Wonderful. I walked most of the line in 1972 with my dad, all was intact, just waiting for a train which never came (until the demolition train in about 1977) Grass swaying between the red rusted rails in the summer breeze, a ghostly sight, completely abandoned, only a few gulls and skylarks, a fox and some grasshoppers for company on our lonely walks.

So sad looking at this....what on earth was our politicians thinking back then. These were the BEST years compared to todays way of life. All those beautiful lines and places now mostly only accesable by road...so sad so very sad.

How could they close a line that was being so well used? Crowds of people at every station. An utterly mad decision. 😢

What we have lost. I look at those excited holiday-makers with their suitcases and see my own childhood.

Fantastic, I've been waiting for years for somebody to post a film of this lovely line lost to us back in the 70's. I used to stand at braunton gates as a boy and see these giant warships thunder by. Great memories! Well done

i traveled this line many times as a youngster under the supervision of the gaurd as my father died while working on this line he was based at barnstable town and junction so my mother moved to north yorkshire to be near her parents but sent me many times to stay with my grandparents at ilfracombe i was born in ilfracombe and think of it as my home town . yes that beeching man and others have a lot to answer for its a shame it closed

Having not long ago cycled this route, it's amazing to see what was once there. Priceless footage of a line gone forever.

I did this journey countless times. Wonderful to see the glorious countryside and stations again. Slade was a particularly picturesque part of the journey. Thank you so much for uploading this!

Very interesting film. Too young to remember Ilfracombe trains then, but remember seaside holidays at Exmouth, Dawlish and Sidmouth in the 70s and 80s, when the beaches were packed. Nice to see everyone was so well dressed in the late 60s/early 70s. This amateur footage is so valuable.

What a smashing clip of a railway no more,We were up at woolacombe back in may of this year and i took the dog for a walk along the old trackbed and thought about the trains....such a shame it's all gone

I find this footage incredible, and can watch it over and over again. To bash a Hymek or Warship loco up the 3-mile gradient from Ilfracombe to Mortehoe must have been a treat to the ears and such a memorable experience. Oh for a time machine! 😊

Stopping us from enjoying the simple pleasure of going to the seaside on a train

Would be massively popular if the line was still today. Barnstaple gets badly snarled up with traffic.

What a great piece of film, not being old enough to remember these lines its amazing to see what they were like whilst open, having been to Barnstaple recently its hard to believe the railway ever passed over the river at all as so little evidence remains. Thanks for sharing a wonderful film

Awesome... I never saw the line working but when on holiday I did play on its abandoned remains when it was all in tact in the mid 70s... so sad... I have collected some nice single line key tokens off the route... beautiful film, in fact a treausure

I have great memories of holidays in Ilfracombe 1963 to 1965. Always enjoyed a visit to the station to collect a few engine numbers. In those days it was Bulleid Pacific steam locos. A great film recording a now, long lost world. Seeing the curved drive up to Ilfracombe station has made my day.

RIP D809 Champion & D814 Dragon. Good footage of a lost era. Thanks for posting!!

Born and bread in Barnstaple my father was stationed at Chivenor 1944/45 my mother used the railway line with us kids to go to Staunton & Woolacombe I remember it well lovely memories superb countryside proud to be Devonion & a Barnum Boy 🇳🇬👍🍺🏉

Superb! Loved every second of it,a refreshing change to have silence and no music dubbed over the film. The quality does not matter one bit,its how things were. Its a shame the west country lost so much of its rail network,if only most of those lines still existed and the benefits they would have bought to the communities.

Worked at the Lee Bay Hotel in the summer of 1972. a little west of Ilfracombe. Trains gone by then but saw the tracks. I was 26. Bus into ilfracombe on day off. On the Buses at the cinema.

My heart stopped when I saw this footage. Many of my holidays were spent around this line, both then and now. In my youth I loved trains and in recent years I have rekindled that interest. I dont have memories of the Line beyond Barnstable as it had gone except for the small bit of track left around the army base and the old station on the road to woolacombe, and off course the Barnstable Town Station buildings. And the Warship, those majestic Hydraulics what a treat. Thanks you so much.

It's amazing how many people got off the train at Ilfracombe, even Jackie Kennedy (@3.12), and then they close the line, utter madness!

