Christow railway station

Christow Station
Christow in 1904
Location
Place Christow
Area Teignbridge
Coordinates 50°40′01″N 3°38′34″W / 50.6669°N 3.6429°W / 50.6669; -3.6429Coordinates: 50°40′01″N 3°38′34″W / 50.6669°N 3.6429°W / 50.6669; -3.6429
Grid reference SX8398686542
Operations
Original company Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping Great Western Railway
Post-grouping Great Western Railway
Platforms 2
History
1 July 1903 Opened[1]
9 June 1958 Closed to passengers[1]
1 May 1961 Closed to goods traffic.
1963 Track lifted
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
Christow station in 1969
Teign Valley Line
 GWML to London
 Exeter St Thomas
GWML to Penzance
 Alphington Halt
 Ide Halt
 Perridge tunnel
 Longdown
 Culver tunnel
 Dunsford Halt
 Christow
 Ashton
 Trusham
 Chudleigh
 Chudleigh Knighton Halt
to Moretonhampstead
 Heathfield (Devon)
 to Newton Abbot

Christow Railway Station's previously known as Teign House[2] was a railway station serving the villages of Christow, Bridford and Doddiscombsleigh in Devon, England located on the line between Newton Abbot and Exeter.

History

The former station in 1984.

Until 1943 Christow was the only passing place on the Teign Valley railway. The red brick station building was on the up platform. The down platform had a waiting shelter and at the far end of the platform was a raised timber built signal box. Originally Christow the terminus of the line from Heathfield, then called Teign House and during this time an extension existed for loading stone, known as Teign House Siding.[2]

The down loop was extended northwards by 370 yards in 1943 as part of the upgrading of the route for trains diverted from the South Devon main line. The sidings are now the home to The Exeter and Teign Valley Railway. They have a Toad brake van that has been converted for sleeping accommodation.[2]

Passenger numbers reached their peak in the 1930s with seven daily services provided each way between Exeter and Heathfield. During World War 2 this was reduced to four trains in each direction, still with no trains on a Sunday. This was increased to five daily trains after the war. As stated, the line was sometimes used as a diversionary route if the South Devon main line was unavailable.[3]

Freight

Two sidings were added behind the down platform in 1914 for Scatter Rock Quarry traffic and a 3/4 mile siding curved sharply away to the Bridford Quarry of the Devon Bassalt and Granite Company in use between 1910 - 1931. The Bridford Barytes Mine also used the railway at Christow conveying Barium Sulphate to Exeter for milling; this traffic ceased in July 1958.[2]

In the winter of 1960 and March 1961 severe flooding of the Teign washed away the track bed just beyond Trusham and this was never reinstated, thereby isolating Ashton and Christow stations completely. These stations were officially closed as of 1 May 1961 and the tracks lifted in the summer of 1963.

The present day

The station building is now a private house and the trackbed has been infilled to platform height.

The Teign Valley line may have a role to play in the future, as an alternative to the Devon's main line route along the Dawlish coastline which is vulnerable to stormy seas. The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) put together a feasibility study. Some of the old infrastructure is still in place - six of the 21 miles of track remained in 2009.[4]

The Exeter and Teign Valley Railway has established a base in the old Christow station goods yard and plan to re-open the Teign Valley Line.[5]

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Ashton (Devon)   Heathfield to Exeter St Davids
Great Western Railway		   Dunsford Halt

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Butt 1995, p. 61
  2. 1 2 3 4 Disused Stations Retrieved : 2012-10-10
  3. ↑ Disused Stations Retrieved : 2012-10-08
  4. ↑ BBC News Retrieved : 2012-10-10
  5. ↑ Exeter & Teign Valley Railway Archived 14 January 2013 at Archive.is Retrieved : 2012-10-10
Sources
  • Beck, Keith; Copsey, John (1990). The Great Western in South Devon. Didcot: Wild Swan Publications. ISBN 0-906867-90-8.
  • Butt, R (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1.
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