Trains to Okehampton follow the edge of Dartmoor National Park and the East Okement River, before coming to rest on the southern fringe of this charming Devonshire town. The station was opened in 1871 by the London and South Western Railway, and it soon became an important junction carrying passengers to ocean liners at Stonehouse Pool in Plymouth. The line lost passenger services in 1972, but was restored in 1997, and today a seasonal summer service runs from Exeter. The station is also the home of the Dartmoor Railway Heritage Services, and its buildings house a small exhibition and museum.
Okehampton's position on the edge of the moor has long attracted visitors, and rail boosted its popularity still further. Today, the town is a popular with hikers as a gateway to Dartmoor, whose northern boundary is just south of the station; it's also popular for the atmospheric ruins of Okehampton Castle, once the largest in the county.