A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
December 9, 2021
British Transport Commission (BTC) Posts at the former Railway terminus/Station and sidings at Princetown
Just to the south of the former Princetown railway terminus and next to the public footpath between the village and the old railway line lies a very marshy piece of land, which surprisingly contains five boundary markers. Three of the boundary markers are granite posts and are inscribed PCWW 1932 to denote the extending of the watershed lands to the Plymouth City Water Works in 1932 which led to their erection. The other two markers are short concrete posts and are part hidden in the rushes with each having set upon their top surface, a bronze plaque with “BTC” in relief.
These concrete posts and their bronze plaques would have been erected around 1948. The “BTC” marking on each plaque stands for British Transport Commission, which refers to the period when the British Railway system was nationalised (from 1st January 1948). By referring to an OS map from 1949, the two posts coincide with the then boundary of the former railway station / terminus and sidings (which are now fields). Source: Dartmoor Boundary Markers (2nd Edition), Dave Brewer 2002, page 230.
This sketch map shows the location of the 5 boundary markers (3 x PCWW 1932 and 2 x BTC) in the marshy area south of the former Princetown Railway Terminus / Station and Sidings. The sketch map also shows the Parish Boundary which coincides with the watershed denoted by the original PCWW 1917 stones.Leaving the village via the public footpath the first PCWW 1932 stone can be found at SX58740 73415. The “Old Plymouth Society”, have created a fabulous 4 page report on the history of all the PCWW markers and have denoted this one as No. 21. More information can be found here: https://dartmoorexplorations.co.uk/plymouth-corporation-water-works-pcww-granite-boundary-posts-and-cast-iron-markers/Continuing westward along the footpath from PCWW 1932 stone (No 21), a BTC post can be found (labelled BTC (2) by the author). It is easy to miss and as can be seen from the photograph lies in a very marshy area.Close up of the plaque of BTC (2). The location is SX58707 73396. Continuing westward along the footpath from BTC (2), a PCWW 1917 granite post can be found at SX58685 73388. The “Old Plymouth Society” have denoted this post as No.20. Continuing westward along the footpath from the PCWW 1917 granite post No. 20, the next BTC post can be found (denoted as BTC (1) by the author).BTC (1) looking north across the public footpath into what would have been the former Terminus / Station and Sidings (now used for animal grazing).BTC (1) can be found at SX58645 73370.Along the fenceline (south) from PCWW 1932 granite (No.21) lies the second PCWW 1932 granite post (No. 22) which can be found at SX58746 73403 Along the fenceline (west) from PCWW 1932 granite (No.22) lies the third PCWW 1932 granite post (No. 23) which can be found at SX58710 73345To complete the post, north of the former Terminus / Station and Sidings (and on the housing estate) is PCWW 1917 (No. 19). It is rather “unloved” and can be found at SX58612 73465. Finally, south of the former Terminus / Station and Sidings (and across the B3212) is PCWW 1917 (No. 24). It lies next to the southern most of the two “twin” lodges as one enters Princetown from the west. This granite post can be found at SX58772 73296.
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