The First Years

On 17th September 1895 the first sod was cut by Lady Newnes on the site of Lynton Station. Construction took a year longer than expected and the total cost of construction was far higher than anticipated

On 7th March 1898, the first train ran from Barnstaple to Lynton with the official opening being on May 11th. People sometimes referred to the line as ‘The Toy Railway’, as the overall height of a coach was only 8’7". Its narrow gauge - 1ft 11½in. - was chosen to lower the cost of construction, since the line would be able to follow the natural contours of the countryside with curves of five chains radius. The Ffestiniog Railway had successfully made use of the same narrow gauge. The total length of the line was 19 miles with a ruling gradient of 1 in 50. Track, rolling stock and buildings were all built to high standards.

Acquisition by SR

The line was bought by the Southern Railway in 1923 who carried out extensive track and infrastructure improvements. They bought a new locomotive in 1925 (Lew) and this was followed in 1927 by two cranes and some new wagons. In 1932 the SR fitted the locomotives and some of the coaches with steam heating. However all this did not lead to more goods traffic or passengers, so, in time, closure became enevitable.

Closure

With closure imminent, the summer of 1935 brought more travellers to the line than ever. However, this could not turn the tide. On 29 September the 11.50 from Barnstaple, double headed by Lew and Yeo, was the last down train. The return from Lynton (7.55 pm) was accompanied by the playing of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, cheering crowds and whistling from engines. The weather fitted the occasion, it was gloomy and dreary.

The morning after the last train had run, a wreath was placed at the stop-block at Barnstaple by a resident from Woody Bay. The card which accompanied the wreath contained the words “To Barnstaple & Lynton Railway With Regret & Sorrow From A Constant User & Admirer. Perchance It "Is Not Dead But Sleepeth" An auction was arranged to sell of all the the equipment and although locomotives could be bought for as little as £34 little was actually sold and a dismantler was brought in to sell off the railway. By the autumn of 1936 all the track was lifted.

Locomotives

The L&BR locos were very distinctive in their appearance. Yeo, Exe and Taw were the three original locos built as 2-6-2Ts by Manning Wardle of Leeds. Lyn was a 2-4-2T from Baldwin of Philadelphia (USA) entering service in July 1898. Lew was the fourth Manning Wardle and the last loco on the line. It was bought by the SR in 1925. After the auction all the locos were scrapped, except for one - Lew which was retained to dismantle the line. After the railway’s demolition the loco was shipped to pernambuco Brazil aboard the SS Sabor. However, despite numerous searches for this historic loco, it has never been seen since.

Read more about the Mystery of Lew

Preservation Era

The first event of significance after the closure of the line was in 1959, when the remains of L&B coach 15 was dismantled by volunteers from the Festiniog Railway and transported to North Wales. After considerable work, the coach re-entered service on the FR as a buffet vehicle in Easter 1963. This coach has now been running on the FR many years longer than it ever ran on the L&B!

In 1979 the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association held its first meeting in Lynton to discuss the possible rebuilding of the railway. Various attempts were made to start rebuilding the line, however unfortunately little real progress was made. On 24th May 1981, the first working party was held on a section of trackbed purchased near Parracombe. During the year the trackbed was cleared and a short track was laid for moving spoil. After some time, the trackbed was left and once again became overgrown as it was in an inappropriate location to start a railway. In spring 1983, negotiations were well progressed for the building of a railway from Woody Bay Station but unfortunately this fell through. In 1985 it looked "all systems go" for a short railway and museum starting at Blackmoor Gate but again, this didn’t work out. Throughout much of the 80s and early 90s the Association leased the old LSWR Barnstaple Town signal box, which they used as a small museum. In the early 1990’s the Association spent several years working towards the establishment of the railway from Hole Ground on the outskirts of Barnstaple. Unfortunately by 1994, an acceptable agreement still could not be reached with the council (who owned the land) and yet again the proposals fell through. However, 1994 did see the opening of the ‘Lynbarn Railway’ at the Milky Way Adventure Park near Clovelly. The Lynbarn was built by the L&B in co-operation with the Milky Way and was run and maintained by volunteers plus full time L&B-employed drivers.

The New Railway

At the end of 1994, Woody Bay Station became available to the Association and an appeal was launched to buy the property. The station was secured in 1995, and over the following years the newly formed Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Company and supporting Trust negotiated the purchase of the adjoining land and progressed construction work.

Finally on 11 May 2003, the station was officially reopened to the public. The Lynton & Barnstaple is now running passenger trains once more. A further milestone in the history of the L&B was passed in October 2005, when the ownership and operation of the Lynbarn Railway was handed over to the Milky Way.

Our aim now is to completely focus on the operation and expansion of the railway at Woody Bay. With your support we can do it - future generations will ultimately be able to again enjoy this jewel in the crown of narrow gauge railways!

Further Reading

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway shop at Woody Bay Station sells several books for those who want to read the more detailed history of the railway. We are lucky that so many photos were taken of the line while it was running. There is also a surprising amount of cine film.

Books can be purchased now from our Online Gift Shop!

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