109-713: The North Cornwall Railway ( NCR ) also known as the North Cornwall Line , was a standard gauge railway line running from Halwill in Devon , to Padstow in Cornwall , at a distance of 49 miles 67 chains (49.84 miles, 80.21 km) via Launceston , Camelford and Wadebridge . The line was opened in late 19th century by the North Cornwall Railway Company with support throughout much of its construction and existence by
218-649: A country (for example, 1,440 mm or 4 ft 8 + 11 ⁄ 16 in to 1,445 mm or 4 ft 8 + 7 ⁄ 8 in in France). The first tracks in Austria and in the Netherlands had other gauges ( 1,000 mm or 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in in Austria for the Donau Moldau line and 1,945 mm or 6 ft 4 + 9 ⁄ 16 in in
327-572: A day plus a Halwill to Launceston short return journey. Motive power in later years had been the T9 4-4-0 Greyhounds and the N class 2-6-0s but with Bulleid Pacifics , often on uneconomically short trains, putting in an appearance. From Halwill the line describes a loop turning from north to south west; it runs downhill at gradients of 1 in 74 and 1 in 82 to join the valley of the River Carey, following this down for nearly 10 miles (16 km) to cross
436-614: A field above the nearest houses. There were no casualties and only minor damage. In 2003, the Perch Garage murders occurred outside the town on the A39 road (Atlantic Highway). Wadebridge is in the constituency of North Cornwall which is currently held by the Conservative MP Scott Mann . The main offices of the former North Cornwall District Council were at Trenant Road in the town. Wadebridge Town Council
545-420: A guest house. Tresmeer (231m 29ch) ; Tresmeer station ( Cornish : Trewasmeur ) ( 50°40′12″N 4°31′02″W / 50.6699°N 4.5171°W / 50.6699; -4.5171 ( Tresmeer station ) ) was located in a nearby hamlet, Splatt, and was the closest station to Crackington Haven ; this kept passenger numbers up until a bus from Launceston started running in 1935. The station
654-554: A headshunt for a further pair of short sidings that allowed the wagons to be loaded. The siding served Tregildren Quarry and roadstone was regularly transported to the midlands, and ballast for railway use. Laid in 1922, the siding may have ceased operation some time before 1960 and had certainly been removed by 1964. Port Isaac Road (247m 13ch) ; ( Cornish : Fordh Porthysek ) the station ( 50°34′35″N 4°46′13″W / 50.5764°N 4.7703°W / 50.5764; -4.7703 ( Port Isaac Road station ) )
763-552: A last up train from Padstow to Launceston, and a last down train from Halwill to Launceston. All the trains called at all stations with the exception of the Atlantic Coast Express , the 11:00 from Waterloo, which ran non-stop Exeter St Davids to Halwill, then Launceston, Otterham, Camelford, Delabole, Port Isaac Road and Wadebridge, arriving in Padstow at 4:24 after a 260-mile (420 km) journey. The train conveyed
872-579: A name plate already affixed. It had been named the Elephant as the makers had failed to realise that the first engine had been named after the river and not an animal. The last passenger train left Wadebridge railway station in 1967 following railway cutbacks. The old railway trackbed is now the Camel Trail , and the Bodmin and Wenford Railway heritage railway runs on part of the route. Wadebridge
981-612: A range of water sports, including sailing , water skiing , windsurfing , surfing and kite surfing . Golf courses close by include Trevose and Saint Enodoc and St Kew . The gentleman scientist and surgeon Sir Goldsworthy Gurney , who invented the Bude-Light , lived in Wadebridge from 1814 to 1820. A street (Goldsworthy Way) has been named after him. Francis Hurdon (1834–1914), a prominent figure in Canadian politics,
1090-520: A restaurant car throughout. The Saturday service was similar, although congestion earlier in the journey meant a slightly slower journey. There was no Sunday service. Tender engines were preferred on the line, the Adams Jubilee class being dominant at first, supplanted by the T9 class 4-4-0 being dominant in the Edwardian era. Until the mid-1940s the weight restriction over Meldon Viaduct and
1199-510: A standard gauge of 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ), and those in Ireland to a new standard gauge of 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ). In Great Britain, Stephenson's gauge was chosen on the grounds that existing lines of this gauge were eight times longer than those of the rival 7 ft or 2,134 mm (later 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in or 2,140 mm ) gauge adopted principally by
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#17328022487241308-529: A study commissioned in 1831 by local landowner Sir William Molesworth of Pencarrow . The line was intended to carry sand from the Camel Estuary to inland farms for use as fertiliser . It was opened on 30 September 1834 with the locomotive Camel pulling a train load of 400 passengers (one of the first railways in Britain to carry passengers). When the company ordered its second locomotive it came with
1417-467: A turntable beyond between the goods shed and a line extending to the quarry. There was a considerable narrow gauge tramway network within the quarry, in existence before the construction of the North Cornwall line. There had earlier been a three-foot gauge network with a four track incline, but by 1879 this had been converted to a 2-feet gauge system with a six-track incline. As it was situated in
1526-669: A weekend of free children's activities. The Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show is held at the Royal Cornwall Showground, 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.5 kilometres) west of Wadebridge over three days in early June each year. The show began in 1793 at Bodmin and was then held every year in East and West Cornwall alternately until 1960 when it came to its present site. The showground, run by the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association,
