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Nice photo of the Pendolino crossing the Ashby canal with the narrowboat, you could wait all day and not get them together.
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Kite goes Exploring, Trip Reports
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Kite159
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Trips 4 to 6th May
4th May – A bank holiday Monday explore of the Trent & Attleborough Nature
After 6 late shifts it was time for 3 days off, featuring a bank holiday Monday which opened up more options due to the lack of morning peak restrictions (however closed up options due to potential engineering works & reduced bus options). Felt like a good chance to do a walk I’ve been wanting to do for a while, the section alongside the river Trent between Trent Lock (near Long Eaton) & Nottingham.
The day began with the 05:27 service from Grateley formed of 159007 to take me into Waterloo, where I made use of the Underground to reach St Pancras (Bakerloo & Victoria line) due to wanting to catch the 07:30 service to Sheffield, formed of a lightly loaded (at least in the front coach) 222015 for the speedy run to Long Eaton, where I managed to get a photograph of a passing 810 before starting my walk. The first section was along a road to pick up the Erewash canal to head towards the river Trent at Trent Lock, turning east into the Cranfleet Cut.
222015 departing Long Eaton Station by Kite, on Flickr
I followed this section of the Trent, going underneath the railway bridges, heading towards the lock, alongside quite a few moored boats. After the lock the main river resumes with the path being generally a decent surface (ignoring the puddles from recent rain), the biggest issue was the width was a bit more restrictive in places. Only wide enough for one person. Anyhow the river Trent was on my right-hand side, although mostly hidden from view by trees with lakes on my left-hand side (again mostly midden by tall hedges). I continued walking the path giving some nice countryside views when the trees opened up and soon reached the Attenborough Nature Reserve where I decided to change my walking idea to explore the Nature reserve.
I continued along the path, river on my right, lakes on my left, reaching the "Main Path" detouring away from the Trent to follow the "Wet Marsh Path" between the Clifton & Tween Ponds. This took me to another path which I followed (now with the Conneries Pond on my left), heading towards the visitor centre and busy car park. After the car park I headed along Church Path & Brookside Path to reach Corbett's Meadow, taking another detour towards the village green towards the "Works path", although my walk came to an end with a bridge on the waterway linking Works Pond with the Main Pond being closed, so I doubled back towards the Village Green and headed back towards the Trent via the "Main Path".
A 222 alongside Church Pond, Attenborough Nature Reserve by Kite, on Flickr
Once back alongside the Trent I continued my walk towards Beeston with one more detour when I reached the "North Path", following this path towards a foot crossing of the railway, pausing for a photograph of a passing XC 170 before heading along the Delta Path towards the closed footbridge. After reaching the footbridge I followed "The Bund" path back towards the Trent (the names of the various paths taken from a information board I photographed). Certainly, a very nice place to spend a bank holiday Monday as it was quite busy with families. Anyhow I was back alongside the Trent, following my tracks from earlier towards the junction with the North Path. I exited the Nature Reserve and headed towards Beeston Marina where the Beeston canal branches away from the Trent. I crossed over the canal, heading onto what was signposted as "The Big Track", pausing for a photograph of the large Beeston weir.
My walk continued as I headed back towards what felt was countryside (which considering the area was quite surprising) with the Trent on my right and fields on my left. Although like before the Trent was hidden from view with various trees, but nice to get the occasional glimpse of the river. I continued along the path heading alongside a sporting complex used by one of the universities before going underneath Clifton Bridge, the off-road section of the path ending at Queens Drive as I walked along the pavement with the river on my right and road on my left. I left the road behind and headed underneath the Wilford Toll Bridge before saying farewell to the Trent.
The next section of my walk followed the route of the tramway, crossing over the Trent & passing Wilford Village tram stop before having a detour towards the Iremongers Pond. I returned to the path alongside the tramway as it passed various schools with my walk ending at Wilford Lane, detouring via a handy Co-Op for a late lunch. My original idea for this walk was to end near Clifton, detouring via the Wilford Farm Cutting Nature Reserve, but that can be done on another day.
Nottingham Tram 213 approaching Coronation Avenue Curve, Wilford by Kite, on Flickr
I jumped onto tram 227 to Nottingham Station, switching platforms for tram 202 to take me towards Beeston Centre for no reason other to waste some time, and to visit the large Tesco in Beeston. After the visit to Tesco I headed to Beeston station, jumping onto 170618 into Nottingham, where I looked up options as I didn’t want to finish too late. It was onto dud 810013 to take me to Leicester on a fast service, where I had a 20-minute break before boarding winner 810014 on a fast service to London, easy to grab a seat in the rear coach.
An hour or so later I arrived in London, having around 75 minutes to get to Waterloo for the next Salisbury stopping service, so headed towards the sub surface line, getting lucky with a sub mile Metropolitan S8 set (21041/21042) to take me to Baker Street. A jubilee line service took me to Westminster where once more I was lucky as a sub-mile S7 set (21479/21480) was heading west on a district line service, which I took to Victoria. I made a quick dash across to the opposite platform for a short wait before 21499/21500 rolled in on a circle line service to take me back to Westminster, another sub-mile S7 set pushed over a mile (leaving 4 of the S7s & 2 of the S8s). The Jubilee line took me one stop under the river to Waterloo, as I headed to board 158884 & 159015 on the 18:50 service to Salisbury, losing time around Basingstoke due to signalling issues.
810014 at St Pancras by Kite, on Flickr
These sprinters took me back home to Grateley, where I had a gentle stroll home after an enjoyable day in Nottinghamshire.
5th May – Ashby Canal to Battlefields
On Monday night, I couldn’t decide between heading towards Daventry for an old railway line & the Oxford Canal towards Rugby or heading towards Hinckley to make a return to the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal. Eventually I decided to head to Leicestershire as I could do an Oxford canal walk on the Wednesday instead. The day began with the 06:19 service from Grateley with 159108 & 159004 to Waterloo where I had a gentle stroll towards Euston, arriving with time to spare to board 350113 & 350105 on the 08:46 service to Crewe, taking the 350s to Nuneaton where I had around 25 minutes to kill before the next Leicester service.
