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Tarka Line: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 50°53′38″N 3°52′42″W / 50.8939°N 3.8783°W / 50.8939; -3.8783
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| status = Open
| status = Open
| locale = [[Devon]], England
| locale = [[Devon]], England
| start = {{Stnlnk|Exeter St Davids}}<br>{{coord|50.7291|-3.5438|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=Exeter St Davids station}}
| start = {{Stnlnk|Exeter St Davids}}<br />{{coord|50.7291|-3.5438|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=Exeter St Davids station}}
| end = {{Stnlnk|Barnstaple}}<br>{{coord|51.0740|-4.0635|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=Barnstaple station}}
| end = {{Stnlnk|Barnstaple}}<br />{{coord|51.0740|-4.0635|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=Barnstaple station}}
| stations = 13
| stations = 13
| open = 1851–1854
| open = 1851–1854
| ridership2 = 0.758 million (2023)<ref>https://dcrp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/branch-line-figures-to-2023.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
| owner = [[Network Rail]]
| owner = [[Network Rail]]
| operator = [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]]
| operator = [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]]
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}}
}}
{{Tarka Line}}
{{Tarka Line}}
The '''Tarka Line''', also known as the '''North Devon Line''',<ref>{{cite book |last=Nicholas |first=John |date=20 July 1992 |title=The North Devon Line: Exeter to Barnstaple Railway from Inception to the Present Day |publisher=O.P.C. Railprint |isbn=978-0860934615}}</ref> is a local railway line in Devon, England, linking the city of [[Exeter]] with the town of [[Barnstaple]] via a number of local villages, operated by [[Great Western Railway]] (GWR). The line opened in 1851 from Exeter to Crediton and in 1854 the line was completed through to Barnstaple. The line was taken over by the [[London and South Western Railway]] (LSWR) in 1865 and later became part of the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] and then [[British Rail]]. In 2001, following privatisation, [[Wessex Trains]] introduced the name ''Tarka Line'' after the eponymous character in Henry Williamson's book ''[[Tarka the Otter]]''. The line was transferred to [[First Great Western]] in 2006.
The '''Tarka Line''', also known as the '''North Devon Line''',<ref>{{cite book |last=Nicholas |first=John |year=1992 |title=The North Devon Line: Exeter to Barnstaple Railway from Inception to the Present Day |publisher=O.P.C. Railprint |isbn=978-0860934615 |ref=none}}</ref> is a local railway line in Devon, England, linking the city of [[Exeter]] with the town of [[Barnstaple]] via a number of local villages, operated by [[Great Western Railway]] (GWR). The line opened in 1851 from Exeter to Crediton and in 1854 the line was completed through to Barnstaple. The line was taken over by the [[London and South Western Railway]] (LSWR) in 1865 and later became part of the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] and then [[British Rail]]. In 2001, following privatisation, [[Wessex Trains]] introduced the name ''Tarka Line'' after the eponymous character in Henry Williamson's book ''[[Tarka the Otter]]''. The line was transferred to [[First Great Western]] in 2006.


It is one of the railway lines supported by the [[Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership]] and passenger numbers on the line have more than tripled since 2001.
It is one of the railway lines supported by the [[Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership]] and passenger numbers on the line have more than tripled since 2001.
Line 39: Line 40:
{{further|North Devon Railway|Exeter and Crediton Railway}}
{{further|North Devon Railway|Exeter and Crediton Railway}}


=== Early proposals ===
=== Background and construction ===


The first proposals relating to what would become the Tarka Line originated in the 1820s, when it was proposed that a railway line might be built from Crediton to [[Exeter Quay]]. Authority was obtained to build this line by an Act of 1831, but construction never started and the powers lapsed. However, business interests in Crediton became interested in a railway again after allies of the Great Western Railway (GWR), the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]] (B&ER), reached Exeter in 1844, and the GWR-allied [[South Devon Railway Company|South Devon Railway]] started extending that line to [[Plymouth]]. In 1844, the [[Exeter and Crediton Railway]] (E&CR) was formed and a proposal was put forward for a new line to connect Crediton to the B&ER.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://great-devon-railway.uk/exeter%20%26%20crediton%20railway/index.html|title = EXETER & CREDITON Railway, London & South Western Railway| access-date=2020-11-21|website=Great Devon Railways}}</ref> This proposal was accepted and authority was granted by an Act of 1845. The new company had capital of £70,000 (around £8.5 million in modern money), and made arrangements with the B&ER for the latter's trains to run to Crediton along the former's tracks.
The first proposals relating to what would become the Tarka Line originated in the 1820s, when it was proposed that a railway line might be built from Crediton to [[Exeter Quay]]. Authority was obtained to build this line by an Act of 1831, but construction never started and the powers lapsed. However, business interests in Crediton became interested in a railway again after allies of the Great Western Railway (GWR), the [[Bristol and Exeter Railway]] (B&ER), reached Exeter in 1844, and the GWR-allied [[South Devon Railway Company|South Devon Railway]] started extending that line to [[Plymouth]]. In 1844, the [[Exeter and Crediton Railway]] (E&CR) was formed and a proposal was put forward for a new line to connect Crediton to the B&ER.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://great-devon-railway.uk/exeter%20%26%20crediton%20railway/index.html|title = EXETER & CREDITON Railway, London & South Western Railway| access-date=2020-11-21|website=Great Devon Railways}}</ref> This proposal was accepted and authority was granted by an Act of 1845. The new company had capital of £70,000 (around £8.5 million in modern money), and made arrangements with the B&ER for the latter's trains to run to Crediton along the former's tracks.


