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 | |
| Location | Northam, Torridge England |
| Coordinates | 51.0442°N 4.2189°W |
| Grid reference | SS445295 |
| Platforms | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway |
| Pre-grouping | British Electric Traction |
| Key dates | |
| 20 May 1901[1][2] | Opened |
| 28 March 1917 | Closed[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 |
|---|
- Notes
- Jenkins, Page 44
- Baxter, Page 8
- Jenkins, Page 123
- Jenkins, Page 110
- Christie, Page 140
- Garner, Page 76
- Jenkins, Page 61
- Baxter, Page 6
- Griffith, Page 43
- Sources
- Baxter, Julia & Jonathan (1980). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore railway 1901-1917. Pub. Chard. ISBN 0-9507330-1-6.
- Christie, Peter (1995). North Devon History. The Lazarus Press. ISBN 1-898546-08-8.
- Garner, Rod (2008). The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway. Pub. Kestrel Railway Books. ISBN 978-1-905505-09-8.
- Griffith, Roger (1969). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. School project and personal communications. Bideford Museum.
- Jenkins, Stanley C. (1993). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. Oxford : Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-452-0.
- Stuckey, Douglas (1962). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway 1901-1917. Pub. West Country Publications.