Exeter St David's Railway Station  Clock
Exeter St David's Railway Station  Clock Rear of Large Clock Exeter Railway Station Large  Clock

Exeter St David’s Station History and Clock

£49.95£79.95

On Trend Stripped Back Clock Face

Made to order in the UK

A fine looking quality reproduction of a Vintage Railway Station Clock in a stripped back style that’s much on trend in the current interior design market. Featuring a unique distressed dial. The authentically aged face that’s been carefully researched for authenticity is graced by fine metal hands of a design faithful to the period. It is powered by a special high torque quartz battery powered movement. Assembled by hand in the UK to an unsurpassed quality and not to be confused with cheaper imported attempts.

Available in two sizes Large at 16″ (41cms) and Medium at 12″ (30cms)

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Description

Exeter St David’s Station

Exeter St David’s Station has a fascinating history and makes for an interesting story of how the station adapted to the growing demands of the railways and the changing landscape of transportation over the last 150 years.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s design for St David’s was of course the main talking point in the early days, and the challenges presented by a single-sided station with two platforms facing the city were significant. It was ideal for passengers traveling into Exeter but created some congestion for trains crossing paths, especially as more lines and trains started arriving.

Early View of Exeter Railway Station

William Dawson, “From the Viaduct in St Thomas to the Exeter Railway Station. View North of the Line”

When the South Devon Railway (SDR) extended the line towards Plymouth in 1846, it marked a significant expansion in the station’s role. The use of atmospheric power in the early days of the SDR was an interesting choice, though the system only lasted for about a year. The fact that the atmospheric engine house wasn’t demolished until much later speaks to how some early technologies were deeply ingrained in the infrastructure, even if they were ultimately short-lived.

Old St David's Station Plan

William Dawson, “Plan”

By the time the Exeter and Crediton Railway arrived in 1851, and the station started being used by four different companies (the B&ER, SDR, LSWR, and Exeter & Crediton Railway), St David’s had become an important hub. But having different companies and gauges (broad and standard) meant that the station had to change significantly. The 1864 renovations by Francis Fox and Henry Lloyd, which included the large new train shed and the transfer shed for different gauges, helped accommodate this growing complexity. The fact that these sheds were designed to facilitate the movement of goods between broad gauge and standard gauge trains shows how intricate the logistics at the station must have been.

The 1870s marked the beginning of the shift toward consolidation in the railway industry, with the B&ER and SDR merging into the Great Western Railway (GWR) whose logo we feature on the clock. This further reshaped the station’s role, especially with the introduction of mixed-gauge tracks. By the time the GWR had connected London Paddington to Penzance via Exeter, St David’s had evolved into a multi-faceted station handling diverse train services.

The changes continued into the 20th century with the demolition of the train shed in 1912-13 and the construction of new island platforms, further refining the station layout. The signal works in 1985 were another important moment in St Davids’ history, as they ensured smoother operations by reducing conflicts between different train services. The signal box built on the site of the atmospheric engine house is a fascinating nod to the station’s earlier history.

Today, the station still retains much of its historic charm. The façade from 1864, the Great Western Hotel, and parts of the original goods sheds continue to stand as testaments to the station’s long history. The transfer shed from 1864, still in place and listed as a Grade II building, adds to the historical intrigue for anyone interested in railway history or architecture.

For those interested in the early days of rail, St David’s represents a fascinating blend of innovation and adaptation, demonstrating how the station evolved to meet the needs of an expanding railway network. If you’re visiting, there’s a lot to explore, from the older parts of the station to the nearby landmarks like the River Exe and the remains of the atmospheric engine house. The layers of history found in the station make it a real gem for railway enthusiasts, history buffs, and architecture lovers alike.

There’s much to discover about the St David’s area an we recommend viewing this fascinating document from the Exeter Civic Society.

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