Station Name: LIPSON VALE HALT

[Source: Nick Catford]


Date opened: 1 June 1904
Location: West side of Ashford Hill and south of Holkham Lane
Company on opening: South Devon Railway
Date closed to passengers: 22 March 1942
Date closed completely: 22 March 1942
Company on closing: Great Western Railway
Present state: Demolished - steps up from Ashford Hill survive
County: Devon
OS Grid Ref: SX490558
Date of visit: Not visited

Notes: The South Devon Railway between Exeter and Plymouth Millbay was opened in stages between 30 May 1846 and 2 April 1849. It was originally designed to operate on the atmospheric principle, but this was not successful and was never completed beyond Newton Abbot. The South Devon & Tavistock Railway opened a 13 mile broad gauge line on 22 June 1859 from Tavistock to a junction with The South Devon Railway near Plymouth. The line was worked by the South Devon Railway. An extension from Tavistock to Launceton was opened by the Launceton & South Devon Railway on 1 June 1865. The Launceton line was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway on 1 February 1876 and was converted to standard gauge on 21 May 1892. Prior to this the line between Tavistock Junction to North Road in Plymouth had been mixed gauge to allow the London and South Western trains to travel over the broad gauge tracks.

There were 22 intermediate stations between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth Millbay, 11 of these are now closed and 9 of them still have visible remains today. The stations closed are Exminster, Brent, Wrangaton, Bittaford Platform, Ivybridge (1st site), Cornwood, Plympton, Laira, Laira Halt, Lipson Vale Halt, Mutley, Plymouth Millbay.

Lipson Vale Halt was opened by the Great Western Railway on 1 June 1904. It comprised two timber platforms, each had a pagoda style waiting shelter close to the east end of the platform. The two shelters were slightly offset from each other. Access to the down platform was by a flight of steps from Ashford Hill. The up platform was reached from a track (now Holkham Lane) that ran between Ashford Hill and Ashford Road. After 7 July 1930 the halt was only used by ex-LSWR trains. The platforms were shortened at the west end in 1933.

The station closed on Sunday 22 March 1942 as being of timber construction it was considered a fire risk as the area was subject to bombing at that time. The platforms were quickly demolished leaving only the steps up to the down platform which still survive today.


Lipson Vale Halt looking west along the down platform (towards Plymouth) in 1922. An archetypal GWR pagoda platform shelter with its distinctively-shaped corrugated iron structure was provided on the down platform. There was a similar pagoda shelter on the up platform. It was slightly offset from the down shelter so out of view in this photo.
Photo from John Mann collection


1:2,500 OS map from 1914 showing Lipson Vale Halt Access steps from Ashford Hill are seen at the east end of the down platform. Shelters are seen on both platforms. Shelters are seen on both platforms slightly offset from each other. Access to the up platform was from Holkham Lane running parallel to the line from Ashford Hill.

1950 1:2,500 OS map. All evidence of the station has gone apart from the steps up the embankment from Ashford Hill.

An eastbound freight train has pulled into Lipson Vale Halt in 1935. The locomotive is a GWR 57xx Collett built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow and entering service with the GWR in December 1930. After withdrawal from GWR at Oxford depot it worked for London Transport Executive as L90 where it was allocated to Neasden depot. It was withdrawn from service 3 December 1961 after a service life of 31 years.
Photo from John Mann collection

View from the cab of a Plymouth bound train shows the site of Lipson Vale Halt which was immediately beyond the bridge.

Looking north up Ashford Hill in September 2024, the blocked entrance to the stairs up to the down platform is seen on the left.
Photo by Jill Mostyn

Looking south at the site of Lipson Vale Halt in 2016 from one of the houses in Ashford Road. Access to the up platform was from Holkham Lane which runs between the back gardens and the line.
Photo by Will Robinson



 

 

 

[Source: Nick Catford]




Last updated: Thursday, 19-Mar-2026 13:04:44 CET
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