To Bude and Padstow by “Atlantic Coast Express” in 1928 (The original article was published in the summer of 1928) 
Bude Station 1928 During the winter months all “Atlantic Coast” services are given by the 11 a.m. from Waterloo itself, though division is not
unusual, particularly at week-ends, even when one train only is scheduled. The 11 a.m. then reaches Exeter (Queen
Street) at 2.22 p.m., and after the Ilfracombe and Torrington coaches have left
(at 2.30 p.m.), the Plymouth, Bude and Padstow Coaches follow at
2.38 p.m., calling at St David’s and then running fast to Okehampton, due 3.20
p.m. The Plymouth coaches leave first, and are
followed at 3.43 p.m. by the Bude train, which, at Halwill Junction,
detaches the Padstow vehicles. The final
arrivals are: Bude, 4.58 p.m., and Padstow, 6.07 p.m..
It is also possible to reach Bude and Padstow
from London by the 12.40 p.m. from Waterloo, and Bude by the 3.00 p.m..
The principal return train is the 8.35 a.m. from Padstow and 9.40 a.m from Bude, reaching Waterloo at 4.00 p.m.
There are, of course, several other branch services of local interest,
and there are night connections with London, but the “practicable” London-Bude
and Padstow service is as follows:-
Waterloo | dep. | | 11.00am | 12.40pm | 3.00pm |
---|
Bude | arr. | | 4.58pm | 7.01pm | 8.58pm |
---|
Padstow | dep. | | 6.07pm | 8.00pm | |
---|
Padstow | dep. | | 8.35am | 12.38pm | 2.20pm |
---|
Bude | dep. | 7.15am | 9.40am | 1.33pm | 3.18pm |
---|
Waterloo | arr. | 2.03pm | 4.00pm | 8.29pm | 10.12pm |
---|
In summer, though there are not many additions to the number of services, which are, in the main, of an all-the-year-round character, the facilities are substantially improved, and there are some interesting developments, as indicated by the following:- | | | | N.S. | S.O. | | | Waterloo | dep. | | | 10.25am | 10.40am | 12.40pm | 3.00pm |
---|
Bude | arr. | | | 3.33pm | 4.00pm | 7.10am | 8.58am |
---|
Padstow | arr. | | | 4.35pm | 5.10pm | 8.00am | - |
---|
| | | | N.S. | S.O. | | | Padstow | dep. | | 8.35am | 9.40am | 10.00am | 12.38pm | 2.20pm |
---|
Bude | dep. | 7.15am | 9.40am | 10.36am | 11.00am | 1.33pm | 3.18pm (Saturdays Only) |
---|
Waterloo | arr. | 2.30pm | 3.44pm | 4.00pm | 4.25pm | 8.29pm | 10.12pm |
---|
It must be borne in mind that the winter trains
are creditably faster between London and Okehampton, so that substantial
accelerations by the “Atlantic Coast Service” (10.25 or 10.40 a.m. from Waterloo, and 9.40 and 10.00 a.m. from Padstow
and 10.36 and 11.00 from
Bude) are accounted for largely saving time by eliminating certain stoppages en
route, there being separate trains instead of one combined train for all “Atlantic Coast” services. Moreover, whereas in winter the restaurant
cars work only between London and Exeter, in summer they run to and from
Bude in two instances. Winter and
summer, however, modern corridor coaches are used, those for the “Atlantic
Coast Express” proper having been specially constructed therefor.
Of the summer trains the 10.25
a.m.
Saturday express from Waterloo is the most interesting. It serves
Bude and Padstow lines only, and is usually quite a heavy train. It calls at Salisbury and Exeter (Queen Street and St David’s) to Haliwell Junction. The Padstow portion leaves first, as it has a
longer subsequent journey, and calls at Launceston, Otterham, Camelford,
Delabole, Port Isaac Road, and Wadebridge, reaching Padstow at 4.35
p.m. The Bude portion, which in summer includes a
restaurant car all the way from London, serves Holsworthy, Whitstone and
Bridgerule stations, and reaches Bude at 3.33 p.m.