After visiting the nearby Asda store, I returned to the station, sorting my rucksack out before boarding a busy 170105 for the short journey to Hinckley where my walk began. The first section was via residential roads to reach the Premier Inn and the canal, picking up where I left it the previous Sunday. I dropped down onto the towpath heading north, passing a marina with the towpath being reasonable, the biggest issue was some low tree branches & bushes. After passing an industrial unit on my left and a Triumph factory on the right, the canal headed into the wilderness of the Leicestershire countryside.
170105 departs Hinckley Station by Kite, on Flickr
The canal was quite busy with boat movements, and the towpath was as expected variable with some areas being a bit dicey due to erosion (mind the gap!). I continued the walk in the peaceful countryside as the canal headed towards Stoke Golding & Dadlington, twisting & turning to avoid hills. I reached Sutton Cheney wharf near the site of the historic Battle of Bosworth, with the towpath becoming quite decent quality for the section towards an old railway bridge which once carried the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway line.
I detoured away from the canal to have a stroll via the woodland Shenton Cutting to reach Shenton station on the Battlefield Heritage Railway for some photos before heading back towards the canal. The towpath returned to being more rural as I continued my walk on the canal in some more countryside, heading towards Market Bosworth, leaving the canal near the wharf on Station Road. The last section of today's walk was the mile walk towards the Market Bosworth town centre, crossing over the railway at the start.
Ashby Canal between Dadlington & Sutton Cheney Wharf (7) by Kite, on Flickr
The walk ended in the town square, where there was a handy bench near the bus stop as I relaxed. The next bus to Leicester for some reason wasn’t tracking on the BusTimes website, but I had the backup of a daily bus towards Atherstone (the LC12). However, Arriva bus 3805 rolled into the bus station on the next route 153 service for Leicester. This bus headed towards Leicester via Barlestone, Newbold Verdon & Desford (where it got quite busy with school kids). After Desford it headed towards Leicester via Kirby Muxloe & Leicester Forest East, before going into the suburbs. I decided to leave the bus at the bus stop near the Jewry Wall, not the shortest of the options but probably the fastest due to traffic.
I went via the city centre, swinging via a little Tesco for some supplies as I had time, before making my way to the station. Winner 810015 rolled in but was put on platform 4 (rather than the more usual platform 3) as it needed to be turned off and on again. Thankfully whatever the fault was must have been cleared as the 810 set off for London, passing a 222 from Nottingham which passed it when at Leicester in the Bedford area.
Market Bosworth Station on the Battlefield Line Railway by Kite, on Flickr
The 810 arrived into St Pancras and I had a walk to the Thameslink platforms to jump on a heavily delayed 700121 on a Brighton service from Cambridge, for a very slow crawl towards London Bridge. At London Bridge I transferred onto 707014 & 707003 on the first available service towards Waterloo East, where I transferred to the main station and onto 158886 & 159014 on the 18:50 service for Yeovil Pen Mill. An on-time arrival into Grateley followed with a stroll home, where I relaxed after another enjoyable walk in the countryside, another section of the Ashby canal done, leaving the section from Market Bosworth towards the current limit of navigation at Snarestone. The towpath continues along the route of the old canal towards Measham where I plan to walk along the old railway towards Donisthorpe & and isolated restored section of canal near Moira. Depending on time and how my legs feel.
6th May – Rural Oxford Canal
I was originally going to leave the section between Heyford to Kidlington for a summer Sunday (as Heyford only gets a Sunday service during the summer months) but decided to do it today as it was a later start compared to the previous couple of days. The trip starting with the 08:29 service from Grateley to Basingstoke with 159006 & 159018, where I popped to Tesco for some supplies before boarding 165111 to Reading. My original idea was similar to the start of April where it was going to be a service to Didcot to board the Banbury Turbo there, however 800305 on the next Oxford service was running late.
At Oxford I had around 25 minutes to waste, so after making use of the toilets, I relaxed watching a game of how many passengers can you squeeze onto a Manchester bound 4 coach voyager before 165120 rolled in, emptying out and I headed to Heyford where my walk began. Crossing over the railway with the footbridge, getting lucky with timing of a passing voyager before I joined the canal, this time turning right, to head south.
A voyager passing Heyford Station by Kite, on Flickr
As expected the canal towpath was rural, even passing quite a few moored boats. Soon the boats finished and the countryside arrived with the canal on my left and railway on the right. It was quite peaceful with some nice views, as I strolled along the towpath, passing Northbrook lock and reaching Pigeons Lock. I decided to have a little detour away from the canal, heading along a bridleway towards Tackley station for a photograph of the temporary footbridge before it gets replaced with a new bridge (forcing the southbound platform to be closed). I decided to follow a footpath on the opposite side of the railway back towards the canal, picking up part of the long distance Oxfordshire Way.
I returned to the canal towpath, carrying on being careful in some areas where the towpath was eroded or the path had some low trees. I soon reached the first of a trio of railway bridges in the Enslow area, passing a busy wharf (in terms of boats moored up), before pausing at Baker's Lock for some lunch at a handy bench. Also I needed to remove a couple of stones from my boot. The next section the canal runs into the River Cherwell, crossing underneath the railway a second time.
Junction between Oxford Canal & River Cherwell between Enslow & Shipton-on-Cherwell (2) by Kite, on Flickr
The section shared with the river ended at Shipton Stop Lock, passing a lift bridge and crossing underneath the railway for a 3rd time (the canal is quite twisty). This is where the long closed branch line to Woodstock crossed the railway with evidence of the former bridge abutment. The next section headed towards Thrupp where the path became busy with other walkers, the towpath swapping sides at a tight turn so the canal was now on my left-hand side, along with many moored boats.