1635-778: Is a railway with a track gauge of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson ), international gauge , UIC gauge , uniform gauge , normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the most widely used track gauge around the world, with about 55% of the lines in the world using it. All high-speed rail lines use standard gauge except those in Russia , Finland , Uzbekistan , and some line sections in Spain . The distance between
1744-553: Is a three-day agricultural show held at the nearby Royal Cornwall Showground every June, and the 5-day Cornwall Folk Festival takes place around the August Bank Holiday. The initial settlement of Wade (the name of Wadebridge before the bridge was built) came about due to a ford in the River Camel (Camel probably meaning "crooked one" ). The early crossing had a chapel on each side of the river, "King's" chapel on
1853-580: Is based at Wadebridge Town Hall which was officially opened by Sir Paul Molesworth as the Molesworth Hall and Exchange on 23 May 1988. Historically Wadebridge was part of St Columb Rural District Council until the creation of Wadebridge Urban District Council in April 1898. The town straddles the River Camel , five miles (eight kilometres) upstream from Padstow ; the town centre being on
1962-766: Is currently operated by the Ghana Railway Company Limited . Kojokrom-Sekondi Railway Line (The Kojokrom-Sekondi line is a branch line that joins the Western Railway Line at Kojokrom ) Indian nationwide rail system ( Indian Railways ) uses 1,676 mm ( 5 ft 6 in ) broad gauge. 96% of the broad gauge network is electrified. The railway tracks of Java and Sumatra use 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ). Planned and under construction high-speed railways to use 1,668 mm ( 5 ft 5 + 21 ⁄ 32 in ) to maintain interoperability with
2071-596: Is now Bodmin Parkway , on the Cornish Main Line , which is served by services to Plymouth , Cardiff , London Paddington and Penzance . The Molesworth Arms is one of the oldest Inns in Wadebridge. Previously known as The Fox, The King's Arms and The Fountain, this coaching Inn got its current name in 1817. Since 2014 the first of the annual events in and around Wadebridge has been the MayPlay festival,
2180-400: Is now in use as the narrow gauge Launceston Steam Railway . The thin population meant that little intermediate traffic was generated, and a passenger service of four or five daily trains was operated almost throughout the life of the line. The route between Launceston and Padstow was not designed for speed. The single line route required several sections at a gradient of 1 in 73 to allow for
2289-680: Is said that this prompted the GWR to increase its presence in Cornwall. This resulted in the GWR constructing the Truro–Newquay Line , and the Par –Newquay Atlantic Coast Line . In 1911 a scheme was developed to improve the fishing harbour arrangements at Padstow; this was supported by the government and the LSWR; the company alone spent £10,350 on the dock wall and sidings and sheds and took up £30,000 of
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#17328022487242398-527: Is the Bailey Bridge. The newspaper is a local edition of the weekly Cornish Guardian . The town is twinned with Langueux (Langaeg) in Brittany , France. In April 2013 Wadebridge was short-listed as one of Britain's top eco-towns and is home to Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network a grass roots enterprise aiming to make the town the first solar powered and renewable energy powered town in
2507-472: Is used for many different functions from Scout Jamborees to point-to-point horse racing. The Big Lunch , organised by the local chamber of commerce, is a free street party in the pedestrianised part of Molesworth St in the centre of Wadebridge, where around 500–750 people get together to share food, chat, and enjoy music and other entertainment. The idea grew out of a project by the Eden Project, and
2616-509: The North Cornwall Railway Act 1882 ( 45 & 46 Vict. c. ccliv) on 18 August, but money was scarce and construction was slow, so it was not until 21 July 1886 that the first section opened, and the line was completed in 1899. (In fact to facilitate raising capital, the company was segmented into several sections for financial purposes; the total authorised capital was £660,000 with borrowing powers of £220,000.) The LSWR
2725-554: The British Rail Southern Region . Throughout its existence the North Cornwall line had operated against the odds, its long line serving sparsely populated and relatively unproductive terrain. As the costs of unproductive railway operation came into focus following the Beeching Report , the line had only its romantic appeal to offer, with even the highly seasonal summer holiday traffic falling away in
2834-553: The Liverpool and Manchester Railway , authorised in 1826 and opened 30 September 1830. The extra half inch was not regarded at first as very significant, and some early trains ran on both gauges daily without compromising safety. The success of this project led to Stephenson and his son Robert being employed to engineer several other larger railway projects. Thus the 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) gauge became widespread and dominant in Britain. Robert
2943-595: The London and South Western Railway (LSWR). The railway line was part of a drive by the LSWR to expand its influence in the South West , connect its rail network with the Bodmin and Wadebridge line , and to develop both holiday and freight traffic to Cornwall. The LSWR had opened a line connecting Exeter with Holsworthy in 1879, and by encouraging the NCR it planned to create railway access to previously inaccessible parts of
3052-772: The Prime Stock Show and the Garden Produce Association and Chrysanthemum Show are held. A footbridge called the Challenge Bridge links the Egloshayle playing fields to the Jubilee fields on the other side of the river. The bridge was constructed in 1991 by Anneka Rice and her team for the TV series " Challenge Anneka ". Locally, the bridge is known as Anneka's Bridge, but its real name
