The Brixham Railway Heritage Trail Project

Imagined use of Brixham Railway Heritage Trail - 2 cyclists riding along trail bordered by green vegitation and trees

The Future – What the trail could look like.  Cyclists enjoying a scenic, level ride.

Brixham Railway Station and train painting by Mike Jeffries

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.

Imagined use of Brixham Railway Heritage Trail - 2 runners running along trail bordered by green vegitation and trees

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.

Brixham Railway Heritage Trail - Proposed Section
BRHT first sign, Rope Hill Walk, Brixham

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.

Trail walkers and dogs
The Seal of the Torbay and Brixham Railway Company

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.

Please sign up to our newsletter via the button below – to get project updates and register your interest!

Keep in Touch with the Project

Want to hear more about Brixham Railway Heritage Trail project and events?

There may be ways that you could get involved and help.  Why not sign up to our newsletter here.

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

Train Ticket - Brixham to Churston 2nd class single
Train ticket Brixham to Paignton, Third Class

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.

The best way to get our news and opportunities to get involved is to Sign up to our Newsletter