This section was a bit noisy due to running close to the A4260 road, heading towards Kidlington, skirting around the western edge of the town with some nice views of the countryside before I reached Roundham Lock, saying farewell to the canal as I headed across Roundham foot crossing of the railway with a fast walk to the bus stop near Chamberlain Place, where I jumped onto a Stagecoach run route 2 service to Oxford, going via the Kidlington suburbs before heading towards the city centre, terminating at Magdalen Street.
Railway Bridge over the River Cherwell (Oxford Canal) between Enslow & Shipton-on-Cherwell (2) by Kite, on Flickr
I had a stroll towards the station, jumping onto a busy 800032 to take me towards Paddington as I had a social event near Euston for around 18:30. Along the way I was looking at LU options to waste a bit of time, taking 21393 & 21394 to King’s Cross St Pancras, transferring onto the Piccadilly line to take 116/193 to Caledonian Road where I had a short wait before sub mile 168 & 175 rolled in to take me back to King’s Cross where I had another short wait before my last sub mile Piccadilly line set (129) rolled in on the rear of 180 which I took to Leicester Square. Bish Bash Bosh. 51710 & 51560 took me to Euston on the Northern line where I had my social event before taking 51614 & 51615 to Waterloo and back to Grateley with 159016 & 159003.
A very enjoyable day in the Oxfordshire countryside, another section of the rural Oxford canal complete. I dread to think how many times I’ve been on a train over those bridges, the next section will likely be a bus to Fenny Compton to walk towards Banbury or the Braunston to Rugby section (with a bus to Daventry with the old railway line). Anyhow thanks for reading, a lot more photos can be found on my Flickr album for May, link is *here*. Also featured are some photos from a random post work walk from Dean to Downton.
4th May – A bank holiday Monday explore of the Trent & Attleborough Nature
After 6 late shifts it was time for 3 days off, featuring a bank holiday Monday which opened up more options due to the lack of morning peak restrictions (however closed up options due to potential engineering works & reduced bus options). Felt like a good chance to do a walk I’ve been wanting to do for a while, the section alongside the river Trent between Trent Lock (near Long Eaton) & Nottingham.
The day began with the 05:27 service from Grateley formed of 159007 to take me into Waterloo, where I made use of the Underground to reach St Pancras (Bakerloo & Victoria line) due to wanting to catch the 07:30 service to Sheffield, formed of a lightly loaded (at least in the front coach) 222015 for the speedy run to Long Eaton, where I managed to get a photograph of a passing 810 before starting my walk. The first section was along a road to pick up the Erewash canal to head towards the river Trent at Trent Lock, turning east into the Cranfleet Cut.
222015 departing Long Eaton Station by Kite, on FlickrI followed this section of the Trent, going underneath the railway bridges, heading towards the lock, alongside quite a few moored boats. After the lock the main river resumes with the path being generally a decent surface (ignoring the puddles from recent rain), the biggest issue was the width was a bit more restrictive in places. Only wide enough for one person. Anyhow the river Trent was on my right-hand side, although mostly hidden from view by trees with lakes on my left-hand side (again mostly midden by tall hedges). I continued walking the path giving some nice countryside views when the trees opened up and soon reached the Attenborough Nature Reserve where I decided to change my walking idea to explore the Nature reserve.
I continued along the path, river on my right, lakes on my left, reaching the "Main Path" detouring away from the Trent to follow the "Wet Marsh Path" between the Clifton & Tween Ponds. This took me to another path which I followed (now with the Conneries Pond on my left), heading towards the visitor centre and busy car park. After the car park I headed along Church Path & Brookside Path to reach Corbett's Meadow, taking another detour towards the village green towards the "Works path", although my walk came to an end with a bridge on the waterway linking Works Pond with the Main Pond being closed, so I doubled back towards the Village Green and headed back towards the Trent via the "Main Path".
A 222 alongside Church Pond, Attenborough Nature Reserve by Kite, on FlickrOnce back alongside the Trent I continued my walk towards Beeston with one more detour when I reached the "North Path", following this path towards a foot crossing of the railway, pausing for a photograph of a passing XC 170 before heading along the Delta Path towards the closed footbridge. After reaching the footbridge I followed "The Bund" path back towards the Trent (the names of the various paths taken from a information board I photographed). Certainly, a very nice place to spend a bank holiday Monday as it was quite busy with families. Anyhow I was back alongside the Trent, following my tracks from earlier towards the junction with the North Path. I exited the Nature Reserve and headed towards Beeston Marina where the Beeston canal branches away from the Trent. I crossed over the canal, heading onto what was signposted as "The Big Track", pausing for a photograph of the large Beeston weir.
My walk continued as I headed back towards what felt was countryside (which considering the area was quite surprising) with the Trent on my right and fields on my left. Although like before the Trent was hidden from view with various trees, but nice to get the occasional glimpse of the river. I continued along the path heading alongside a sporting complex used by one of the universities before going underneath Clifton Bridge, the off-road section of the path ending at Queens Drive as I walked along the pavement with the river on my right and road on my left. I left the road behind and headed underneath the Wilford Toll Bridge before saying farewell to the Trent.
The next section of my walk followed the route of the tramway, crossing over the Trent & passing Wilford Village tram stop before having a detour towards the Iremongers Pond. I returned to the path alongside the tramway as it passed various schools with my walk ending at Wilford Lane, detouring via a handy Co-Op for a late lunch. My original idea for this walk was to end near Clifton, detouring via the Wilford Farm Cutting Nature Reserve, but that can be done on another day.
Nottingham Tram 213 approaching Coronation Avenue Curve, Wilford by Kite, on FlickrI jumped onto tram 227 to Nottingham Station, switching platforms for tram 202 to take me towards Beeston Centre for no reason other to waste some time, and to visit the large Tesco in Beeston. After the visit to Tesco I headed to Beeston station, jumping onto 170618 into Nottingham, where I looked up options as I didn’t want to finish too late. It was onto dud 810013 to take me to Leicester on a fast service, where I had a 20-minute break before boarding winner 810014 on a fast service to London, easy to grab a seat in the rear coach.
