MEM24814 - 19th Century railway embankment south of Parracombe (Monument)

Summary

An embankment constructed in the 1890s to carry the Lynton to Barnstaple Railway line. The line passed out of use in 1935 and the embankment was damaged in the 1952 Exmoor Flood.

Please read the Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record .

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

  • None recorded

Full Description

SS 67364 417. A railway embankment first appears on the 25 inch early 20th Century 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map. It carries the railway line across a valley created by the River Heddon. [1,2] The embankment is shown on 2018 MasterMap data, although the centre has been eroded by the river. [3] On the night of 15 August 1952 rainwater broke through the blocked drainage holes of the disused railway culvert, creating a surge of water that tore through Parracombe further down the river, causing several deaths and much damage. [4]

Sources/Archives (4)

  • <1> Map: Ordnance Survey. 1868-1901. County Series; 1st Edition 25 Inch Map. 1:2500.
  • <2> Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-1907. County Series, 2nd Edition 25 Inch Map. 1:2500.
  • <3> Map: Ordnance Survey. 2018. MasterMap.
  • <4> Monograph: Constable, N.. 2004. Parracombe and the Heddon Valley: An unfinished history. Parracombe Archaeology and History Society. pp 90-92, illustration 90.

External Links (0)

Other Statuses/References

  • Local List Status (Candidate)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred SS 6735 4417 (159m by 65m)
Map sheet SS64SE
Civil Parish PARRACOMBE, NORTH DEVON, DEVON

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Nov 29 2019 12:20PM

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