The Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway, conceived by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, was the first major railway in Plymouth. For over two decades, Sir Thomas endeavoured to cultivate and populate the desolate Dartmoor region. He established Prince’s Town, named after the Prince of Wales, who later became King George IV. Sir Thomas successfully convinced the Admiralty that it was an ideal location to house prisoners from the war with France. Dartmoor Prison was completed in 1809 and accommodated 5,000 prisoners of war until peace was declared in 1815. Subsequently, the buildings were abandoned.
Sir Thomas’s vision included connecting Princetown with the coastal area near Plymouth. This railway would transport various materials and people for land reclamation efforts, such as lime and sea sand for fertilisation, coal and timber, and even tea and sugar. The journeys to Plymouth would carry granite from quarries at King Tor and Dartmoor peat, along with farm produce. A public meeting took place on 29th March 1819 at Plymouth Guildhall, and on 2nd July 1819, the Royal Assent was granted for the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway Act. This authorised the construction of a line from Crabtree, in the parish of Eggbuckland, to Princetown. The survey of the route was conducted in 1818 by William Shillibeer of Walkhampton, and Sir Thomas had raised £27,788 towards the railway project.
The first general meeting of shareholders was held on 20th September 1819 at the Royal Hotel in Plymouth. Sir William Elford assumed the role of treasurer, William Burt became the clerk (secretary), and William Stuart, the superintendent of the Breakwater Works, was chosen as the engineer. The contractor for the project was Hugh Mackintosh of London, while Messrs Bailey & Company, also from London, supplied the iron rails.
On 8th July 1820, the second Act was passed, granting permission for an extension to Sutton Pool and a short branch to Martin’s Wharf on the Cattewater, just below Laira Bridge. The third Act, dated 2nd July 1821, allowed the line between Crabtree and Jump (now known as Roborough) to deviate and follow the contours, including a 620-yard tunnel on that section. The estimated cost of the work was £12,200.
The Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway officially opened on 26th September 1823. It was constructed with an unusual gauge of 4 foot 6 inches, which later became known as the “Dartmoor” gauge. The line covered a distance of 25 miles, 2 quarters, and 6 chains, consisting of single track throughout. It is reputed to have cost £66,000 to build. The railway ran from King Tor, slightly before Princetown, to Sutton Pool in Plymouth. The King Tor Quarries were operated by two brothers, John and William Johnson.
As the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway Company depleted its funds, the Johnson brothers stepped in to provide financial assistance to complete the line into Princetown. In return, they acquired a mortgage on the line. However, since the Company could not pay the interest, the Johnsons were allowed to transport their granite free of charge. These circumstances led to the downfall of the railway. Sir Thomas, despite being the largest shareholder, vanished from the scene along with his promises. With no other traffic to cover the operating costs, the railway’s demise was inevitable.
A branch of the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway was opened on 20th November 1829, reaching Cann Quarry. It operated until around 1900. Another branch was established in 1833 to Plympton, but it was purchased by the South Devon Railway in 1847. The branch was eventually closed as it hindered the construction of their new line from Totnes to Plymouth.
The dire situation persisted until an Act of Parliament, dated 19th June 1865, when the surviving Johnson brother, William, received £75,000 worth of 5% preference shares in exchange for the mortgage. This brought the railway back under the control of the Company, and in a few years, the revenue from transporting granite enabled them to relay a significant portion of the line.
In 1883, the upper section of the railway above Yelverton was utilised by the Princetown Railway as the track bed for a standard gauge line to Princetown. This left the remaining section with minimal traffic, and it is believed that the line ceased operations around 1900. By this time, both the Great Western and London & South Western Railways recognised the excellent revenue potential from industries in Sutton Harbour, particularly the Cattewater area.
The London and South Western Railway made their presence known by encouraging the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway Company, which already had a foothold with the line to Sutton Harbour, to obtain legal powers for several other lines in the Cattewater/Prince Rock area. The first line aimed to connect the main railway with the LSWR’s Friary Station. Another extension was planned to stretch from Prince Rock Row to Cattedown Lane, and a third aimed to extend the main line to Gibb’s Quay and Finch’s Quay. These extensions were authorised by the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway (Plymouth Extensions) Act of 1875. A second set of proposals added two more extensions, from Cattedown Quarry to the Passage House Inn and then on to the graving dock, along with one quay and two piers. These plans were authorised by the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway Act of 1882.
There are conflicting sources regarding the official transfer of the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway’s Cattewater Harbour Branch to the London & South Western Railway. When it opened in 1880, it was referred to as the LSWR Cattewater Branch. One of the final actions of the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway Company, on 30th November 1882, was to submit plans for a branch line to Clovelly Bay and Turnchapel. These proposals received the Royal Assent on 2nd August 1883, and the line became the initial segment of the LSWR Turnchapel Branch. Soon after, on 30th November 1883, plans were submitted for another line branching off the Turnchapel Branch and heading towards Modbury. However, plans deposited on 30th November 1887 indicated that the line would only terminate at Yealmpton. The Royal Assent was granted on 28th June 1888 for this project under the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway (South Hams Extension) Act of 1888.
In 1916, all the tracks of the Plymouth & Dartmoor Railway were removed, except for the section between the Rising Sun Inn (which has since been demolished) at Crabtree and Sutton Harbour, which remained as part of the Lee Moor Tramway.