3161-522: The River Tamar just east of Launceston , the first station actually in Cornwall. From a summit at Otterham, 800 feet (244 m), the line descends into the upper reaches of the Camel valley , passing through Camelford Station over 2 miles west of Camelford town and then leaving the valley for a gentle climb to the coastal uplands. At Delabole the line skirts the slate quarry, and then descends to
3270-427: The golf course at St Enodoc is also listed as a reason to visit. However apart from Launceston and Wadebridge the very long single-track line served only small rural communities, and never achieved the importance that its promoters had hoped for. Fish traffic and ice for the ships were always important commodities on the line, as was the seasonal holidaymaker traffic for Padstow and several resorts served indirectly by
3379-551: The 2011 census. There are two electoral wards in the town (East and West). Their total population is 8,272. Originally known as Wade , it was a dangerous fording point across the river until a bridge was built here in the 15th century, after which the name changed to its present form. The bridge was strategically important during the English Civil War , and Oliver Cromwell went there to take it. Since then, it has been widened twice and refurbished in 1991. Wadebridge
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3488-529: The Allen valley, diving briefly through Trelill Tunnel (333 yards, 304 m), before returning to the Camel valley , crossing the river and joining the Bodmin and Wadebridge line into Wadebridge station . Once past Wadebridge the character changes as the line hugs the tidal River Camel until crossing Little Petherick Creek over a three-span iron bridge and rounding Dennis Hill, it reaches Padstow station which
3597-615: The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway, at a time when the nearest section of its own network was at Bishopstoke ( Eastleigh ). Through the medium of nominally independent aligned local companies, the LSWR had reached Lydford in Devon in 1874, which acted as an interchange to Plymouth Millbay via the South Devon Railway , and in 1879 the LSWR built a branch from Meldon Junction, west of Okehampton , to Holsworthy in north west Devon. The North Cornwall Railway Company, supported by
3706-496: The Bridge Medical Centre. There has been a group practice in Wadebridge since the early 20th century; many of the early doctors had their surgeries operating from their homes. In the 1901 census the population of Wadebridge was 3470, while in 2001 the population was 6222. Wadebridge has been a centre for Cornish wrestling for centuries. Places used for Cornish wrestling tournaments include: Wadebridge hosted
3815-404: The GWR station. Egloskerry (227m 58ch) ; Egloskerry station ( Cornish : Egloskeri ) ( 50°39′07″N 4°27′03″W / 50.6519°N 4.4507°W / 50.6519; -4.4507 ( Egloskerry station ) ) opened on 3 October 1892, and had a simple layout with only four points. There was a passing loop , and the station building and signal box were both located on
3924-913: The Great Western Railway. It allowed the broad-gauge companies in Great Britain to continue with their tracks and expand their networks within the "Limits of Deviation" and the exceptions defined in the Act. After an intervening period of mixed-gauge operation (tracks were laid with three rails), the Great Western Railway finally completed the conversion of its network to standard gauge in 1892. In North East England, some early lines in colliery ( coal mining ) areas were 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ), while in Scotland some early lines were 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ). The British gauges converged starting from 1846 as
4033-709: The Interceltic games in 1965, 1967, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Wadebridge is home to sporting clubs including Wadebridge Town Football Club who play at Bodieve park, Wadebridge Camels , who play at the Molesworth Field in Egloshayle , and Wadebridge Cricket Club, whose main ground has been in Egloshayle Park since the 1950s. The town has a leisure centre with a programme of sports and pursuits including Cornish wrestling . The Camel estuary offers
4142-411: The LSWR had hopes of reviving it. Their wishes were realised and a substantial increase of fish tonnage carried was experienced over the first years; a special connection to the fish quay had been provided. There was a large slate quarry at Delabole , at the time said to be the largest man-made excavation in the world and considerable traffic was derived from that. Tourist and holiday passenger traffic
4251-585: The LSWR, was established to develop the northern part of the Cornish peninsula; its line was to leave the Okehampton–Holsworthy line line at Halwill Junction and continue through Launceston to Wadebridge Station . The prospectus of the NCR company indicated that a extension of 24 miles (39 km) would be allow the railway to connect from Wadebridge to the county town of Truro . The North Cornwall Railway obtained its authorising act of Parliament,
4360-647: The Netherlands for the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij ), but for interoperability reasons (the first rail service between Paris and Berlin began in 1849, first Chaix timetable) Germany adopted standard gauges, as did most other European countries. The modern method of measuring rail gauge was agreed in the first Berne rail convention of 1886. Several lines were initially built as standard gauge but were later converted to another gauge for cost or for compatibility reasons. 2,295 km (1,426 mi) Victoria built
4469-670: The South West and further afield. Wadebridge Carnival is held annually in August, with a Carnival Queen and there is the Eglos Craft Fayre at Egloshayle Church. The Cornwall Folk Festival , one of the UK's longest-running folk festivals started in 1972, now runs for fives days around the August Bank Holiday. The focus is on contemporary folk music , bluegrass music , Americana (music) , celtic music and acoustic music, with
