Tag Archives: History

Devon days. Part 7…

15 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in Devon, History, Photography, Railways, Ships, Travel

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Our last day in Devon saw us breaking up into different camps. Clive had to go off to Northamptonshire for work, so the four of us only had the morning together before he left. Dawn and Ann arranged to enjoy a sunny day at home in the garden but I had something more adventurous planned. As much as we’d enjoyed walking the Tarka trail there was a gap in the route which we hadn’t closed, so I planned to go out and complete the section between Bideford and Instow. Dawn decided to accompany me as far as Bideford in order to get her walk in for the day, only to find the shops she was hoping to browse whilst she was there were all closed. Bideford isn’t exactly a hive of activity on a Sunday, to say the least!

I had better luck as I managed to get shots of the old station and its museum in far better light than on my previous visit, which was a bonus. After that I pounded the tarmac on the Tarka trail all the way to Instow. It was a lovely walk as the trail follows the River Torridge all the way. Plus, the sun was in the right position for me to get shots of many of the old ships that litter the riverside as well as the shipyard at Appledore. This yard’s had a mixed history over the years but seems to have gained a new lease of life. In 2024 it was bought by a Spanish company Navantia. Now it’s building Royal Navy ships again, this time supply ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (link).

Arriving hot and sweaty (but happy) at Instow I had an hour to wait for the tide to come in so that the ferry across the river to Appledore could start running, Admittedly, sitting on a pier watching the world go by whilst the sun beats down upon you is hardly a hardship!

Once across I had another 90 minute walk ahead of me through Appledore and the quaintly named Diddywell before getting home, where the girls were still chilling in the garden. Still, 27,000 steps on a hot day with a camera bag on my back was an achievement!

Here’s a few pictures from the day…

I did say the weather was better in Bideford!
The Tarka trail looking North form Bideford
Built in 1946 and preserved at Bideford, the SS Freshspring is a former RFA ship and the last of her kind.
Appledore shipyard at low tide.
The Tarka trail on the approach to Instow from the South.

And so ended our last day in Devon. We’d had a fantastic time exploring places neither of us had seen before and others we’d not visited for yonks, none of which would have been possible without the superb hospitality of Ann and Clive. Thank you!

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days. Part 6…

14 Sunday Jun 2026

Posted by in Devon, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

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With the weather having picked up dramatically day 6 saw us off on another grand tour thanks to Clive, who spent the day driving us around Devon and into Somerset.

Our first port of call was Chelfham, a small village on the route of the old Lynton and Barnstaple railway. The landscape here is dominated by the impressive old viaduct.

Cafe and viaduct

Underneath it nestles an old mill and the ‘crafty cafe’ which is run by a community organisation called the growforward project. They serve great breakfasts as well as other food and drink and regularly hold music events, yoga sessions and all manner of community focussed activities.

Whilst the reborn Lynton and Barnstaple railway hasn’t reached here yet the station’s been beautifully restored and is open on a regular basis.

Pretty Chelfham station.

Our next stop was at the railway proper. The current base for the railway is at Woody Bay. The old station building contains a ticket office, cafe and shop with the rest of the site containing the line’s loco depot and carriage shed. It’s all beautifully kept and a real credit to the volunteers. Trains run along the former line as far as Killington Lane which is roughly a mile away. The trip offers some fantastic views of the Devon coastline – and what better way to see it than in some superbly restored railway coaches hauled by a steam locomotive which is a carbon copy of one of the line’s original engines?

No 762 is a modern recreation of one of the original engines used on the Lynton and Barnstaple before its closure in 1935.
One of the beautifully restored old coaches.
Clive enjoying 1st Class luxury!

I wish the L&B every success with their ambitious plans to extend the line in each direction as it really is a little gem of a railway.

Our next port of call was the coastal town of Lynton, where we took the funicular railway down to Lynmouth. The funicular has the distinction of being the highest and steepest water worked railway in the world. Lynmouth itself is a pretty little harbour with a torrid past. In 1952 the village suffered a terrible flood which killed 34 people and left the place buried in mud. There’s little sign of the event now other than a small museum which tells the story of the tragedy.