Meanwhile, a proposal from business interests in [[Barnstaple]] was put forward in 1845 to build a new line connecting their town to the B&ER at Exeter. However, these proposals were rejected by the Railway Commission under [[Lord Dalhousie]], the so-called "Five Kings", who wished to defer the decision on linking Barnstaple to the national railway network in order to appraise an alternative proposal by the B&ER to construct a line that would run between Barnstaple and [[Tiverton Parkway railway station|their station]] at [[Tiverton, Devon|Tiverton]].
Meanwhile, a proposal from business interests in [[Barnstaple]] was put forward in 1845 to build a new line connecting their town to the B&ER at Exeter. However, these proposals were rejected by the Railway Commission under [[Lord Dalhousie]], the so-called "Five Kings", who wished to defer the decision on linking Barnstaple to the national railway network in order to appraise an alternative proposal by the B&ER to construct a line that would run between Barnstaple and [[Tiverton Parkway railway station|their station]] at [[Tiverton, Devon|Tiverton]].

=== E&CR constructed and gauge controversy ===


By January 1846, construction had started on the E&CR and on an unrelated line connecting Barnstaple with [[Fremington, Devon|Fremington Quay]], five miles to the west, and this created a new sense of urgency in connecting Barnstaple to the national network. Two proposals to reach Barnstaple were put forwards: an east-west route from Tiverton to [[Bideford]], via [[Mid Devon]] and Barnstaple; and a north-south route from Barnstaple to Crediton (with access to Exeter along the E&CR). The Tiverton option had [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] as its engineer, was favoured by the GWR, and had backing from the Five Kings and the Lord Lieutenant of Devonshire, [[Hugh Fortescue, 2nd Earl Fortescue]]. Meanwhile, the LSWR had long-term ambitions to challenge the GWR's dominance in the south-west, and they backed the rival Crediton option, installing [[John Locke]] as its engineer.
By January 1846, construction had started on the E&CR and on an unrelated line connecting Barnstaple with [[Fremington, Devon|Fremington Quay]], five miles to the west, and this created a new sense of urgency in connecting Barnstaple to the national network. Two proposals to reach Barnstaple were put forwards: an east-west route from Tiverton to [[Bideford]], via [[Mid Devon]] and Barnstaple; and a north-south route from Barnstaple to Crediton (with access to Exeter along the E&CR). The Tiverton option had [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] as its engineer, was favoured by the GWR, and had backing from the Five Kings and the Lord Lieutenant of Devonshire, [[Hugh Fortescue, 2nd Earl Fortescue]]. Meanwhile, the LSWR had long-term ambitions to challenge the GWR's dominance in the south-west, and they backed the rival Crediton option, installing [[John Locke]] as its engineer.
Line 53: Line 52:
As for the TVER, the end of Railway Mania had left it without funding and the Act of 1846 had left the decision on its gauge to the Railway Commission, who in 1848 announced it would be in broad gauge. Four days later, the conversion of the E&CR was complete. Thus, in 1848, construction had not yet started on the Crediton to Barnstaple line, there was no capital available, and it would have to be constructed in a gauge that would make through trains to Exeter impossible. Meanwhile, the Commission also told the LSWR that they would not be permitted to construct a line linking the Cowley Bridge to Exeter, leaving the E&CR completely isolated.
As for the TVER, the end of Railway Mania had left it without funding and the Act of 1846 had left the decision on its gauge to the Railway Commission, who in 1848 announced it would be in broad gauge. Four days later, the conversion of the E&CR was complete. Thus, in 1848, construction had not yet started on the Crediton to Barnstaple line, there was no capital available, and it would have to be constructed in a gauge that would make through trains to Exeter impossible. Meanwhile, the Commission also told the LSWR that they would not be permitted to construct a line linking the Cowley Bridge to Exeter, leaving the E&CR completely isolated.


=== Nineteenth century ===
=== Progress resumes and services begin ===


The deadlock was broken in 1851 by William Chapman, chairman of the LSWR and the E&CR. He agreed to convert one of the two tracks on the Crediton line to broad gauge and lease the line to B&ER; in exchange, the B&ER agreed to construct a junction allowing trains to run from Crediton to Exeter St Davids, and Cowley Bridge station was never opened. A service commenced of seven trains a day in each direction—the first trains to run on the future Tarka Line—and new railway stations opened to passengers at {{stnlnk|Newton St Cyres}} and {{stnlink|Crediton}}. In the same year, new company the North Devon Railway (NDR) was formed to replace the financially failed TVER and construction started on the Crediton–Barnstaple section. The NDR opened in 1854 with stations at {{stnlnk|Yeoford}}, {{stnlnk|Copplestone}}, {{stnlnk|Morchard Road}}, {{stnlnk|Lapford}}, {{stnlnk|Eggesford}}, [[Kings Nympton railway station|South Molton Road]], {{stnlink|Portsmouth Arms}}, {{stnlnk|Umberleigh}} and {{stnlnk|Barnstaple}}, as well as a siding at "Chappletown". However, the track south of Crediton continued to be owned by the E&CR. The NDR was taken over by the [[London and South Western Railway]] (LSWR) in 1865, and while the E&CR remained nominally independent, the majority of its shares were owned by the LSWR and the B&ER. The section south of Crediton became part of the LSWR in 1876.
The deadlock was broken in 1851 by William Chapman, chairman of the LSWR and the E&CR. He agreed to convert one of the two tracks on the Crediton line to broad gauge and lease the line to B&ER; in exchange, the B&ER agreed to construct a junction allowing trains to run from Crediton to Exeter St Davids, and Cowley Bridge station was never opened.


