Absolutely fascinating! I wish we still had all the original train lines around North Devon still now, such a loss! Thank you for sharing, lovely to see.
Very evocative, didn’t need sound, just use your imagination. Also very informative with really good photos, well done for posting I learned a lot more of this lovely part of the world. Eddie 🤓
Wonderful photos of a station I first visited in 1984 when my parents moved to Chittlehampton. There were still regular loco hauled trains and cement and tank freight passing through to Barnstaple. One highlight was travelling behind a class 47 on an evening trip to Barnstaple. My uncle, a lifelong railwayman, worked at BR(W) HQ and visited Umberleigh in an official capacity whilst it was still staffed, so I’m guessing early 60s. Much has been lost but thankfully the line is performing very well in terms of passenger numbers and earlier this week I travelled up from Exeter in an air-conditioned Class 158, a real step up from the draughty Pacer units once they are fully rostered for this line.
I passed through Umberleigh Station each summer between 1959 and 1966 as a boy enroute for holidays at Westward How and Croyde. For me, attached least, the train journeys were the highlight of our family holidays.
What a wonderful set of pictures. My son just found them a few days after I'd called at Umberleigh to photograph the station, the first time I'd set foot there since August 1963 when my family stayed in the Camping Coach. Thank you for bringing back early childhood memories of the station and of unrebuilt Bulleid light pacifics there.
Lovely to hear from Mike, thank you for your appreciative comments. August 1963 I was serving in the RAF in Cyprus but it is possible that you may have met my brother who was about 8 at the time and always playing around the station area. Kind regards Cliff
@@cgpaddock Great memories. I was only aged four and yet to start school but my parents encouraged me to write down or call out engine numbers to help with learning to read and write before going to school. Luckily I therefore know a dozen or so WC/Bob's that I saw that week a couple of which luckily survived via Barry scrapyard.
A delightful story - I knew the line well as a child and even used the Ilfracombe branch. I was at Umberleigh last summer, had a good meal at your near by inn and met the members of the model railway group who were planning to model Umberleigh as it was in WW2.
My family moved down to Zeal near Morchard road naear Lapford 3 miles away. Once we walked and caught the train into Exeter. I often followed the line from our school bus in and out of Crediton.
Hi Just Browsing, Thank you for your comments and interest. The early pictures of steam locos were taken by me on my Kodak 66 folding camera which I had saved hard for and wish I had kept. All the rest were also taken by me but on 35mm with a Zenith or a Practica.
What a great video! Well done. You have really shown what life was like for railway staff. What happened to the station subsequently? When did your Dad retire? What has become of the line since?
Thank you. The line is still open and the station is still there as a request stop for most trains. This Summer the station has looked superb as it is tended by a local group who look after the garden and plants and vie among the other stations on the line for 'Best Kept Station'. I'm not sure if they won this year or not. Father retired in the 1980s having spent over forty years on the railway.
Our club is modelling Umberleigh station in the mid-1950s...we would love to see more photos and find out more about the day to day running of the station at that time.
I don't have any more photos of the 50's as it was just before our time at Umberleigh but if I can help in any way I would be pleased to. I'm not happy about giving our my email address here though so if you can suggest any other way, let me know.
The 50's was a bit early for anything I can tell you but I would be happy to help any way I can. I don't like the idea of publishing my email address on here. Does your group have a website where I can contact you?
Thanks for your replies. No, we don't have a website. As Roger Griffith said below, we meet at the Rising Sun Umberleigh every Monday evening at 7pm, so you would be welcome to join us...@@cgpaddock
I remember a shunter at Barnstaple called Bill (Ginger) Gregory. He was later the station cleaner for the branch and lived in Umberleigh after retirement in the early 1990s. Any relation?
Use the picture with a credit by all means. There is of course a caption over it. If you want it without the caption we need to find a way to email each other.
I managed to get a screen grab without the caption thanks. If you'd like to see the newsletter (containing an interview with Frank Kidwell, porter-signalman at Umberleigh 1949-53) please email info [at] combe-rail.org.uk
Thank you for your kind words. When I put this file together I did wonder if anyone would be interested so it is good to get feedback.
Absolutely fascinating! I wish we still had all the original train lines around North Devon still now, such a loss! Thank you for sharing, lovely to see.
Very evocative, didn’t need sound, just use your imagination. Also very informative with really good photos, well done for posting I learned a lot more of this lovely part of the world. Eddie 🤓
Wonderful photos of a station I first visited in 1984 when my parents moved to Chittlehampton. There were still regular loco hauled trains and cement and tank freight passing through to Barnstaple. One highlight was travelling behind a class 47 on an evening trip to Barnstaple. My uncle, a lifelong railwayman, worked at BR(W) HQ and visited Umberleigh in an official capacity whilst it was still staffed, so I’m guessing early 60s.
