Railway Day Trips: 160 classic train journeys around Britain. Julian Holland

       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’ 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 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

       NUMBER OF CHANGES: 0

       The tastefully restored station at Okehampton is served by trains from Exeter on summer Sundays.

      EXETER TO EXMOUTH

      This scenic seaside branch line that runs alongside the east shore of the Exe Estuary was opened in 1861. An extension from Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth Junction was opened in 1903 but this route became a victim of the ‘Beeching Axe’ in 1967. Trains for Exmouth depart from Exeter Central station and follow the route of the main line to Salisbury as far as Exmouth Junction. Here the Exmouth branch diverges southwards through Polsloe Bridge and Digby & Sowton stations before meeting the coast at Topsham. The line is marketed as the ‘Avocet Line’, so named after the pied avocet that live on the estuary, and has seen large increases in passenger usage in recent years, with Exmouth station being the fifth busiest in Devon.

      At Topsham station there is a passing loop, which enables trains to run at 30-minute intervals. From here the coast-hugging line passes through Exton and Lympstone Commando stations, both request stops, and after halting at Lympstone Village station continues down the coast to terminate at Exmouth. With a population of over 35,000 this seaside resort town has much to offer the day tripper, from its fascinating architecture and promenade to beaches and water-sports facilities. A passenger ferry operates from Easter to October across the Exe Estuary – a Site of Special Scientific Interest noted for its migrating and wading birds – to Starcross, where a train can be caught back to Exeter.

       DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

      passenger ferry to Starcross; promenade and 2-mile sandy beach; water sports; South West Coast Path; bird watching on Exe Estuary; 18th-century A La Ronde (NT); railway path to Knowle

       FREQUENCY OF TRAINS

      2 per hour

       10½ MILES 25 MINUTES

       NUMBER OF CHANGES: 0

       Colourful modern apartments overlook the harbour in the popular seaside resort of Exmouth.

      EXETER TO SALISBURY

      This is a lovely day trip along the former London & South Western Railway’s switchback main line (opened in 1860) through the rolling East Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire countryside to the historic cathedral city of Salisbury.