If Ilfracombe survived Beeching it should never have been closed later! Totally crazy!

Very nicely filmed - it reminds me of my 8mm standard eight filming days - all filming shots were so precious and it was great to see the film projected onto a screen in our living room.

I remember being held up by trains going through Braunton on our way to Croyde Bay (62-76) sweet childhood memories...halcyon days!

Thanks for a great film! I started work in Ilfracombe in 1963 and had a few trips from Torrington to Ilfracombe--until I bought Viking 'Severn Valley' bike. Then I cycled to and from Torrington alongside the track in places--great memories. Many thanks.

Such a shame that this line closed as the local council now wish that the line was still there. Ilfracombe as a holiday destination declined drastically after the railway closed. John Howard Turner once said to me that the line only ever lost money one year and during the last war.Just before it closed track was renewed at a cost of 1.25 million. Some of this new rail can be seen holding back the new sustrans cyclepath to Braunton. It is very clear from this old film that should still be and use!

This is the route I wish I could have taken, behind steam, more than any other route in England. Thanks.

Nice video,brought back memories of a holiday to Ilfracombe in the late 60s,waiting 3 hours at Exeter St Davids for the Ilfracome train at 8am.When we got to Ilfracombe a chap in a van gave our family a lift down to the centre of town,would'nt take any money.Would'nt get that today.Shame its all gone now.

Lovely look back in time,look how smart everyone was.

I lived in Braunton way back in the late 1960s early 70s residing at 10b Abbotts Hill and working at Taw Garage in Barnstaple. I knew the line well... Such a shame that it was closed as today it would be a top tourist attraction making a fortune...

Why on earth would you want to close such a beautiful streatch of railway and would be so much used today. The Victorians laid down a Blue print for us to destroy.

Thank you for sharing the film - my dad took me (aged 12) on one of the last Barnstaple - Ilfracombe trains so we may even be on one of these. the line meant a lot to my parents so it brings back many memories of that summer.

Memories of trains gone by! Let's hope they return again one day?

A wonderful record of the line. Such a waste, when it had survived the Beeching axe, yet still didn't escape closure later on.

Done this line back in the 50/60s great mix of WR and Southern steam locomotives

lovely piece of film of a line that should still be there. With good marketing it could be busy 9 months of the year and reasonable for the rest. The diesel hydraulics look good too!

Except for the shot of the Town Gates the clips of Barnstaple Town and beyond were filmed on three consecutive Saturdays so far as I can remember. The intro bit approaching Barnstaple could have been shot at any time. I had no idea viewers would be so interested in detail so if I mislead you I apologise.

One of the main excuses used by BR in those days for closing these lines was that nobody used them anymore!! Look at all of those people pouring onto those platforms!! That 1 train alone in its journey took probably at least 100 cars off the roads, possibly more!! We must have been completely insane and very short sighted to adopt the policy of line closure in the UK. Today we're now paying the price with heavily congested roads and motorways!!

Great . I was on the last train that ran on that line as a boy .Many thanks Tony

And the congestion on the roads is at an all time high in Barnstaple and Braunton with a lethal link road to boot. Such a shame that the rail lines closed. I was a kid when they converted it all to the Tarka Trail.

Considering the number of passengers that got off at Ilfracombe I assume Dr B massaged numbers after he sampled selected journies where he knew passenger numbers would be light. Naughty Dr B ! - and you from Maidstone Grammar School ! Of course the real crime here was not to stop the service but to make it impossible to re-open by lifting the tracks. Good video despite all that.

We went to Barnstaple back in 1972! There was a shop selling things for funds to save the Railway. Unfortunately someone made off with all the money donated so the plan vanished! Do not get me started on the North Devon Link Road? Yes the most pathetic excuse for a dangerous piece of crap on the planet!! Bring back the Railways to North Devon.

Very , very nice piece of film, thank you.

Thank you for your comment and interest. Yes indeed most of the branch lines around the south west suffered from British Rail's flawed method of accounting. Sadly everything west of Barnstaple is gone now and the former junction station reduced to a single line. Not even a run-round loop so loco and stock trains are no longer a possibility. As for the junction yard, it is now occupied by a Tesco supermarket.

