The route described - Woody Bay To Wistlandpound
See also: Wistlandpound to Barnstaple and Woody Bay to Lynton
Killington Lane Halt was built alongside the trackbed so that the construction of the next section would not disrupt train services.
From Killington Lane halt, the railway continued to drop steeply under the Killington Lane. The original bridge is missing so a new bridge would be needed. A bridge design was produced for the railway and approved under our planning permissin to extend to Blackboor (now lapsed).
Beyond Killington Lane, the railway leaves a cutting and sweeps through the fields to Parracombe Lane. The bridge here is still intact (pictured) and just requires one new parapet wall one side and the fill excavated from both sides.
At Cricket Field Lane (shown above) the railway crosses a right of way on the level. A triangle of land has been purchased adjoining the trackbed for possible other uses in the future. At Parracombe Churchtown the trackbed curves around the back of "Fairview", to the Halt site.
Parracombe Halt will be a fantastic station - the old concrete waiting shelter on the platform still in situ. It is a stone's throw from the historic St Petrock's Church, one of the oldest church buildings in Britain. Parracombe also boasts Heddon Hall Gardens and the village pub, the Fox & Goose.
From Parracombe Halt, the railway traverses open fields before reaching Parracombe Bank. The centre of the embankment was washed away in 1952 during the Lynmouth Floods.
The trackbed clings to a ledge below the A39, passing through Holwell Woods and then through the fields immediately above Holwell Castle, Parracombe's own textbook-style Motte & Bailey Castle.
There are some wonderful views looking back to Parracombe, and then a brief stretch where the railway runs parallel to the A39, through a cutting to Rowley Cross and another significant cutting again filled in.
The bridge at Rowley Cross is still there, but fill will need excavating from the cutting. Beyond the bridge, in the next field, a cast-in-situ occupation crossing is still be visible.
Between Rowley Cross and Blackmoor the trackbed switches between level open fields, embankments and patches of woodland. The views here are equal to those near Woody Bay, but are now seen from a different angle.
Very little work needs to be done on the trackbed between Rowley and Blackmoor as it remains sound with few obstacles.
At Blackmoor Gate the railway would pass under the A39 using a new bridge, emerging on the site of Blackmoor Gate station (now the Old Station Inn). The railway's intent is that the pub and restaurant to continue to function as it is.
The majority of the trackbed between Blackmoor and Wistlandpound has purchased by Exmoor Associates, and passed to the L&B Trust to allow restoration of the railway.
The bridge over Pound Lane was reinstated in 2019, and was one of the only major engineering works required in this area.
At Wistlandpound, the original trackbed remains intact to a point just past the bridge by the Calvert Trust access path. Beyond this, the original route of the railway is blocked by the waters of Whistlandpound reservoir, although this is not insurmountable.
It is anticipated that here, just prior to the start of the deviation, a new station/halt would be constructed to serve Wistlandpound and the Calvert Trust. This would make another fantastic stopping point for visitors, with scenic woodland walks and trails, plus the opportunity to link with the Calvert Trust which is likely to bring wide ranging benefits to the local community.
Adore this place
I absolutely fall in love with this place every time we go.
Steam train experience
The station was like going back in time very quaint and idyllic.
Step back in time
Woody Bay Station is in pristine condition & takes you straight back in time.