The Brixham Railway Heritage Trail Project
The Future – What the trail could look like. Cyclists enjoying a scenic, level ride.
The Past – Painting of Brixham Station in the 1950’s by Mike Jeffries
About the Brixham Railway Heritage Trail Project
An exciting community led initiative to repurpose a section of the derelict track-bed into an accessible walking and cycling trail and also showcase Brixham’s rich geological, economic, and cultural heritage.
As a bonus, it is hoped that this section would make the newly resurfaced America’s Lane more accessible to walkers and cyclists at the Churston Village end too. Currently the only safe way to access this end is by car, but there is very limited parking.
The Trail Route
Just over a mile of the original line trackbed remains and this runs from Bridge Road in Churston to North Boundary Road in Brixham.
However, part of this crosses active farmland, so we hope to utilise as much as is practically possible of the remaining section that runs from Bridge Road to Churston Village bridge (see plan below)
In addition to this, we would like to add a brand new section of path at the beginning of the trail. This would run from the Dartmouth Road/Churston Station corner of the field and connect to the old trackbed start by Bridge Road bridge.
Information Sign Boards
We are planning a series of illustrated signboards along the route, full of fascinating historical facts and pictures of this important Brixham landmark.
The one pictured here can be found at the top of Rope Walk in Brixham, just opposite the original location of Brixham Station before it was replaced by housing.
Along the way, there are so many stories to reveal and tell. These include Brixham’s fishing industry, holiday camps, Mr Fish – the farmer, Agatha Christie, World War II aviation fuel sidings, American Army Engineers and Churston Court.
This is a unique opportunity not just to tell the story of Brixham, but to provide an interconnected journey to places of heritage and history in the area and, crucially, to bring together a wide cross-section of community groups as well as visitors with diverse interests.
Accessibility
Our ultimate vision is to create a pleasant, peaceful and safe trail that will be accessible to all, including seasoned walkers, cyclists, families with children in pushchairs, people using mobility aids. A route that is also a practical, green and healthy alternative to driving on the main roads.
The History
On the 13th of May 1963, the Brixham Branch Line and Brixham Railway Station closed for good, after 95 years of service. It was affectionately named The Brixham Whippet, running back and forth between Brixham and Churston stations. The original track was just over 2 miles long and it carried passengers, fish and other goods.
Time is running out to save this important historical landmark! We are seeking to ensure the preservation of the disused line section of the route from future building developments. For that we need lots of local support to prove that enough of us care to see it saved for future generations.
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Keep in Touch with the Project
Want to hear more about Brixham Railway Heritage Trail project and events?
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The Brixham Railway History
The Brixham Railway story is a fascinating tale, especially the early days, and it has been the subject of some excellent books and talks from local historians.
As time goes by, fewer and fewer people living in Brixham and Torbay even knew it existed. That’s why we feel that it’s more important than ever to make a lasting commemoration for future generations to learn about and enjoy.
We hope to tell the full story on this website too including more about the man who championed and funded it from the very start – local solicitor Richard Walter Wolston (1799-1883).
Read more…
Planned Events
We will be showcasing the old Brixham Railway and it’s history through a series of local exhibitions, online presentations and more.
If you want to be kept up to date about these, please sign-up to the email newsletter.
How You Can Help
Donate/Lend Memorabilia
We would love to hear from anyone who has:
- Brixham Station memorabilia
- Photos, Film Archives or slides
- Artifacts such as Brixham Station Record Logs or Tickets
- A story to tell about the Brixham Branch Line
- Anthing else that could help with our project
Any suitable memorabilia can be handed in at Brixham Museum
Volunteering
There will be a number of opportunities to help, including cutting back overgrown vegetation from track sections and assisting at exhibitions.
Let us know if you would like to help so that we can let you know what needs doing and when.
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