In Anthony R. Kingdom’s 1991 book, “The Yelverton to Princetown Railway” there is reference to a proposed branch from the GWR Princetown line near King’s Tor to Merrivale Quarry. “In 1908 plans were drawn up by Prigg & Lindon (Engineers) for this railway. It was to be 1 mile, 5 furlongs and 7.25 chains long (about 1.7 miles). It was to be known as the “Merrivale Light Railway” a standard gauge line and its departure point was just past the Swell Tor sidings on the main Yelverton – Princetown line”.
This line never happened – the proposals were wildly impractical (four embankments, two bridges and a cutting was required for the idea) and it’s backers ended up in court facing bankruptcy by 1937 (see here).
Merrivale Light Railway: The Railway That Never Ran
“Scheme that came to naught” — Western Morning News, 1937
A Grand Plan for Dartmoor’s Granite
The Merrivale Light Railway was a proposed standard-gauge railway in West Dartmoor, Devon. Officially authorised under the Merrivale Light Railway Order of 1908, its purpose was to link Merrivale Granite Quarry to the Great Western Railway’s Princetown Branch near King’s Tor. Despite detailed planning and legal formation, the railway was never constructed — an industrial ambition that faded with war, financial difficulty, and practical disinterest.
The Railway That Never Got Built
The proposed line was to be about 1 mile, 5 furlongs, and 7.25 chains in length (~1.72 miles), incorporating:
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4 embankments
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2 bridges
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1 cutting
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A crossing of the River Walkham
It was designed by engineers Prigg & Lindon and costed at £12,600 in 1908. The intention was to create an efficient export route for granite from Merrivale Quarry — which supplied major projects like Scotland Yard and Tower Bridge — to broader markets via the rail network.
However, nothing was built. Construction was stalled by the First World War, and no real progress was made until 1924 — sixteen years after approval — when a renewed application was made to the Ministry of Transport for powers to extend the railway and raise capital.
The 1937 Court Case: Collapse Confirmed
The decisive end of the Merrivale Light Railway came in January 1937, when Hesketh Estates Ltd. appeared at Tavistock Police Court to apply for the appointment of a receiver of tolls — a last-ditch effort to recover debts under Clause 50 of the Light Railway Order.
Key points from the court record (Western Morning News, 14 January 1937):
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Mr. C. M. Duke, of Plymouth, was described as “the moving spirit of the company” but refused press comment.
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Colonel Maunder Tucker, Chairman, admitted “the Merrivale Light Railway has no existence — I do not think it ever will,” acknowledging the railway never operated.
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The company was still legally in existence, despite never having laid track.
Company timeline from the court testimony:
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1908: Light Railway Order granted.
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1914–18: War halted plans.
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1924: New application to extend powers and increase capital.
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1927: £1,000 deposit lodged with the High Court.
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1929: Hesketh Estates Ltd. lent £1,000 to the company under mortgage, guaranteed by Mr Duke.
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1936: Default on loan triggered legal action.
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1937: Receiver appointed — the official end of the scheme.
Merrivale Quarry: What Remained
Despite the failed railway, Merrivale Quarry operated for well over a century. Opened in 1874, it produced granite for major infrastructure projects. It remained active until its closure in 1997, by which time it was mostly processing imported granite.
The quarry infrastructure still exists today as a site of industrial heritage interest, and the ghost of the Merrivale Light Railway remains part of Dartmoor’s storied landscape.
Sources & Further Reading
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Western Morning News, 14 January 1937 (full article provided by user)
You can follow the route here.