Substance of a Statement . Concerning the Formation of a Rail Road from the Forest of Dartmoor to the Plymouth Lime-Quarries

Substance Of A Statement. Concerning The Formation Of A Rail Road From The Forest Of Dartmoor To The Plymouth Lime-Quarries — Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt. This 1818 pamphlet lays out a practical proposal to build a double-rail road between the Forest of Dartmoor and the Laira near Plymouth, with the aim of stimulating settlement, agriculture, and commerce in northeastern Devon and the Plymouth area. Tyrwhitt presents a five-headed plan—Plan, Expense, Funds, Income, and Benefits—along with an accompanying route plan and estimated costs, and argues for raising substantial funds by subscription. The work surveys potential income from importable and exportable commodities (lime, sand, timber, coal, groceries, flax and hemp, potatoes, and more), the use of local materials (granite and peat), and the broader social benefits, including rural development, employment, and even the management of convicts at Dartmoor Prison. Throughout, the emphasis is on practical logistics, land use, and public improvement, framed within early 19th-century infrastructure expansion.