in May 1992. The Tarka Country Park identity was finally subsumed by the Tarka Trail in 1994. The route to Meeth was converted into a cycle/walkway in 1997. It was delayed by a quarry covering the line of the old railway. Disused railways Several sections of disused railway line have been used to create the trail. These have the benefit of being relatively flat, with only small uphill and downhill gradients. The paths also run across many former railway bridges, which command notable views over various rivers and valleys. A number of railway buildings have been restored on the route, in particular the station buildings at Bideford and Torrington and the signal box at Instow. Former railway sections include: Ilfracombe Branch Line – between Braunton and Barnstaple North Devon Railway (Torrington branch) – between Barnstaple, Bideford and Torrington North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway - between Torrington and Meeth Halt Below Braunton, the path follows the western bank of the River Caen, which was straightened to become the Braunton Canal in the 1850s, before following the northern edge of Horsey Island, reclaimed from the estuary at the same time. The path then turns north along the eastern edge of Braunton Burrows, an extensive sand-dune system leased by the Ministry of Defence for army training. The dunes are closed for 10 days per year for this purpose. Places of interest RMB Chivenor Bideford Railway Heritage Centre, which also manages Instow signalbox Beam, Great Torrington, birthplace of Tarka the Otter Tarka Valley Railway Bake and Brew West Yelland Towns and villages The Tarka Trail passes through numerous towns and villages, including: Braunton Chivenor Barnstaple Fremington Yelland Instow Bideford Torrington Petrockstow Meeth Hatherleigh Okehampton Lynmouth Ilfracombe Lee Bay Mortehoe Woolacombe Braunton Dolton North Tawton Intersecting paths A number of other local walking routes intersect or coincide with the Tarka Trail: South West Coast Path – route coincides between Ilfracombe and Bideford Two Moors Way – route coincides for part of the way through Exmoor Macmillan Way West – route coincides between Barnstaple and Exmoor Dartmoor Way – route coincides West Devon Way Two Castles Trail Little Dart Ridge and Valley Walk Public transport Using public transport for at least part of their journey means that walkers can plan walks which start and finish at different places, rather than have to circle back to their start point to collect their cars. Railway The