A service commenced of seven trains a day in each direction—the first trains to run on the future Tarka Line—and new railway stations opened to passengers at {{stnlnk|Newton St Cyres}} and {{stnlink|Crediton}}. In the same year, new company the North Devon Railway (NDR) was formed to replace the financially failed TVER and construction started on the Crediton–Barnstaple section. The NDR opened in 1854 with stations at {{stnlnk|Yeoford}}, {{stnlnk|Copplestone}}, {{stnlnk|Morchard Road}}, {{stnlnk|Lapford}}, {{stnlnk|Eggesford}}, [[Kings Nympton railway station|South Molton Road]], {{stnlink|Portsmouth Arms}}, {{stnlnk|Umberleigh}} and {{stnlnk|Barnstaple}}, as well as a siding at "Chappletown". However, the track south of Crediton continued to be owned by the E&CR. The NDR was taken over by the [[London and South Western Railway]] (LSWR) in 1865, and while the E&CR remained nominally independent, the majority of its shares were owned by the LSWR and the B&ER. The section south of Crediton became part of the LSWR in 1876.
=== Grouping and nationalisation ===
Following the passage of the [[Railways Act 1921]], the LSWR was merged into the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]], and twenty years later this became the [[Southern Region of British Railways|Southern Region]] of [[British Rail]]. Along with the [[Exeter to Plymouth railway of the LSWR|LSWR line to Plymouth]], the route was part of the "withered arm" of Southern routes in predominantly [[Great Western Railway]] (and subsequently [[Western Region of British Railways|Western Region]]) territory.


=== Twentieth century ===
=== Wessex Trains and First Great Western ===
Following the passage of the [[Railways Act 1921]], the LSWR was merged into the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]], and in 1948 this became the [[Southern Region of British Railways|Southern Region]] of [[British Rail]]. Along with the [[Exeter to Plymouth railway of the LSWR|LSWR line to Plymouth]], the route was part of the "withered arm" of Southern routes in predominantly [[Great Western Railway]] (and subsequently [[Western Region of British Railways|Western Region]]) territory.


=== Privatisation ===
On 13 October 1996, the Tarka Line was taken over by [[Wales & West]], controlled by [[Prism Rail]]. [[National Express]] purchased Wales & West from Prism Rail in July 2000 and on 14 October 2001 rebranded Wales & West as [[Wessex Trains]] after the [[Strategic Rail Authority]] transferred the company's Welsh services to [[Wales and Borders]].

From 13 October 1996, services on the Tarka Line were operated by [[Wales & West]] (owned by [[Prism Rail]]) as part of heir franchise. [[National Express]] purchased Wales & West from Prism Rail in July 2000 and on 14 October 2001 rebranded Wales & West as [[Wessex Trains]] after the [[Strategic Rail Authority]] transferred the company's Welsh services to [[Wales and Borders]].


Sponsored by the North Devon tourist board, Wessex Trains renamed unit 150241 to ''The Tarka Belle'' and changed its livery to advertising for tourist destinations on the Tarka Line.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
Sponsored by the North Devon tourist board, Wessex Trains renamed unit 150241 to ''The Tarka Belle'' and changed its livery to advertising for tourist destinations on the Tarka Line.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
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== Stations ==
== Stations ==


There are 12 stations along the line,<ref name="RTD">{{cite book |last1=Jacobs |first1=Gerald |title=Railway Track Diagrams Book 3: Western |date=2005 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Bradford on Avon |isbn=0-9549866-1-X |page=10}}</ref> although trains also serve {{stnlnk|Exeter St Davids}} and {{stnlnk|Exeter Central}}. {{stnlnk|Crediton}} and {{stnlnk|Newton St Cyres}} are also served by [[Dartmoor line]] services to {{stnlnk|Okehampton}}.<ref name=GWTT/>
The Tarka Line runs between {{stnlnk|Barnstaple}} and {{stnlnk|Exeter St Davids}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exeter to Barnstaple |url=https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/plan-journey/timetables/2019/december/d2-a4-web-tt.pdf?la=en |publisher=Great Western Railway |access-date=2020-01-27}}</ref> The line leaves Exeter St Davids to the north, and then turns to the west. The railway broadly follows the route of the [[A377 road]], and north of {{stnlnk|Lapford}}, the Tarka Line is intertwined with the [[River Taw]].<ref name="Phillips river">{{cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=Mark |title=A short story of a railway and its river |url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/a-short-story-of-a-railway-and-its-river/ |website=Rail Engineer |access-date=28 November 2020}}</ref>


Crediton<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1197092 |desc=Crediton Railway Station Main Range |access-date= 12 July 2021|mode=cs2}}</ref> and {{stnlnk|Eggesford}}<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1106602|desc=Eggesford Station |access-date= 1 February 2022|mode=cs2}}</ref> stations are both [[Listed grade II]], as is an old railway warehouse outside Barnstaple station.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num=1385345|desc=Warehouse known as Old Slaughterhouse South-South-West of Long Bridge, Station Road |access-date= 26 May 2022|mode=cs2}}</ref>
It runs through {{stnlnk|Newton St Cyres}}, {{stnlnk|Crediton}} and {{stnlnk|Yeoford}}, and then remainder of the line runs north-west through {{stnlnk|Copplestone}}, {{stnlnk|Morchard Road}}, {{stnlnk|Lapford}}, {{stnlnk|Eggesford}}, {{stnlnk|Kings Nympton}}, {{stnlnk|Portsmouth Arms}},{{stnlnk|Umberleigh}}, {{stnlnk|Chapelton}} to terminate at {{stnlnk|Barnstaple}}.


