The Looe Valley Line on PhotoFile Cornwall

Photographs taken 2010 and 2016

From Liskeard, runs the scenic Looe Valley Line that can be used as a very enjoyable 'Park and Ride' to visit Looe, with easy parking at the station in Liskeard, or indeed for visiting Liskeard from Looe! This unusual and pretty line was originally a part of the, then, linked Liskeard & Caradon Railway and Liskeard & Looe Railway. The line follows in part, the course of the earlier Liskeard & Looe Union Canal that was constructed between Moorswater and Looe, for the onward shipping of granite and ore from the L&CR to the quayside at Looe. Both canal and railways were used to link the old copper mines and granite quarries on the heights of Bodmin Moor (at over 1150 feet above sea level), with the sea-port of Looe. The part of the line still open for commuting between Looe and Liskeard, and for holiday visitors to travel to Looe, includes the link between the higher Liskeard Station and the lower Moorswater section of the line (at Coombe Junction Halt), which was the original link built to connect the main line to the L&CR and L&LR, and is unusually steep.

For more history and information about the old canal see the Liskeard & Looe Union Canal on Wikipedia.

Looe Valley Line station at Liskeard with a Class 153 Super-Sprinter single coach unit

Park and Ride for Looe!

The line on the left comes down from Liskeard to Coombe Junction - the very steep section, where the train
reverses here to travel on down to Looe. The train only stops at Coombe Junction Halt itself twice a day.

Looking up from Coombe Junction to Coombe Junction Halt, with the old Moorswater mineral line beyond

A rare view from the Driver's cab looking towards Coombe Junction during points change (special permission!)

Coombe Junction Halt from the bridge at Lower Lamellion (Coombe Junction down the line)

The Lodge Farm crossing just down the Looe line from Coombe Junction

The line from Trussel Bridge towards Looe

St Keyne Station looking towards Liskeard through the St Keyne bridge

Next to St Keyne Station was, until 2013, was the home of Paul Corin's Magnificent Music Machines, featuring a wonderful 1929 Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ, from the Regent Cinema in Brighton. Paul's Magnificent Music Machines also featured on the Channel 4 TV programme "Secret Stations" with Paul Merton. It was well worth a break of journey to visit them, but sadly now the attraction itself has closed, though the organ and Paul remain.

St Keyne Station (Wishing Well Halt)

The Landlooe Bridge with the arch over the old Liskeard and Looe Union Canal in the foregraound

Causeland Station and a Super-Sprinter leaving for Liskeard

Causeland Station, wth the East Looe River to the right. The old Canal which is now getting very overgrown,
runs behind the station. The canal appears to cross from side to side of the railway at times, as the newer
rail line was in some place built over and crossing the line of the canal.

The old Liskeard and Looe Union Canal behind Causeland Station.
This was not a large canal, and the small barge boats would have been horse-drawn.

The line continues along the Causeland to Looe section of the line.

See the Moorswater Section & Viaduct for images of the old mineral line that continues on up from Coombe Junction
to the old Moorswater China Clay processing works, passing under the Moorswater Viaduct.

The Scenic Looe Valley line - Liskeard to Causeland