The London and South Western Railway’s arm (now withered) reached deep into North Devon and Cornwall from Exeter Queen Street station (now Exeter Central) with routes to Padstow, Ilfracombe and Bude. There were also linking bus services connecting smaller communities to the railway like the one from Exeter to Chagford.
Chagford had been served by a Great Western bus from Moretonhampstead since the 1870s but on 1st June 1904 the LSWR started running a service using a second-hand 20 horse powered Milnes Daimler vehicle possibly dating from 1902. The bus ran from Exeter Queen Street station through Tedburn St Mary, Crockenwell and Whiddon Cross to Chagford.
LSWR bus outside the Globe Inn Chagford.
Picture Courtesy The Chagford Archive
There was one daily return service with an extra late night bus on a Friday to coincide with Exeter market. The journey took 2hrs 15 minutes and the fare was 2/6 (12.5p). This was faster and cheaper than the GWR train and bus options via Moretonhampstead. Newspaper reports from the time suggest that there were often so many passengers using the bus that some had to travel on the roof with the luggage. The motor bus service was replaced by a horse drawn vehicle in the winter.
Between 1905 and 1907 two 32horse power 20 seater Clarkson steam buses operated the route to be replaced in May 1908 by two 24 horse power 16 seat Thorneycroft buses which themselves lasted until 1914.
2022 bus service to Exeter from Chagford operated by Dartline
The LSWR bus operation passed to the Southern Railway on grouping in 1923 and ceased operation the following year by which time the Devon General Bus Company was becoming established in the area. Its route 19 served Chagford from Exeter via the Teign Valley while the number 29 bus followed the LSWR route through Cheriton Bishop and Drewsteignton. The GWR bus from Moretonhampstead ran until 1928.
The Southern Railway also ran a motor charabanc service (operated on its behalf by Long Brothers) between Exeter and Fingle Bridge which lasted until 1930
There are currently four buses every weekday from Exeter to Chagford with five working in the opposite direction operated by Dartline. Two are extended to and from Moretonhampstead.
So maybe this part of the Southern's arm isn't quite as withered as others.
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