Birthday cakes celebrate 165 years of Axminster and Honiton stations

Birthday cakes were cut at both Honiton and Axminster stations on Saturday 19 July as part of celebrations to mark the 165th anniversary of the Yeovil to Exeter railway and both stations which all opened on 19 July 1860.

The festivities started at Honiton station at 12 30PM when Richard Foord MP, joined by Honiton Mayor Cllr Andrew Pearsall and Devon County Councillor for Feniton & Honiton Richard Jefferies, first cut the special birthday cake and then unveiled a commemorative blue plaque.

The cake was made by James’ Patisserie in the town.  

Honiton’s new Town Crier Caroline Kolek read out a message of celebration on the station platform.

The focus then moved to Axminster where, at 1 30 PM, Axminster Mayor Cllr Jill Farrow, joined by Richard Foord MP and Paul Hayward, Axminster’s Devon County Councillor, cut the special cake there and then unveiled Axminster station’s commemorative blue plaque.

Several people including Richard Foord MP and Andrew Ardley, Regional Development Manager (West) for South Western Railway, attended both events, travelling between Honiton and Axminster by train.

The events at Honiton were organised by the Friends of Honiton Station and those at Axminster by the Railway Kitchen, the Ale Way (both of which are based at the station) and by local charity For the Love of a Railway which celebrates the former branch line between Axminster and Lyme Regis.

At both stations, they were assisted by South Western Railway and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

The blue plaques will go on public display at the two stations soon.

Richard Foord MP said “It was a joy to mark the 165th anniversary of railway stations at Honiton and Axminster. South Western Railway has just entered public ownership. With this significant development, as well as the 200th anniversary of British entrepreneurs who laid the first track in 1825, it was well worth getting together with local businesses, councillors, station staff and service users. Here’s to the next 165 years – and hopefully more trains!”

The Chairman of The Friends of Honiton Station, Martin Long, said: “We were delighted to welcome people to the station, to celebrate the tremendous contribution the station and its outstanding staff make to our community. In this year of Railway 200, it was good not just to look back to the founding of our railway, but to look forward with hope to the vital role it can play in the future.”

Axminster Town Mayor Cllr Jill Farrow said “Our railway is without doubt one of Axminster’s greatest assets, It’s impossible to put a value on its contribution to this community, and it’s highly appropriate that we celebrate and support it. We have the advantage of living in a gloriously beautiful part of the world and, when the need arises, can get to London in less than three hours!”

Andrew Ardley, Regional Development Manager (West) for South Western Railway said “The two events on Saturday at Honiton and Axminster epitomise all that is great about the railway in this area – a partnership between the railway industry, community organisations and local businesses where everybody works together to achieve more than the sum of the parts.

“We have been so pleased with the number and quality of events at stations on the SWR network in this 200th year of the modern railway which have really showcased what stations mean to their local communities. Thank you to everyone involved in making the celebrations such a success and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the future”

The Axminster celebrations also included a celebration barbecue run by the Ale Way and a display, also in the Ale Way, of previously unseen and unique railway photographs taken by Percy Bird, a driver on the Axminster to Lyme Regis Line in the late 1930s and 1940s.

Earlier, commemorative model trains had been run on the layouts at the For the Love of a Railway Visitor Centre in Chard St, Axminster.

The previous evening, Friday 18 July, had seen a supper event at the Railway Kitchen featuring the launch of Sentimental Journey, a real-time video journey along the old Lyme Regis line with commentary from Terry Guppy, who worked as a locomotive fireman on the line.

The photographic display at the Ale Way will be open during the Ale Way’s usual opening hours http://www.thealeway.co.uk until Sunday 27 July.

Sunday 27 July is also when Axminster Model Railway Exhibition will be run right across the station area. There will be around a dozen working layouts, static model displays by Uplyme Model Dockyard and Seaton Scale Modellers, ‘drive the line’ simulation game, merchandise and refreshments. It will be a free event welcoming donations to For the Love of a Railway and be open from 10 AM to 3 PM

The events are all part of local celebrations of Railway 200, the 200th anniversary of the modern railway which began with the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825.

Photos –

Honiton (from left to right) Stacey Retter, Honiton Station staff, Honiton Town Crier Caroline Kolek, Honiton Mayor Cllr Andrew Pearsall, Richard Foord MP (cutting cake), Feniton & Honiton Devon County Councillor Richard Jefferies and Justin Palmer, Honiton Station staff.

Honiton cake – cake supplied by James’ Patisserie, 7 New St, Honiton.

Axminster (from left to right) Leanne Watterson, off duty Axminster Station staff, Andrew Ardley, Regional Development Manager (West) South Western Railway, Axminster Devon County Councillor Paul Hayward, Richard Foord MP, Axminster Mayor Cllr Jill Farrow, Jack Price, Railway Kitchen and Rob Wilbor, the Ale Way.

Photo credits – Honiton Dave Withey; Axminster Barrie Hedges