Joining the funicular car at Lynmouth for a trip up to Lynton.
When they said the funicular was steep, they weren’t kidding!
Lynmouth harbour

Having explored and filled ourselves with ice cream we set off again, this time to Exmoor , where we crossed the border into Somerset. There’s some fantastic views to be had from the moors. You can look across the Bristol channel to South Wales, or along the Somerset coast to spy places like Minehead and Hinkley nuclear power station.

Looking along the coast from Exmoor towards Minehead, with Hinkley nuclear power station in the distance

Having driven back to base the day ended with an evening out at Westward Ho! where we enjoyed a few drinks by the beach before tucking into fish and chips. Well, what else should you eat besides the sea!

Low tide at Westward Ho! with the wind driving the sea onto the rocks.
In the opposite direction, surfers hope to catch a few waves.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days, part 5…

13 Saturday Jun 2026

Posted by in Devon, Flora and Fauna, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

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The weather here in Devon picked up again on Friday. We still saw mixed skies and the occasional light shower, but sunshine was a constant visitor throughout the day and temperatures were ideal for walking – which is what we did.

Today’s plan was to walk more of the Tarka trail, this time South from Bideford to Torrington, a distance of about 6 miles. Clive had some work to do which left our trio (Dawn, Ann and I) to complete the trek and meet Clive for tea and cake at the other end.

Here’s a few pictures from the walk.

We joined the Tarka trail at Bideford station, where the old signalbox museum was open. Here’s a look inside.
The signalling diagram for Bideford station, showing the old track layout.
The railway bridge over the River Torridge is a great place to stop and watch the wildlife on land and sea.
There’s a short tunnel on the section between Torrington and Bideford which is fun to walk through. It’s well lit, so not too spooky!
Inside the tunnel, showing the mixture of construction techniques.
There’s plenty of wildlife en-route, including butterflies like this.
Torrington is the site of the Tarka Valley Railway. They have a couple of old industrial diesel shunters and an ex- GWR Class 143 ‘Pacer’ DMU. This is a Ruston and Hornsby 0-4-0 built in February 1969 as a 192hp diesel electric shunter. Works number 544998, it was last standard gauge locomotive built by the company. It was delivered new to the Nevils Dock and Railway Company in Llanelli where it continued to work until 1990.
Torrington station contains the Puffing Billy cafe which offers a range of snacks, drinks and meals. The station was once an important freight location, sending two daily trains of milk tankers to London Waterloo station.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days. Part 4…

12 Friday Jun 2026

Posted by in Devon, Food and drink, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

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The weather finally let us down on Thursday. The rain stayed with us for most of the day with the skies remaining leaden throughout. We even had sea mist nearer the coast, so the plan for a long walk went out of the window. Instead, Clive drove us all to Hartland Quay, a former harbour near the north-western tip of the Devon coast. It’s famous for its rcky outcrops and rough seas, which we had a small taste of. There’s also a hotel and pub, which we took refuge in to enjoy a hot drink and chips after being battered by the wind. The rock formations here are amazing and well worth seeing.

The sea shows off its power.

Our next stop was somewhat more eccentric. The Merry Harriers garden centre, which features something I’ve never encountered before. A Gnome garden! No that wasn’t a typo – it really is a garden full of gnomes – of all different shapes, sizes and poses!

Heading back to base afterwards the rest of the team relaxed whilst I went for another wander into Bideford, where I crossed the river and popped in to the old railway station which is the base of the Bideford railway heritage centre. The group have reinstated a short length of track and have a small Planet diesel locomotive and a brake van which they plan to give rides on.

The old signalbox has been restored, along with a old SR parcels van and a Mk1 coach which is used as a cafe.

