Exeter to Penzance

Penzance

Containing arguably the finest stretch of coastal mainline railway in Britain, the journey west from Devon's capital begins with the glorious stretch along the seawall through Dawlish and Teignmouth. After the deep, wooded valleys of the South Hams, there are views across the flanks of Dartmoor before a succession of panoramas from lofty viaducts engineered by Brunel. The crossing of the Tamar by Royal Albert Bridge marks the entrance to Cornwall. St Michael's Mount is a fitting climax.

Travel Times
Exeter to Penzance: 2 hrs 47 mins to 4 hrs 20 mins

Plan and Book:

The South Devon Main Line

The Exeter to Plymouth line, also called the South Devon Main Line, is a central part of the trunk railway line between London Paddington and Penzance in the southern United Kingdom. It is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line and runs from Exeter, to Plymouth, from where it continues as the Cornish Main Line. It was one of the principal routes of the Great Western Railway which in 1948 became part of the Western Region of British Railways and are now part of the Network Rail system.

Communities served: Exeter - Starcross (and Exmouth via a seasonal ferry service) - Dawlish Warren - Dawlish - Teignmouth - Newton Abbot

On leaving Exeter St Davids the line to Exeter Central climbs away on the left passing the Panel Signal Box by the entrance to the Exeter TMD where local Great Western Railway DMUs are maintained. The old South Devon Railway main line, crosses the River Exe and a parallel flood relief channel, and then passes above the suburbs of Exeter along a stone viaduct on which is situated Exeter St Thomas railway station. On the left a short line went down to the Exeter Canal at City Basin; on the right a longer branch ran to Heathfield on the Newton Abbot to Moretonhampstead branch.

The line crosses marshes as it runs alongside the canal and river, passing the site of Exminster railway station, with a George Hennet station house on the right. A square pond to the left of the line is the site of Turf engine house. This stretch of the line used to have long water troughs between the rails from which steam locomotives could refill their water tanks without stopping.

From Powderham Castle the railway is right alongside the river; on the right of the line is the castle's deer park, while on the left, across the river, trains on the Avocet Line run near Lympstone Commando. The line now enters the village of Starcross beyond which is the pier for the Exmouth to Starcross Ferry and, on the right, the old Starcross engine house. A little further along the river the railway crosses the mouth of Cockwood harbour. Near the shipwreck here on the left was the 392 metres long Exe Bight Pier, in use from 1869 for about ten years. The railway line opens out into four lines at Dawlish Warren railway station, where the platforms are alongside loop lines that allow fast trains to overtake stopping services.

Dawlish

Dwalish is a pristine seaside resort in the true Victorian tradition of railway, buckets and spades and a promenade. This town is a unique take on the traditional beach holiday, with a real community feel to the town and all the traditional excitement of the sand and the sea. Dawlishis notabe for its long sandy beach, which provides the perfect way to spend a summer's day swimming, exploring rock pools or boating. The town has plenty of interesting shops and a pleasant park where you can see the famous black swans of Dawlish glide sedately along the river.

The railway now comes onto the South Devon Railway sea wall which it shares with a footpath. Approaching Dawlish railway station, the Coastguard's Cottage was used by the railway during its construction and then sold to the coastguard; their boat house is below the footbridge. The footpath along the sea wall now ends and the line enters its first tunnel, the 242 metres Kennaway Tunnel beneath Lea Mount, beyond which is Coryton beach and then 208 metres Coryton tunnel. The next beach is the private Shell Cove and then the railway passes through 45 metres Phillot Tunnel and 53 metres Clerk's Tunnel, emerging onto a section of sea wall at Breeches Rock before diving into 469 metres Parson's Tunnel beneath Hole Head.

The last two tunnels are named after the Parson and Clerk Rocks, two stacks in the sea off Hole Head. When the tunnel was dug the workers cut into a smugglers tunnel which ran from a hidden entrance above the cliff down to a secluded cove. The sea wall is known for its maintenance problems, in particular, all services on the line were suspended after the line collapsed at Dawlish during storms on 5 February 2014, but the line reopened on 4 April 2014 after extensive reconstruction work.

Beyond Parson's Tunnel is a short viaduct across Smugglers Lane and then the footpath resumes alongside the line for the final stretch of the Sea Wall past Sprey Point to the cutting at Teignmouth Eastcliff. On the right side of the railway near Sprey Point can be seen the remains of a lime kiln used during the construction of the line.

Teignmouth

With a classic crescent of Georgian buildings, promenade and long sandy beach Teignmouth is a real hidden gem on the South Devon coast and is both a historic port and classic seaside holiday resort. With traditional seaside holiday attractions all around you won't need to venture far to keep everyone entertained.

