Wadebridge railway station
Encyclopedia
Wadebridge railway station was on the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
. It opened in 1834 to transport goods between the market town of Wadebridge
, the limit of navigation on the River Camel
, and inland farming and mining areas. The railway was built to take stone from local quarries such as the De Lank Quarries
on Bodmin Moor
towards the coast, as well as sand dredged from the River Camel and landed at the quays in Wadebridge inland to be used to improve the heavy local soil. The station is situated just upstream of Wadebridge bridge and almost next to the tidal River Camel; a fact that prompted the former Poet Laureate
John Betjeman
to write in his autobiography "On Wadebridge station what a breath of sea scented the Camel Valley! Cornish air, soft Cornish rains, and silence after steam".
was linked to the London and South Western Railway
's North Cornwall Line
which stretched away through the sparsely populated countryside of North Cornwall to Launceston
and Okehampton
, diverging from the Bodmin line at Wadebridge Junction at a point 48 chains
east of Wadebridge station near the confluence of the River Allen and River Camel. At this time a new station was built slightly nearer to Bodmin, separated from the central portion of Wadebridge town by the Polmorla brook. The single long platform contained the buildings that still exist: a one-storey station building incorporating a ticket office and waiting rooms, and a tall goods shed which was near enough to the rather squat station building to dominate it in height. In addition, a signal box
was built immediately beyond the end of the platform.
In 1899 construction works commenced on the westward extension of the North Cornwall Line towards Padstow
via the salt marsh
and the tidal Camel estuary to the port of Padstow
. In order to accommodate the extra traffic anticipated, an island platform
105 yards (96 m) in length was added between the existing platform and the engine shed, both sides of which were in use as platforms 2 and 3; the original platform being Platform 1. Access to this new island platform was gained by a wooden lattice footbridge situated towards the Down (Padstow) end of the station. A waiting room and a generous canopy were also installed. The works also involved considerable re-arrangement of the track layout and signalling, with the original goods connection over Molesworth Street, using the existing level crossing
, to the quay being upgraded to a passenger line. The original signalbox was closed and replaced by two new signalboxes, "Wadebridge East" and "Wadebridge West". The first passenger train to use this stretch ran on 27 March 1899.
In 1907 major alterations were made to Wadebridge station. The line towards Bodmin, up to this date single track, was doubled as far as the divergence of the North Cornwall Line
from the Bodmin line, and soon after this the points
at Wadebridge Junction were removed and the signalbox at that location closed. This meant that the two lines going in the Up direction from Wadebridge (towards Launceston and Bodmin respectively) were actually two parallel single-track lines once the points at Wadebridge East Signal Box had been passed. This was sited adjacent to the farm crossing that allowed access to Jubilee meadow, the field which separated the station from the river. At this time further lines were installed to the engine shed and the sand dock were also installed, the latter allowing access to the sand dock without having to use the lifting bridge which had been a hindrance as it was not strong enough to take the weight of a locomotive.
From this date changes were few. The wooden LSWR pattern footbridge was replaced by a utilitarian pre-cast concrete model of Southern Railway
design during the 1920s and the signalling was replaced in late 1931. Platform 1 was extended by some yards in the direction of Bodmin, a noticeable feature as the extension was higher than the original platform and of brick construction rather than local stone. An annex to the goods shed was built in 1941 out of concrete blocks, taking most of the space between the original goods shed and the station building, although the end of the extension was latterly open after a shunting accident demolished a large portion of the end wall. The date of installation of the turntable
is unclear, but by 1930 a 50 feet (15.2 m) turntable was in existence behind the engine shed; a larger turntable was never installed and engines such as the West Country pacifics had to run down to Padstow where a 70 feet (21.3 m) turntable was provided.
at Molesworth Street. In keeping with its reduced status, the buildings on the island platform and the engine shed were demolished in the years after closure with the remains of the concrete footbridge being dumped unceremoniously in the turntable pit.
Wadebridge continued in use for freight until 1978, particularly sending out powdered slate from Delabole quarry
for which a vacuum system was installed to load Presflo wagons. The last loco-hauled passenger train, a 12-coach special from the midlands hauled by Class 25
number 25 080, ran on 30 September 1978; a DMU
shuttle from Bodmin, organised for charity, was the last passenger train of all on 17 December 1978.
On the Padstow side of Wadebridge bridge a road occupies the space previously occupied by both the railway trackbed and an adjacent lane, but the lines which curved away from this towards the quays along the river cannot now be discerned. Once the limit of development on the riverside is reached the old trackbed, in the form of the Camel Trail
, becomes visible again.
from the current end of the running line at Boscarne Junction to a proposed new station at Wadebridge, situated just beyond Guineaport. This would mean moving the Camel Trail to make way for the railway, and has been a topic of hot debate locally.
Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway was a railway line opened in 1834 in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It linked the important town of Bodmin with the harbour at Wadebridge and also quarries at places such as Wenford...
. It opened in 1834 to transport goods between the market town of Wadebridge
Wadebridge
Wadebridge is a civil parish and town in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles upstream from Padstow....
, the limit of navigation on the River Camel
River Camel
The River Camel is a river in Cornwall, UK. It rises on the edge of Bodmin Moor and together with its tributaries drains a considerable part of North Cornwall. The river issues into the Celtic Sea area of the Atlantic Ocean between Stepper Point and Pentire Point having covered a distance of...
, and inland farming and mining areas. The railway was built to take stone from local quarries such as the De Lank Quarries
De Lank Quarries
De Lank Quarries is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in St Breward parish, north Cornwall, notified in 1994. The quarries have produced typical biotite granites and are of such quality that a slab now forms the base section of the reception desk at the Geological Society of London...
on Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
towards the coast, as well as sand dredged from the River Camel and landed at the quays in Wadebridge inland to be used to improve the heavy local soil. The station is situated just upstream of Wadebridge bridge and almost next to the tidal River Camel; a fact that prompted the former Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
to write in his autobiography "On Wadebridge station what a breath of sea scented the Camel Valley! Cornish air, soft Cornish rains, and silence after steam".
Original station
The original station in Wadebridge was built on a triangle of land bounded by the River Camel, the Polmorla brook, and what is now The Platt. The single platform and engine shed were on the town side of the line, which continued across Molesworth Street to serve the quays immediately downstream of Wadebridge bridge. Towards Bodmin, the railway ran along the valley floor, leaving the town environs past Guineaport quay, and then hugging the south side of the Camel valley. This station remained in use until 3 September 1888 when the railway closed so that the track, still laid on the granite blocks used in its construction in 1834, could be relaid using the more usual transverse wooden sleepers.Rebuilding and extension
On 1 June 1895 the Bodmin and WadebridgeBodmin and Wadebridge Railway
The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway was a railway line opened in 1834 in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It linked the important town of Bodmin with the harbour at Wadebridge and also quarries at places such as Wenford...
was linked to the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
's North Cornwall Line
North Cornwall Railway
The North Cornwall Railway was a railway line running from Halwill in Devon to Padstow in Cornwall via Launceston, Camelford and Wadebridge, a distance of 49 miles 67 chains. Opened in the last decade of the nineteenth century, it was part of a drive by the London and South Western Railway to...
which stretched away through the sparsely populated countryside of North Cornwall to Launceston
Launceston railway station
Launceston railway station was situated in Launceston, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was served by both the Great Western Railway and London and South Western Railway ....
and Okehampton
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. Heritage train services currently operate on certain weekdays, weekends and bank holidays...
, diverging from the Bodmin line at Wadebridge Junction at a point 48 chains
Chain (unit)
A chain is a unit of length; it measures 66 feet or 22 yards or 100 links . There are 10 chains in a furlong, and 80 chains in one statute mile. An acre is the area of 10 square chains...
east of Wadebridge station near the confluence of the River Allen and River Camel. At this time a new station was built slightly nearer to Bodmin, separated from the central portion of Wadebridge town by the Polmorla brook. The single long platform contained the buildings that still exist: a one-storey station building incorporating a ticket office and waiting rooms, and a tall goods shed which was near enough to the rather squat station building to dominate it in height. In addition, a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was built immediately beyond the end of the platform.
In 1899 construction works commenced on the westward extension of the North Cornwall Line towards Padstow
Padstow railway station
Padstow railway station was the western terminus of the North Cornwall Railway. It was opened in 1899 by the London and South Western Railway to serve the port of Padstow...
via the salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
and the tidal Camel estuary to the port of Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
. In order to accommodate the extra traffic anticipated, an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
105 yards (96 m) in length was added between the existing platform and the engine shed, both sides of which were in use as platforms 2 and 3; the original platform being Platform 1. Access to this new island platform was gained by a wooden lattice footbridge situated towards the Down (Padstow) end of the station. A waiting room and a generous canopy were also installed. The works also involved considerable re-arrangement of the track layout and signalling, with the original goods connection over Molesworth Street, using the existing level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
, to the quay being upgraded to a passenger line. The original signalbox was closed and replaced by two new signalboxes, "Wadebridge East" and "Wadebridge West". The first passenger train to use this stretch ran on 27 March 1899.