An hour or so later I arrived in London, having around 75 minutes to get to Waterloo for the next Salisbury stopping service, so headed towards the sub surface line, getting lucky with a sub mile Metropolitan S8 set (21041/21042) to take me to Baker Street. A jubilee line service took me to Westminster where once more I was lucky as a sub-mile S7 set (21479/21480) was heading west on a district line service, which I took to Victoria. I made a quick dash across to the opposite platform for a short wait before 21499/21500 rolled in on a circle line service to take me back to Westminster, another sub-mile S7 set pushed over a mile (leaving 4 of the S7s & 2 of the S8s). The Jubilee line took me one stop under the river to Waterloo, as I headed to board 158884 & 159015 on the 18:50 service to Salisbury, losing time around Basingstoke due to signalling issues.
810014 at St Pancras by Kite, on FlickrThese sprinters took me back home to Grateley, where I had a gentle stroll home after an enjoyable day in Nottinghamshire.
5th May – Ashby Canal to Battlefields
On Monday night, I couldn’t decide between heading towards Daventry for an old railway line & the Oxford Canal towards Rugby or heading towards Hinckley to make a return to the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal. Eventually I decided to head to Leicestershire as I could do an Oxford canal walk on the Wednesday instead. The day began with the 06:19 service from Grateley with 159108 & 159004 to Waterloo where I had a gentle stroll towards Euston, arriving with time to spare to board 350113 & 350105 on the 08:46 service to Crewe, taking the 350s to Nuneaton where I had around 25 minutes to kill before the next Leicester service.
After visiting the nearby Asda store, I returned to the station, sorting my rucksack out before boarding a busy 170105 for the short journey to Hinckley where my walk began. The first section was via residential roads to reach the Premier Inn and the canal, picking up where I left it the previous Sunday. I dropped down onto the towpath heading north, passing a marina with the towpath being reasonable, the biggest issue was some low tree branches & bushes. After passing an industrial unit on my left and a Triumph factory on the right, the canal headed into the wilderness of the Leicestershire countryside.
170105 departs Hinckley Station by Kite, on FlickrThe canal was quite busy with boat movements, and the towpath was as expected variable with some areas being a bit dicey due to erosion (mind the gap!). I continued the walk in the peaceful countryside as the canal headed towards Stoke Golding & Dadlington, twisting & turning to avoid hills. I reached Sutton Cheney wharf near the site of the historic Battle of Bosworth, with the towpath becoming quite decent quality for the section towards an old railway bridge which once carried the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway line.
I detoured away from the canal to have a stroll via the woodland Shenton Cutting to reach Shenton station on the Battlefield Heritage Railway for some photos before heading back towards the canal. The towpath returned to being more rural as I continued my walk on the canal in some more countryside, heading towards Market Bosworth, leaving the canal near the wharf on Station Road. The last section of today's walk was the mile walk towards the Market Bosworth town centre, crossing over the railway at the start.
Ashby Canal between Dadlington & Sutton Cheney Wharf (7) by Kite, on FlickrThe walk ended in the town square, where there was a handy bench near the bus stop as I relaxed. The next bus to Leicester for some reason wasn’t tracking on the BusTimes website, but I had the backup of a daily bus towards Atherstone (the LC12). However, Arriva bus 3805 rolled into the bus station on the next route 153 service for Leicester. This bus headed towards Leicester via Barlestone, Newbold Verdon & Desford (where it got quite busy with school kids). After Desford it headed towards Leicester via Kirby Muxloe & Leicester Forest East, before going into the suburbs. I decided to leave the bus at the bus stop near the Jewry Wall, not the shortest of the options but probably the fastest due to traffic.
I went via the city centre, swinging via a little Tesco for some supplies as I had time, before making my way to the station. Winner 810015 rolled in but was put on platform 4 (rather than the more usual platform 3) as it needed to be turned off and on again. Thankfully whatever the fault was must have been cleared as the 810 set off for London, passing a 222 from Nottingham which passed it when at Leicester in the Bedford area.
Market Bosworth Station on the Battlefield Line Railway by Kite, on FlickrThe 810 arrived into St Pancras and I had a walk to the Thameslink platforms to jump on a heavily delayed 700121 on a Brighton service from Cambridge, for a very slow crawl towards London Bridge. At London Bridge I transferred onto 707014 & 707003 on the first available service towards Waterloo East, where I transferred to the main station and onto 158886 & 159014 on the 18:50 service for Yeovil Pen Mill. An on-time arrival into Grateley followed with a stroll home, where I relaxed after another enjoyable walk in the countryside, another section of the Ashby canal done, leaving the section from Market Bosworth towards the current limit of navigation at Snarestone. The towpath continues along the route of the old canal towards Measham where I plan to walk along the old railway towards Donisthorpe & and isolated restored section of canal near Moira. Depending on time and how my legs feel.
6th May – Rural Oxford Canal
I was originally going to leave the section between Heyford to Kidlington for a summer Sunday (as Heyford only gets a Sunday service during the summer months) but decided to do it today as it was a later start compared to the previous couple of days. The trip starting with the 08:29 service from Grateley to Basingstoke with 159006 & 159018, where I popped to Tesco for some supplies before boarding 165111 to Reading. My original idea was similar to the start of April where it was going to be a service to Didcot to board the Banbury Turbo there, however 800305 on the next Oxford service was running late.
At Oxford I had around 25 minutes to waste, so after making use of the toilets, I relaxed watching a game of how many passengers can you squeeze onto a Manchester bound 4 coach voyager before 165120 rolled in, emptying out and I headed to Heyford where my walk began. Crossing over the railway with the footbridge, getting lucky with timing of a passing voyager before I joined the canal, this time turning right, to head south.
