History
The Act of Parliament that authorised the D&SR received assent on 29 July 1864. Eugenius Birch was appointed as Engineer, but he was replaced by Richard Hassard in 1870. The first 7.25-mile (11.67 km) section of the line was opened on 8 June 1871, from westwards from Watchet Junction at Norton Fitzwarren to Wiveliscombe on the edge of Exmoor. The remaining 35.75 miles (57.53 km) to Barnstaple opened on 1 November 1873.
The line was built as 7 ft 0 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge and operated by the B&ER. The last broad gauge train ran on 14 May 1881, after which the line was converted to 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge and reopened on 18 May.
In 1884 the Tiverton and North Devon Railway opened from a junction on the D&SR. The Tiverton services started from Dulverton and ran over the D&SR as far as Morebath Junction where they diverged southwards. The following year saw the new line extended to Stoke Canon on the B&ER main line, from where the trains ran through to Exeter St Davids. In 1890 the GWR appointed Mrs Towns as signalwoman at Morebath Junction. She is the only recorded example of a signalwoman on any railway in Britain in 19th century. In October 1913 the Railway Magazine reported that she was "very proud" of her job after 23 years service and hoped to continue indefinitely.
Conversion to standard gauge enabled a connection to the London and South Western Railway at Barnstaple. This was opened on 1 June 1887, after which GWR trains ran through to Ilfracombe via Barnstaple and the LSWR. The GWR bought the Devon and Somerset Railway in 1901. On 1 July 1905 an avoiding line was opened at Barnstaple which allowed through trains to Ilfracombe to run directly to the LSWR station without having to reverse in the D&SR terminus. During the 1930s the line carried heavy traffic on summer weekends and automatic token equipment were installed to allow trains to pass through stations faster. In 1937 the junction at Norton Fitwarren was modified to allow an easier route from the main line, and the single track as far as Milverton was doubled.
On 1 January 1948 the GWR was nationalised to become the Western Region of British Railways. The D&SR station was named Barnstaple Victoria Road from 26 September 1949 to distinguish it from Barnstaple Junction and Barnstaple Town railway stations, the old LSWR stations. This station closed to passengers on 12 June 1960, after which trains ran directly to Barnstaple Junction until 1 October 1966 when the last train ran on the line from Norton Fitzwarren. Victoria Road remained open for freight traffic until 30 May 1970, but this was now routed via Barnstaple Junction.
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