{|class="wikitable sortable" align=centre
The majority of stations on the line are [[request stop]]s. On summer Sundays before the company ceased trading, the [[Dartmoor Railway]] ran alongside the south-eastern Tarka Line between Exeter and {{stnlnk|Yeoford}}.
! class="unsortable"|Image
! Station
! Distance<br /><ref group="Note">Distances in [[mile]]s and [[Chain (unit)|chains]] from Exeter Central taken from Jacobs (2005)</ref>
! Opened
! Daily trains<br /><ref group="Note">Trains to Exeter, Monday to Friday from the GWR timetable in May 2022</ref>
! Usage<br />2009&ndash;10<br /><ref name="ORR" group="Note">The passenger usage is based on sales of tickets in stated financial years from [https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage Office of Rail and Road estimates of station usage]. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover a twelve-month period that starts in April.</ref>
! Usage<br />2019&ndash;20<br /><ref name="ORR" group="Note"/>
|-
|[[File:Newtonstcyresn.jpg|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Newton St Cyres}}<ref group=Note>Newton St Cyres was known as only Newton until 1913.</ref>
| align="right"|<span style="display:none">04m 21ch</span>4m 21ch
| align="center"|1851<ref>{{cite book |last1=Oakley |first1=Mike |title=Devon Railway Stations |date=2007 |publisher=The Dovecote Press |location=Wimbourne |isbn=978-1-904-34955-6 |pages=145–146}}</ref>
| align="right"|12
| align="right"|1,784
| align="right"|2,684
|-
|[[File:2021 at Crediton station - main building.JPG|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Crediton}}
| align="right"|<span style="display:none">07m 76ch</span>7m 76ch
| align="center"|1851<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=67-69}}</ref>
| align="right"|32
| align="right"|36,784
| align="right"|66,606
|-
|[[File:2021 at Yeoford station - view from the bridge.JPG|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Yeoford}}
| align="right"|11m 42ch
| align="center"|1857<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=219-220}}</ref>
| align="right"|17
| align="right"|10,504
| align="right"|17,236
|-
|[[File:2021 at Copplestone station - station garden.JPG|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Copplestone}}
| align="right"|14m 37ch
| align="center"|1854<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=64-65}}</ref>
| align="right"|17
| align="right"|8,164
| align="right"|19,438
|-
|[[File:Morchard Road Railway Station (1).jpg|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Morchard Road}}
| align="right"|16m 08ch
| align="center"|1854<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|page=137}}</ref>
| align="right"|16
| align="right"|6,482
| align="right"|14,642
|-
|[[File:Lapfordplat.jpg|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Lapford}}
| align="right"|18m 35ch
| align="center"|1855<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=123-124}}</ref>
| align="right"|8
| align="right"|1,878
| align="right"|2,078
|-
|[[File:2011 at Eggesford station - platform 2.jpg|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Eggesford}}
| align="right"|22m 27ch
| align="center"|1854<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=83-84}}</ref>
| align="right"|17
| align="right"|22,858
| align="right"|32,228
|-
| align="center"|[[File:King's Nympton railway station in 2020.jpg|75px]]
|{{stnlnk|Kings Nympton}}<ref group="Note">Kings Nympton was named South Molton Road until 1951.</ref>
| align="right"|26m 21ch
| align="center"|1854<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=119-120}}</ref>
| align="right"|6
| align="right"|1,984
| align="right"|6,098
|-
|[[File:Portsmouth Arms Station.jpg|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Portsmouth Arms}}
| align="right"|29m 08ch
| align="center"|1855<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=164-165}}</ref>
| align="right"|3
| align="right"|676
| align="right"|502
|-
|[[File:2022 at Umberleigh station - on the paltform.JPG|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Umberleigh}}
| align="right"|33m 22ch
| align="center"|1854<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=206-207}}</ref>
| align="right"|17
| align="right"|17,718
| align="right"|32,302
|-
| align="center"|[[File:Chapeltonshelter.jpg|50px]]
|{{stnlnk|Chapelton}}<ref group="Note">A wooden platform was in use at Chapleton from 1857 until 1860. The permanent station opened in 1875.</ref>
| align="right"|35m 52ch
| align="center"|1875<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=56-57}}</ref>
| align="right"|2
| align="right"|162
| align="right"|192
|-
|[[File:2009 at Barnstaple railway station - main building.jpg|100px]]
|{{stnlnk|Barnstaple}}<ref group="Note">Barnstaple was named Barnstaple Junction from 1874 until 1970.</ref>
| align="right"|39m 75ch
| align="center"|1854<ref>{{harvnb|Oakley|2007|pages=22-24}}</ref>
| align="right"|17
| align="right"|302,998
| align="right"|424,822
|-
|}

{{reflist|group=Note}}


== Services ==
== Services ==


Since December 2019 most services have been operated by [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] {{Brc|158}} [[diesel multiple unit]]s. For several years before this they had been operated by {{Brc|150}}s, which were transferred to other branch lines in Devon and Cornwall, and {{Brc|143}}s which were withdrawn.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sherratt |first=Philip |title=GWR set for sparks timetable |magazine=Modern Railways |date=August 2019 |page=66}}</ref> They operate approximately hourly and take around 75 minutes for the journey between Exeter Central and Barnstaple. The off-peak service pattern is generally Exeter Central, Exeter St. Davids, Crediton, Yeoford(req), Copplestone, Morchard Road(req), Eggesford, Umberleigh(req), Barnstaple. Only two services each way call at all stops on this line. A single service is extended beyond Exeter to {{stnlnk|Axminster}} on Monday to Friday evenings, and another operates to and from {{Stnlnk|Exmouth}} in the May 2022 timetable.<ref name=GWTT>{{cite web |title=D2 train times (15 May to 10 December 2022) |url=https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/plan-journey/timetables/2022/train-times-15-may-to-12-dec-2022/d2-train-times-15-may-to-10-dec-22-updated-110522.pdf?la=en |publisher=Great Western Railway |access-date=2022-05-16}}</ref>
Passenger services on the line run approximately hourly and are operated by [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] mainly using [[British Rail Class 158|Class 158]] [[diesel multiple unit]]s, having replaced [[British Rail Class 143|Class 143]] units that operated majority of services on the line until December 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gussin|first=Tony|title=New trains start work on the Barnstaple to Exeter Tarka Line|url=https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/tarka-line-new-trains-and-timetable-1-6427274|access-date=2020-11-13|website=North Devon Gazette|date=16 December 2019}}</ref> In September 2020, [[British Rail Class 166|Class 166]] units also began operating on the line on weekends. In 2021, class 166s also started appearing on weekday workings.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} From May 2022 limited services began to run beyond Exeter to {{stnlnk|Honiton}} and {{stnlnk|Axminster}} on weekdays.