A voyager passing Heyford Station by Kite, on FlickrAs expected the canal towpath was rural, even passing quite a few moored boats. Soon the boats finished and the countryside arrived with the canal on my left and railway on the right. It was quite peaceful with some nice views, as I strolled along the towpath, passing Northbrook lock and reaching Pigeons Lock. I decided to have a little detour away from the canal, heading along a bridleway towards Tackley station for a photograph of the temporary footbridge before it gets replaced with a new bridge (forcing the southbound platform to be closed). I decided to follow a footpath on the opposite side of the railway back towards the canal, picking up part of the long distance Oxfordshire Way.
I returned to the canal towpath, carrying on being careful in some areas where the towpath was eroded or the path had some low trees. I soon reached the first of a trio of railway bridges in the Enslow area, passing a busy wharf (in terms of boats moored up), before pausing at Baker's Lock for some lunch at a handy bench. Also I needed to remove a couple of stones from my boot. The next section the canal runs into the River Cherwell, crossing underneath the railway a second time.
Junction between Oxford Canal & River Cherwell between Enslow & Shipton-on-Cherwell (2) by Kite, on FlickrThe section shared with the river ended at Shipton Stop Lock, passing a lift bridge and crossing underneath the railway for a 3rd time (the canal is quite twisty). This is where the long closed branch line to Woodstock crossed the railway with evidence of the former bridge abutment. The next section headed towards Thrupp where the path became busy with other walkers, the towpath swapping sides at a tight turn so the canal was now on my left-hand side, along with many moored boats.
This section was a bit noisy due to running close to the A4260 road, heading towards Kidlington, skirting around the western edge of the town with some nice views of the countryside before I reached Roundham Lock, saying farewell to the canal as I headed across Roundham foot crossing of the railway with a fast walk to the bus stop near Chamberlain Place, where I jumped onto a Stagecoach run route 2 service to Oxford, going via the Kidlington suburbs before heading towards the city centre, terminating at Magdalen Street.
Railway Bridge over the River Cherwell (Oxford Canal) between Enslow & Shipton-on-Cherwell (2) by Kite, on FlickrI had a stroll towards the station, jumping onto a busy 800032 to take me towards Paddington as I had a social event near Euston for around 18:30. Along the way I was looking at LU options to waste a bit of time, taking 21393 & 21394 to King’s Cross St Pancras, transferring onto the Piccadilly line to take 116/193 to Caledonian Road where I had a short wait before sub mile 168 & 175 rolled in to take me back to King’s Cross where I had another short wait before my last sub mile Piccadilly line set (129) rolled in on the rear of 180 which I took to Leicester Square. Bish Bash Bosh. 51710 & 51560 took me to Euston on the Northern line where I had my social event before taking 51614 & 51615 to Waterloo and back to Grateley with 159016 & 159003.
A very enjoyable day in the Oxfordshire countryside, another section of the rural Oxford canal complete. I dread to think how many times I’ve been on a train over those bridges, the next section will likely be a bus to Fenny Compton to walk towards Banbury or the Braunston to Rugby section (with a bus to Daventry with the old railway line). Anyhow thanks for reading, a lot more photos can be found on my Flickr album for May, link is *here*. Also featured are some photos from a random post work walk from Dean to Downton.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Trips 14th – 17th May
14th May – Macclesfield Canal
When I was looking at ideas, I searched for hotel costs for the Thursday night as I know sometimes Thursdays can be as cheap as Sunday nights, selecting a Travelodge in Salford Quays. A hotel I’ve used before and knew it was quite reasonable for noise and ease to reach. The only thing for me to do was to decide on a walk, eventually deciding on making a start with the Macclesfield Canal. The day began with the 06:57 service from Grateley formed of 158887, 158890 & 159022 on a fast train to Waterloo where I had a gentle stroll to Euston. In hindsight I could have probably had an extra 25 minutes in bed and caught the service at 07:27 as I hung around Euston for a while before the 09:53 service to Manchester was announced for boarding as I got a decent seat on 390152 for the run towards Macclesfield where my walk began.
The first section was across a busy road alongside the station before following Buxton Road up a long hill towards the canal, dropping down onto the towpath and headed north. The towpath was quite reasonable (solid ground) but there were a few places where the edge had been eroded. This section of the canal was on the edge of Hurdsfield with some nice views of the countryside and some nice woodland as the first shower arrived. Thankfully the shower was light and only lasted a couple of minutes at most before the sunshine returned as soon, I left the Macclesfield area behind to head towards Bollington, running close with the Middlewood Way path along the old railway line.
222002 at London Euston by Kite, on Flickr
After Bollington (and a lovely old mill), the countryside returned as I continued heading in a generally northern direction skirting the edge of Poynton. Such a beautiful day along a scenic canal, running along an embankment in places. I soon reached an area which had a question mark as Open Street Maps was suggesting the towpath was closed with no mention of it on the Canal & River Trust website. I suspect it was closed over the winter months (as it did look like there had been some heavy machinery around with the condition of the surface in places) but had reopened. This area crosses the Buxton railway line near Middlewood, however no decent views of the railway due to woodland.
I soon reached High Lane, pausing for a short time for a break on a handy bench (as my boots seem to have gained stone magnets for, I keep getting stones inside my boots). After leaving the built-up area of High Lane, the sky was looking moody like a storm was approaching. Another short section of countryside and I soon reached the Marple area, taking shelter from a heavy downpour underneath a bridge. Like before the rain didn't last that long and I soon continued passing a golf club & old mill building before I reached the junction with the Peak Forest Canal.
