The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway
by Rod Garner
The story of the Bideford, Westward
Ho! & Appledore railway is not the traditional tale of the construction of
a new railway. It has many of the usual
ingredients – difficulties in raising capital and buying land, protracted
negotiations regarding Parliamentary approval, and contractor troubles. However, a small group of local entrepreneurs
had the drive and determination to create not just a railway, but a railway to
serve a new town and a harbour that they also planned to build.
In spite of considerable local
support there was bitter opposition from the Council which dogged the line
throughout its short life, and the railway remained completely isolated from
the rest of the system, although that was far from the original idea. Had all the various parts of the overall
scheme been brought to fruition, the history of the area might have been very
different, and railway travel from
It is a story that has been told
before, but as a local author, Rod Garner has been able to discover previously
unpublished photographs and new information that adds to (and in some cases
clarifies) that which has been published before.
“There is a scarcely believable
wealth of archive photographs contained in this volume… it is a must for anyone
interested in light railways of the period”
Heritage Railway
“This volume is highly recommended
for lovers of light railways or of
Hardback: 120 pages with b/w illustrations throughout
281 x 222mm over covers
ISBN: 978-1-905505-09-8
£17.95
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