Thanks.

Trains 🚊 ran from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe via Braunton for 96 years from Sunday 20th July 1874 until Saturday 3rd October 1970. They won’t be coming back to Ilfracombe anymore. 😄

I remember walking along the old track in June 1977 from Ilfracombe, all the rails had been lifted and the station had been demolished by then

Another victim of Beeching's giant axe - and all those passengers, too! Yes it may be a bonus for cyclists like me to cycle along the Tarka Trail, but I'd far rather have the trains still running.

Never knew it crossed over by the old bridge. I always assumed it came over the iron bridge at Rock Park.

Re-open the line

Fascinating film. Seeing all the passengers get off the train at Ilfracombe and then the number of people get on the train, you have to think that the mandarins at the DoT and BR totally ignored the fact that all these people would then probably buy cars and clog up the roads of north Devon. If only they had the foresight to leave the track formation down, it could have been opened up again the 90's and would no doubt be very popular today, giving the communities a good transport link back down to Barnstaple and Exeter. I assume this train was Waterloo bound?

Watch this space! Some proposal to lay track at Slade near Ifracombe. Light Rail called Tawlink.

Excellent, shame no sound, but beautifully shot. Makes us realise what we have lost!

Thanks for the comment burnleyfan11965. I wouldn't pretend that the situation in winter was anything other than pretty grim. Elsewhere on KZfaq I have posted a poor quality piece of film entitled 'Winter Train to Ilfracombe' which on arrival at Ilfracombe shows only the postman waiting for it.

Beautifully filmed by 8mm amateur standards. Lineside shots and views from various trains. The line had already been drasitally rationalised, which adds to the feel. - And people want the dead-hand of BR back!

Wonderful film; great quality for 8mm

Excellent historic amateur filming. I don't know about BR wasting money on unnecessary track renewals, but i found it astonishing that BR expected to save much money by singling it all especially without also modernising the level crossings.

Nice video, thanks. You'd never believe that this line was shut because of lack of use, would you? Trouble is, like so many Devon branches, the high usage was very seasonal. Must have been a disaster for the town, the hotel trade and the many retired residents in Ilfracombe from1970 onwards - it's not the easiest place to reach by road. I can personally recall the Seaton Branch in East Devon during it's last full Summer in 1967. Much the same thing. Packed with tourists, mostly from London and the Midlands, changing at Seaton Junction from the old South Western rail line from Waterloo. Many were passengers for the Warner holiday camp. Didn't save it though. Many trains ran with less than a dozen passengers in Winter.

Great footage ,such a terrible shame that this line and the Torrington lines closed. Judging by the amount of passengers it should never have closed ..how much money has been spent on roads .

The Portsmouth Arms was an interesting little station on this line ( ? ) now , no more ...

The first train 🚂 ran from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe via Braunton in north Devon southwest England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 was dated Sunday 30th July 1874. The railway 🚃 track was single until 1888 when it was increased to double track. This is because 2 trains 🚂 run on the different directions 🧭 at the same time 🕕. It was also that plenty of rail 🚊 passengers concentrated using the trains 🚊. It was steam trains 🚊 at the time until 1964 when they were replaced by diesel multiple units. The railway 🚃 track became singled in 1967 due to lack of passengers and were reducing down to limited amount of rail passengers everyday. The double track happened between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe via Braunton for 79 years from 1888 to 1967. By Saturday 3rd October 1970 was the last train 🚆 ran from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe via Braunton because not enough people used the trains 🚊, sadly😢 losing money 💵. It was best to pack up the line. Trains 🚂 runs from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe via Braunton is a thing of the past. Over 52 years since it last happened. As a result of north Devon is a small place happens to be a rural area, trains 🚊 won’t go to Ilfracombe anymore. People transport by cars between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe via front main road via Braunton, middle road via Prixford and finally back road via Muddiford. Also trains 🚊 last ran to Bideford in 1982 or 1983. Barnstaple railway station 🚉 is now the terminus railway 🚃 station 🚉 has a single track. It used to be called Barnstaple Junction. Of course Barnstaple railway 🚃 station 🚉 still goes strong 💪 everyday. People use the bus 🚎 is Stagecoach 21/21A Barnstaple to Ilfracombe via Braunton runs daily and public holidays except Christmas 🎄 Day, Boxing 🥊 Day and New Year’s Day 🎈. Also to Westward Ho! route 21 and to Appledore in north Devon route 21A via Bickington, Fremington, Yelland, Instow, Bideford and Northam runs daily and public holidays except Christmas 🎄 Day, Boxing 🥊 Day and New Year’s Day 🍾🎏🎈🎊🎉🪅. I honestly have walked on the Ilfracombe to Barnstaple and Bideford to Barnstaple line in the past. I honestly love💜❤️💘💕💓❤️‍🩹 Ilfracombe former railway 🚃 line. It makes me feel happy 😆. The cairn is in Ilfracombe. Very quiet 🤐 on the former line. At Mortehoe and Woolacombe railway 🚃 station 🚉 used to be Once Upon a Time. It was replaced by houses 🏘. The likely that trains 🚊 will return back to Ilfracombe is touchwood means it honestly won’t happen in the future when the time 🕥 comes. 🥰😍👍🚆🚇🚊🚉🚞🚂🚋🚃