=== Passenger volume ===
=== Operation ===


The line is single track with passing loops at Crediton and Eggesford. The only [[signal box]] is at Crediton.<ref name="RTD"/> Its semaphore signals and mechanical lever frame were replaced by electric signals and an electric signalling panel on 16 December 1984. Trains between Crediton and Barnstaple are controlled by [[Token (railway signalling)|tokens]] which ensure there is just one train on the line at any time. Train drivers exchange their token in the No Signalman Token Remote (NSTR) equipment at Eggesford.<ref name=NDL-141>{{harvnb|Nicholas|1992|pages=141–143}}</ref>
The majority of passengers on the Tarka Line travel to or from Barnstaple – about three times the number of all the other stations north of Exeter. Portsmouth Arms is the quietest station in Devon. Some of the smaller stations have seen a decline in passenger numbers during the last few years, although there have been significant increases at Umberleigh, Eggesford, and Copplestone and on the line overall with passenger numbers more than tripled since 2001.<ref>{{cite web|title =Station Usage|work =Rail Statistics|publisher =Office of Rail Regulation| url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529|access-date = 13 March 2009}}</ref>


== Community rail ==
{{UKsta-u|
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Newton St Cyres|u1=1,147|u2=702|u3=780|u4=889|u5=1,662|u6=1,868|u7=1,784|u8=2,774|u9=3,212|u10=2,252|u11=2,760|u12=2,510|u13=2,082|u14=2,940|u15=2,468|u16=3,000|u17=2,684}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Crediton|u1=21,607|u2=22,478|u3=22,550|u4=24,021|u5=27,422|u6=32,344|u7=36,784|u8=44,074|u9=48,978|u10=43,016|u11=50,342|u12=52,492|u13=55,112|u14=58,390|u15=56,006|u16=57,670|u17=66,606}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Yeoford|u1=7,993|u2=6,883|u3=6,848|u4=7,701|u5=7,445|u6=7,946|u7=10,504|u8=12,948|u9=14,164|u10=13,746|u11=15,588|u12=17,128|u13=16,450|u14=18,580|u15=18,156|u16=17,116|u17=17,236}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Copplestone|u1=1,231|u2=356|u3=1,090|u4=2,283|u5=4,563|u6=7,422|u7=8,164|u8=10,024|u9=12,682|u10=10,990|u11=14,058|u12=13,476|u13=12,304|u14=13,522|u15=15,262|u16=17,868|u17=19,438}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Morchard Road|u1=4,676|u2=3,442|u3=2,712|u4=2,341|u5=2,904|u6=4,170|u7=6,482|u8=8,834|u9=11,456|u10=11,494|u11=11,416|u12=11,822|u13=12,222|u14=13,210|u15=12,134|u16=12,378|u17=14,642}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Lapford|u1=4,912|u2=2,104|u3=1,658|u4=2,208|u5=1,967|u6=2,058|u7=1,878|u8=2,374|u9=2,062|u10=1,796|u11=2,354|u12=2,704|u13=2,252|u14=2,262|u15=1,498|u16=1,316|u17=2,078}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Eggesford|u1=11,430|u2=14,152|u3=16,009|u4=18,184|u5=18,658|u6=21,298|u7=22,858|u8=25,500|u9=26,902|u10=30,062|u11=26,160|u12=29,106|u13=29,920|u14=28,902|u15=31,628|u16=29,802|u17=32,228}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=King's Nympton|u1=4,013|u2=2,400|u3=1,781|u4=1,009|u5=1,033|u6=1,542|u7=1,984|u8=2,578|u9=3,006|u10=4,482|u11=3,748|u12=3,422|u13=5,758|u14=8,030|u15=6,640|u16=5,000|u17=6,098}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Portsmouth Arms|u1=614|u2=372|u3=510|u4=667|u5=1,012|u6=844|u7=676|u8=936|u9=884|u10=694|u11=844|u12=1,510|u13=756|u14=518|u15=444|u16=466|u17=502}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Umberleigh|u1=7,951|u2=8,301|u3=10,408|u4=12,564|u5=13,811|u6=16,256|u7=17,718|u8=19,808|u9=22,774|u10=31,454|u11=34,210|u12=37,609|u13=31,324|u14=37,076|u15=34,784|u16=33,060|u17=32,302}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Chapelton|u1=734|u2=472|u3=161|u4=120|u5=208|u6=176|u7=162|u8=190|u9=190|u10=258|u11=232|u12=192|u13=100|u14=566|u15=188|u16=446|u17=192}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Barnstaple|u1=176,682|u2=194,474|u3=210,846|u4=238,082|u5=261,174|u6=283,920|u7=302,998|u8=342,328|u9=372,438|u10=382,186|u11=384,234|u12=427,394|u13=421,346|u14=443,450|u15=440,404|u16=432,196|u17=424,822
}}
}}

=== Community rail ===
[[File:Wessex Trains 150241 at Bristol Temple Meads 01.jpg|thumb|''The Tarka Belle'' at {{stnlnk|Bristol Temple Meads}} in March 2006.]]
[[File:Wessex Trains 150241 at Bristol Temple Meads 01.jpg|thumb|''The Tarka Belle'' at {{stnlnk|Bristol Temple Meads}} in March 2006.]]


Line 111: Line 203:
The line was designated by the [[Department for Transport]] as a [[community rail]] line in September 2006. This aims to increase revenue and reduce costs. Among possible options are increasing the car parking at stations, looking at ways to increase the train frequency and facilities at stations.
The line was designated by the [[Department for Transport]] as a [[community rail]] line in September 2006. This aims to increase revenue and reduce costs. Among possible options are increasing the car parking at stations, looking at ways to increase the train frequency and facilities at stations.


