The late Peter Christie, who contributed so much to this newspaper over many years, was a longstanding advocate of reinstating the old railway line between Bideford and Westward Ho! as a footpath and cycleway. 

The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore railway opened in 1901 but did not reach Appledore until 1908. It was built to standard gauge as it was the intention to link to the main line at Bideford. This never happened.

Trains started from Bideford Quay on the scenic cross-country journey to Cornborough cliffs and then Westward Ho! From there, the line ran close to the existing road from Westward Ho! to Appledore.

Bideford had no station on the west side of the Torridge, so trains were provided with steps. However, there was a booking office and waiting room. Westward Ho! had a very grand station.

Initially, the line was very popular, and some 200 people were carried at a time, some even riding on the steps. A return ticket to Westward Ho! cost just threepence. Although the line got off to a good start, it was never financially stable. The situation worsened with the onset of war and the increasing costs of coal. Motor buses became popular: they were cheaper and able to pick up passengers direct from Bideford main line station, avoiding the walk across the long bridge

The line became uneconomic and closed in 1917 when all the stock was requisitioned for the war effort. It never reopened. Two of the locomotives were loaded on to a freighter which was torpedoed off the North Cornwall coast and sank. The wreck has been found by local divers. To get the locomotives to the main line, tracks were laid across Bideford bridge and up Barnstaple Street. 

Traces of the line are still in evidence: Kingsley Road follows the same route out of Bideford. The car wash on Kingsley Road uses the old carriage shed. The former crossing keeper’s cottage on Northam Road has recently been restored, and the coast path along Cornborough Cliffs follows the railway cutting, with even sleeper positions still showing in places. There are the remains of a bridge at Westward Ho! and the site of Appledore Station is recognisable. 

The project to create a multi-use trail along the route appears in our Local Plan and other strategy documents. Let us hope it will become a reality before too long, turning our heritage into a valuable resource for both locals and visitors.