The railway passes through to Teignmouth railway station then continues through a cutting to emerge behind the busy Teignmouth Harbour, after which the railway resumes its course alongside the water, now the River Teign. The cuttings on both sides of the station were originally tunnels and were opened out between 1879 and 1884. The railway passes under the long Shaldon Bridge and then follows the river past the small promontories at Flow Point, Red Rock, and Summer House.

After leaving the riverside the line crosses Hackney Marshes and passes between the railway sidings at Hackney Yard, and the race course and former Moretonhampstead branch. The industrial area to the left of Newton Abbot railway station is the site of the South Devon Railway Company locomotive workshops - the older stone buildings are the only surviving railway buildings.

Newton Abbot

A distinctly Victorian railway town, Newton Abbot is located in the heart of South Devon, giving you great access to Dartmoor National Park and the whole of the South Devon coast - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is plenty going on in and around the town from the high street names and independent shops to food and drink festivals and a cinema, restaurants to a popular racecourse if you fancy a flutter, you'll find plenty to keep everyone entertained.

The Journey: Newton Abbot to Plymouth

Communities served: Newton Abbot - Totnes - Ivybridge - Plymouth

Just outside Newton Abbot a line branches off on the left but continues to run alongside the main line. This is the Riviera Line to Paignton and the two routes part company at Aller Junction when the main line curves to the right to start the climb up past Stoneycombe Quarry to Dainton Tunnel. The line from Exeter to Plymouth was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel as an atmospheric railway which allowed steeper gradients, sharper curves, and lighter structures. Atmospheric trains never ran beyond Newton Abbot but the legacy of the aborted scheme means that line speeds on towards Plymouth are lower than elsewhere on the route.

Once through Dainton Tunnel the line drops down past Littlehempston and shortly the South Devon Railway, a heritage railway, on the right. The line immediately crosses over the River Dart and arrives at Totnes, which has passing loops to allow slower trains to be overtaken. Behind the right-hand platform can be seen a dairy which is built around the old atmospheric engine house. The line then passes under the concurrent A385 and A381 roads carried on a steel girder bridge.

Totnes

Totnes combines history, alternative therapies and breathtakingly beautiful countryside. This unique and charming market town sits in the heart of South Devon and has an international reputation for its lively and diverse community. The atmosphere is cosmopolitan but with a distinctly rustic West Country flavour, and this makes it a remarkable place to visit for its heritage, culture and very pretty setting.

The steep climb up Rattery Bank starts right from the end of the platform, a stiff challenge in former days to trains that called at Totnes. At the top is Rattery Viaduct and the 869 yards (795 m) Marley Tunnel. The original single-track tunnel had a second bore added alongside it in 1893 when the line was doubled. The line is now running along the southern edge of Dartmoor. Brent railway station was once the junction for the Kingsbridge branch line which joined the route in the cutting just before the station. Curving to the left the line passes over the 52 metres Brent Mill Viaduct and then the 163 yards (149 m) Glazebrook Viaduct.

After passing through the 43 metre Wrangaton Tunnel the line passes through the remains of Wrangaton railway station; Monksmoor Siding on the right used to serve a naval stores depot. Just beyond the site of Bittaford Platform is the 121 metres Bittaford Viaduct. The industrial buildings on the right were built as china clay dries where clay dug on Dartmoor was treated; the Redlake Tramway was built alongside the pipeline that carried the liquid clay.

Ivybridge

The town of Ivybridge gives you a great alternative to the usual seaside holiday destinations. Surrounded by beautiful countryside and moorland, Ivybridge has a magnificent natural setting and a rich heritage of traditional South Devon industries such as milling and cloth making. The town's name comes from the bridge over the fast flowing River Erme, which powered Ivybridge's mills.

The line now comes to Ivybridge railway station. The platforms here are staggered with the one on the left nearer Totnes than the one on the right. This is a modern station opened in 1994; the original station was closed in 1965 and was on the far side of the curving 209 metres Ivybridge Viaduct where an old goods shed can be seen on the left. After the 283 metres Blatchford Viaduct is the old Cornwood railway station where George Hennet's station house is on the right.

Slade Viaduct brings rises to the top of Hemerdon Bank, the steepest climb for trains heading towards Newton Abbot. A fast run down the bank to the site of Plympton railway station, and then Tavistock Junction. The large goods yard here includes a maintenance shed for on-track equipment and a connection to the china clay drier at Marsh Mills. This is on the former South Devon and Tavistock Railway although the junction originally faced Plymouth.