The day was rounded off with a visit to a restaurant and bar in nearby Northam. The Crow Bar has only been open for 9 weeks. It’s modern feel and variety of seating makes it an interesting venue. The food is tapas based with the beers locally sourced. The owner has installed their own micro-brewery which isn’t in production at the moment but will be opening just as soon as time permits. We really enjoyed our visit. The food was excellent as was the atmosphere.

A view of the main area and bar which has a mezzanine floor above containing comfy seating.
The Spanish style croquettes.
Today’s special was a delicious Trout.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days. Part 3…

11 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by in Devon, Food and drink, Photography, Railways, Travel, Walking

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Our third day in Devon was less about trekking and more about touring – although we still managed an old railway walk! Clive drove the three of us over to Tavistock, a lovely old town neither Dawn nor I had ever visited before. Tavi’ has a fantastic indoor market which is well worth a visit. It certainly separated us from some money!

Tavistock once had two railway lines serving the town. Both have been closed. Tavistock South was on a line from Plymouth owned by the Great Western Railway whilst Tavistock North was part of the London and South Western Railway. The LSWR was built above the town, which it crossed on on a high viaduct. This is now part of a cycle and walking trail which offers good views across town.

Moving on from Tavi we had a tour of Dartmoor which is reminiscent of North Yorkshire. After which we called in at Okehampton, where the town was restored to the national railway network in 2021. Here’s a few pictures from our travels…

Inside Tavistock’s Pannier market. There’s a great selection of stalls selling all sorts of stuff, old and new…
Need a guitar or ukulele?
Bob’s East End cafe in the Pannier market. A great place for an all day breakfast at very reasonable prices.
The LSWR viaduct in central Tavi was completed in 1890. It’s 420ft (128m) long and is made up of eight spans; five of 50ft (15m) and three of 32ft, (10m) with a height of 70ft (21m) to the road below. The old station is behind the camera but access is restricted as it’s now a private dwelling.
The view from the viaduct looking over town.
Walking along the old line. The trackbed has been raised in many places. – hence the low height of the overbridge.
Dartmoor. You can see why they built a prison up here…
Okehampton station has been restored and repainted in Southern railway colours, although…
The Great Western Railway had the last laugh as the current train service to Exeter is operated by the GWR franchise – until it’s absorbed into the nationalised Great British Railways anyway…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Devon days, part 2…

10 Wednesday Jun 2026

Posted by in Devon, History, Photography, Railways, Religion, Travel, Walking

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Day 2 of our trip saw us on another long walk whilst visiting some historic places with rich social histories. Clive drove us to Westward Ho! the only place with an exclamation mark in its name. The name came from a Charles Kingsley book, titled Westward Ho! It was a best seller and brought a new wave of tourism to the Bideford area leading to the creation of the village, which has grown considerably in recent years.

Our walk took us along the coast on the trackbed of an old railway that I’d never heard of before. This was pretty unique too as it’s possibly the only standard gauge passenger railway that was never connected to the national network. The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore railway had a very short life. It opened in 1901 and closed in 1917. Having walked along part of its route along the cliffs I’d have thought it would have made a great preserved railway and tourist attraction, but it never survived World War 1.

The course of the old railway makes a great coastal path. Here it is at Abbotsham Cliffs West of Westward Ho!
At this point the old railway swung inland to head towards Bideford. You can see the course of the line and a couple of breaches in the trackbed near the top of the picture. This is a lovely place to stop and admire the coastline.
The wind was whipping up quite a few white capped waves during our walk. Here’s the view looking East towards Baggy Point.

Back in Westward Ho! We explored the village and I discovered its link with one of Britain’s most famous authors whom I’ve long admired. Rudyard Kipling. Kipling went to school in Westward Ho! and he’s remembered by plaques and a line of his most famous poem ‘if) being incorporated into the seafront pavement.

Memories of Kipling in Westward Ho!
A colourful row of houses in Westward Ho! with several being repainted for the summer season.

