As I did with the Seaton Branch Line, I would dearly love to be able to follow the Sidmouth one up to the junction with the main Exeter to London line. However, it's getting on for 8 miles and would entail walking through and around housing estates where there's no remains of the track, as well as some stiff walking through fields and woods.
Unlike the Seaton branch, I haven't found any other way via public transport, with the problem of getting back to Sidmouth before catching a bus back to Seaton, so isn't do-able for me. It's a shame as it consists of four stations, one intermediate stop and two gates, which would be really cool to find traces of. However, on doing a bit of research, the station buildings at the junction were demolished and very little remains elsewhere.
The station at Sidmouth, however, is rather interesting, so at least I've seen this part of the branch line!
The building comprises the stationmaster's house
along with the booking hall & office, waiting rooms and toilets. A
short canopy stretched between the gable ends of the house and an office
to shelter incoming passengers.
Opened on July 6th 1984, the train served both local passengers and tourists, as well as freight services. Although the railway was extremely popular, extending the services from 7 to 24 runs a day, the 1960s saw the Beeching Cuts when many branch lines were closed and some, like Sidmouth, had their train services reduced. By then, many people had their own transport, so numbers dropped off and the line was eventually closed for passenger trains on March 6th 1967. Freight trains continued until the line was closed on May 8th of the same year, the track taken up shortly after.
The former stationmaster's house is still intact, along with the other adjoining buildings. The house is now residential and the public parts of the building used for industrial & commercial purposes, notably builders' merchants. Constructed in red brick and contrasted with a light brick for the quoins, window and door surrounds throughout both the house and other station buildings, it looks quite distinctive on the corner of the road...especially in the sunshine.
As
well as the front canopy the rear one is still extant, along with part
of the platform at the rear. What
was part of the station track bed is now a goods yard and car park for
the businesses.
You can just about make out the canopy on the platform side, centre left below. In retrospect I should have gone in to get nearer for a better photo of it but I didn't think to at the time.
Just a short post but there is so much information that it took some sifting through to achieve a comprehensive article. For anyone who's interested in learning more, there's a very detailed account of it on the website Disused Stations, which can be linked to here.
And a few more photos to finish off with.
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