Much has been lost but thankfully the line is performing very well in terms of passenger numbers and earlier this week I travelled up from Exeter in an air-conditioned Class 158, a real step up from the draughty Pacer units once they are fully rostered for this line.
I passed through Umberleigh Station each summer between 1959 and 1966 as a boy enroute for holidays at Westward How and Croyde. For me, attached least, the train journeys were the highlight of our family holidays.
Many thanks for this fabulous collection. Very much appreciated.
What a wonderful set of pictures. My son just found them a few days after I'd called at Umberleigh to photograph the station, the first time I'd set foot there since August 1963 when my family stayed in the Camping Coach. Thank you for bringing back early childhood memories of the station and of unrebuilt Bulleid light pacifics there.
Lovely to hear from Mike, thank you for your appreciative comments. August 1963 I was serving in the RAF in Cyprus but it is possible that you may have met my brother who was about 8 at the time and always playing around the station area. Kind regards Cliff
@@cgpaddock Great memories. I was only aged four and yet to start school but my parents encouraged me to write down or call out engine numbers to help with learning to read and write before going to school. Luckily I therefore know a dozen or so WC/Bob's that I saw that week a couple of which luckily survived via Barry scrapyard.
A delightful story - I knew the line well as a child and even used the Ilfracombe branch. I was at Umberleigh last summer, had a good meal at your near by inn and met the members of the model railway group who were planning to model Umberleigh as it was in WW2.
Was lovely to watch. Just got off a train at Umberleigh from a day rover for a walk around, and it's a very pretty, well kept station even nowadays 😊
Thank you Art. I hope you enjoyed your walk around.
Superb collection many thanks for posting
Thanks for you comments. I hope to add more pics sometime in future but at the moment they are buried in albums.
My family moved down to Zeal near Morchard road naear Lapford 3 miles away.
Once we walked and caught the train into Exeter.
I often followed the line from our school bus in and out of Crediton.
Hi Just Browsing, Thank you for your comments and interest. The early pictures of steam locos were taken by me on my Kodak 66 folding camera which I had saved hard for and wish I had kept. All the rest were also taken by me but on 35mm with a Zenith or a Practica.
Excellent
Thank you for your kind words, much appreciated.
my farther roger phillips and his farther bert phillips both workt on this line thay lived at chittlehampton, great western railways the best
Very interesting: thanks for sharing.
What a great video! Well done. You have really shown what life was like for railway staff. What happened to the station subsequently? When did your Dad retire? What has become of the line since?
Thank you. The line is still open and the station is still there as a request stop for most trains. This Summer the station has looked superb as it is tended by a local group who look after the garden and plants and vie among the other stations on the line for 'Best Kept Station'. I'm not sure if they won this year or not. Father retired in the 1980s having spent over forty years on the railway.
Our club is modelling Umberleigh station in the mid-1950s...we would love to see more photos and find out more about the day to day running of the station at that time.
I don't have any more photos of the 50's as it was just before our time at Umberleigh but if I can help in any way I would be pleased to. I'm not happy about giving our my email address here though so if you can suggest any other way, let me know.
The 50's was a bit early for anything I can tell you but I would be happy to help any way I can. I don't like the idea of publishing my email address on here. Does your group have a website where I can contact you?
Thanks for your replies. No, we don't have a website. As Roger Griffith said below, we meet at the Rising Sun Umberleigh every Monday evening at 7pm, so you would be welcome to join us...@@cgpaddock
I remember a shunter at Barnstaple called Bill (Ginger) Gregory. He was later the station cleaner for the branch and lived in Umberleigh after retirement in the early 1990s. Any relation?
No, no relation.
@@cgpaddock Just thought I’d ask. Thanks for replying 😃
Fantastic photos! Please can I share the 1961photo from the bridge in a railway newsletter? With credit of course.
Use the picture with a credit by all means. There is of course a caption over it. If you want it without the caption we need to find a way to email each other.
I managed to get a screen grab without the caption thanks. If you'd like to see the newsletter (containing an interview with Frank Kidwell, porter-signalman at Umberleigh 1949-53) please email info [at] combe-rail.org.uk
How long were you at Umberleigh station house? My father moved to a cottage near Chapleton circa 1981.
Parents were there October 61 - sometime in 1992. Dad was preceded by a Mr. Mills I believe. CJG
Sad demise
The Warship at 3:42 is D818 Glory
Thank you for that.