Churchdown station
| Churchdown Halt | |||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | |||
| Place | Churchdown | ||
| Local authority | Devon | ||
| Operations | |||
| Managed by | Apple Tree railway | ||
| Platforms in use | 1 | ||
| History | |||
| Key dates | Opened 1860 | ||
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |||
| |||
Churchdown railway station is a small country halt situated near the village of Churchdown, Devon, England. The station is operated by, and restored by, the Apple Tree railway heritage line that runs from Dudbrook station to Wayworth-on-Sea.
Contents
History
1859-1963
The station was built in 1959, and opened in 1960 as a station on part of the Hayles-Wayworth-on-Sea line. In 1980 it was converted to standard gauge. On April 2nd 1941 at 10.00PM two bombs were dropped by a German bomber returning from Plymouth. One hit a field by the railway, near Wayworth-on-sea. This didn't kill or injur anybody, but the second bomb landed on Churchdown station car park. The station master, James Andrews, was killed in the bomb while he was sitting in the boking hall. The other victim was an innocent passenger, Paul O'Shea, who was waiting for a shuttle service to Holme. The bomb destroyed the entire station car park and building, and services stopped on the line for a week. The track was soon repaired. There is now a war mamorial in Churchdown station, in memory of James Andrews and Paul O' Shea. Also during World War Two the Hailes - Wayworth-on-Sea railway line was used in evacuations for children. Evacuation trains stopped at Churchdown and children were selected by the foster parents in the waiting room. After a derailment of trucks on the Hailes to Wayworth line, the station was closed by BR in 1963 along with the entire branchline. The station was left to disrepair.
1963-1990
By 1980 Churchdown was a wreck again. The building had been demolished in 1970, the platforms were crublimg and the trackbed had been invaded by weeds. In 1986 the Apple Tree railway society were set up, and in 1988 Churchdown had been restored by the Apple Tree Railway society and it was safe to use for passengers. There was also track (and a run-round loop) in the station for trains to terminate in. When the Apple Tree railway heritage line was opened in 1989, the steam engines ran from Dudbrook to Churchdown.
Storm damage, Feburary 2008.
The ATR had been open for 19 years, operating from Dudbrook to Churchdown, and the line were building an extension to Wayworth-on-Sea. Just before the extension to Wayworth was opened Churchdown was demolished in terrible storm weather. The entire building was destructed and the Apple Tree railway did not replace the station as it was not neaded (trains would terminate in Wayworth from then onwards).
Re-building and restoring
After the storm had destroyed Churchdown, the line began to operate trains to Wayworth-on-sea. For 10 months trains went past the site of Churchdown halt and didn't stop. Funds raised from the ATR Festival of Steam in June 2008 were added to a collection of money donated from followers of the line, the government, and the Apple Tree Railway society to re-build the station with a run-round loop. In January 2009 the line was shut while work was carried out to restore the station. And at the end of Janauary the station was ready to be used. There was a steam gala to celebrate the re-opening. The station now has a war memorial in memory of those who died after the Churchdown bombings. Churchdown has won two awards, one being nicest heritage railway station award, and another award for being the station with the most history in the South West.
| Preceding station |  Heritage railways
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudbrook Town | Apple Tree railway | Wayworth-on-sea | ||