Having driven back to Northam we popped into the local church where Ann volunteers at their regular coffee and cake days. I’ve always enjoyed visiting country churches as they often provide fascinating glimpses into British social history and St Margaret’s was no exception. Oh, and the cakes were excellent!

Many a well-to-do family’s line ended like this during the First World War, with the death of the only son.
Segregated church services!
Coffe with Passionfruit and lemon cake. Yum!

Having returned home to take our ease I couldn’t resist on last wander into Bideford to make the most of the weather in order to get a few pictures.

The most substantial surviving structure of the old railway is the engine and carriage shed in Bideford. Nowadays it’s used as a car-wash.
The old bridge in Bideford with the modern bridge in the background.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

 

Devon days, part 1…

09 Tuesday Jun 2026

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Monday was our first full day here in Devon. We’re staying with our friends Ann and Clive here in Bideford, a lovely area on the North Devon coast. I’ve not time to write a full blog so I’m going to leave you with pictures from the days activities which involved a long walk into Appledore, the ferry across the river to Instow and then a hike along the Tarka trail (the old railway) from Instow to Barnstaple before getting the bus back.

Looking across to Lundy Island.
Rather poignant seeing as the anniversary of the D-day landings was only a few days ago.
Looking back to Appledore as we cross the river Torridge on the little ferry.
Instow station on the Tarka trail. The old signalbox and some other rail features have been restored.
Heading towards Okehampton on the Tarka trail. The trackbed had been tarmaced, making an easy surface for cycling/walking.
The cafe and information centre at Fremington Quay on the Tarka trail. This was once a busy port, transhipping coal and clay from rail to ship. The quay closed in 1969. The cafe here serves a range of food and drink – and great cakes!
An abandoned yacht on the edge of the River Taw as we approach Barnstaple.
Nice here, innit? Rather bigger than Bigland Towers too…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

From coast to hills…

05 Friday Jun 2026

Posted by in Photography, Railways, Southport, Travel, West Yorkshire

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Friday saw me travel back from Southport to West Yorkshire, swapping the coast for the hills and sunshine for cloudy weather – along with a significant drop in temperature!

I was in no rush to get back as Dawn was busy working all day so I had plenty of time to soak up the sun, stretch my legs and get in some exercise before catching the train. I’ve really enjoyed staying at my sisters and reacquainting myself with the town I grew up in (but left so long ago). Splitting my time between between Southport and Halifax gives me the best of both worlds. I’ve lots of stories in the bank to blog about when I have time. But for now I’ve other things in mind.

Dragging my suitcase and camera kit to Meols Cop station I caught a type of train from another chapter of my life – my 25 years living in London, when the Thameslink Class 319s often carried me around the capital. Now, most have gone for scrap, but a few have been converted to bi-mode (diesel and electric) Class 769s which are a staple on Northern services from Southport to Stalybridge and Manchester Oxford Rd.

Once, these 100mph electric trains carried passengers from Bedford, though central London to Brighton. Now they’re seeing out their retirement as bi-mode units, but still working from city to coast – just a very different city and very different coast! Here’s 769434 arriving at Meols Cop, a station in Southport which is well looked after by local station friends.

They’re a definite improvement in quality compared to the old 1980s built Class 150s which are also regulars on the route. Especially as they still have the former 1st Class area with its roomy 2+1 seating, making them ideal to sit back and relax in as the rich farmland of the West Lancashire plain trundles past the window before we call at Parbold where the landscape becomes more hilly. By Wigan the landscape changes again, as the route onwards to Bolton was dominated by the mines and cotton mills of the industrial revolution. Nowadays all the pits have disappeared, as have many of the mills, and the scars on the landscape they left behind are gradually healing.

On arrival at Manchester Victoria I swapped the comfort of my 4-car Class 769 for a rammed 2-car Class 195 which was working a Chester-Leeds service. This was totally inadequate for the numbers travelling but Northern seem to have problems with short-formed services at the moment. I’m glad that I don’t have to do this part of the trip every day as I ended up standing all the way back to Sowerby Bridge. Fortunately, Dawn was available to pick me up as pulling a suitcase a mile uphill whilst wearing a 12kg camera bag is a bit of a minority sport!