The line swings left under the Marsh Mills Viaduct of the A38 road and then runs alongside the tidal estuary of the River Plym on the left, with the grounds of Saltram House at Plymstock on the far bank. Underneath the Embankment Road bridge which carries the A38 over the line again and Laira TMD on the left. Laira maintains Great Western Railway's High Speed Trains in Devon. A triangle of lines takes a freight route down to the Plymouth waterfront via the closed Plymouth Friary railway station, which was the terminus for trains on the competing route from London Waterloo station.

Passing through the short Mutley Tunnel, trains emerge past the former Mutley station site and former Royal Eye Infirmary into Plymouth railway station, which was originally known as North Road Station as trains continued beyond it to Plymouth Millbay.

Plymouth

Plymouth was founded on its strategic maritime location, both for the export of wool and other goods, and as a naval base. There are various defensive locations around Plymouth, notably the Royal Citadel built in 1670. Plymouth played a significant role in the two world wars, and to this day remains an important UK port. Plymouth is an urban centre with a real Devon feel to it, where diversity meets a traditional West Country welcome.

The Cornish Main Line

The Cornish Main Line runs from Penzance to Plymouth, crossing from Cornwall into Devon over the famous Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. It directly serves Truro, St Austell, Bodmin (by a Parkway station), and Liskeard, and it forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London, Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh. There are branches off the main line serving St Ives, Falmouth, Newquay, and Looe. It is the southernmost railway line in the United Kingdom, and the westernmost in England.

The Journey: Plymouth to Penzance

The communities served are: Plymouth (including the suburbs of Devonport and St Budeaux); Saltash; St Germans; Menheniot; Liskeard; Bodmin; Lostwithiel; Par; St Austell; Truro; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; St Erth; Penzance. In addition branch lines link Plymouth with Bere Alston, Calstock, and Gunnislake; Liskeard with Looe; Par with Newquay; Truro with Penryn and Falmouth; and St Erth with St Ives.

The railway stations at St Austell and Penzance are adjacent to bus stations. In addition, integrated bus services operate from Bodmin Parkway to Bodmin, Wadebridge, and Padstow; from St Austell to The Eden Project; and from Redruth to Helston and RNAS Culdrose.

The route has a large number of viaducts, but the most significant structure is the Royal Albert Bridge which crosses the River Tamar at Saltash. At Truro the viaducts give sweeping views of the city and River Fal, while further west the north coast can be seen near Hayle before the line swings onto the south coast for the last mile or so along the beach at Marazion, giving a good view of St Michael's Mount.

St Germans

After the Conquest of Cornwall, the local church at St Germans became Cornwall's cathedral from AD926, when King Athelstan made Conan the first Cornish bishop. In 1030, this was joined with the bishopric of Crediton in Devon and in 1050 the seat of the diocese was transferred to Exeter. The parish is still the largest in Cornwall and the glory of the village is its huge Norman church, set in a hollow with a superb Norman doorway as its west front.

St Austell

The old market town of St Austell is just a few miles from the coast and is one of Cornwall's biggest towns. It was for centuries an important mining town but it was a discovery in the mid 18th century that really put the town on the map. William Cookworthy, a chemist from Devon, discovered massive deposits of kaolin (a form of decomposed granite), or china clay in the area. The mineral is used in not only the production of porcelain but a whole host of industries including paper, pharmecuticals and textiles.
Although the town itself has little to offer the visitor it does provide an ideal centre for some of the loveliest beaches in Cornwall. In fact the coast here is sometimes referred to as the Cornish Riviera. St Austell's port is the lovely harbour of Charlestown, where you will frequently see old sailing ships. The port has been used as a film location for numerous films and television series, such as Poldark, and there is a small museum open during the season.

Truro

The only city in Cornwall, although Bodmin is still nominally the county town. Truro's most striking feature is the Cathedral, with its green spire and gothic appearance. The city's heritage is as a market town and port dating back over 800 years, booming during the tin mining era. Nowadays the port is mostly used for pleasure cruises along the tributaries of the River Fal to Falmouth and St Mawes but in the not too distant past this was a bustling working port. From Penzance harbour, ferries go to the Isles of Scilly.

Penzance

The name Penzance is derived from the Cornish Pen Sans, meaning holy headland, as a chapel once stood on the point to the west of the harbour more than a millennium ago. The town received various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and has long been the commercial centre for the Land's End Peninsula. The area surrounding Penzance is packed with antiquities and ancient sites. One of these is the Iron Age village of Chysauster which was inhabited from around 100BC until the 3rd century AD.

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