Christow Railway Station
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Christow Railway Station's previously known as Teign House was a railway station serving the villages of
Christow Christow is a village and civil parish in the Teignbridge district of Devon, England, about southwest of Exeter. The village is in the Teign Valley, just off the B3193 road that links Chudleigh and Dunsford. Christow is on the eastern edge of ...
,
Bridford Bridford is a village and civil parish in south west England, located in the Teign Valley, Devon on the edge of Dartmoor. The parish is surrounded (clockwise from the north) by the parishes of Dunsford, Doddiscombsleigh, Christow, and Moretonha ...
and
Doddiscombsleigh Doddiscombsleigh (anciently ''Doddescombe Leigh'') is a small settlement in Devon, England. It is southwest of the city of Exeter and one mile East of the River Teign and the Teign Valley. Along with a few other places in Devon, it is one of ...
in
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
, England located on the line between
Newton Abbot Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish on the River Teign in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England. Its 2011 population of 24,029 was estimated to reach 26,655 in 2019. It grew rapidly in the Victorian era as the home of the Sou ...
and
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
. The station is/was actually in the parish of Doddiscombsleigh as the parish boundary is the River Teign.


History

Until 1943 Christow was the only passing place on the Teign Valley railway. The red brick station building was on the up platform. The down platform had a waiting shelter and at the far end of the platform was a raised timber built signal box. Originally, Christow was the terminus of the line from Heathfield, and at that time was called Teign House. During this time an extension, known as Teign House Siding, existed for loading stone. The down loop was extended northwards by 370 yards in 1943 as part of the upgrading of the route for trains diverted from the South Devon main line. The sidings are now the home to The Exeter and Teign Valley Railway. They have a Toad brake van that has been converted into sleeping accommodation.Disused Stations
Retrieved : 2012-10-10
Passenger numbers reached their peak in the 1930s with seven daily services provided each way between Exeter and Heathfield. During World War 2 this was reduced to four trains in each direction, still with no trains on a Sunday. This was increased to five daily trains after the war. As stated, the line was sometimes used as a diversionary route if the South Devon main line was unavailable.Disused Stations
Retrieved : 2012-10-08


Freight

Two sidings were added behind the down platform in 1914 for Scatter Rock Quarry traffic and a 3/4 mile siding curved sharply away to the Bridford Quarry of the Devon Basalt and Granite Company in use between 1910 - 1931. The Bridford Barytes Mine also used the railway at Christow conveying Barium Sulphate to Exeter for milling; this traffic ceased in July 1958. In the winter of 1960 and March 1961 severe flooding of the Teign washed away the track bed just beyond Trusham and this was never reinstated, thereby isolating Ashton and Christow stations completely. These stations were officially closed as of 1 May 1961 and the tracks lifted in the summer of 1963.


The present day

The station building is now a private house and the trackbed has been infilled to platform height. The Teign Valley line may have a role to play in the future, as an alternative to the Devon's main line route along the Dawlish coastline which is vulnerable to stormy seas. The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) put together a feasibility study. Some of the old infrastructure is still in place - six of the 21 miles of track remained in 2009. The Exeter and Teign Valley Railway has established a base in the old Christow station goods yard and plans to re-open the Teign Valley Line.
Retrieved : 2012-10-10


References

;Notes ;Sources * *


External links


Christow old station building in 2011

Film Footage
{{commons category, Christow railway station Disused railway stations in Devon Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1903 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1958 Former Great Western Railway stations