== Working ==
== Proposed improvements ==
[[Network Rail]] would like to raise the Cowley Bridge during their [[Network Rail Control Periods|Control Period 7]] (2024-2029). This would reduce the likelihood of the railway being closed or damaged by floods.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Clark |first1=Rhodri |title=Prioritising rail resilience |magazine=Modern Railways |date=September 2022 |pages=72–73}}</ref>

=== No-signaller token remote working ===


The Barnstaple to Bideford route was mentioned in the [[Association of Train Operating Companies]] 2009 ''[[Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network]]'' report which recommended some closed lines that could be rebuilt to restore railway services to large communities.{{ATOCConnectingCommunitiesReportS10|page=16}} Following the reopening of the [[Dartmoor line]] to {{stnlnk|Okehampton}} in 2021, a local 'Atlantic Coast to Exeter' campaign resumed interest in reopening the line from Barnstaple to Bideford.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Steer |first1=Tim |title=Back the Bideford Bid |journal=Modern Railways |date=February 2022 |page=47}}</ref>
Parts of the line are single track, meaning that trains travelling in opposite directions must sometimes wait for each other. Collisions are prevented on these sections by requiring the train crew to be in possession of a physical token released from an electrically operated apparatus at a station under a system known as [[Token (railway signalling)#Unattended operation|no signaller token remote working]].<ref name="Webster2016">{{cite book|author=Gordon D. Webster|title=Signal Boxes and Semaphores: The Decline|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1BaKDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT88|date=15 November 2016|publisher=Amberley Publishing|isbn=978-1-4456-5618-2|pages=88}}</ref> The full journey from Barnstaple to Exeter takes just over 1 hour, much the same as the journey time in a car.


==See also==
==See also==

Latest revision as of 16:09, 19 August 2024

Tarka Line
Crossing the River Taw at Umberleigh
Overview
StatusOpen
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleDevon, England
Termini
Stations13
Service
TypeCommunity rail
SystemNational Rail
Operator(s)Great Western Railway
Depot(s)Exeter TMD
Rolling stockClass 158 or Class 166 DMUs
Ridership0.758 million (2023)[1]
History
Opened1851–1854
Technical
Line length39 mi (62.76 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Old gauge7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge
Route map

(Click to expand)
Tarka Line
Legend
Exeter–Plymouth line
to Penzance
&
Riviera Line
to Paignton
West of England line
to Basingstoke
&
Avocet Line
to Exmouth
 Exeter St Davids
¾
Red Cow Level Crossing
Riverside Yard
Cowley Bridge Junction
Bristol–Exeter line
to Taunton
River Exe
 Newton St Cyres
4¼
 Crediton
6¾
Crediton Level Crossing
Salmon Pool Level Crossing
 Yeoford
10½
Coleford Junction
11½
Dartmoor line
to Okehampton
 Copplestone
13½
 Morchard Road
15¾
 Lapford
17½
Eggesford Level Crossing
 Eggesford
21¼
 Kings Nympton
25¼
 Portsmouth Arms
28¼
River Taw
Umberleigh Level Crossing
 Umberleigh
32¼
River Taw
 Chapelton
34¾
Langham Lake
River Taw
Pill Bridge
Devon and Somerset Railway
to Taunton
GW Line Junction
 Barnstaple
39¾
Ilfracombe Line Junction
Ilfracombe branch line
to Ilfracombe
North Devon Railway
to Bideford

The Tarka Line, also known as the North Devon Line,[2] is a local railway line in Devon, England, linking the city of Exeter with the town of Barnstaple via a number of local villages, operated by Great Western Railway (GWR). The line opened in 1851 from Exeter to Crediton and in 1854 the line was completed through to Barnstaple. The line was taken over by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1865 and later became part of the Southern Railway and then British Rail. In 2001, following privatisation, Wessex Trains introduced the name Tarka Line after the eponymous character in Henry Williamson's book Tarka the Otter. The line was transferred to First Great Western in 2006.

It is one of the railway lines supported by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and passenger numbers on the line have more than tripled since 2001.

History

[edit]
Further information: North Devon Railway and Exeter and Crediton Railway

Background and construction

[edit]

The first proposals relating to what would become the Tarka Line originated in the 1820s, when it was proposed that a railway line might be built from Crediton to Exeter Quay. Authority was obtained to build this line by an Act of 1831, but construction never started and the powers lapsed. However, business interests in Crediton became interested in a railway again after allies of the Great Western Railway (GWR), the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER), reached Exeter in 1844, and the GWR-allied South Devon Railway started extending that line to Plymouth. In 1844, the Exeter and Crediton Railway (E&CR) was formed and a proposal was put forward for a new line to connect Crediton to the B&ER.[3] This proposal was accepted and authority was granted by an Act of 1845. The new company had capital of £70,000 (around £8.5 million in modern money), and made arrangements with the B&ER for the latter's trains to run to Crediton along the former's tracks.

Meanwhile, a proposal from business interests in Barnstaple was put forward in 1845 to build a new line connecting their town to the B&ER at Exeter. However, these proposals were rejected by the Railway Commission under Lord Dalhousie, the so-called "Five Kings", who wished to defer the decision on linking Barnstaple to the national railway network in order to appraise an alternative proposal by the B&ER to construct a line that would run between Barnstaple and their station at Tiverton.