Macclesfield Canal between High Lane & Marple (10) by Kite, on Flickr
Back in December when I walked the Peak Forest canal towards New Mills from the Woodley area, I had to do a detour near Strines as part of the towpath was closed for winter improvement works, so with the sun returning, it felt like a good chance to cover the missing gap. The scenery on the Peak Forest canal was very good as it was in December, as I headed towards Strines, passing the lift bridge where the towpath was closed to reach the footbridge where I gained access again. At this point I did a U-turn to head towards a footpath along a steep hill towards the main road and had a fast walk towards the station arriving with a minute to spare before the next Manchester bound service (I was aiming for the New Mills bound service 10 minutes later).
Surprisingly the stopper from New Mills Central was 195127 (I was expecting a 150), as I took this to Brinnington for some better photos, doubling back to Bredbury on 195128 before taking 195103 towards Manchester Piccadilly. A friend was heading towards Manchester on a TfW service which I was planning to intercept at Stockport, but before hand I headed to the tram platforms buying a zone 1 & 2 day ticket to take 3106 & 3069 to Cornbrook, returning to Piccadilly on 3009 & 3052 just to waste some time. After popping out of the station to the nearby Co-Op for a bottle of water before deciding to jump on the 18:30 service to Cardiff with 67012 at the blocks and DVT 82200 up front.
195127 at Strines by Kite, on Flickr
This where things went a bit wrong, the train pulled away from Piccadilly before coming to a stop before the rear of the train had left the station, before resuming. The train stopped again near Longsight North, losing power. After the driver attempted to restart the 67, it was deemed a failure with 67007 called for to act as a thunderbird loco to haul the train towards Crewe. Arrival into Stockport was around 200 minutes late, with my friend long since gone I jumped on the first available train back to Manchester (a late running 390148), grabbing dinner from the Co-Op before taking trams 3022 & 3117 to Salford Quays. I had a short walk to the hotel, noting how different things looked with a lot more housing popping up since my last visit. After checking in (asking to confirm my address, email address, phone number, confirmation number) I relaxed for the remainder of the evening.
67007 hauling DVT 82220 at Stockport by Kite, on Flickr
15th May – A visit to Saddleworth
Another day where my plan changed overnight, as originally I was planning to head towards Bolton to finish the Roe Green Loopline & do some other old railway lines in that general area, but when I was heading to the hotel on the Thursday night I had the idea to instead head east towards Mossley for a mix walk of an old railway (the former Micklehurst Loop) and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, connecting with a walk I did back in April 2022.
After checking out of the hotel, I popped to a nearby Tesco Express for breakfast items before having a walk towards Salford Crescent station to board 323202 & 323233 on a Manchester Airport service for the slow crawl towards Piccadilly, once I managed to get past the vestibule dwellers there were plenty of seats. At Manchester Piccadilly I transferred across to platform 1 to take a seat on 185121 working a Huddersfield stopping service which took me to Mossley where my walk began.
185121 departs Mossley Station by Kite, on Flickr
Dropping down the steep hill from the station, I crossed over the canal before turning left into Station Road, picking up the mixed used path along the route of the long closed Micklehurst Loop line. This section was quite nice with woodland even if the surface was a bit muddy due to recent rain. I followed the path towards the northern edge of the Mossley area, crossing over the A635 giving some nice views of the scenery. The woodland returned as I headed towards Greenfield dropping down to cross the Chew Brook as the old railway route has been lost.
After walking along some roads I soon resumed along the old railway heading towards Uppermill, carrying on to the area where the southern portal of Butterhouse tunnel would have been, a bit of an uphill climb but it was worth it for the views. After pausing for some more drink I crossed over a field following a footpath which I presume at one stage would have been a foot crossing of the railway (owing to the signage) but has since been replaced with a footbridge. I paused on the footbridge for a passing freight train before heading along Old Lane to reach the Huddersfield Narrow Canal near Wool Road in Dobcross.
A TPE 185 heading towards Manchester in Dobcross by Kite, on Flickr
On the canal towpath I headed uphill, with the towpath running along both banks of the canal. The water level in a couple of the pounds between locks looked to be quite low as I headed towards the Diggle portal of the Standedge canal tunnel. After a couple of photographs (including a passing train for I do have a soft spot for the 185s) I headed back down the lock flight, this time on the towpath on the opposite side, enjoying the views of the scenery.
My walk continued as I headed back towards the Uppermill area, going underneath the railway as it crossed the canal on a high viaduct. I passed a crossing of the River Tame on some stepping stones before the towpath swapped sides near the start of the old railway line path towards Delph. Anyhow I passed the Saddleworth museum heading towards Greenfield with some beautiful woodland on a decent towpath which was reasonably busy with other walkers/joggers & occasional cyclist.
Standedge Tunnel on Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Diggle by Kite, on Flickr
I continued along the towpath enjoying the weather as I returned towards Mossley and onto part of the canal I walked back in 2022 when I walked from Mossley towards Manchester city centre, for there was another section of the old Micklehurst railway line which was walkable. The water level was very low near Scout tunnel as I continued the walk heading away from Mossley towards Stalybridge. On reaching Grove Road I headed away from the railway, climbing up a slope to reach the route of the old railway for a short distance towards Stalybridge. After the old railway path ended, I dropped back onto the canal to walk towards the large Tesco to grab some supplies before making my way to the station via the town centre. Had the next Northern service been a 769 I would have taken that towards Victoria but as that was a pair of 156s I turned that down for 185121 to take me towards Piccadilly arriving a few minutes early.
This gave me time to head towards 390001 on the next London train to see how busy coach C was, getting a reasonable seat to put my phone on charge and to relax with some cookies (mmm cookie). All was going well until it got caught up in a bridge strike near Rugeley, losing around 20 minutes, time it didn’t manage to claw back. As I had been given news that the 17:23 service to Exeter was short formed to be 3 coaches instead of 8 I decided it wasn’t worth rushing to Waterloo, instead I took my time to walk to Waterloo to catch the 17:53 service formed of 159002 & 159014 to take me home.
An enjoyable day, one of those walks which had been on my list of things to do for a while but never got round to it, or bad weather forcing a change of plan.
Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Diggle (2) by Kite, on Flickr
16th May – Lost in Wharncliffe Wood
A trip to South Yorkshire was on the cards today, mainly to visit the recently opened tram stop near Rotherham, but also for a mixed walk of the former Woodhead route, a woodland path & a riverside path. The day started with the 05:27 service from Grateley with 159104 for the trip to Waterloo, where I headed towards Waterloo East jumping onto 707018 & 707024 to London Bridge and 700120 to St Pancras, giving me time to grab some supplies before making my way to the annex of the shopping centre known as St Pancras (where most of the seats have been placed on the arrival side of the fence). Anyhow it was onto 222008 working the next fast Sheffield service, a train which was busy even in the front coach (which bare in mind this was parked on top of another 222 on the platform).
The train lost time heading towards Leicester as it got caught up with a late running charter train near Kettering, losing around 10 minutes, time it never recovered and lost some more time on the outskirts of Sheffield with congestion caused by the 10:00 Sheffield – London train having issues of some description. I remained on the station for the next train towards Lockwood (Huddersfield area was closed again today) with 150002 on this service marked with some idiotic teenagers attempting to dodge the fare when heading to Silkstone Common. Peace was restored once they alighted at Silkstone Common for the final section to Penistone where my walk began.
150002 departs Penistone Station by Kite, on Flickr
Back in the day Penistone was a busy railway junction with the electrified Woodhead line towards Manchester & Sheffield. One of these days I will walk the old railway towards Hadfield, but today once I left the station I headed left. I had a little detour towards the old railway turntable & tank loading ramp before continuing along the path alongside the railway before heading towards woodland near Oxspring. Quite a busy path in places, but at times it was quiet, some beautiful views of the scenery in the places where the woodland opened up.
I crossed over the Rumtickle Viaduct and went via the 1947 built 'Up bore' of the Thurgoland Tunnel (the older down bore has lost since been closed up). The next section of the path was a bit muddy in places due to recent rain as I continued passing the former Wortley station heading towards the A616 where the surfaced section of the old railway ceased as the cycle route followed Plank Gate within the large Wharncliffe Wood.
Western Portal of the Thurgoland Tunnel on the former Woodhead Railway (Trans Pennine Trail) by Kite, on Flickr
This is an area with a few paths of interest, especially heading towards Deepcar & Stocksbridge itself, but today I followed the route of the old railway, now a slightly muddy path between trees. Hard to picture this being an electrified railway linking Manchester & Sheffield but it was mostly peaceful. I didn't expect the path to simply end on the actual existing railway (all be mothballed) near the former Deepcar station, I was expecting the path to end with some sort of security fence. Anyhow I turned back on myself, getting a bit lost trying to follow some paths leading back to the main Plank Gate path, having to turn back a couple of times as the path I was following had a dead end with some cliffs.
I found my way to the main path (labelled on the maps at Plank Gate), which was a hilly track with some beautiful woodland. Busy with other cyclists as this woodland is popular for mountain bike riding (for it has many paths), the only negative being the constant sound of traffic from the A6102 road the other side of the River Don. I paused for some lunch at a bridge over the freight line (maybe one of these days it will come back into use considering the steel terminal it was kept to serve has closed).
Plank Gate Path within Wharncliffe Wood (between Deepcar & Oughtibridge) (36) by Kite, on Flickr
I continued my walk within Wharncliffe Wood, heading away from Plank Gate along another path towards Oughtibridge, which at times was very steep as it dropped down to run alongside the railway (protected by a fence this time), and onto Oughtibridge Lane. I headed along the road towards the centre of the settlement and onto the Upper Don Trail path which ran alongside the River Don. This was another nice path for woodland views as it was part of Beeley Wood, with some nice views of the river in places.
The River Don was crossed on a footbridge near Middlewood with the path ending on Middlewood Road in Sheffield. One final detour via Middlewood Park before I headed to the tram stop jumping onto tram 123 to take me towards the Cathedral stop. With 25 minutes to kill before the next tram towards Rotherham, I popped to a couple of the nearby shops to grab some supplies before taking a seat on 399202 to take me to Magna. I will admit to expecting to see the car park a bit busier for a Saturday afternoon, but it had half a dozen vehicles in. Not a lot else in the area other than the platform announcements shouting to stand back for the tram as I guess it was thinking it was a freight train.
399202 departs Magna Tram Stop by Kite, on Flickr
399202 returned from Parkgate to take me back towards Sheffield city centre, alighting at the Fitzalan Square stop for a gentle walk towards Sheffield station as I had no idea when the next tram would be due to the lack of departure screens at this city centre tram stop. At Sheffield station, I took a seat on the next London service which was winner 810016 on a fast service, which was lightly loaded in the front coach, even having an empty table from Leicester. This train arrived into St Pancras near enough on time (even though it felt it was running on diesel), however Thameslink was a bit chaotic with a 25 minute wait for the next train towards London Bridge due to multiple cancellations, so I jumped onto a Sutton bound 700051 to take me to Blackfriars where I walked the short distance to Waterloo, waiting for 159016 to roll in on the very busy 20:50 service (what doesn't help is the 30 minute gap between fast services to Basingstoke).
This service took me back home to Grateley, where I relaxed before heading to sleep. An enjoyable mixed walk, the woodland was very nice, certainly makes me want to head back there on another trip to explore some more of it.
17th May – Two Walks in Dorset
The day began with a drive to Romsey to pick up the first service towards Southampton with 158882 on the anti-clockwise loops today (Salisbury was closed with the timetable changed with the 158s doing loops). At Southampton Central I had time to pop to the little Tesco outside the station, even had time to walk towards the Co-Op which used to be near the theatre, however since my last visit that had changed hands to become a “Simply Fresh” charging a lot more money for stuff compared to Co-Op, so something for me to bare in mind if I ever find myself in Southampton on a break at work.
