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Bideford Long Bridge

BidefordBridges completed in the 14th centuryBridges in DevonBuildings and structures in BidefordGrade I listed bridges
Grade I listed buildings in DevonIndustrial archaeological sites in DevonStone bridges in EnglandUse British English from December 2016
Bideford bridges from Upcott Hill geograph.org.uk 867952
Bideford bridges from Upcott Hill geograph.org.uk 867952

Bideford Long Bridge in North Devon spans the River Torridge near its estuary and connects the old part of the town, and formerly important river port, of Bideford on the left bank (west side) with East-the-Water on the right bank (east side). It is one of the longest mediaeval bridges in England, being 677 feet (222 yards) long with 24 arches. In 1790 the bridge was the longest in Devon. It remained the furthest downstream bridge on the river until 1987, when the Torridge A39 Road Bridge was built a mile or so further downstream at Northam. The river is still tidal at Bideford (and as far upstream as Weare Giffard) and a very large fluctuation in water levels occurs twice daily under the bridge. An ancient New Year's Eve tradition was to try to run across the Long Bridge during the time taken for the bells of St. Mary's parish church, near the west end, to chime midnight. A sight enjoyed by many in the winter months is of the starlings at dusk, as they come in large flocks to roost underneath the bridge. It is a Grade I listed building. Another major medieval bridge, the Barnstaple Long Bridge in Barnstaple over the Taw, is a few miles away. A large scale model of the Long Bridge in all its stages from 1280 to 1925 is displayed at the Burton at Bideford museum in the town.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bideford Long Bridge (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bideford Long Bridge
B3233, Torridge District East The Water

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Latitude Longitude
N 51.0165 ° E -4.2034 °
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B3233
EX39 2HR Torridge District, East The Water
England, United Kingdom
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Bideford bridges from Upcott Hill geograph.org.uk 867952
Bideford bridges from Upcott Hill geograph.org.uk 867952
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Bideford railway station
Bideford railway station

The first Bideford railway station was opened on 2 November 1855 as the terminus of the Bideford Extension Railway from Barnstaple. This was taken over by the London and South Western Railway about ten years later. This station was resited in 1872 when the line was extended to Torrington. Regular passenger trains from Barnstaple were withdrawn on Saturday 2 October 1965 although special trains occasionally used the station until the line was finally closed to freight in 1982. After closure a railway preservation society was formed to reopen the station and a short part of the line. Over 220 yards of track were laid from the station and some rolling stock and a small diesel locomotive are on site. An occasional train service is operated from April to September and the replica signal box, interactive interpretation centre and cafe are also open during this period. The site is on the Tarka Trail so is accessible even if the centre is closed. See Bideford Railway Heritage Centre.The remaining station buildings on the down side are owned by the adjacent Royal Hotel and are used for storage.The station was included on the ATOC Connecting Communities report in 2009, which recommended closed lines and stations which should have a railway service. The report suggested the reopening of the Barnstaple - Bideford railway line. In mid-2021 some members of the Bideford Railway Heritage Centre became actively involved in working towards this objective, with Railfuture, following the example of the government's Reopening Your Railway initiative. What became known as the ACE Rail campaign quickly became adopted by the Tarka Rail Association.