A former railway station in Devon that sits on a working railway line has been listed for sale at £365,000. The property, known as The Station House, is located alongside the 39-mile Tarka Line, which connects Exeter and Barnstaple. Trains pass by the front entrance roughly every hour.
Five-year renovation project
The current owner, Jacqueline Saint, 70, bought the property in 2017 for approximately £200,000 after she and her husband "fell in love with it straight away." At the time, the building was in a "very bad state" and required a huge refurbishment, though the pair instantly saw its potential.
Over the next five years, the couple transformed the structure into a dual-purpose property, with one section serving as their residence and the other as a holiday let. Despite the scale of the project, they were committed to maintaining the historic railway building's original charm while creating a space suited to their needs.
Historic Eggesford Station
Constructed for the London and South Western Railway around 1850, predominantly from stone beneath a slate roof, Eggesford Station was officially opened by the North Devon Railway on 1st August 1854. It was erected with permission from the then landowner, the Earl of Portsmouth, whose country residence was located within an estate close to the station's site.
Jacqueline and her husband purchased the property through an estate agent's bidding process, putting forward just over £200,000 and securing the winning bid. The couple moved into the cottage section as soon as it was fit for habitation, while the other half was subsequently opened up as holiday accommodation.
Property layout and potential
The main cottage currently features a spacious kitchen and living area, utility room and bathroom on the ground floor, with a dining room and three bedrooms on the upper floor. The annexe benefits from its own independent external access, or could alternatively be incorporated into the main house by making use of the connecting door through to the main kitchen. It offers a double bedroom with an en-suite shower room, along with a living room complete with a wood-burning stove.
The unfinished building, the former station master's office, situated at the end of the station presents further potential, Jacqueline explained. She and her husband had begun renovating it with plans to create an additional holiday cottage, comprising a bedroom, living room, separate kitchen and large bathroom. However, the project was never completed and the space has since been used as a workshop.
Life beside an active railway
The Tarka Line continues to operate as an active railway, with services running past the former station approximately every hour. Jacqueline explained: "It's a very scenic railway and some people think it doesn't run anymore but it does. The trains run past every hour. But it's a very used line that people who live in that valley use it to get to work on, kids to go to school and university in Exeter. It is a very valuable train line."
While some potential purchasers might be deterred by the prospect of residing beside an operational railway, Jacqueline insisted the passing trains soon become a normal part of daily routine. She remarked: "I think you're used to it. It's never been anything that we thought, 'oh no, not another train going by' because it's just fine. Trains don't stop at every station along that line, but they do stop at a dedicated station, so that was one of the things that we considered when we were thinking about buying it. If every train stops, then they're going to slow down and stop, so they don't come by at a very fast rate, and just all stop outside."
After her husband's death, Jacqueline has now put the distinctive property up for sale through estate agents Stags. She explained: "I'm very sad to be leaving the property, because even though it's only been since 2017, it does have, by now, a lot of sentimental value. Because my husband and I renovated it in a style that we wanted it to be - and it's still home. If you're going to sell a place, you have to just come to terms with that one year."
Jacqueline is optimistic that a prospective buyer will recognise the same promise that drew her and her husband in when they initially viewed the property. "It makes a wonderful home," she concluded.