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4578-491: The UK. Wadebridge and District Museum opened in 2007 and moved to their current location on Chapel Lane in 2013. The town has two primary schools which have academy status, Wadebridge Primary Academy which OfSTED graded as a ‘GOOD’ school in November 2012 and St. Breock Primary School. There is also a secondary school , Wadebridge School . There are two health care practices: the Wadebridge and Camel Estuary Practice and
4687-597: The advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. By the 1890s, the entire network was converted to standard gauge. The Royal Commission made no comment about small lines narrower than standard gauge (to be called "narrow gauge"), such as the Ffestiniog Railway . Thus it permitted a future multiplicity of narrow gauges in the UK. It also made no comments about future gauges in British colonies, which allowed various gauges to be adopted across
4796-448: The area can be found in the article on Slaughterbridge . The station is now a private residence. Delabole (243m 05ch) ; ( Cornish : Delyow Boll ) The adjacent Delabole Slate quarry, Delabole station ( 50°37′21″N 4°43′36″W / 50.6226°N 4.7268°W / 50.6226; -4.7268 ( Delabole station ) ) resulted in considerable outwards mineral traffic. The station opened on 18 October 1893 after
4905-424: The bridge. When the bridge was first completed tolls were charged for its maintenance. In 1853, it was widened from 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16 feet). A second widening took place in 1952 and then in 1963 it was again widened taking it to 12 m (39 ft). The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway from Wadebridge to Wenfordbridge with branch lines to Bodmin and Ruthernbridge was built at a cost of £35,000 following
5014-483: The coal mines of County Durham . He favoured 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) for wagonways in Northumberland and Durham , and used it on his Killingworth line. The Hetton and Springwell wagonways also used this gauge. Stephenson's Stockton and Darlington railway (S&DR) was built primarily to transport coal from mines near Shildon to the port at Stockton-on-Tees . Opening in 1825,
5123-597: The colonies. Parts of the United States, mainly in the Northeast, adopted the same gauge, because some early trains were purchased from Britain. The American gauges converged, as the advantages of equipment interchange became increasingly apparent. Notably, all the 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) broad gauge track in the South was converted to "almost standard" gauge 4 ft 9 in ( 1,448 mm ) over
5232-459: The course of two days beginning on 31 May 1886. See Track gauge in the United States . In continental Europe, France and Belgium adopted a 1,500 mm ( 4 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 16 in ) gauge (measured between the midpoints of each rail's profile ) for their early railways. The gauge between the interior edges of the rails (the measurement adopted from 1844) differed slightly between countries, and even between networks within
5341-491: The difficult terrain. The struggle to achieve railway dominance in the West Country was fierce between the GWR and the rival London and South Western Railway (LSWR) company. The LSWR had the intention of reaching Cornwall with a standard gauge line, but found necessity in concentrating its resources further east, it had been unable to make progress towards connecting Cornwall into its network. In 1847 it had purchased
5450-465: The dock for the barges bringing sand for onward movement there was another dock capable of holding 5 vessels and construction of a breakwater was considered, while in 1880 there were quays on both sides of the river below the bridge with that on the west bank being served by the railway although the "sand dock" had been filled in by 1895. In the 1900s vessels such as the M.V. Florence brought cargos including slag (for fertiliser), grain and coal, and flour
5559-454: The early 16th century he wrote that the piers were resting on packs of wool. Begun in 1468 and completed in 1485, the bridge was traditionally known as the "Bridge on Wool" because it was reputedly built on wool sacks. In fact, however, it has been proven to be founded directly on the underlying bedrock. The bridge was a strategic position in the English Civil War as in 1646 Oliver Cromwell came with 500 Dragoons and 1,000 horsemen to take
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#17328022487245668-423: The face of road transport and more attractive destinations. It closed on 3 October 1966, the Wadebridge to Padstow section continuing to be served by Bodmin trains until it too closed on 28 January 1967. With the cessation of Padstow–Wadebridge services, Cornwall County Council purchased the trackbed from British Railways and in 1980 converted the bed to into the Camel Trail . A section of trackbed from Launceston
5777-740: The first railways to the 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ) Irish broad gauge. New South Wales then built to the standard gauge, so trains had to stop on the border and passengers transferred, which was only rectified in the 1960s. Queensland still runs on a narrow gauge but there is a standard gauge line from NSW to Brisbane. NMBS/SNCB 3,619 km (2,249 mi) Brussels Metro 40 km (25 mi) Trams in Brussels 140 km (87 mi) 1,032 km (641 mi) The Toronto Transit Commission uses 4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in ( 1,495 mm ) gauge on its streetcar and subway lines. Takoradi to Sekondi Route,
5886-475: The first was added later. In 1928 Otterham returned the lowest ticket sales on the line. The station was host to a Southern Railway camping coach from 1935 to 1939. Following the withdrawal of goods facilities on the line on 7 September 1964, the passing loop, sidings, and signal box were officially taken out of use on 7 February 1965, and the trackwork was removed that October. Under the Western Region
