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PHOTO
GALLERY GROUP 56
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Brushford
to Nightcott, Somerset. Tucked
away near the summit of the Taunton to Barnstaple branch line lies
a little known railway path of 2 miles which links Brushford with
the hamlet of Nightcott, two miles to the west. Once part of the
broad gauge Devon & Somerset Railway, this section of the old
trackbed is now part of the Exe Valley Way. On 13th August 2011,
members of the club's South Western Area enjoyed a walk along this
route, extended at either end by some specially negotiated extras,
namely a couple of walks over privately owned sections of trackbed,
plus visits to the former stations. The following photographs provide
a record of the day.
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Above:
Dulverton station – actually in Brushford –
viewed from the former road-over-rail bridge which carries the B3222
over what would now be called the 'station throat'. (No doubt the
Victorians had a more elegant term for it.) As can be seen, the
Devon & Somerset Railway was no slouch in the beautiful scenery
stakes! All of this is private property, so please do not trespass.
The railway path starts at the west end of Brushford village, near
St. Nicholas's church. 23rd July 2011. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
A second view of Dulverton station from the B3222. Passengers
on local bus services (398 Minehead-Tiverton and 25B Taunton-Dulverton)
catch a fleeting glimpse of this fine building as they pass by –
but blink and you'll miss it. In practice, this is not a very good
place to stand in the public highway with a camera. 23rd July 2011.
(Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
The trackbed of the former Devon & Somerset Railway at
Brushford, looking west. Since the line closed in October 1966, the
lineside vegetation has grown more or less unchecked, restricting
the lineside views. However, a few farm gates along the route provide
opportunities to see what lies beyond, and it is well worth pausing
at these to 'stand
and stare' for a while. 13th August 2011. (Ivor Sutton) |
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Above:
The interior of East Anstey Tunnel, looking west. This is a generously
proportioned structure, having been built to Brunel's broad gauge.
Unfortunately, being in a deep cutting, it has suffered from an accumulation
of water and is now a rather marshy place. The tunnel is only 22 yards
long and is believed to be owned by British Rail Board (Residuary)
Ltd. The next tunnel to the east – Nightcott or Nightcote –
is another short one at just 44 yards, but elsewhere on the branch
there were 'sensible' tunnels and a number of sizeable viaducts. 13th
August 2011. (Ivor Sutton) |
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Above:
'This will be why we didn't walk through the tunnel, then'.
If you look again at the picture above this one, i.e. the tunnel interior,
you will see that the portal at the west end opens on to a near solid
'green wall'. This is what all that vegetation looks like a little
further west. This view was taken from the road-over-rail bridge immediately
east of East Anstey station, and is looking west towards Barnstaple.
The gable end of the station goods shed can just be made out in the
distance, slightly to the left of centre. 13th August 2011. (Ivor
Sutton) |
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Above:
The down, i.e. Barnstaple bound, platform of East Anstey
station. This was the first platform at East Anstey, opened on 1st
November 1873; the second platform, on the up side, was built in 1876
by the GWR, which correctly recognised that more passing places were
needed on the line if its services were to achieve better time-keeping.
We are very grateful to the station owners both here and at Dulverton
for providing us with a unique opportunity to visit these historic
buildings. 13th August 2011. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
On the way back from East Anstey to Brushford, the party
travelled via a bridleway over Beer Moors, which provided an opportunity
to enjoy the first class scenery which the lineside vegetation on
the old trackbed had largely concealed from view. 13th August 2011.
(Dave Hurley) |
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Above:
The final stop of the day was at a member's home in Brushford,
where the 'unique garden feature' needed no explanation. The cool
conditions on the day actually enhanced the colours of the bridge's
stonework, where every block was hand cut. Who would even dream of
constructing a bridge in such a manner today? This is why old railway
architecture deserves to be kept – the vast majority of it actually
enhances the landscape or the built environment. Can the same be said,
for example, of the 1959 concrete bridges on the M1? 13th August 2011.
(Ivor Sutton) |
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