Waiting Rooms Immediately East Of Crediton Railway Station Main Range

The waiting rooms immediately east of Crediton Railway Station were built in the mid 19th century, either in 1851 for the Exeter and Crediton Railway or in 1862 for the London and South Western Railway. They are timber framed and covered with weatherboarding on brick footings, featuring a low-pitched slate hipped roof with lead rolls along the hips and ridge, as well as cast iron gutters and downpipes. The building has a rectangular plan with a canopy over the platform.

The exterior includes a central post with curved braces supporting the center bays, while the outer bays each have one narrow 8-pane sash window, with returns and a blind rear. The canopy is supported by timber cantilevers. Inside, the walls are boarded, and there are simple original timber benches fixed to the walls. The floor has 20th-century patterned tiles, likely replacing the original brick paving. The roof structure remains intact, featuring substantial king post and strut trusses with curved braces below the tie beams.

Historically, the railway line has a complex early history, starting in 1838 and earning the nickname 'The Vicar of Bray Railway'. The Exeter and Crediton Railway, established by an Act in 1845, was leased to the Bristol and Exeter Railway, which converted it to broad gauge and opened on May 12, 1851. The London and South Western Railway took over the lease in 1862. This building is a simple 19th-century railway structure and is part of a notable group of buildings from various periods at Crediton station.