The line from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe should never have been closed. In this video note the passenger numbers at Ilfracombe. When the line closed Ilfracombe must have noted a decline in visitors and holiday makers. I reckon the line from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe should be reopened not only for the inhabitants of Ilfracombe but the many people who would just simply like to holiday in Ilfracombe arriving by train.

Nice job, gone maybe, but nice to see here!

The fact is, even by the standards of the day the branch line journeys were tediously slow. Cornwall Railway Society's website has a timetable from Taunton to Barnstaple and Ilfracombe, showing a journey time of 2hrs 44mins from Taunton to Ilfracombe. The last time I went from home just outside Taunton to the Pall Europe factory on the site of the old Ilfracombe station it took me 54 minutes. I suspect in the old Cortina in the video it wouldn't have taken more than 90 mins.

Now that was a busy line that summer saturday,what it was like on a wet and windy tuesday afternoon in january we dont know,but there was a case for at least running it during the summer with maybe a restricted service on non summer weekdays

Chris I found your video fascinating for a variety of reasons. However I suspect that the views were not all shot on the same Saturday in 1970. The views of 829 Champion are working the Summer Saturday London train. If the edits are in chronological order then it shows 3 trains prior to this (a Hymek hauled train, then Warship 814 Dragon and another Hymek). There were only 3 earlier trains to Ilfracombe and the first arrived in Barnstaple at 0508 and would not have passed a DMU near Barnstaple.

Mmm, everybody does look smart, no ripped jeans, people looking like they've had a fight with a tiger and lost! A real shame the line isn't still open, even if it was only used from Easter until September, and for specials in the Winter.

All that video says to me is trashed infrastructure, very very sad 😢

Oh how I would've loved to go by train on my upcoming holiday in ilfracombe but because politicians didn't have the foresight I'm faced with a long drive from the North West of England down crowded motorways and A roads!

Thanks for that !! They must have had a few Warships knocking around or was the filmers intention to grab them only ?

There you are, thanks very much, what's this, it's a window sticker that says we've been to Ilfracombe. Harry worth comedy clip

Oops ... the Portsmouth Arms is still alive - n- kicking ( it's before Barnstaple ! ) ...

Another lost line thanks to Dr Beaching

What a fantastic piece of film. Very busy too for a line that's about to close, clearly another stupid decision

Is there a full length version of this? Having cycled what's left of it, keeping an eye open for what remains of railway paraphernalia, etc, and videoed my cycle ride in full here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ep96aNSXyOCul2Q.html, I'd love to compare side by side.

ps dvd link doesn't seem to work?

Cliff would you give permission for your film to be shown at a local railway society meeting?

why did they close it look at the holiday crowds?

what railway station is at 4:12?

I can beat that how about 1935 till 1939? The train looked busy enought why close it? This line looked good to be privately owned an run

penalising popularity

Let’s not forget Barbara Castle She closed down the majority of lines. Not Marple, The labour government 64 to 70 did the majority of the damage. You cant blame marple for that.

Looking at the numbers getting off the train - it looks like it was gross stupidity to close it. And a vital link lost when snow stopped other traffic from moving .