An ancient railway has reappeared on a Cornish beach for the first time in years. Recent weather washed away the sand that covered the tracks on Summerleaze beach in Bude last week.
Neil Williams photographed the tracks and shared the image online, warning beach users - particularly surfers - that they could be injured by the 'jagged' lines.
Posting on Facebook, Neil Williams said: "For those of you who regularly surf Summerleaze Beach, be aware that the recent strong river flow has uncovered a section of the old rail tracks that run across the beach.
"They are jagged in places and could cause damage to equipment or injury. They are on the side of the river in line with the watch tower."
The sighting was last made in 2018 after a series of storms left them uncovered. At the time, local resident Lisa Vincent told CornwallLive: "I have lived in the area for 20 years and never seen them before!"
Sign up to receive daily updates and breaking news alerts from CornwallLive straight to your inbox
According to the historical society Bude Canal and Harbour Company, the rails on the beach date from 1924 when sand was transported to reclaim land near the town’s recreation ground.
Sand used to be regularly taken from the beach to barges or used as a ship’s ballast. The canal at Bude once ran all the way to Launceston, meaning it was ideally placed for transporting the sand inland. The practice of taking sand continued until 1941.
The society reports: "The tramway used steel tipping wagons again pulled by horses and was operational by 1924. Sand continued to be exported by rail until 1942, and the last boat to be ballasted with sand was the 'Lilla' in the late 1930s.
"And so the peace returned to Summerleaze Beach as this trade died, aided by lack of railway wagons, labour and the emergence of motor lorries, allowing hauliers to offer a door-to-door service and recoup the costs and profit from their customers."
Join CornwallLive's WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone
CornwallLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us. Once you sign up for our updates, we'll send the latest breaking news and biggest stories of the day straight to your phone.
To join our community, you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select 'Join Community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the CornwallLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'Exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
