Simon Dell MBE - The Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway

Simon Dell MBE is back at the Plymouth Proprietary Library on Wednesday 22 July, with a talk on Trywhitt's horse-drawn tramway — better known as the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway. It's part of the PPL's regular programme of talks and special events, and it's one of those local history deep-dives that's a bit more specific than your usual heritage tour.

For those who aren't familiar, the railway was built by Thomas Tyrwhitt in the 1820s. It wasn't a steam line; it was a horse-drawn tramway that ran from the village of Princetown right down to Sutton Harbour in Plymouth. Its main job was hauling granite from the moor's quarries down to the city, and on the return trip, it brought various goods back up the hill. It's a proper piece of old West Country engineering, and Dell's talk is built around that 25-mile stretch.

The best bit is that it's not just a lecture. Dell is including a virtual tour that follows the line's entire length, so you get a sense of the actual ground it covered rather than just hearing about it in the abstract. If you've ever spent time on Dartmoor and wondered about the old industrial footprints left behind, this is exactly that sort of thing brought into focus.

It's a mid-week afternoon session, so it's one for the lunch-break crowd or anyone who can carve out a couple of hours on a Wednesday. The talk starts at 14:00 at the Plymouth Proprietary Library, St Barnabas Terrace, Plymouth, PL1 5NN. It's aimed at adults with an interest in local history, old engineering, and the heritage of Plymouth and Dartmoor.