Charity secures huge grant to unlock Devon's railway history

A Crediton-based charity building an archive of stories around Devon’s railways has received £25,000 from Great Western Railway (GWR).

The Folklore Library and Archive, located in Crediton Library, applied for this grant from GWR’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund, supporting local communities and addressing areas of social need.

The Folklore Library and Archive is a registered charity committed to making social history and heritage materials freely accessible for future generations to learn from, share, and enjoy. 

As part of their Devon Railway Heritage project, they want to capture the rich heritage surrounding Devon’s branch line railways and unlock people’s personal stories through their own private collections and remembrances. 

GWR's National Rail Contract with the Department for Transport means it is committed to supporting schools, colleges, councils, communities, and other not-for-profit organisations by aiding a number of initiatives.

Tracey Norman, Project Manager on the Devon Railway Heritage project, said: “We’re extremely grateful for this funding from Great Western Railway, which will help to unlock valuable heritage from people’s personal collections for everyone to benefit from in the future.

“Through recording the memories of those who worked on, used, and interacted with Devon’s branch lines, we hope to build a valuable archive of stories that would otherwise be lost, or at best told within people’s own families or social circles. We have already heard some absolute gems from people about their past experiences.

“We are also hoping to build valuable links with rail enthusiast groups and other organisations who may be able to offer valuable material to this archive.”

Between now and the end of February 2025, members of the Folklore Library and Archive project team will be looking to interview people about their memories of branch line railways in Devon. 

These interviews will be recorded and archived along with accessible transcripts.

The project would also like to receive copies of people’s historic photos and film of branch lines in Devon. 

If materials haven't yet been digitised, the project team can make digital copies and return the originals safely to their owners.

GWR West Regional Development Manager, David Whiteway, said: “The Customer and Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest in our communities in projects that make a difference at a local level.

“We’re delighted to support this particular initiative, which will help to unearth hidden stories and other heritage related to the social history of our rail network in Devon, building a valuable archive for the future and giving people a chance to share their memories.”

Anyone wishing to get involved, whether it's loaning materials or speaking to the project team, can visit their website or email folklorelibrary@gmail.com.