By January 1846, construction had started on the E&CR and on an unrelated line connecting Barnstaple with Fremington Quay, five miles to the west, and this created a new sense of urgency in connecting Barnstaple to the national network. Two proposals to reach Barnstaple were put forwards: an east-west route from Tiverton to Bideford, via Mid Devon and Barnstaple; and a north-south route from Barnstaple to Crediton (with access to Exeter along the E&CR). The Tiverton option had Isambard Kingdom Brunel as its engineer, was favoured by the GWR, and had backing from the Five Kings and the Lord Lieutenant of Devonshire, Hugh Fortescue, 2nd Earl Fortescue. Meanwhile, the LSWR had long-term ambitions to challenge the GWR's dominance in the south-west, and they backed the rival Crediton option, installing John Locke as its engineer.

The GWR party failed to submit their plans in line with the standing orders, and so Parliament rejected them, authorising the Crediton route despite the recommendations of Dalhousie's commission and the preference of the Lord Lieutenant. This Act of 1846 created the LSWR-allied Taw Vale Extension Railway (TVER). In 1847, the GWR party tried and failed to agree a lease of the TVER's line to the B&ER. In the same year, the LSWR party purchased a majority stake in the E&CR and then leased the E&CR line to the TVER. The E&CR board, led by a J.W. Buller, remained aligned to the B&ER until Buller was removed that year (amid a procedural controversy that resulted in an unsuccessful appeal to the Five Kings). At the same time, construction continued on the E&CR, and by the end of 1847, the line was complete except for a connection to the B&ER. Given the departure of Buller, the E&CR directors conceded that an agreement with the B&ER would be impossible and ordered that the line be converted to the LSWR's narrow gauge and a station be constructed at Cowley Bridge.

As for the TVER, the end of Railway Mania had left it without funding and the Act of 1846 had left the decision on its gauge to the Railway Commission, who in 1848 announced it would be in broad gauge. Four days later, the conversion of the E&CR was complete. Thus, in 1848, construction had not yet started on the Crediton to Barnstaple line, there was no capital available, and it would have to be constructed in a gauge that would make through trains to Exeter impossible. Meanwhile, the Commission also told the LSWR that they would not be permitted to construct a line linking the Cowley Bridge to Exeter, leaving the E&CR completely isolated.

Nineteenth century

[edit]

The deadlock was broken in 1851 by William Chapman, chairman of the LSWR and the E&CR. He agreed to convert one of the two tracks on the Crediton line to broad gauge and lease the line to B&ER; in exchange, the B&ER agreed to construct a junction allowing trains to run from Crediton to Exeter St Davids, and Cowley Bridge station was never opened.

A service commenced of seven trains a day in each direction—the first trains to run on the future Tarka Line—and new railway stations opened to passengers at Newton St Cyres and Crediton. In the same year, new company the North Devon Railway (NDR) was formed to replace the financially failed TVER and construction started on the Crediton–Barnstaple section. The NDR opened in 1854 with stations at Yeoford, Copplestone, Morchard Road, Lapford, Eggesford, South Molton Road, Portsmouth Arms, Umberleigh and Barnstaple, as well as a siding at "Chappletown". However, the track south of Crediton continued to be owned by the E&CR. The NDR was taken over by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1865, and while the E&CR remained nominally independent, the majority of its shares were owned by the LSWR and the B&ER. The section south of Crediton became part of the LSWR in 1876.

Twentieth century

[edit]

Following the passage of the Railways Act 1921, the LSWR was merged into the Southern Railway, and in 1948 this became the Southern Region of British Rail. Along with the LSWR line to Plymouth, the route was part of the "withered arm" of Southern routes in predominantly Great Western Railway (and subsequently Western Region) territory.

Privatisation

[edit]

From 13 October 1996, services on the Tarka Line were operated by Wales & West (owned by Prism Rail) as part of heir franchise. National Express purchased Wales & West from Prism Rail in July 2000 and on 14 October 2001 rebranded Wales & West as Wessex Trains after the Strategic Rail Authority transferred the company's Welsh services to Wales and Borders.

Sponsored by the North Devon tourist board, Wessex Trains renamed unit 150241 to The Tarka Belle and changed its livery to advertising for tourist destinations on the Tarka Line.[citation needed]

The line was transferred to First Great Western in 2006, who rebranded as GWR in 2015 and introduced the line's current fleet and service pattern in December 2019.

Stations

[edit]

There are 12 stations along the line,[4] although trains also serve Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central. Crediton and Newton St Cyres are also served by Dartmoor line services to Okehampton.[5]

Crediton[6] and Eggesford[7] stations are both Listed grade II, as is an old railway warehouse outside Barnstaple station.[8]

Image Station Distance
[Note 1] 		Opened Daily trains
[Note 2] 		Usage
2009–10
[Note 3] 		Usage
2019–20
[Note 3]
Newton St Cyres[Note 4] 04m 21ch4m 21ch 1851[9] 12 1,784 2,684
Crediton 07m 76ch7m 76ch 1851[10] 32 36,784 66,606
Yeoford 11m 42ch 1857[11] 17 10,504 17,236
Copplestone 14m 37ch 1854[12] 17 8,164 19,438
Morchard Road 16m 08ch 1854[13] 16 6,482 14,642
Lapford 18m 35ch 1855[14] 8 1,878 2,078
Eggesford 22m 27ch 1854[15] 17 22,858 32,228
Kings Nympton[Note 5] 26m 21ch 1854[16] 6 1,984 6,098
Portsmouth Arms 29m 08ch 1855[17] 3 676 502
Umberleigh 33m 22ch 1854[18] 17 17,718 32,302
Chapelton[Note 6] 35m 52ch 1875[19] 2 162 192
Barnstaple[Note 7] 39m 75ch 1854[20] 17 302,998 424,822
  1. ^ Distances in miles and chains from Exeter Central taken from Jacobs (2005)
  2. ^ Trains to Exeter, Monday to Friday from the GWR timetable in May 2022
  3. ^ a b The passenger usage is based on sales of tickets in stated financial years from Office of Rail and Road estimates of station usage. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover a twelve-month period that starts in April.
  4. ^ Newton St Cyres was known as only Newton until 1913.
  5. ^ Kings Nympton was named South Molton Road until 1951.
  6. ^ A wooden platform was in use at Chapleton from 1857 until 1860. The permanent station opened in 1875.
  7. ^ Barnstaple was named Barnstaple Junction from 1874 until 1970.

