Westward Ho! railway station was a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

north Devon North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. North Devon Council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth ...

, north-west of

Bideford Bideford ( ) is a historic port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is the main town of the Torridge local government district. Toponymy In ancient records Bideford is recorded as ''Bedeford'', ''By ...

, serving the village of Westward Ho!; a tourist community within the parish of

. The village name comes from the title of

Charles Kingsley Charles Kingsley (12 June 1819 – 23 January 1875) was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university professor, social reformer, historian, novelist and poet. He is particularly associated with Christian socialism, the working ...

's novel ''

Westward Ho! Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford, and Bude. It lies at the south end of Northam Burrows and faces westward into Bideford Bay, opposite Saunto ...

'' (1855). The

exclamation mark The exclamation mark, , or exclamation point (American English), is a punctuation mark usually used after an interjection or exclamation to indicate strong feelings or to show emphasis. The exclamation mark often marks the end of a sentence, f ...

was therefore an intentional part of the station's name; the only station in the United Kingdom bearing an exclamation mark.

History

This was the busiest station on the line and a Mr. John Loughlin was the station master;Garner, Page 113 the signalman was a Mr.Spry. Mr. F.W.Galliford managed the refreshments room.Jenkins, Page 106

Infrastructure

Westward Ho! had two platforms of 320 feet length and one foot above rail level, platform lighting, a passing loop of 8 chains allowing three coach trains to pass, a ticket office with waiting rooms and toilet, an 8-lever signal box and a 2-lever ground frame; a waiting room, refreshment room, bookstall, level crossing gates and a Concert Hall called the Station Hall.Garner, Page 76 A siding ran to the Westward Ho! Gas Works. It was controlled by a two-lever ground frame, which was released by a key attached to the Westward Ho! to Appledore section of the train staff.Jenkins, Page 106 The loop was signalled with up home and down home, but no starters. At first only a signal box was present, with a long unbroken fence running along the back of the platforms and no other buildings or lighting. The other station buildings and facilities were probably added circa 1908. Crossing gates protected level crossings at both ends of the station.Garner, Page 52 The station was 4 miles and 55 chains from Bideford Quay.Jenkins, Page 101 In an effort to entice the public onto their trains and provide shelter during inclement weather, the company built a Concert or Reception Hall on the 'up' platform at Westward Ho! in 1901–02; it was called the Station Hall. Performers such as the 'Jolly Dutch' and Clog Dancers performed in Station Hall.Jenkins, Page 103 It was an expensive undertaking, costing £17 9s 7d in 1906, under the heading of 'Services of Minstrels' in the traffic expenses log. The hall was built to attract local and tourist patronage and was fully licensed for music, dancing and the sale of alcohol. This hall was well built and still stood in 1980 as a 'Beer Garden'.Baxter, Page 20

Micro history

On 11 July 1901 a group of inmates from Bideford's local workhouse were carried free of charge to Westward Ho! for an outing.Garner, Page 44 Three young men were observed on Sunday, 4 August 1907 at Westward Ho! station, swearing and fighting. A train was due and Mr. Loughlin, stationmaster, asked them to desist and take care, upon which one of the men caught him round the neck and punched both of his cheeks. The man was fined by the Bideford Magistrates and told that he was lucky to get away with a fine of 10s and costs of 7s 6d. The old trackbed is used as part of the

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises a ...

. The old station trackbed was tarmaced and it was used in the 1960-80s as a bus station by Western National. The signal box became a snack bar; however by 2008 it had been demolished.Garner, Page 109

References

;Notes ;Sources # Baxter, Julia & Jonathan (1980). ''The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore railway 1901-1917.'' Pub. Chard. . # Christie, Peter (1995). ''North Devon History''. The Lazarus Press. # Garner, Rod (2008). ''The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway''. Pub. Kestrel Railway Books. . # Griffith, Roger (1969). ''The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway''. School project and personal communications. Bideford Museum. # Jenkins, Stanley C. (1993). ''The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway.'' Pub. Oakwood Press. . # Kingsley, Charles (1923). ''Westward Ho!'' Pub. London. # Stuckey, Douglas (1962). ''The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway 1901-1917.'' Pub. West Country Publications. # Thomas, David St John (1973). A Regional History of the Railways of Britain, Vol.1: The Westcountry. Pub. David & Charles. {{commons category, Westward Ho! railway station Disused railway stations in Devon Former Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1901 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1917 Torridge District