Westward Ho! railway station

Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
	The old station in 1969, used as a bus station
Location	Westward Ho!, Torridge ; England
Coordinates	51°02′25″N4°14′19″W / 51.0402°N 4.2387°W Coordinates: 51°02′25″N4°14′19″W / 51.0402°N 4.2387°W
Grid reference	SS431291
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Pre-grouping	British Electric Traction
Key dates
20 May 1901	Opened
28 March 1917	Closed

Last updated January 16, 2022

Westward Ho! railway station was a railway station in north Devon, north-west of Bideford, serving the village of Westward Ho!; a tourist community within the parish of Bideford.

History

This was the busiest station on the line^[4] and a Mr. John Loughlin was the station master;^[5] the signalman was a Mr.Spry. Mr. F.W.Galliford managed the refreshments room.^[6]

Infrastructure

The old signal box in use as the Westward Ho! bus station snack bar WestwardHosignalbox.jpg — The old signal box in use as the Westward Ho! bus station snack bar

Westward Ho! had two platforms of 320 feet length and one foot above rail level,^[4] platform lighting, a passing loop of 8 chains allowing three coach trains to pass,^[4] a ticket office with waiting rooms and toilet, an 8-lever signal box and a 2-lever ground frame; a waiting room, refreshment room, bookstall, level crossing gates and a Concert Hall called the Station Hall.^[4]^[7]^[8] A siding ran to the Westward Ho! Gas Works. It was controlled by a two-lever ground frame, which was released by a key attached to the Westward Ho! to Appledore section of the train staff.^[6]^[8]

The loop was signalled with up home and down home, but no starters.^[9] At first only a signal box was present, with a long unbroken fence running along the back of the platforms and no other buildings or lighting. The other station buildings and facilities were probably added circa 1908. Crossing gates protected level crossings at both ends of the station.^[10]

The station was 4 miles and 55 chains from Bideford Quay.^[4]

In an effort to entice the public onto their trains and provide shelter during inclement weather, the company built a Concert or Reception Hall on the 'up' platform at Westward Ho! in 1901–02; it was called the Station Hall. Performers such as the 'Jolly Dutch' and Clog Dancers performed in Station Hall.^[9] It was an expensive undertaking, costing £17 9s 7d in 1906, under the heading of 'Services of Minstrels' in the traffic expenses log. The hall was built to attract local and tourist patronage and was fully licensed for music, dancing and the sale of alcohol.^[8] This hall was well built and still stood in 1980 as a 'Beer Garden'.^[7]

Micro history

On 11 July 1901 a group of inmates from Bideford's local workhouse were carried free of charge to Westward Ho! for an outing.^[11]

Three young men were observed on Sunday, 4 August 1907 at Westward Ho! station, swearing and fighting. A train was due and Mr. Loughlin, stationmaster, asked them to desist and take care, upon which one of the men caught him round the neck and punched both of his cheeks. The man was fined by the Bideford Magistrates and told that he was lucky to get away with a fine of 10s and costs of 7s 6d.^[5]

The old trackbed is used as part of the South West Coast Path.

The old station trackbed was tarmaced and it was used in the 1960-80s as a bus station by Western National.^[12] The signal box became a snack bar; however by 2008 it had been demolished.^[13]

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

Related Research Articles

Bideford is a historic port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is the main town of the Torridge local government district.

Westward Ho! Human settlement in England

Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford, and Bude. It lies at the south end of Northam Burrows and faces westward into Bideford Bay, opposite Saunton Sands and Braunton Burrows. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The population at the 2011 census was 2,112.

Northam is a market town, civil parish and electoral ward in Devon, England, lying north of Bideford. The civil parish also includes the villages of Westward Ho!, Appledore, West Appledore, Diddywell, Buckleigh and Silford, and the residential areas of Orchard Hill and Raleigh Estate. The population at the 2011 census was 5,427.

Appledore is a village at the mouth of the River Torridge, about 6 miles (10 km) west of Barnstaple and about 3 miles (5 km) north of Bideford in the county of Devon, England. It is the home of Appledore Shipbuilders, a lifeboat slipway and Hocking's Ice Cream, a brand of ice cream only sold in North Devon. The local football club is Appledore F.C. The ward population at the 2011 census increased to 2,814

Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore. There is an electoral ward with the same name. Its total population at the 2011 census was 1,501.

Appledore railway station Railway station in Kent, England

Appledore railway station is a Grade II listed station east of Appledore in Kent, England. It is on the Marshlink line, and train services are provided by Southern.

Abbotsham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Devon. In 2001 its population was 434 increasing at the 2011 census to 489.

