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Themes Gallery: Brunel |
Places to explore and find out more
- Brunel’s South Devon coastal railway route is one of the most scenic
in this country and regular services still operate along it.
- Two surviving great examples of his architecture and engineering are
the old pumping station at Starcross, now missing its chimney top, and
the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash.
- Exminster station, opened in August 1852, is now a reclamation yard
but has typical Brunel architecture.
- By the Turf Hotel near Powderham Castle you can still see part of
the foundations of the atmospheric pumping station next to the pond.
- In the station car park at Dawlish part of retaining wall was the
pumping house wall of the atmospheric railway – you can still see the
arches!
- At Newton Abbot the station car park entrance marks the site of the
original station entrance and you can see the remains of the locomotive
works and original bridge along Forde Road and Quay Road. There is a
timber workshop building dating back to about 1850 which although on
private Network Rail land is visible from the station and is roughly
where the pond for the pumping house was.
- Torre station was the end of the line for several years and the old
station and nearby South Devon cottages are largely original.
- The original stations between Newton Abbot and Plymouth have long
gone, apart from Totnes with its Brunelian wooden waiting rooms and
pumping station remains, but the old Brunel viaduct piers at Ivybridge
are well worth a visit.
- Longpark pumping house,Torquay was never used but still exists near
Marks and Spencer on Newton Road.
- At Sutton Harbour, Plymouth and the Quay, Exeter you can still see
sections of mixed broad and standard gauge track.
- Didcot Railway Centre near Oxford has a section of atmospheric pipe
nearly 30 feet long recovered from Goodrington near Paignton. There
is also a replica of an early broad gauge train which you can ride in
at special open days. Much of the track it runs on came from Burlescombe
in Devon.
- The SS Great Britain has been restored and is open to the public in
Bristol.
- Porthcurno Museum of Telegraphy in Cornwall tells the story of the
Great Eastern and the laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable.
- The gardens at Brunel Manor, Watcombe are open to the public.
- There are many events celebrating Brunel 200 details of which can
be found in local libraries or on their web site www.brunel200.com
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