Other Archive Items
These are the contents of the archives for other items
Abbotsham Racecourse
Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
Millennium record
Miscellaneous information:
Abbotsham birds 2000-2010
Arthurs Lea development
Bideford Buzz article January 2011
Birds nesting in the parish 1935 & 2006/8
Devon Life article (2000?)
Historic references to Abbotsham
Links with Tavistock Abbey
Oak Tree article for newsletter 2011
Parish Footpaths Survey 2005 photographs
Parish Plan 2007
Parish Profile March 2013
Publications:
Bideford Guide (circa 1970)
Bideford in Old Photographs Pat Slade 1996
Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway Stanley C Jenkins 1993
Bygone Devonshire Rev. H. Friend
Coast Scenery of North Devon E.A. Newall Arber
Coasts of Devon and Lundy Island J.L.W. Page
History of Abbotsham H.A.Lomas
North Devon Coast G.G. Harper
North Devon Coast in Old Photographs Alan Sutton Publishing 1998
Official Guide to Bideford & District (circa 1960)
Random Notes on Old Bideford & District Major W Ascott 1953
Walks in North Devon Southern Railway, pp1-11
Richardson Collection photographs (2 files)
Richardson Collection name index
There may be some duplication of actual images in the above list. As time
goes on and the list is refined a more detailed index will emerge
Abbotsham Racecourse
Properly named Shebbertown Racecourse, this short-lived racing venue ('Bideford Races') was situated overloking the sea between what is now Abbotsham Court and Cornborough cliffs. Opening in 1922, horse racing was held there for several years before greyhound racing and even motor cycle racing was introduced. Today, there is no sign that a race course existed apart from a single story building at the head of the footpath to Cornborough Range which was once the refreshment rooms.
Below are a couple of the images from the handful held in the archive.
Below are a couple of the images from the handful held in the archive.
Above:
The Racecourse from a painting owned by Mrs Christine Green |
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Clicking on the button below will take you to a silent British Pathe News item of the first woman to hold a jockey's licence riding at Bideford Races.
The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway
This short-lived railway opened in 1901, and initially had two stations within the parish, Kenwith Castle Halt (on the eastern parish boundary) and Abbotsham Road. In 1909 a third station was added with the curiously spelt Cornborough Cliffs Halte as an intermediate stop between Abbotsham Road and Westward Ho!
The archive has several postcards and photographs depicting the whole length of the railway, along with copies of extracts from publications about the railway. Below are just three images from the archive.
The archive has several postcards and photographs depicting the whole length of the railway, along with copies of extracts from publications about the railway. Below are just three images from the archive.
The above view shows Abbotsham Road station looking west towards Cornborough; the view on the right is the approach to the level crossing at the west end of the station.
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The railway only lasted until 1917, the last train running on 28th March of that year. The Railway had been requisitioned by the Government to assist in the war effort, one engine reportedly going to Avonmouth with the other two shipped off to France, although they never got that far as their ship was torpedoed in the Bristol Channel and sunk.
The humorous postcard on the left dates from 1909 |
