footbridge and return to the sea wall using another footbridge at Coastguard's Cottage. This building was used by the railway during its construction and then sold to the coastguard; their boat house is at the top of the beach next to the footbridge.
Immediately beyond the Coastguard Footbridge are the long platforms of Dawlish railway station with the town seen off to the right from Colonnade Viaduct at the other end of the station.
The line now enters its first tunnel, Kennaway, beneath Lea Mount, beyond which is Coryton beach, the furthest point accessible by the sea wall footpath from Dawlish. The Coryton tunnel leads to the next beach, Shell Cove, accessible by foot only via the shore at very low tide or by a private path from the clifftop. The railway then passes through Phillot Tunnel and Clerk's Tunnel, emerging onto a section of sea wall at Breeches Rock before diving into Parson's Tunnel beneath Hole Head. The last two tunnels are named after the Parson and Clerk Rocks, two stacks
Stack (geology)
A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind and water are the only factors involved in the...
in the sea off Hole Head.
Beyond Parson's Tunnel is a short viaduct across Smugglers Lane and then the footpath resumes for the final stretch past Sprey Point to the cutting at Teignmouth Eastcliff. On the landward side of the railway near Sprey Point can be seen the remains of a lime kiln used during the construction of the line.
River Teign
After passing through Teignmouth railway stationTeignmouth railway station
Teignmouth railway station is on the Exeter to Plymouth line and serves the town of Teignmouth, Devon, England. It is operated by First Great Western.-History:...
the line continues through a cutting to emerge behind the busy Teignmouth Harbour, after which the railway resumes its course alongside the water, the River Teign
River Teign
The River Teign is a river in the county of Devon, England.Like many Devon rivers, the Teign rises on Dartmoor, near Cranmere Pool. Its course on the moor is crossed by a clapper bridge near Teigncombe, just below the prehistoric Kestor Settlement. It leaves the moor at its eastern side, flowing...
. The cuttings on both sides of the station were originally tunnels and were opened out between 1879 and 1884.
After going under the Shaldon
Shaldon
Shaldon is a village in South Devon, England. It is located opposite Teignmouth in South Devon, England and situated on the River Teign. It has been described as "a quaint English drinking village, with a fishing problem". The village is a popular bathing place and is characterised by Georgian...
Bridge and passing a boat yard on the site of Teignmouth gas works, the line follows the river past the small promontories
Promontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
at Flow Point, Red Rock, and Summer House, before passing though two small cuttings and crossing Hackney Marshes near the race course to reach Newton Abbot railway station
Newton Abbot railway station
Newton Abbot railway station serves the town of Newton Abbot in Devon, England. It is from London on the Exeter to Plymouth line via the Reading to Taunton line, at the junction for the branch to . For many years it was also the junction for Moretonhampstead and the site of a large locomotive...
.
Across the river opposite Summer House can be seen the waterside inn at Coombe Cellars
Coombe Cellars
Coombe Cellars Inn is a public house on the south bank of the estuary of the River Teign in south Devon, England. It is near the village of Combeinteignhead. The pub, owned by Brewers Fayre until 2006, is now owned by Mitchells & Butlers....
.
Maintenance and the future
Running parallel to the open sea at the base of cliffs for four miles, the sea wall has always been prone to damage during rough weather. In December 1852 a large landslip from the cliffs east of Teignmouth caused the railway to close for four days, and in 1855 and 1859 the sea broke through the line at Teignmouth. There have been many more closures since, caused both by landslips from the cliffs and breaches by the sea, especially in winter. In 2010 it was stated in Parliament that "in recent years" around £9 million had been invested on keeping the sea wall safe and the cliff faces stable, and that the ongoing maintenance of the sea walls and the adjoining estuaries was costing Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
around £500,000 annually.
In 1936 the Great Western Railway surveyed an inland deviation between Exminster
Exminster
Exminster is a village situated on the southern edge of the City of Exeter on the western side of the Exeter ship canal and River Exe in the county of Devon, England. It is around south of the centre of Exeter, and has a population of 3,084 . Exminster is an ancient village associated with a Saxon...
and Bishopsteignton
Bishopsteignton
Bishopsteignton is a village in South Devon, England between Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, close to the Teign Estuary. The village is on a steep hill, and has a post office, small pharmacy and a small, family-run supermarket...
and a shorter route starting near Dawlish Warren, but the advent of World War 2 brought these projects to an end. In a Parliamentary debate in 2010, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport reiterated the importance of the line to the economy of South Devon and Cornwall, and confirmed that even if there were to be plans for the building of an alternative inland route in the future, "in our view, it would not be a substitute in any shape or form for the main line along the coast". This is despite the acknowledgement of an inevitable increase in maintenance costs due to rising sea levels.