Later alterations
North Cornwall Railway
The North Cornwall Railway was a railway line running from Halwill in Devon to Padstow in Cornwall via Launceston, Camelford and Wadebridge, a distance of 49 miles 67 chains. Opened in the last decade of the nineteenth century, it was part of a drive by the London and South Western Railway to...
from the Bodmin line, and soon after this the points
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
at Wadebridge Junction were removed and the signalbox at that location closed. This meant that the two lines going in the Up direction from Wadebridge (towards Launceston and Bodmin respectively) were actually two parallel single-track lines once the points at Wadebridge East Signal Box had been passed. This was sited adjacent to the farm crossing that allowed access to Jubilee meadow, the field which separated the station from the river. At this time further lines were installed to the engine shed and the sand dock were also installed, the latter allowing access to the sand dock without having to use the lifting bridge which had been a hindrance as it was not strong enough to take the weight of a locomotive.
From this date changes were few. The wooden LSWR pattern footbridge was replaced by a utilitarian pre-cast concrete model of Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
design during the 1920s and the signalling was replaced in late 1931. Platform 1 was extended by some yards in the direction of Bodmin, a noticeable feature as the extension was higher than the original platform and of brick construction rather than local stone. An annex to the goods shed was built in 1941 out of concrete blocks, taking most of the space between the original goods shed and the station building, although the end of the extension was latterly open after a shunting accident demolished a large portion of the end wall. The date of installation of the turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
is unclear, but by 1930 a 50 feet (15.2 m) turntable was in existence behind the engine shed; a larger turntable was never installed and engines such as the West Country pacifics had to run down to Padstow where a 70 feet (21.3 m) turntable was provided.
Closure
The North Cornwall line closed on 1 October , 1966 and Wadebridge station, along with the line from Bodmin, closed to passengers on 30 January 1967. The line to Padstow remained for a quarter of a mile beyond the level crossing to allow access to the lines serving the quays on the river, but the remainder of the track to Padstow, and the whole of the line to Okehampton, were lifted. Even the quay lines did not last long, with the ancillary sidings being removed in November 1971 and the quay lines themselves in April 1973, the line then being terminated short of the level crossingLevel crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
at Molesworth Street. In keeping with its reduced status, the buildings on the island platform and the engine shed were demolished in the years after closure with the remains of the concrete footbridge being dumped unceremoniously in the turntable pit.
Wadebridge continued in use for freight until 1978, particularly sending out powdered slate from Delabole quarry
Delabole
Delabole is a large village in north Cornwall, England, UK. It is situated approximately two miles west of Camelford.The village of Delabole came into existence in the 20th century; it is named after the Delabole Quarry. There were three hamlets: Pengelly, Medrose and Rockhead...
for which a vacuum system was installed to load Presflo wagons. The last loco-hauled passenger train, a 12-coach special from the midlands hauled by Class 25
British Rail Class 25
The British Rail Class 25 diesel locomotives were also known as Sulzer Type 2 and nicknamed Rats, as it was alleged they could be seen everywhere in Britain, and hence were "as common as rats"...
number 25 080, ran on 30 September 1978; a DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
shuttle from Bodmin, organised for charity, was the last passenger train of all on 17 December 1978.
The site today
The main station building, granite with slate tiles, still stands as the Betjeman Centre. Similarly the original part of the goods shed is in use as a youth club. A road, Southern Way, runs along the old trackbed where the main platform was. The engine shed area is now a housing estate, and the sand dock is now a Co-op store although the road access still uses the railway bridge over the Polmorla Brook with the original railings still extant; Standing on this bridge looking towards the river Camel, the location of the railway siding giving access to the old sand dock can still be discerned although the bridge itself is long gone.On the Padstow side of Wadebridge bridge a road occupies the space previously occupied by both the railway trackbed and an adjacent lane, but the lines which curved away from this towards the quays along the river cannot now be discerned. Once the limit of development on the riverside is reached the old trackbed, in the form of the Camel Trail
Camel Trail
The Camel Trail is a disused and resurfaced railway line in Cornwall, United Kingdom, that provides a recreational route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders...
, becomes visible again.
Future plans
Efforts are being made to return trains to the Bodmin and Wadebridge railway line by extending the Bodmin and Wenford RailwayBodmin and Wenford Railway
The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is a heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has an interchange with the national rail network at Bodmin Parkway railway station, the southern terminus of the line.-History:...
from the current end of the running line at Boscarne Junction to a proposed new station at Wadebridge, situated just beyond Guineaport. This would mean moving the Camel Trail to make way for the railway, and has been a topic of hot debate locally.