5995-559: The four subsidiaries; £825,000 of capital was transferred in this way, the arrangement receiving Parliamentary authority on 15 August 1913. Under the provisions of the Grouping Act , on 1 January 1923, the railway companies of Great Britain were amalgamated into " The Big Four " companies. As a part of railway grouping, the North Cornwall Railway was absorbed by the LSWR which itself became a "constituent company" of
6104-420: The harbour at Wadebridge to the immediate hinterland. A Main line railway connection reached Cornwall with the opening of the Cornwall Railway in 1859, a company allied with other companies making up a broad gauge alliance, led by the Great Western Railway (GWR). The Cornwall Railway ran east to west in the southern part of the county, and it had exhausted its financial resources in building its line through
6213-458: The harbour commissioners' bonds. The work was completed by 1920, by which time the LSWR was the dominant partner in the operation of the harbour. The building of the North Cornwall Line had been undertaken by four different financial entities for reasons of raising finance at a difficult time. In 1912 the LSWR chairman, Herbert Walker, proposed a capital reconstruction under which a single North Cornwall Railway Leased Line stock would be created from
6322-502: The heritage Launceston Steam Railway . In his tribute to the network of railway lines operated by the LSWR in North and West Devon and North Cornwall , T.W.E. Roch wrote that "There are few more fascinating lines than the one which leads to North Cornwall from Okehampton." In the 19th century, Padstow was an important fishing port, but it was hampered by lack of land communication with its markets. The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway opened in 1834, but it limited its horizons to connecting
6431-429: The initial gauge of 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) was set to accommodate the existing gauge of hundreds of horse-drawn chaldron wagons that were already in use on the wagonways in the mines. The railway used this gauge for 15 years before a change was made, debuting around 1850, to the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge. The historic Mount Washington Cog Railway ,
6540-534: The inner sides of the rails) to be used. Different railways used different gauges, and where rails of different gauge met – a " gauge break " – loads had to be unloaded from one set of rail cars and reloaded onto another, a time-consuming and expensive process. The result was the adoption throughout a large part of the world of a "standard gauge" of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ), allowing interconnectivity and interoperability. A popular legend that has circulated since at least 1937 traces
6649-400: The inside edges of the rails is defined to be 1,435 mm except in the United States, Canada, and on some heritage British lines, where it is defined in U.S. customary / Imperial units as exactly "four feet eight and one half inches", which is equivalent to 1,435.1 mm. As railways developed and expanded, one of the key issues was the track gauge (the distance, or width, between
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#17328022487246758-416: The likes of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Gretchen Peters , Scotland's Eddi Reader MBE and Dougie Maclean OBE, The Unthanks , Martin Carthy MBE and Irish singer Cara Dillon rubbing shoulders with Cornish and bands. The "musician's musician" Wiz Jones and father of the Lakeman clan ( Seth Lakeman , Sam Lakeman and Sean Lakeman ) Geoff Lakeman are the festival's patrons. The festival
6867-508: The loading dock had been removed three months earlier. The siding and passing loop were officially taken out of use on 14 November 1964, with the station becoming unstaffed on 6 January 1965. The station closed on 3 October 1966. The station is now a guest house. Otterham (236m 20ch) ; Otterham station ( Cornish : Prasotri ) ( 50°40′29″N 4°36′47″W / 50.6748°N 4.6130°W / 50.6748; -4.6130 ( Otterham station ) ) opened on 14 August 1893
6976-408: The newly established Southern Railway . While the process of grouping took practical effect at the beginning of 1923, although a number of technical requirements resulted in the official transfer dates varying. Under the provisions of the Transport Act 1947 the railways of Great Britain were nationalised into British Railways at the beginning of 1948, with the North Cornwall Line was placed into
7085-409: The north side and "St Michael's" on the south side. People would pray for a safe crossing at one of the chapels before wading across at low tide, once they had made it the other side they would give thanks to God in the other chapel. In 1312, a licence was granted for a market at Wade by Edward II who also granted two fairs annually; on the feast of Saint Vitalis and at Michaelmas . Wade was part of
7194-418: The northern coastal area. As part of the 1923 railway groupings , the North Cornwall line came under the full ownership of LSWR, as the LSWR itself came under the ownership of Southern Railway . From 1948 the line was nationalised and brought under British Railways , where it remained until the line's closure in 1967 as a part of the Beeching Axe . Today the NCR's trackbed is used for the Camel Trail and
7303-445: The origin of the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge even further back than the coalfields of northern England, pointing to the evidence of rutted roads marked by chariot wheels dating from the Roman Empire . Snopes categorised this legend as "false", but commented that it "is perhaps more fairly labeled as 'Partly true, but for trivial and unremarkable reasons. ' " The historical tendency to place
