Northam (North Devon) railway station

Northam
Map showing the position of Northam station
Location
Place	Northam
Area	North Devon
Operations
Original company	Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Pre-grouping	British Electric Traction
Platforms	1
History
20 May 1901[1][2]	Opened
28 March 1917	Closed[3]
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Northam railway station was a railway station in North Devon, close to Appledore, serving the village of Northam, Parish of Northam; a community within the Appledore peninsula. It was 5 miles and 45 chains from Bideford.^[4]

History

This was the terminus station on the line in 1901^[4] prior to the extension to Appledore of 1908. The station stood a lttle way from the village of Northam. Many of the trevellers were golfers on their way to the links on the Burrows.^[5]

Infrastructure

Northam had a shelter and one platform of 180 feet length on the down side of the line; ^[4] it originally had a short run round loop and a signal box and one semaphore signal,^[4] however with the completion of the extension to Appledore in 1908 it was reduced to a single line without sidings or signalling.^[4][6] The line, without gates, crossed Pimpley Road on the level before reaching the Richmond Road request halt.^[4]

Micro history

In January 1901 a one carriage train ran from Bideford to Northam carrying a few friends of the Directors.^[7]

Jack Shears, who lived at Northam, was one of the trackmen who worked to maintain the permanent way.^[8]

No photographs appear to exist of Northam railway station.

The previous and next stations

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Beach Road Halt Line closed; station closed		Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway Bideford to Westward Ho!, Northam and Appledore		Richmond Road Line closed; station closed

References

Notes;

Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Legend Appledore Lovers Lane Halt Richmond Road Halt Northam Beach Road Halt Westward Ho! Cornborough Cliffs Halt Abbotsham Road Kenwith Castle Halt Causeway Crossing The Lane Halt Bideford Strand Halt 0,0 Bideford Quay Bideford North Devon Railway

1. ^ Jenkins, Page 44
2. ^ Baxter, Page 8
3. ^ Jenkins, Page 123
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Jenkins, Page 110
5. ^ Christie, Page 140
6. ^ Garner, Page 76
7. ^ Baxter, Page 6
8. ^ Griffith, Page 43

Sources;

1. Baxter, Julia & Jonathan (1980). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore railway 1901-1917. Pub. Chard. ISBN 0-9507330-1-6.
2. Christie, Peter (1995). North Devon History. The Lazarus Press. ISBN 1-898546-08-8.
3. Garner, Rod (2008). The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway. Pub. Kestrel Railway Books. ISBN 987-1-905505-09-8.
4. Griffith, Roger (1969). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. School project and personal communications. Bideford Museum.
5. Jenkins, Stanley C. (1993). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway. Oxford : Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-452-0.
6. Stuckey, Douglas (1962). The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway 1901-1917. Pub. West Country Publications.

External links

Coordinates: 51°02′42″N 4°12′58″W / 51.0449°N 4.2161°W / 51.0449; -4.2161