Services

[edit]

Since December 2019 most services have been operated by Great Western Railway Class 158 diesel multiple units. For several years before this they had been operated by Class 150s, which were transferred to other branch lines in Devon and Cornwall, and Class 143s which were withdrawn.[21] They operate approximately hourly and take around 75 minutes for the journey between Exeter Central and Barnstaple. The off-peak service pattern is generally Exeter Central, Exeter St. Davids, Crediton, Yeoford(req), Copplestone, Morchard Road(req), Eggesford, Umberleigh(req), Barnstaple. Only two services each way call at all stops on this line. A single service is extended beyond Exeter to Axminster on Monday to Friday evenings, and another operates to and from Exmouth in the May 2022 timetable.[5]

Operation

[edit]

The line is single track with passing loops at Crediton and Eggesford. The only signal box is at Crediton.[4] Its semaphore signals and mechanical lever frame were replaced by electric signals and an electric signalling panel on 16 December 1984. Trains between Crediton and Barnstaple are controlled by tokens which ensure there is just one train on the line at any time. Train drivers exchange their token in the No Signalman Token Remote (NSTR) equipment at Eggesford.[22]

Community rail

[edit]
The Tarka Belle at Bristol Temple Meads in March 2006.

The Tarka Line is named after the otter in Henry Williamson's book Tarka the Otter which is set in the area. It is one of the railway lines supported by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, an organisation formed in 1991 to promote railway services in the area. The line is promoted by many means such as regular timetable and scenic line guides, as well as leaflets highlighting leisure opportunities such as walking or visiting country pubs.

The Tarka Line rail ale trail was launched in 2002, the first of several such schemes which encourages rail travellers to visit pubs near the line. The trail originally covered 16 pubs, and the number has risen and fallen over the years, but in 2020 is 11 pubs.[23][24][25] There are three pubs in Exeter and five in Barnstaple, with one each at Lapford, Portsmouth Arms, and Umberleigh. 10 stamps collected in the Rail Ale Trail leaflet entitle the participant to claim special Tarka Line Rail Trail souvenir tour shirt.

Wessex Trains covered Class 150 2-car DMU number 150241 in coloured pictures promoting the line and named The Tarka Belle. It is still in service with Great Western Railway (Formerly First Great Western) but is no longer in that livery.

The line was designated by the Department for Transport as a community rail line in September 2006. This aims to increase revenue and reduce costs. Among possible options are increasing the car parking at stations, looking at ways to increase the train frequency and facilities at stations.

Proposed improvements

[edit]

Network Rail would like to raise the Cowley Bridge during their Control Period 7 (2024-2029). This would reduce the likelihood of the railway being closed or damaged by floods.[26]

The Barnstaple to Bideford route was mentioned in the Association of Train Operating Companies 2009 Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network report which recommended some closed lines that could be rebuilt to restore railway services to large communities.[27] Following the reopening of the Dartmoor line to Okehampton in 2021, a local 'Atlantic Coast to Exeter' campaign resumed interest in reopening the line from Barnstaple to Bideford.[28]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ https://dcrp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/branch-line-figures-to-2023.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ Nicholas, John (1992). The North Devon Line: Exeter to Barnstaple Railway from Inception to the Present Day. O.P.C. Railprint. ISBN 978-0860934615.
  3. ^ "EXETER & CREDITON Railway, London & South Western Railway". Great Devon Railways. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b Jacobs, Gerald (2005). Railway Track Diagrams Book 3: Western. Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. p. 10. ISBN 0-9549866-1-X.
  5. ^ a b "D2 train times (15 May to 10 December 2022)" (PDF). Great Western Railway. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  6. ^ Historic England, "Crediton Railway Station Main Range (1197092)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 12 July 2021
  7. ^ Historic England, "Eggesford Station (1106602)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 February 2022
  8. ^ Historic England, "Warehouse known as Old Slaughterhouse South-South-West of Long Bridge, Station Road (1385345)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 26 May 2022
  9. ^ Oakley, Mike (2007). Devon Railway Stations. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press. pp. 145–146. ISBN 978-1-904-34955-6.
  10. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 67–69
  11. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 219–220
  12. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 64–65
  13. ^ Oakley 2007, p. 137
  14. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 123–124
  15. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 83–84
  16. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 119–120
  17. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 164–165
  18. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 206–207
  19. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 56–57
  20. ^ Oakley 2007, pp. 22–24
  21. ^ Sherratt, Philip (August 2019). "GWR set for sparks timetable". Modern Railways. p. 66.
  22. ^ Nicholas 1992, pp. 141–143
  23. ^ Falconer, Kieran (6 September 2009). "All abroad the real ale train". Express. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  24. ^ Hancock, Nick (16 September 2009). "Rail ale drinkers are back on right track". Express and Echo. Retrieved 18 July 2016.[permanent dead link]
  25. ^ "Tarka Line Rail Ale Trail". Great Scenic Railways. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  26. ^ Clark, Rhodri (September 2022). "Prioritising rail resilience". Modern Railways. pp. 72–73.
  27. ^ "Connecting Communities – Expanding Access to the Rail Network" (PDF). London: Association of Train Operating Companies. June 2009. p. 16. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  28. ^ Steer, Tim (February 2022). "Back the Bideford Bid". Modern Railways. p. 47.
  • Nicholas, John (1992). The North Devon Line. Sparkford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86093-461-6.
  • Department for Transport, Rail Group (2006), Route prospectus for the ... Tarka Line'
[edit]
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50°53′38″N 3°52′42″W / 50.8939°N 3.8783°W / 50.8939; -3.8783

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