7412-405: The outermost portions of the wheel rims, it became apparent that for vehicles travelling on rails, having main wheel flanges that fit inside the rails is better, thus the minimum distance between the wheels (and, by extension, the inside faces of the rail heads ) was the important one. A standard gauge for horse railways never existed, but rough groupings were used; in the north of England none
7521-469: The parish of St Breock and the river separated it from the neighbouring parish of Egloshayle. At some time the ford was supplemented by a ferry until the Reverend Thomas Lovibond (the vicar of Egloshayle ) became distressed at the number of humans and animals that died during the crossing of the River Camel so he planned the building of a bridge which was completed in 1468. Wade then became known as Wadebridge. When John Leland travelled through Cornwall in
7630-424: The railway initially linked with river traffic well having been designed to distribute sand from the river to the local farms via a "sand dock" constructed upstream of the bridge at the point where the Treguddick Brook (Polmorla Brook) flows into the River Camel. This commodity, brought up from Padstow in barges, had previously been taken as far as Michaelstow and Blisland using pack animals. In 1843 apart from
7739-400: The railway. Worked throughout its existence by the LSWR, the North Cornwall Line was dependent on the larger company, and in 1894 terms were agreed for a sale to the LSWR With progress being made in Line's construction, a parliamentary request was issued for a line from Padstow to Newquay and Truro, and from there with running powers over GWR lines to Falmouth and Penzance . This request
7848-411: The rest of the network. All other railways use 1,668 mm ( 5 ft 5 + 21 ⁄ 32 in ) ( broad gauge ) and/or 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge . BLS , Rigi Railways (rack railway) 449 km Several states in the United States had laws requiring road vehicles to have a consistent gauge to allow them to follow ruts in
7957-408: The rise from near Sea Level at Padstow to a summit at 860 feet above Sea Level between Camelford and Otterham and the line constantly curved, typically with a radius of 30 chains, in order to follow the contours and avoid costly earthworks. The result was a typical journey from Halwill to Padstow that occupied 90 to 100 minutes down and up to 110 minutes in the up direction. These times were reduced over
8066-409: The road. Those gauges were similar to railway standard gauge. Wadebridge Wadebridge ( / ˈ w eɪ d b r ɪ dʒ / ; Cornish : Ponswad ) is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall , England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles (eight kilometres) upstream from Padstow . The permanent population was 6,222 in the census of 2001, increasing to 7,900 in
8175-443: The rugged North Cornwall terrain prevented this. However Southern National omnibus connections gave journey options: Tintagel and Boscastle had good connections from Camelford, Newquay from Wadebridge, and Bedruthan and Trevone Bay from Padstow. Otterham is marked in the timetable as being the "Station for Wilsey Down and Davidstow (2½ miles) and Crackington Haven (5 miles)". By 1964 the passenger service had declined to four trains
8284-677: The short turntable at Padstow prevented anything larger than the Southern Railway mixed traffic 2-6-0 types from working over the line. However, after the turntable was replaced, the Bulleid Light Pacific locomotives were able to use the line. On summer Saturdays in the 1950s, some trains loaded to ten coaches, and in that era the Standard 2-6-4T class came into use on the line. While the GWR could easily serve major Devon and Cornwall resorts on its main line and branches,
8393-523: The single siding, with the goods shed on a loop between the siding and headshunt. The station opened on 14 August 1893, with station signs proclaiming " Camelford for Boscastle and Tintagel ". Camelford was the busiest intermediate station between Launceston and Wadebridge, but the distance from the town kept the passenger numbers low: in 1928 there was an average of just over 20 tickets issued daily, with 35 collected, and this number steadily declining with improved road transport. No alterations were made to
8502-403: The site of the up platform. Betty & Tom's siding (246m 77ch) ; the siding was accessed by a facing point when travelling in the up direction, so that trains would leave Wadebridge and then run round at Delabole in order to reverse uphill into the siding. The key to the ground frame that controlled access was attached to the single-line token. The siding was rather short, and was effectively
8611-416: The slate company donated 1.5 miles of trackbed free to the LSWR. It was equipped with a passing loop and two platforms. A single siding was provided behind the up platform, which was where the signal box was sited. On the downside the platform had the station building and a short loading dock with the goods shed on a further siding running behind the platform. A single road through engine shed was provided, with
8720-511: The station layout throughout its life; the sidings were officially taken out of use on 30 November 1965 after the end of goods traffic the previous year, but the signal box and passing loop remained operational until closure on 3 October 1966. The small settlement of Camelford Station grew up around the railway and the station site was for a time occupied by the British Cycling Museum (subsequently closed). More information about
8829-595: The station was unmanned from 6 December 1965 and appeared as Otterham Halt in WR timetables. The station closed on 3 October 1966, and for many years after closure operated as a caravan site. More recently a new road of houses has occupied the trackbed at the eastern end of the old platforms.The station building is now a private residence. Camelford (240m 56ch) ; ( Cornish : Reskammel ) ( 50°38′20″N 4°41′14″W / 50.6389°N 4.6871°W / 50.6389; -4.6871 ( Camelford station ) )
