Portrait View Looking Down on Great Torrington Railway Station, Tarka Railway and Tarka Trail from Rolle Bridge, the Main A386 to Bideford.
Torrington Railway Station was closed to passengers in 1965 under the Beeching Axe. Clay and milk continued with the occasional passenger train until the line was finally closed in 1982. The Tarka Railway Group was formed in 2008 with the hope of reopening the line towards Bideford at some stage in the future. The diesel locomotive being overhauled here is called the ‘Torrington Cavalier’. The Great Torrington Railway Station is now the home of the Puffing Billy and the Tarka Valley Railway. This is one of the main access points for the Tarka Trail. The pathway on the right leads seawards towards Bideford and on to Barnstaple via Instow. After the passenger service closed the line was still used to carry clay from the large quarry outside Merton to the port of Bideford and offers good views. The Tarka Trail covers a distance of 180 miles (290 km), following a figure-of-eight route through the North Devon countryside; setting for the fictional ‘Tarka the Otter’ in Henry Williamson’s book. The 31mile (48km) section from Braunton to Meeth is level and mainly tarmacked being built on the disused Railway line. The river Torridge which flows alongside starts its life on Woolley Moors between Bradworthy and Morwenstow. After completing a long loop, it meets the Taw at Appledore then flows out into the Bristol Channel. It is famous for its setting in ‘Tarka the Otter’ by Henry Williamson and more lately in ‘Flow’ a novel for young adults by John Insull.
Size: 3694px × 5473px
Location: Great Torrington Station, Torrington, Devon, England.
Photo credit: © John Insull / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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