Railway Day Trips: 160 classic train journeys around Britain

After following the east bank of the Tamar, the railway crosses its tributary, the River Tavy, on an attractive 8-span bowstring bridge to arrive at the isolated village of Bere Ferrers, where the privately owned station buildings and signal box have been lovingly restored to their former glory and are open to the public. From here, the railway continues north to Bere Alston station where the train reverses direction to take the winding route to Gunnislake.

Abounding in sharp curves and steep gradients, the railway soon crosses the Tamar high above on the spectacular concrete 12-arch Calstock Viaduct, which was completed in 1908. After crossing the viaduct, today’s trains call at tiny Calstock station before meandering high above the river to end at the minimal station of Gunnislake. For centuries the village was at the heart of an important industrial and mining region and was also the lowest crossing point of the Tamar until the opening of the Tamar Bridge near Plymouth in 1961. The mining and quarrying ended in the late 19th century and Gunnislake now lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

walks in Tamar Valley (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) from Gunnislake station; Rising Sun Inn (real ale pub in Gunnislake); Cotehele House and Gardens (Calstock); Bere Alston station museum

FREQUENCY OF TRAINS

1 every 2 hours

15¼ MILES 45 MINUTES

NUMBER OF CHANGES: 0

A Plymouth to Gunnislake train slowly crosses the River Tamar on the impressive viaduct at Calstock.

TOTNES TO BUCKFASTLEIGH

The 9½-mile broad-gauge single-track branch line from Totnes to Ashburton was opened in 1872. It was converted to standard gauge in 1892 and became part of the Great Western Railway five years later. Serving small villages and farming communities on the edge of Dartmoor, the line led a fairly quiet life and was closed to passengers in 1958 and to goods in 1962. Lord Beeching reopened it as the South Devon Railway in 1969, but ‘improvements’ to the A38 trunk road led to the section between Buckfastleigh and Ashburton closing in 1971.

Steam-hauled trains now carry visitors on a delightful journey alongside the River Dart from the new terminus at Totnes (Littlehempston) – the station is accessible via a footbridge over the Dart from the national rail network station in the town. Leaving Totnes, the railway winds its way northwards up the meandering Dart Valley and past the parkland grounds of Dartington Hall to reach the only intermediate station and passing loop at Staverton. From here, the railway continues up the wooded valley, occasionally passing farms and isolated cottages before ending at the lovingly restored Buckfastleigh station. Here, a small but fascinating railway museum, miniature railway, café, butterfly farm and otter sanctuary are found while in the town (reached under the ugly concrete bridge of the A38 dual carriageway) there is Buckfast Abbey, famous (some say notorious) for its popular tonic wine.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

railway museum; miniature railway; Buckfast Abbey; otter sanctuary; butterfly farm; Sea Trout Inn (Staverton)

FREQUENCY OF TRAINS

3-9 per day (mid-Feb, mid-Mar-early Nov, Christmas week and New Year)

7 MILES 30 MINUTES

NUMBER OF CHANGES: 0

Hauled by a restored GWR locomotive, a passenger train makes its way along the idyllic Dart Valley to Buckfastleigh.

EXETER TO KINGSWEAR

Our journey starts at Exeter St Davids station, from where Brunel opened his broad-gauge atmospheric South Devon Railway to Totnes in 1848. The intention was to reach Plymouth but the resounding failure of this eccentric system, which required no locomotives, soon saw it replaced by more conventional steam motive power. Heading south, the railway closely follows the west bank of the ever-widening Exe Estuary through Starcross (for the passenger ferry to Exmouth) and Dawlish Warren before tunnelling through the red sandstone cliffs on a dramatic coast-hugging route to Dawlish and Teignmouth. From here the railway heads inland along the shore of the Teign Estuary to Newton Abbot, once an important railway junction town. Leaving the town behind, the Paignton branch soon diverges from the main line to Plymouth, to head south through Torre and Torquay along the former broad-gauge route that opened between 1848 and 1859.

On arrival at the resort town of Paignton passengers must transfer the short distance to the terminus of the Dartmouth Steam Railway before continuing their journey to Kingswear. This 6½-mile single-track railway was originally opened in 1864 and survived threatened closure by Dr Beeching when it was seamlessly reopened as a heritage railway at the beginning of 1973. South of Paignton, the railway climbs along the coastline above Goodrington Sands to Churston station from where a short branch line to Brixham operated until closure in 1963. Descending from Churston, the railway emerges from Greenway Tunnel to closely follow the east bank of the tidal River Dart before ending at the picturesque overall-roofed terminus at Kingswear. A regular ferry service operates from here across the Dart to Dartmouth.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

ferry to Dartmouth; boat trips up River Dart to Totnes; Dartmouth Castle; medieval and Elizabethan streets and architecture (Dartmouth); Dartmouth Museum (Butterwalk); 14th-century Cherub Inn (Dartmouth)

FREQUENCY OF TRAINS

Exeter to Paignton: 2 per hourPaignton to Kingswear: 4-9 per day (Feb-Nov)

35 MILES 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES

NUMBER OF CHANGES: 1

(Paignton)

Trains on the Dartmouth Steam Railway end their journey from Paignton along the shore of the picturesque Dart Estuary at Kingswear.