The 10.40 a.m. train, which on other week-days takes the Bude
and Padstow vehicles, has stops at Salisbury, Exeter (Queen Street and St
David’s) and Halwill, subsequent calls being the same as for the 10.25 a.m.
Saturday service, though about 25 minutes later (the start is 15 minutes
later).
Behind this train is a stopping service from
Okehampton, which can be used by passengers for stations, not served by the
main train. As the 10.25
a.m.
Saturday train and 10.40 not Saturdays does not call at Okehampton,
intermediate passengers generally travel to that place by the Plymouth portion of the 11.00
a.m.
ex-Waterloo, and not by the Bude and Padstow trains. The other branch trains are of a stopping
character, though the journeys are relatively fast as far as Okehampton.
The favourite up service is the 9.40 a.m. N.S. and 10.00 a.m. S.O. ex-Padstow (principle satations only to Halwill
Junction) and 10.36 a.m N.S. and 11.00
S.O. from Bude. This had a restaurant car (Saturday only, summer) from Bude to
London, and from Halwill Junction calls only at Exeter (St David’s and
Queen Street), and Salisbury to London.
The other services are stopping on the branches and more or less fast
between Okehampton and Waterloo.
As the route as far as Yeoford Junction has
been described in a previous article, further remarks may commence at Yeoford
Junction, or rather at Coleford Junction, a short distance beyond the station,
where the Plymouth and Ilfrecombe routes diverge. So far the country traversed is mainly
pastoral, but as Dartmoor is approached the hills become
higher and the surroundings more rocky and bare. Moorland alternates with grassland, and
cuttings, short viaducts, culverts, etc., indicate that wilder country has been
entered. This is notably the case as
Okehampton station is reached, with Yeo Tor ahead. The station is higher up on the hillside, and
splendid views are had over the valley of Okement, with the town down below. The town is a military headquarters, and just
beyond the station, on a lower branch, are platforms erected for the special
traffic thus entailed.
Passing these, the main line continues to rise
through rocky cuttings, with further views of the valley between and on each
side, until, beyond the railway ballast quarries, the famous Meldon Viaduct is
reached. This seemingly inadequate
structure consists of six spans, supported on high piers, the maximum height
over the River Okement being 153 ft. As
it is crossed the passenger has impressive and far-reaching views spread before
him, particularly when looking down the valley to the town of Okehampton, though the view on the down side
is, perhaps, the more picturesque.
At Meldon Junction the Plymouth line is left, while the branch
train runs rapidly down (now on single track) passed Maddaford Moor Halt to
Ashbury, the first crossing station. Another four miles and Halwill Junction is
reached. The station has the usual two
platforms, with a bay on the down side, while on the upside there is now a
short extension, built more particularly for the light railway which runs from
Haliwell Junction across to the Torrington line.
Halwill Junction From the station the Padstow line first
diverges, the Bude route being paralleled for a short distance by the Torrington line and its run-round line. The Bude line then continues to Dunsland
Cross, Holsworthy, Whitstone and Bridgerule (all three crossing stations). Holsworthy is a fairly important country
town, and was the first terminus of the branch.
It obtained its first railway communication in 1879, when the branch
from Okehampton was opened. The Padstow
line as far as Launceston was added in 1886, and extended to Camelford in 1893,
while it is not until 1898 that the extension from Holsworthy to Bude was
completed.
There are short viaducts sections on both sides
of Holsworthy station. The country
traversed is generally pastoral in character, rocky in places, with stretches
of moorland and heath. Near Whitstone
and Bridgerule the boundary between Devon and Cornwall is crossed, so that, so far as Bude
is concerned, it is only the last five miles which carry the railway route into
the Royal Duchy.
The situation at Bude contains interesting
features such as the Bude and Holsworthy Canal, constructed 1819 – 1826, and
originally extending for some 30 miles, though now only about 1½ miles are
navigable. The River Bude accompanies
the railway for most of the way from Whitstone and Bridgerule station, but
about a mile before Bude is reached joins the River Strat and connects with the
canal. Neither river is, however,
navigable, so that onwards to Bude there are both the River Strat and the canal
generally parallel to the railway.
