Post by Dave on Jul 17, 2013 15:42:49 GMT
It was the uncovering of an old railway bridge that has been hidden by undergrowth for years that got me interested in walking along old disused railway lines. The bridge in question carried traffic into Kingsbridge over the Primrose line as it left Kingsbridge heading for Loddiswell.
Someone had the bright idea of making the bridge a feature and so much work was done to clear the area and get the bridge back on show again. After seeing the bridge I became interested in the site the old station was built on as I have a customer trading on the site. Sadly the main station building was pulled down a number of years ago, but there is still one station building standing at what would have been the end of the station.
I have managed to walk a good part of the old Primrose line and the reports and pictures of those walks can be found on here, some parts of the line are now on private land which is a shame as it would have been nice to have been able to walk the whole line from Kingsbridge to South Brent.
Three of the old stations are still standing and have been converted into homes and a good number of the bridges have survived along with the famous Sorely Tunnel that once formed a part of an adventure centre that is now sadly closed.
As the Kingsbridge station was built on a ledge and had a 30 foot drop along on side of it, I always wondered how the trains were able to get to that old bridge that must be about half a mile away. If you go into the Morrison car park and look up, you will see just how high the station stood above the ground level of the car park.
My first thoughts were there might have been a viaduct, but it would have had to have been a very long one to span the valley between the station and the old bridge. I could not find any evidence of there ever being a viaduct and my searches on line came up with nothing at all.
A few weeks ago will in Kingsbridge I got talking to a man who lived there and knew a great deal about the station and the Primrose line. He told me all the trains came in and out the same end of the station and that if I went behind the Morrison Supermarket, I would find a bridge that carried the trains into the station.
So today I went in search of that bridge and sadly the end I could get too was fenced off, I was surprised how long it was inside and was able to take a few pictures through the fence. I also went through a gate up on the old station I have never been through before to try and see if I could see the top of the bridge. Once again it was fenced off but got a shot by leaning over the fence a bit.
He also told me that if I went to the middle of the valley and headed for the Health Centre and looked as I drove into it, I would see two mounds one on each side.it seems they just cut through the banking that carried the line and built the Health Centre on the other side.
I parked the van nearby and could not resist trying to get up onto one the mounds and did so and was so glad I did as I was able to see a short section of the old line. So now I have a clear picture in my head how the station and the old bridge were linked. The train came out and in at the far end of the station along a banking on the higher side of the valley.
Someone had the bright idea of making the bridge a feature and so much work was done to clear the area and get the bridge back on show again. After seeing the bridge I became interested in the site the old station was built on as I have a customer trading on the site. Sadly the main station building was pulled down a number of years ago, but there is still one station building standing at what would have been the end of the station.
I have managed to walk a good part of the old Primrose line and the reports and pictures of those walks can be found on here, some parts of the line are now on private land which is a shame as it would have been nice to have been able to walk the whole line from Kingsbridge to South Brent.
Three of the old stations are still standing and have been converted into homes and a good number of the bridges have survived along with the famous Sorely Tunnel that once formed a part of an adventure centre that is now sadly closed.
As the Kingsbridge station was built on a ledge and had a 30 foot drop along on side of it, I always wondered how the trains were able to get to that old bridge that must be about half a mile away. If you go into the Morrison car park and look up, you will see just how high the station stood above the ground level of the car park.
My first thoughts were there might have been a viaduct, but it would have had to have been a very long one to span the valley between the station and the old bridge. I could not find any evidence of there ever being a viaduct and my searches on line came up with nothing at all.
A few weeks ago will in Kingsbridge I got talking to a man who lived there and knew a great deal about the station and the Primrose line. He told me all the trains came in and out the same end of the station and that if I went behind the Morrison Supermarket, I would find a bridge that carried the trains into the station.
So today I went in search of that bridge and sadly the end I could get too was fenced off, I was surprised how long it was inside and was able to take a few pictures through the fence. I also went through a gate up on the old station I have never been through before to try and see if I could see the top of the bridge. Once again it was fenced off but got a shot by leaning over the fence a bit.
He also told me that if I went to the middle of the valley and headed for the Health Centre and looked as I drove into it, I would see two mounds one on each side.it seems they just cut through the banking that carried the line and built the Health Centre on the other side.
I parked the van nearby and could not resist trying to get up onto one the mounds and did so and was so glad I did as I was able to see a short section of the old line. So now I have a clear picture in my head how the station and the old bridge were linked. The train came out and in at the far end of the station along a banking on the higher side of the valley.
The old bridge
The only station building still standing
The bridge leading into the station I found today.
The top of the bridge
Part of the track bed near the Health Centre
The only station building still standing
The bridge leading into the station I found today.
The top of the bridge
Part of the track bed near the Health Centre