Now I have a full day back at Bigland Towers before we’re on the move again – but not by train this time. The pair of us are driving down to Devon where we’ll be staying with friends for a week. Hopefully, I’ll find time to blog. They may not be wordy, but they’ll certainly contain some different pictures of a part of the UK I’ve not visited for many years.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Back to the hills…

28 Thursday May 2026

Posted by in Architecture, History, Photography, Railways, Travel

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I’m back in Halifax for the day after returning to visit the dentists for my six-monthly check-up. Fortunately, neither Dawn nor I needed anything doing other then the regular clean

Like most people across the North-West and Wales, I was woken up at 03:00 by the most i thunderstorm. I didn’t get to see any lightning, but the cracks of thunder and torrential rain certainly made an impression! When I left Southport this morning I was amazed to see hardly any sign of the storm. I’d half expected flooding, but the streets were dry. It was the same on the journey across West Lancashire as we were treated to yet another hot and sunny day. As I had an appointment to keep I only stopped off a couple of times en-route. The first was to admire the famous listed Deep Pit footbridge at Hindley, which has been rebuilt as part of the electrification programme.

There are now history boards at each end of the bridge which explain how it was constructed.
There’s a massive new ramp on the Hindley side of the line which has been designed to fit in with the original structure.
The bowstring bridge has been lifted to give clearance for the new electric wires. The width gives you an idea of just how many running lines there were here originally.

Now I’m having a relaxing night with Dawn before heading back to the coast for part of the weekend I have to travel South to work on Community Rail week – but more of that later. I’ll be blogging from my travels tomorrow, so see you soon…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul

Right, let’s try that again shall we?

19 Tuesday May 2026

Posted by in Down memory lane, History, Photography, Southport

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My idea of catching up with blogging last week turned into a dismal failure for a variety of reasons, but we’re now into a new week. After spending the weekend back at Bigland Towers I’ve returned to Southport for a few days, which will give me time to do what I need to do – which includes blogging.

Today I’m out shopping and finding a temporary ‘office’ where I can work in peace whilst getting my steps in ‘commuting’ to and from my sisters. The commute has often turned into an exploration as I try and take a different route into town each day. This involves suddenly deciding to take a detour and explore streets I’ve not visited since I moved to London back in 1986, or even before as some were near my old school which I left a decade earlier!

One thing that’s caught my eye is how the corner shop had died a death. There used to be loads of them around my parents house. Now they’re almost all gone. The newsagents/tobacconists of old are almost extinct, as are local butchers, grocers and chip shops. Even hairdressers have disappeared in some parts as people retire, or realise their business has become unprofitable. Trying to remember where these places were and what they were has become a new game. In some cases it’s easy to spot them because of the way the building’s been converted rather than demolished. In others there’s hardly any clues. Mind you. it’s not just shops. Many pubs have disappeared too, like this one – the George, where I spent many an hour with an old friend who lives around the corner.

By the George is a large old cemetery where my grandmother used to take us young kids on walks. It’s not as well maintained as I remember, but I did find this memorial which I recalled as a child. It’s to the crew of the lifeboat Eliza Fernley, as 14 of the 16 members perished, along with 13 members of the St Annes lifeboat whilst both boats were trying to rescue the crew of the ship ‘Mexico’ in 1886.

Before I made it into town I passed one last empty shop, but this one has family connections. DM Rogers was the family business. It was opened by my mum and dad and named after my mother (Doreen Myfanwy Rogers, her maiden name). When my dad gave up the business it was taken over by my brother David who moved it from Nelson St to Shakespeare St. This was the third incarnation after moving across the road. Dave retired last year and now workers are converting the shop for another tenant, so this is the last time I’ll see the sign and name.

How times change…

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Cheers,

Paul