Historic Kingswear is reached via a ferry from Dartmouth.

EXETER TO BARNSTAPLE

Marketed as the ‘Tarka Line’, this scenic railway winds its way along the unspoilt valleys of the Yeo and Taw rivers through rich farmland and wooded countryside, linking the cathedral city of Exeter with scattered small villages and the ‘capital’ of North Devon. Opened in stages between 1851 and 1854 this railway is the only survivor of a network of lines – collectively known as the ‘Withered Arm’ – that served resorts in North Devon and North Cornwall until the ‘Beeching Axe’ of the 1960s. Today’s trains depart from Exeter Central station and descend the 1-in-37 gradient to busy St Davids station, situated on the former Great Western Railway’s main line between Paddington and Penzance. From here, Barnstaple-bound trains head north alongside the River Exe before branching off up the Yeo Valley, criss-crossing the river eight times to reach the town of Crediton.

West of Crediton, the railway passes through Yeoford station and at Coleford Junction, where it diverges from the little-used heritage line to Okehampton, heads northwest through Copplestone station to reach the summit of the line at Morchard Road. From here it is downhill to Lapford before joining the winding, wooded valley of the River Taw to Eggesford station where there is a passing loop. Here the 12th-century church and surrounding countryside attract walkers while the nearby pub, and several others along the line, attract real ale aficionados. The railway continues its descent along the peaceful and heavily wooded Taw Valley through King’s Nympton, Portsmouth Arms, Umberleigh and Chapelton stations (all request stops). North of Chapelton the valley broadens out through dairy farmland before the railway terminates at Barnstaple station. With its famous pannier market, unspoilt town centre and attractive riverside location Barnstaple is worthy of exploration and also makes a good starting point for walkers and cyclists along several closed railway lines that make up the Tarka Trail northwards to Braunton and southwards to Bideford and Torrington.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

cycle hire; Tarka Trail railway path to Bideford and Torrington; riverside railway path to Braunton; Queen Anne’s Walk; Pannier Market and Butchers’ Row; Barnstaple Castle Mound; Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon; Heritage Trail; South West Coast Path

FREQUENCY OF TRAINS

1 per hour (Mon-Sat)

1 every 2 hours (Sun)

39 MILES 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

NUMBER OF CHANGES: 0

A colourful Tarka Line train from Exeter makes its way through rolling Devon farmland en route to Barnstaple.

EXETER TO OKEHAMPTON

This day trip is currently only possible on summer Sundays in conjunction with the Dartmoor Sunday Rover Network. Trains from Exeter St Davids station follow the same route as the ‘Tarka Line’ (#u29f7cb96-3c50-51ba-b37f-1c2501d04ca0) as far as Coleford Junction and then branch off along the route of the former London & South Western Railway’s main line to Plymouth which opened throughout in 1890. This was effectively closed in 1968 with the ending of services between Bere Alston (#u0306c138-c9cd-5a0a-861b-4c2264d40e0c) and Okehampton although the latter continued to be served by passenger trains from Exeter until 1972. Fortunately, a single track was retained for ballast traffic from Meldon Quarry and in recent years it has also seen the Dartmoor Railway operating a limited heritage service over a section of the line.

From Coleford Junction the railway skirts around the northern edge of Dartmoor for 16½ miles, passing through Sampford Courtenay station before terminating at the superbly restored Okehampton station, set high above the town. There is a café here, and a Youth Hostel is located in the former goods shed. From the station, the 11-mile Granite Way footpath and cycleway parallels the railway to Meldon before crossing the magnificent wrought- and cast-iron Meldon Viaduct to follow the trackbed of the closed railway around Dartmoor, over Lake Viaduct, to end at Lydford.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

walking and cycling on Granite Way to Meldon Viaduct, Lake and Lydford; Dartmoor Railway to Meldon; restored Okehampton station; Okehampton Castle; Museum of Dartmoor Life

FREQUENCY OF TRAINS

4 per day (Sun, May-Sept)

25¼ MILES 45 MINUTES