To head to the village, turn right as you leave the station and go down the very steep hill. It takes about 15 minutes down but allow much more time to come back up. Better still, time your visit so you can take a bus up the hill (see below).

The station itself is in Drakewalls and, if you turn left as you leave the station and keep left (passing to the left of the Co-op), you will find the village of Albaston. The walk to Albaston starts with a short uphill stretch and then is pretty flat. It takes around 10 minutes.

On the way to Albaston, you will pass the Tamar Valley Centre (pictured above) which is the home of the Tamar Valley AONB. Several events are held here through the year. A little further along, you will come to a graveyard with fine views over the valley. The Chapel in the centre of this is home to Calstock Parish Archive.

You can find a nice walk via Albaston to Calstock on our walks from the railway page.

Three pubs in Gunnislake, the Cornish Inn, the Buccaneer Inn and the Rising Sun Inn plus the Queen’s Head in Albaston are on the Tamar Valley Line Rail Ale Trail.

The 79 bus route between Tavistock and Callington passes the station. It stops on the main road – going down the hill for Gunnislake village and Tavistock, up the hill for Albaston, Calstock, St Ann’s Chapel and Callington. The service is operated by Plymouth Citybus and buses run approximately hourly until around 18 00, Mondays to Saturdays. There are no Sunday buses. The timetable is here.

More information about Gunnislake can be found on the village website.

The station’s planters and flowerbeds are looked after by the Friends of Gunnislake Station.

Top photo courtesy of Bob Bunyar.