Umberleigh railway station

Umberleigh railway station serves the village of Umberleigh in Devon, England. It is on the Tarka Line to Barnstaple, 33 miles 22 chains (53.6 km) from Exeter Central at milepost 205.75 from London Waterloo.^[1]

Umberleigh
Looking north towards Barnstaple
General information
Location	Umberleigh, North Devon England
Coordinates	50.99620°N 3.98306°W / 50.99620; -3.98306
Grid reference	SS609238
Managed by	Great Western Railway
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	UMB
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	North Devon Railway
Pre-grouping	London and South Western Railway
Post-grouping	Southern Railway
Key dates
Opened	1 August 1854
Passengers
2019/20	32,302
2020/21	15,100
2021/22	32,796
2022/23	45,908
2023/24	49,642
Location
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The station was opened by the North Devon Railway on 1 August 1854.^[2] The railway was single track. Although there was a passing loop at Umberleigh there was only a platform on the western track during the first few years.^[3] The main goods yard and cattle pens were on this side of the line at the south end of the station. A goods shed with a 2 ton crane was situated on a short siding at the other end of the platform. There was another short siding beyond the road bridge which also had a crane^[2] which could lift 5 tons.^[4]

A signal box was opened on 1 October 1873 but this was replaced on 19 October 1890 when the line towards Barnstaple was given a second track. The goods yard closed on 4 January 1965. The line was singled and the signal box closed on 21 May 1971.^[2]

A camping coach was available for hire in the main goods yard from 1935 to 1939 and again from 1962 to 1964.^[5][6]

Description

Umberleigh station is situated next to a bridge that carries the B3277 road from South Molton near its junction with the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road.^[7] There is a small car park.^[8]

The single platform, which is long enough for a 7 coach train, is on the west side of the track.^[1] There is a waiting shelter for passengers but the former station master's house is in private use. The disused platform on the opposite side of the track can still be seen.^[9]

Services

All services at Umberleigh are operated by Great Western Railway. There is generally one train per hour in each direction between Barnstaple and Exeter Central but a very small number of services continue to or from other routes in East Devon on weekdays. All call at Umberleigh but only on request to the conductor or by signalling the driver as it approaches.^[8]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Chapelton towards Barnstaple		Great Western Railway Tarka Line		Portsmouth Arms towards Exeter Central

Community railway

The railway between Exeter and Barnstaple is designated as a community railway and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. The line is promoted as the Tarka Line.^[10]

References

1. Jacobs, Gerald (2005). Railway Track Diagrams Book 3: Western. Bradford on Avon: Trackmaps. p. 10. ISBN 0-9549866-1-X.
2. Nicholas, John (1992). The North Devon Line. Sparkford: Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 64–67. ISBN 0-86093-461-6.
3. Nicholas 1992, pp. 95–98
4. The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. p. 546. ISBN 0-7153-5120-6.
5. McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. p. 33. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
6. McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. p. 59. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
7. Craske, Peter (2013). Tarka Line Walks. Crimson Books. pp. 106–115. ISBN 978-1-78059-182-7.
8. "Train Times (D2)" (PDF). Great Western Railway. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
9. Oakley, Mike (2007). Devon Railway Stations. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press. pp. 164–165. ISBN 978-1-904-34955-6.
10. "Tarka Line". Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. Retrieved 3 December 2021.

External links

• Video footage of Umberleigh station