Bridestowe Station, thought to be in September 1964 when the station was in WR colours and the service seen is thought to be the daily Plymouth to Brighton service headed byNº34106 Lydford.

photograph: Mike Dunse collection

Bridestowe Station was the first station south west of Okehampton on the Southern Railway's Exeter to Plymouth main line. (Even many loyal and knowledgeable Southern Railway/Region fans would be surprised to know that this is on their territory!)   Very much part of the "Withered Arm" and on the fringe of Dartmoor it was after Meldon Junction where the secondary route to Halwill (and thence to Bude and Padstow) branched off the main line.  The station was opened on 12th October 1874 with the opening of the line to Plymouth.

Upon nationalisation the station and line became the responsibility of the Western Region, during which the station possibly, like many other former SR stations in the area, was painted into WR colours - the ultimate indignity for any Southern location. The responsibility for the train services however still remained with the Southern Region so at least decent rolling stock could still be seen running there. The station and line returned to Southern guardianship in 1958, but only for five years before it returned to the WR until the closure of the line between Meldon and Bere Alston on 6 May 1968.

Today the extended station is a private residence and its current owner is Southern Railway E-mail Group member Mike Dunse.

Bridestowe Station as seen on 17th June 2000 from relatively the same angle.  Many SREmG members would love to have a SR concrete footbridge in their garden, let alone such a lovely garden!

photograph: Mike Dunse collection