Nearing the station, close to the gasworks, a
branch line is put off, which crosses the River Strat by a viaduct, and then
runs down alongside the canal to the goods yard, which is thus separated from
the passenger station by the river.
Goods lines extend for some distance alongside the canal to serve a few
wharves and other premises. Beyond the
basin is a lock, which, with the basin, forms the “harbour”, well-protected
within Bude Haven. The River Strat winds
round alongside the “Strand,” the main thoroughfare of Bude, under Nanny Moore’s bridge and over a
weir, then wending its way through sandy stretches to Bude Haven alongside the
canal lock.
The passenger station is neatly designed, with
refreshment room, etc., though it has only one main platform and a short bay
line, with one or two siding lines and a small engine shed. Although on the outskirts of the town, it is
merely a short pleasant walk along thee Strand to the upper town, adjacent to Summerleaze
Downs and the North Cornwall Golf Links, or over the river by the main bridge
to districts lying between the river and canal and beyond the latter.
An interesting point is that, in order to meet
the demand for beach sand, an old flange railway existed until a few years
ago. This consisted of angle rails, within vertical flanges of which
the wheels of small wagons were guided (with hinged sections at the points),
and extended from the beach, alongside the lock and basin to one branch, on
which the contents of the wagons were tipped into barges or boats, and another
branch by which the sand could be tipped from an upper level into railway goods
wagons. Unfortunately, this flange
railway has now been taken up and its purpose is served by lengths of narrow-gauge
contractor’s railway.
It is not until one has actually visited the
place that one can appreciate the special favour in which Bude is held among
holiday-makers. It is compact and every
part is handy, including the gentlemen’s (18 holes) and ladies’ (9 holes) golf
courses on Summerleaze Downs, with the Bude links not far away. Summerleaze Downs to the north and Efford
Downs to the south are transversed by paths constituting interesting walks over
the cliffs, while the sand-hills of the river-mouth and their extensions, with
rock pools and the vari-coloured stratified cliffs, provide within easy reach
equally for the needs of those whose idea of a holiday is a rest and for
demands of children for rock pools and masses of rock of a safe and interesting
nature. Then there is the breakwater, the lock, the river and the
canal (on which boating is practicable), together with the Castle, historic
Nanny Moore’s Bridge, Compass Hill, Shalder Hill, the walk along the Strand,
the coastguard station, and many other items of local interest, all quite
handy. Bude is also a good centre for
walks over or beneath the cliffs to Efford Ditch and Widemouth Bay, or north to Northcott Mouth,
Sandymouth, and the Combe Valley.
Inland favourite walks are to Stratton, Launcetts, Poughill,
Marhamchurch and Kilkhampton, or along the coast. For longer trips by char-à-bancs or private
car there are Boscastle, Morwenstow, Hartland, Marsland Mouth, Crackington
Haven, etc.
It is now necessary to return to Halwill
Junction to traverse the Padstow line.
Leaving the junction, there is little of special interest, except
picturesque pastoral and moorland views, with occasional rocky cuttings or
rushing streams. The line then runs
through Ashwater to Tower Hill station.
The former is a crossing station, but at the latter only the down
platform is in use, the track alongside the up platform having been
removed. Onwards to Launceston a winding
river is a close companion, sometimes on one side, then on the other, until the
River Tamar is crossed and Cornwall is entered. The G.W.R. line from Lydford and Tavistock
now appears on the down side in the valley and gradually climbs, with the River
Kensey between, until it passes under the Southern Railway track, to continue
alongside, but now on the up side, to the Great Western station, alongside that
of the Southern Railway. The latter
has two platforms, and both have sidings, engine shed, goods depot, etc.
Leaving the G.W.R., which has come to its
terminus, we continue in company with the River Kensey through attractive hilly
country to Egloskerry and on to Tresmeer.
Thence, with sections of high embankment and rocky cuttings followed by
moorland, Otterham is reached, where the main north and south road, parallel
generally to the coast, is crossed, and near which a glimpse is had over the
downs right away to the sea at Boscastle.
