Northam railway station (Devon)

Northam railway station was a railway station on the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway in north Devon, close to Appledore. The station served the village of Northam, Parish of Northam, a community within the Appledore peninsula. It was 5 miles 45 chains (5.56 miles, 8.95 km) from Bideford.[4]

Northam
Map showing the position of Northam station
General information
LocationNortham, Torridge
England
Coordinates51.0442°N 4.2189°W / 51.0442; -4.2189
Grid referenceSS445295
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyBideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Pre-groupingBritish Electric Traction
Key dates
20 May 1901[1][2]Opened
28 March 1917Closed[3]

History

Northam station was the terminus of the line in 1901[4] prior to the extension to Appledore in 1908. The station stood a little way from the village of Northam. Many of the passengers were golfers on their way to the links on Northam Burrows.[5]

Infrastructure

Northam had one platform 180 feet (55 m) in length, with a shelter, on the down side of the line.[4] It originally had a short run-around loop, a signal box and one semaphore signal,[4] but with the completion of the extension to Appledore in 1908 it was reduced to a single line without sidings or signalling.[4][6] A goods yard was provided at one time.[7] The line, without gates, crossed Pimpley Road on the level before reaching the Richmond Road request halt.[4]

Micro history

In January 1901 a one-carriage train ran from Bideford to Northam carrying a few friends of the railway's directors.[8]

Jack Shears, who lived at Northam, was one of the trackmen who worked to maintain the permanent way.[9]

No photographs appear to exist of Northam railway station.

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Richmond Road Halt
Line and station closed
  Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway   Beach Road
Line and station closed

References

Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Appledore
Lovers' Lane Halt
Richmond Road Halt
Northam
Beach Road
Westward Ho!
Cornborough
Abbotsham Road
Kenwith Castle Halt
Causeway
The Lane Halt
Locomotive shed
Strand Road Halt
Bideford Quay
Bideford
Notes
  1. Jenkins, Page 44
  2. Baxter, Page 8
  3. Jenkins, Page 123
  4. Jenkins, Page 110
  5. Christie, Page 140
  6. Garner, Page 76
  7. Jenkins, Page 61
  8. Baxter, Page 6
  9. Griffith, Page 43
Sources
  1. Baxter, Julia & Jonathan (1980). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore railway 1901-1917. Pub. Chard. ISBN 0-9507330-1-6.
  2. Christie, Peter (1995). North Devon History. The Lazarus Press. ISBN 1-898546-08-8.
  3. Garner, Rod (2008). The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway. Pub. Kestrel Railway Books. ISBN 978-1-905505-09-8.
  4. Griffith, Roger (1969). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. School project and personal communications. Bideford Museum.
  5. Jenkins, Stanley C. (1993). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. Oxford : Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-452-0.
  6. Stuckey, Douglas (1962). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway 1901-1917. Pub. West Country Publications.
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