165. Cassell & Co. / L & S W R 1888

 

Amongst many railway publications and timetables published by the various operators were some which included county maps. From 18881 Cassells published The Official Guide to the London & South Western Railway.2

This guide included two panorama views showing the L&SWR lines London to Ilfracombe and Brighton to Padstow. One of the maps included depicted the major part of Devonshire, Route Map. - IV Exeter To Plymouth And Ilfracombe, and showed the L&SWR routes from Exeter to Ilfracombe and Devonport with branches in heavy lines (and the GWR route to Plymouth and its branches in thin lines). The Dartmoor Loop is shown as complete but the stretch from Okehampton to Plymouth was, in fact, GWR track. The L&SWR line to Tavistock from Plymouth would not be completed until 1890. Lines connect Barnstaple and Ilfracombe with Lynmouth and Lynton, presumably this was to signify the coach connections.

The map shows only the parts of Devon west of Exeter. It omits Hartland and the areas east of the Exe but it does show the extent of the company's involvement together with the connections to the coastal resorts both north and south.

There are vignettes of Devonshire countryside, e.g. Exeter Cathedral, Clovelly, Lynton, Hound Tor, Bickleigh and Plymouth. The text on the reverse refers to Holsworthy and is numbered p. 132.

Size: 123 x 80 mm.                                                                                                                                                                           No scale.

ROUTE MAP. - IV EXETER TO PLYMOUTH AND ILFRACOMBE. (CeOS). Railways are shown from Exeter to Exmouth, to Torrington, Ilfracombe, Okehampton, Devonport, Launceston, Holsworthy and Bude.

1.   1888   The Official Guide to the London & South-Western Railway  
    London. Cassell and Co. Ltd. 1888, 1889, 1891. RGS; RGS, KB; KB.
       

[1] The map was probably used from 1887 to 1910 and maybe later. The author has a copy of the guide for the year 1910 and the preface refers to the series starting in 1887. The same map here is reprinted, but with additions. These include an expanded title to include Barnstaple; an illegible signature (Ee); the addition of some place names such as Brentor, Horrabridge and Chelfham (?) below the top vignette of Ilfracombe; and the railway into Cornwall via Bere Alston is drawn in. No copy for 1887 has yet been seen.

[2] The authors are grateful to Francis Herbert for bringing the guides to their attention.

 

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