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This one of the very best preserved stations in the country. Winners of the West Somerset Railway Best Kept Station Awards for a record number of times, and winner of the Ian Allan Award Best Restored Station Award 1997. The station stands at the highest point on the line, just under 400 feet above the sea.
The station was built in 1862 when the line opened. The main station building is the only original structure left, although the nearby cottages and station masters house (not now Railway-owned) are from the same date. Today's layout consists of two platforms, each extended over the years - look for the different materials used - with the main offices on the up side, and two "new" buildings on the down side.
The signal box, the upper half was brought from Ebbw Vale, was built in the 1990s.
The visual charm of the station and surroundings has caught the eye of several film directors leading to scenes being shot at Crowcombe Heathfield for "The Flockton Flyer", "The
Lion,The Witch and the Wardrobe", "Land Girls" and "A Hard
Day's Night".
Crowcombe Heathfield Station also has a small museum and trackwork display.
The village of Crowcombe lies some two miles away to the north east under the Quantock Hills.
The area around forms a watershed, with streams running either north to the sea at Doniford or to the south into the River Tone which meets the sea at Bridgwater and Dunball. The countryside is very beautiful with a mixture of woodland and pasture with an area of heath on the very top of the hills, with good views of the Quantock Hills and Brendon Hills. Very good walking country. Wildlife abounds, with red and fallow deer in the woods and pastures, and buzzards overhead. The primrose is very common along the hedgerows. It is one of the few places where almost absolute absence of human sounds can be found.
Enjoy the countryside sights and sounds of deepest West Somerset. A walk between Crowcombe Heathfield and Stogumber Stations is very popular, leaving the train at one and joining again at the other. There are a variety of routes ranging from three to six miles.
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| · Walter Harris
| | · Michael Hodge
| | · Ted Cubitt
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Crowcombe Heathfield Station
