route" via Yeovil. The Salisbury and Yeovil Railway opened its line, from Salisbury to on 1 May 1859; from there to on 7 May 1860, and finally to on 1 June 1860. The controversy over the route to Exeter having been resolved, the LSWR itself had obtained authority to extend from Yeovil to Exeter, and constructing it swiftly, it opened on 19 July 1860 to its there. Branches between Basingstoke and Exeter From Basingstoke to Salisbury to be written. The topography of the line from Salisbury to Exeter is such that the main line passed by many significant communities. Local communities were disappointed by the omission of their town from railway connection, and, in many cases encouraged by the LSWR, they promoted independent branch lines. These lines were worked, and sooner or later absorbed, by the LSWR, so that in time the main line had a series of connecting branches. West of Salisbury there were branch lines to: Yeovil; the line ran from to station; Chard; the branch opened on 8 May 1863, from Chard Road (later ) to ; Lyme Regis; the branch line from to opened on 24 August 1903; Seaton; a branch line from to opened on 16 March 1868; Sidmouth and Exmouth; a line opened from Feniton, later , to on 6 July 1874; a branch was constructed from Tipton St Johns to , opening on 15 May 1897, and extended from there to , opening on 1 June 1903; Exmouth; this branch opened from Exmouth Junction on 1 May 1861. Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway The Somerset and Dorset Railway completed its line to Bath on 20 July 1874. The extension to Bath from its misconceived origin plunged it into debt from which it only recovered by leasing its line to the Midland Railway and the LSWR jointly. This was agreed on 1 November 1875. The line's trains ran from Broadstone (near Bournemouth, LSWR) and Wimborne to Bath and Burnham-on-Sea, with a branch to Wells (and from 1890 by lease, Bridgwater. At Templecombe the line made a spur connection to the LSWR station on the main line between Salisbury and Yeovil. The line retained a distinctive individuality, but it was difficult to operate , and ultimately unprofitable. West of Exeter Exeter to Barnstaple Local railways towards North Devon had already opened: the Exeter and Crediton Railway opened on 12 May 1851, and the North Devon