The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway was a railway running in northwest Devon, England. It is unusual in that although it was built as a standard gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in line, it was not joined to the rest of the British railway network, despite the London and South Western Railway having a station at Bideford East-the-Water, just on the other side of the river Torridge from the main town. The line was wholly situated on the peninsula made up of Westward Ho!, Northam and Appledore with extensive sand dunes by the Torridge and Taw estuary. The line opened in stages between 1901 and 1908, but closed in 1917, having been requisitioned by the War Office. Re-opening the line after World War I was considered, but dismissed as a viable option. The B.WH!&A.R. was the only railway company in the British Isles to have an exclamation mark in its company title.

Abbotsham Road railway station was a small railway station on the independent Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway in the English county of Devon. It lay 2 miles and 50 chains from Bideford Quay.

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 (8.95 km) from Bideford.

Appledore railway station was a railway station in north Devon, situated close to the village of Appledore, a community lying on the peninsula formed by the sea, the River Torridge, and the River Taw.

Lovers' Lane Halt railway station was a minor railway station in north Devon or halt, situated close to the town of Appledore, a community lying on the peninsula formed by the sea, the River Torridge, and the River Taw.

Richmond Road Halt was a minor railway station or halt in north Devon, situated fairly close to the town of Appledore, a community lying on the peninsula formed by the sea, the River Torridge, and the River Taw.

Beach Road railway station was a minor railway station or halt/request stop in north Devon, close to Westward Ho!, serving the residents of Eastboune Terrace and the outlying areas of Westward Ho!.

Kenwith Castle Halt was a minor railway station or halt/request stop in north Devon, close to Bideford, serving the nearby castle of that name. It lay 1 mile and 75 chains from Bideford Quay.

Cornborough railway station was a minor railway station or halt/request stop in north Devon, close to Westward Ho!, serving holiday makers visiting the cliff walks and nearby beach. It lay 3 miles and 30 chains from Bideford Quay.

The Lane Halt or Chanters Lane was a minor railway station or halt/request stop in north Devon, close to Bideford, on the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway, serving the outskirts of the town. It lay 0 mile and 55 chains from Bideford Quay.

Causeway railway station was a minor railway station or halt/request stop in north Devon, close to Bideford, on the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway, serving the outskirts of the town. It lay 0 mile and 66 chains from Bideford Quay. Passengers waiting to board had to give a hand signal for the train to stop.

Strand Road Halt was a minor railway station or halt/request stop in north Devon, England, close to Bideford, on the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway, serving the outskirts of the town. It lay 0 mile and 32 chains from Bideford Quay.

Bideford Quay Station was a railway station in Bideford, north Devon; the southern terminus on the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway, serving the town and passengers from Bideford railway station on the London and South Western Railway. It lay on Bideford Quay where the company offices were situated.

References

Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway

Legend

Northam

Locomotive shed

Strand Road Halt

Bideford Quay

Bideford

North Devon Railway

Notes

↑ Jenkins, Page 44
↑ Baxter, Page 8
↑ Jenkins, Page 123
1 2 3 4 5 Jenkins, Page 101
1 2 Garner, Page 113
1 2 Jenkins, Page 106
1 2 Baxter, Page 20
1 2 3 Garner, Page 76
1 2 Jenkins, Page 103
↑ Garner, Page 52
↑ Garner, Page 44
↑ Baxter, Page 38
↑ Garner, Page 109

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. Pub. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-452-0.
Kingsley, Charles (1923). Westward Ho! Pub. London.
Stuckey, Douglas (1962). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway 1901-1917. Pub. West Country Publications.
Thomas, David St John (1973). A Regional History of the Railways of Britain, Vol.1: The Westcountry. Pub. David & Charles.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[J44-1] Jenkins, Page 44

[2] Baxter, Page 8

[J123-3] Jenkins, Page 123

[J101-4] 1 2 3 4 5 Jenkins, Page 101

[G113-5] 1 2 Garner, Page 113

[J106-6] 1 2 Jenkins, Page 106

[B20-7] 1 2 Baxter, Page 20

[G76-8] 1 2 3 Garner, Page 76

[J103-9] 1 2 Jenkins, Page 103

[G52-10] Garner, Page 52

[G44-11] Garner, Page 44

[12] Baxter, Page 38

[13] Garner, Page 109

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

Westward Ho!
The old station in 1969, used as a bus station
Location	Westward Ho!, Torridge England
Coordinates	51°02′25″N4°14′19″W / 51.0402°N 4.2387°W / 51.0402; -4.2387 Coordinates: 51°02′25″N4°14′19″W / 51.0402°N 4.2387°W / 51.0402; -4.2387
Grid reference	SS431291
Platforms	2
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]