Place Halwill Grid reference SX369904 21 July 1886 Station opens | Area Torridge Post-grouping Southern Railway Platforms in use 2 | |
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Pre-grouping London and South Western Railway Original company London and South Western Railway | ||
Tower Hill railway station was a railway station that served a rural district being named after a local farm, near the River Carey, Devon, England. It was located on the North Cornwall Railway 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Halwill
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History
The ceremonial opening of this section of the line by the London and South Western Railway, was Tuesday, 20 July 1886, with public services commencing on the following day.
The station was then absorbed by the Southern Railway during the Grouping of 1923, The station passed to the Southern Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948, and was subsequently closed by the British Railways Board.
Station layout
The layout was typical of all the stations on the North Cornwall line, with a substantial stationmaster's house, booking office and waiting room on the upside with both ladies' and gentlemen's toilets. After WW1 passing facilities were withdrawn and then, from 16 June 1920, the down loop was taken out of use and the signalbox closed leaving the section as one of seven miles between Ashwater and Launceston. A ground frame was installed to operate the goods yard points, released by a key on the single line tablet. From 1928 the station came under the control of Launceston and in 1933 the goods siding was shortened.
In March 1943 two new sidings were laid and the headshunt lengthened considerably, the down loop was restored and a new signal box opened in the booking hall, extending out onto the up platform. The points to the goods yard were moved south allowing a 40 wagon train to be held in each loop and in the headshunt. Wartime traffic was mainly ammunition and by August 1944 almost all of this had gone to France. The yard was closed and removed in 1950, however the long crossing loop remained in use, particularly for the 1950s holiday traffic. In February 1964 the goods yard closed and was lifted the following year whilst the down loop was finally out of use, and the signalbox closed on 7 November 1965, creating a single section from Halwill to Launceston.
The site today
The gradual run-down in services during the 1960s saw Tower Hill reduced to an unstaffed halt, followed by complete closure on 3 October 1966. The station was completely demolished after closure and only the railway cottages survive.