A few miles further Camelford (Tennyson’s “Camelot”) is reached, whence
coaches run regularly to Boscastle and Tintagel. It serves a quaint, interesting place and
constitutes a good centre for exploring the “King Arthur” country, besides
having attractions of its own. With
further glimpses seawards, though the sea is still a few miles distant, the
line swings round past the famous Delabole slate quarry to Delabole
station. These quarries are still in
operation, and from the train one can look right down into their depths or note
the cable lines by which quarry wagons are hauled up or let down. Owing to the activities of the quarries,
there are, of course, rather more sidings than usual at a small country
station, while the numbers of employees at the quarries causes Delabole to be
rather more than a country village. Continuing towards Wadebridge, Port Isaac Road station is passed; some way beyond
a short tunnel is transversed, and St Kew Highway station is reached. Company is then joined with the River Allen,
and after a mile or so of picturesque valley scenery the line curves round,
crossing the Allen and the River Camel just before their confluence, and connection
is made with the old and historic Bodmin and Wadebridge line. A further short run, with the Camel as
companion on the up side, and the ancient town of Wadebridge is reached, an
interesting view being had approaching its famous bridge (of 17 arches) , which
dates from about 1485. Wadebridge is a
fairly large country town, a centre for the district, and has a few local
industries. It will be remembered that
the Bodmin and Wadebridge line was opened in 1834, and in 1845 was taken over
by the London and South Western Railway, though it was not until 1895 that it
was connected therewith, its only through communication being via the Great
Western connection from Bodmin. Much of
its early importance was due to the valuable deposits of china clay at Wenford
Bridge, and there is still a substantial traffic, though the branch from
Dunmere Halt up the valley of the Camel is now classed as a “tramway,” and
because of its light construction is even now worked by small Beattie 2-4-0
tanks of a class which has disappeared from all other sections of the late
London and Soth Western system. Three of
these engines are normally stationed at Wadebridge and work on local services
when not required for the china clay trains.
An intereating feature of the Bodmin and
Wadebridge line (one of the original coaches is preserved at Waterloo Station, London) is the fact that Great Western
Railway motor trains work into Wadebridge from the G.W.R. station at Bodmin,
joining the line from the Southern Railway section at Boscarne Junction. Wadebridge, therefore, is somewhat of a
traffic centre as well as a country town, and the station has an island
platform on the up side, engine shed and fairly extensive sidings, etc. Leaving Wadebridge station on the last stage
to Padstow, the line passes between buildings until clear of the town, and the
rest of the way follows the widening waters of the Camel Estuary, generally
almost on the water’s edge, with occasional short viaducts across incursions
landwards. At low tide sandbanks are seen
here and there as the estuary widens, and the stage is distinctly interesting
and picturesque until, as the line crosses the girder bridge over Little
Petherick viaduct (about a mile from Padstow) and turns northwards, a splendid
view is had of Padstow on the one side and Rock on the other, with the open sea
between. At Padstow the station has one
main platform for passenger trains and, three lines away, a special platform
for dealing with fish traffic. There are
also sidings for china clay traffic, while the tracks continue beyond the passenger
station to serve the harbour. Padstow Station 
Padstow, originally Petrockstowe, is an
important fishing centre, and now attracts substantial numbers of visitors and
holidaymakers. Golf at St Enedoc links,
at Roch on the opposite side of the river and reached by ferry from Padstow,
yachting on the broad waters of the Camel estuary, fishing, etc,, are some of
the attractions offered; while the cliff scenery immediately outside the Doom
Bar, its many beautiful coves and bays, the quaint “hobby-horse” parade on May
Day, Trevose Head and lighthouse, and the numerous places of historic,
archaeological and tourist interest
within easy reach, constitute other reasons which cause visitors to come in
substantial numbers.
Copyright © 1999-2021 Edward Gregory. All photographs/images/graphics/maps/logos copyright to their relevant owners. ACE 5 - LINKS & PHOTOGRAPHS |