About Prowse’s Crossing
Prowse’s Crossing was located along the Princetown Railway at the 2-mile mark, allowing access from the Meavy Road to the lower slopes of Yennadon Down. The crossing primarily served a small side road, which had once provided an entrance to the now-abandoned Yennadon Iron Mine but later became a route for private housing.
The crossing gates were typical of the Great Western Railway (GWR) design, featuring wooden cross frames reinforced with steel stays. These gates were operated by a ground frame located at the site. The level crossing was interlocked with two distant signals, positioned on either side of the crossing. One signal stood near Dousland, accompanied by the “down advanced starter,” while the other signal was located past the 24-mile post. These signals were controlled by a small three-lever ground frame.
Adjacent to Prowse’s Crossing stood the crossing keeper’s cottage, located on the far side of the track. Although the crossing no longer had a manned keeper after 1927, the cottage remained and was later repurposed as a private residence. The surroundings also included a platelayers’ hut near the crossing, providing a base for maintenance workers who helped manage the track.
After crossing Prowse’s, the line took a south-easterly course as it emerged onto the gorse-covered slopes of Yennadon Down, offering scenic views of the Meavy Valley below. Today, Prowse’s Crossing exists only in memory, with few physical remnants left of its vital role along the railway.
In Brief
“Prowse’s Crossing is located at Milepost 2, Dousland, on the Princetown Railway. It gave access to a small side road off the Meavy road towards the lower slopes of Yennadon Down, once the approach to the Yennadon Iron mine, now to private housing” (source: here).