8938-492: The term "narrow gauge" for gauges less than standard did not arise for many years, until the first such locomotive-hauled passenger railway, the Ffestiniog Railway , was built. In 1845, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , a Royal Commission on Railway Gauges reported in favour of a standard gauge. The subsequent Gauge Act ruled that new passenger-carrying railways in Great Britain should be built to
9047-401: The up platform, with a siding behind serving cattle pens. There was a level crossing at the down end of the station immediately at the platforms' end, the only one between Launceston and Wadebridge. The population of the surrounding area dropped between the building of the railway in the early 1890s and closure in the 1960s; it was always sparse and revenue poor resulting in various economies over
9156-429: The village itself, the station was better used than many on the route, and the proximity of the quarry ensured that freight receipts remained healthy. Goods services were withdrawn on 7 September 1964 and the loading dock was removed; the siding on the down side had been removed some time previously. The station closed on 3 October 1966. The station building is now in use as a private residence, and houses have been built on
9265-416: The west bank of the river. On St. Swithin's day 1965, there was a flood in Wadebridge town centre after five and a half inches of rain fell in four and a half hours around high tide. The Swan Hotel on The Platt was flooded to a depth of one and a half feet. For many years, Wadebridge was a traffic-congested town, through which the route of the A39 trunk road passed; however, in 1991, the Wadebridge bypass
9374-434: The wheels of horse-drawn vehicles around 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) apart probably derives from the width needed to fit a carthorse in between the shafts. Research, however, has been undertaken to support the hypothesis that "the origin of the standard gauge of the railway might result from an interval of wheel ruts of prehistoric ancient carriages". In addition, while road-travelling vehicles are typically measured from
9483-426: The world's first mountain -climbing rack railway , is still in operation in the 21st century, and has used the earlier 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) gauge since its inauguration in 1868. George Stephenson introduced the 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge (including a belated extra 1 ⁄ 2 in (13 mm) of free movement to reduce binding on curves ) for
9592-415: The years with more powerful locomotives so that by the 1940s journey times between Launceston and Padstow were typically 80 minutes in the down direction and 90 minutes in the up. The maximum speed permitted on the North Cornwall line was 55 mph. The 1938 Bradshaw's Railway Guide shows five down and six up trains a day (Monday to Friday) on the line, plus a first up train from Launceston to Halwill and
9701-464: The years. In the late 1920s responsibility for the station was passed to the stationmaster at Otterham, and in 1930 the block instruments were moved from the signalbox to the Booking Office under the charge of a porter-signalman. The goods facilities closed on 9 May 1961 and the goods sidings were removed the following year. The station closed on 3 October 1966. The former station building is now
9810-496: Was also a regular cargo brought from Ranks at Avonmouth. However, in the 1950s the river silted badly so that the ketch Agnes was possibly the last vessel to bring cargo to Wadebridge when she was recorded there in 1955. In 1877, after cracks appeared in the rock on which the Eddystone Lighthouse was positioned, a new lighthouse was commissioned from James Nicholas Douglass . Granite quarried from De Lank quarry
9919-400: Was also sought, as by the end of the nineteenth century when the line was completed this business was well established at comparable locations elsewhere. In the 1920s the areas of Padstow and Wadebridge were described as 'formerly neglected' referring to the time before the railway was built, but the same guide book then continues to say that the only attraction in the area is 'yachting' although
10028-471: Was brought down to Wadebridge where stonemasons dovetailed each segment of stone not only to each other but also to the courses above and below. As each layer was completed and checked to fit with the layer above, it was sent out to the Eddystone rocks by sea. The lighthouse was completed in 1882. This resulted in the road where the masons worked being called Eddystone Road. During World War I Wadebridge
10137-458: Was due to open on 1 July 1892 but a landslip in an adjacent cutting delayed this until 28 July. As at all stations on the line there was a passing loop here, with the station building on the down platform and signal box on the up platform. A single siding behind the down platform gave access to a goods shed and loading dock; goods facilities officially ceased in September 1964 although the line to
10246-405: Was educated in the town. In media, Michael White , journalist, associate editor and former political editor of The Guardian was born here in 1945. Andrew Ridgeley , member of the pop music duo, Wham! and his partner Keren Woodward , from the group Bananarama , lived in a converted farmhouse near the town. Sergeant Steven Roberts , the first soldier to die in the 2003 invasion of Iraq ,
10355-580: Was featured in the German travel documentary Wunderschön in Spring 2023. Depending on the tides, the Camel River Festival is held around August or September. The main attraction is a set of raft races on the river, with bar, food, stalls and more live music. In October, The Bikelights procession through the town centre showcases decorated bicycles and involves many youngsters. In November
10464-501: Was granted though the North Cornwall Railway Act of 1894, which also included provisions for slight deviations in route and scheduling from previously approved plans. However, the extension was an aspiration for which there was no possibility of raising the necessary finance, and the plan was abandoned. Despite the failure of the proposal, the GWR remained concerned by the prospect of further LSWR expansion, and it
