Whilst the LSWR's acquisition of the Barnstaple line from under the clutches of the GWR was controversial, from this small foundation the LWSR's network extended to provide an alternative route to Plymouth as well as reaching to places such as Bude and Bodmin. Inherited by the Southern Railway at Grouping, it was under the SR that the final sections of the network were completed. In 1948 these lines passed to BR intact but, as changing traffic patterns developed and control was ceded to the Western Region, much of the ex-LSWR network was to be closed. Its neglect and decline under the management of the Western Region led to this part of the BR network being referred to by railway enthusiasts as the 'Withered Arm' though the origins of this term is believed to date back to the 1930s. This book covers all of the classic locations in the area such as Padstow, Wadebridge, Bude, Halwill Junction, Barnstaple and Ilfracome. Always a popular area with enthusiasts the 'Witheren Arm' possessed a fascinating network of lines that are explored in the pages of this book.