10573-547: Was home to refugees from the Netherlands and Belgium . In order to support them, a property in Park Street was converted into a Calvinist chapel. Despite the rural nature of the area and the lack of military installations, during World War II there was a single recorded air raid when three bombs were dropped on the hill above Fernleigh Road. Residents report hearing the bombs whistling as they fell and landed in
10682-784: Was less than 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ). Wylam colliery's system, built before 1763, was 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ), as was John Blenkinsop 's Middleton Railway ; the old 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) plateway was relaid to 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) so that Blenkinsop's engine could be used. Others were 4 ft 4 in ( 1,321 mm ) (in Beamish ) or 4 ft 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,410 mm ) (in Bigges Main (in Wallsend ), Kenton , and Coxlodge ). English railway pioneer George Stephenson spent much of his early engineering career working for
10791-552: Was located on a narrow strip of reclaimed land with the Atlantic Ocean , visible in the distance. Halwill and Beaworthy (209m 60ch) ; LSWR station on the Holsworthy line; renamed Halwill Junction March 1887 Ashwater (214m 67ch) ; see Ashwater railway station Tower Hill (218m 35ch) ; see Tower Hill railway station (Devon) Launceston (223m 34ch) ; the first station on the line in Cornwall, adjacent to
10900-438: Was more than a mile away: by road the distance was 2 miles (3.2 km). Otterham Station was also the name of a hamlet which grew up near the station. The down platform was provided with a waiting shelter while the station building and signal box were on the up platform; all three were built of local stone. A single siding on the up side provided access to a loading dock, but there was no goods shed. A second siding parallel to
11009-533: Was opened, together with the Egloshayle bypass, enabling the two settlements to regain much of their former charm. The main shopping street in Wadebridge (Molesworth Street) has subsequently been pedestrianised through construction of an inner link road, allowing traffic-free shopping. Local bus services are operated by Go Cornwall Bus and Kernow , with routes to Boscastle , Bude , Launceston , Padstow and Truro . Wadebridge no longer has its own national railway station , since its closure in 1967. The nearest
11118-605: Was reported to have said that if he had had a second chance to choose a gauge, he would have chosen one wider than 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ). "I would take a few inches more, but a very few". During the " gauge war " with the Great Western Railway , standard gauge was called " narrow gauge ", in contrast to the Great Western's 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ) broad gauge . The modern use of
11227-440: Was served by a railway station between 1834 and 1967; part of the line now forms the Camel Trail , a recreational route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The town used to be a road traffic bottleneck on the A39 road until it was bypassed in 1991, and the main shopping street, Molesworth Street, is now pedestrianised. The town has a secondary school where several notable sports-people were educated. The Royal Cornwall Show
11336-461: Was situated in bleak sparsely populated country at the junction of the A39 and the B3262. At 850 ft (260 m) above sea level it occupied the most exposed section of the line, open to the fury of Atlantic gales in winter - the LSWR planted a group of Scots Pines on the embankment above the down platform to provide some shelter from weather. A footpath linked the station with the village, which
11445-409: Was situated more than 2 miles (3.2 km) from the town "at a road junction in wild country almost devoid of trees". The station had a passing loop with the station building (including canopy) and signal box on the up platform. Like the waiting shelter on the down platform, the buildings were constructed from local stone. As elsewhere on the line, no footbridge was provided. Cattle pens were provided on
11554-711: Was started by a former local councillor, Harriet Wild. In 2012 it also served as a celebration of the Queen's Jubilee. Later in June, the Wadebridge Lions organise a Beer Festival , with brews from across Cornwall, and plenty of live music. July sees the Rock Oyster Festival on fields just outside the town on the Camel River. Oysters are, of course, on the menu, along with bands from the local area,
11663-487: Was the highest navigable town on the River Camel providing the main trade route before the building of the railway, and coasters would bring goods from Bristol and coal from South Wales . Timber was also imported from the Baltic , while stone from inland was sent to destination throughout England. The first locomotives used on the railway were also imported through the quay, being manufactured by Neath Abbey Ironworks, and
11772-411: Was three miles (5 km) from Port Isaac itself, and opened on 1 June 1895, and had a passing loop and a single siding with headshunt that served a goods shed and loading dock. All buildings were of local stone; the station building and signal box locking room were on the up platform, the small waiting shelter on the down platform, and the goods shed. Standard gauge A standard-gauge railway
11881-454: Was to work the line for 55% of gross receipts. The line was opened in stages: The Great Western Railway (GWR) already had a station at Launceston, opened in 1865, and the North Cornwall Railway station was built adjacent to it. At Wadebridge, the line joined with the Bodmin and Wadebridge line; the original station had been expanded when the GWR line from Bodmin was opened in 1888. The fishing activity at Padstow had long been declining, and
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