Anyhow back to the station and onto 444003 on a Weymouth train which took me to Parkstone where the first of today’s walks began. I followed various roads to reach the Whitecliff Harbourside Park giving some views of Parkstone Bay within Poole Harbour. This path was followed around the bay, with a detour underneath the railway to reach Poole Park. There was some sort of motorcycle event happening this morning as there was a lot of motorbikes of various sizes & types heading around the lake. I did a circle of the boating lake (with a detour towards the Poole Park Railway Station) before making my way back towards Parkstone Bay.
Parkstone Bay from Whitecliff Harbourside Park, Poole by Kite, on Flickr
Back alongside Parkstone Bay, I followed the busy path (split with a path for cyclists and another for walkers/joggers) heading towards Poole Harbourside Park, reaching Poole Quayside. Being here did bring back memories of the past when I visited with family over the years. I continued my walk alongside the quay with many boots moored up, both little & big boats. Originally, I was only to walk this far, cutting via the town centre to reach the station, but I was running ahead of schedule (due to being unable to count). With this in mind I crossed over Poole Bridge, heading towards Hamworthy, following a couple of roads leading to a footbridge over the Hamworthy freight line (which I believe these days is effectively disused).
I returned to the waterfront at Hamworthy Park, before following various roads in the "Lake" area, passing a MOD place with high security fences and attempts to block view with fake plastic bushes (which had broken off in places). Once again, I returned to the waterfront at Lake Pier, before walking along the beach for a short section. After getting sand in my boots, I headed inland following a "Fire Break" road on Ham Common coming out near Haven's Rockley Park. I followed another path which ran between the Holiday Park (on my left) and another MOD area on my right, crossing over the railway into Turlin Moor.
Poole Harbour from Ham Common, Hamworthy (4) by Kite, on Flickr
Once back on the roads, I headed towards the Rock Lea River, part of Lytchett Bay, following a path towards a little view point across the bay, although not the best for views due to vegetation. I returned to the roads via some open grassland, swinging via Lidl for some lunch before making my way to Hamworthy station, boarding 444002 to take me to Weymouth, returning to Dorchester South on 444023 for the short walk to Dorchester West station. Next up was 158748 & 158760 on a Bristol bound service to take me one stop to Maiden Newton, which is where trains normally pass, but this service on a Sunday passes the southbound at Yeovil Pen Mill which gave me nearly an hour.
I picked up the path which runs along part of the disused Bridport branch line at Maiden Newton station, running alongside the former branch platform, it’s a short old railway path of just over half a mile, but one which had been bugging me for a while. When the path came to an end, I headed on a footpath across a field to follow another footpath alongside the River Frome, one which did get quite muddy in places. I was back at the station with time to spare, relaxing before 158769 rolled in to take me back to Dorchester West.
158769 at Maiden Newton Station by Kite, on Flickr
In Dorchester I had time for a quick visit to a nearby Co-Op for some food before making my way to a busy Dorchester South station, and onto a slightly late running 444034 back to Southampton, running into the back of 444010 at Bournemouth. At Southampton Central it was a short wait before 158882 rolled in to take me back to Romsey, going via Eastleigh where the rain started. At Romsey I made a quick dash to my car to drive home, the end of another enjoyable day. Two more Dorset area walks complete in some nice weather. I got lucky with the weather for all 4 days with only Thursday getting a bit wet at times. Thanks for reading, as always many more photos can be found on my Flickr *here*, what will the bank holiday weekend bring (other than hot weather).
14th May – Macclesfield Canal
When I was looking at ideas, I searched for hotel costs for the Thursday night as I know sometimes Thursdays can be as cheap as Sunday nights, selecting a Travelodge in Salford Quays. A hotel I’ve used before and knew it was quite reasonable for noise and ease to reach. The only thing for me to do was to decide on a walk, eventually deciding on making a start with the Macclesfield Canal. The day began with the 06:57 service from Grateley formed of 158887, 158890 & 159022 on a fast train to Waterloo where I had a gentle stroll to Euston. In hindsight I could have probably had an extra 25 minutes in bed and caught the service at 07:27 as I hung around Euston for a while before the 09:53 service to Manchester was announced for boarding as I got a decent seat on 390152 for the run towards Macclesfield where my walk began.
The first section was across a busy road alongside the station before following Buxton Road up a long hill towards the canal, dropping down onto the towpath and headed north. The towpath was quite reasonable (solid ground) but there were a few places where the edge had been eroded. This section of the canal was on the edge of Hurdsfield with some nice views of the countryside and some nice woodland as the first shower arrived. Thankfully the shower was light and only lasted a couple of minutes at most before the sunshine returned as soon, I left the Macclesfield area behind to head towards Bollington, running close with the Middlewood Way path along the old railway line.
222002 at London Euston by Kite, on FlickrAfter Bollington (and a lovely old mill), the countryside returned as I continued heading in a generally northern direction skirting the edge of Poynton. Such a beautiful day along a scenic canal, running along an embankment in places. I soon reached an area which had a question mark as Open Street Maps was suggesting the towpath was closed with no mention of it on the Canal & River Trust website. I suspect it was closed over the winter months (as it did look like there had been some heavy machinery around with the condition of the surface in places) but had reopened. This area crosses the Buxton railway line near Middlewood, however no decent views of the railway due to woodland.
I soon reached High Lane, pausing for a short time for a break on a handy bench (as my boots seem to have gained stone magnets for, I keep getting stones inside my boots). After leaving the built-up area of High Lane, the sky was looking moody like a storm was approaching. Another short section of countryside and I soon reached the Marple area, taking shelter from a heavy downpour underneath a bridge. Like before the rain didn't last that long and I soon continued passing a golf club & old mill building before I reached the junction with the Peak Forest Canal.
Macclesfield Canal between High Lane & Marple (10) by Kite, on FlickrBack in December when I walked the Peak Forest canal towards New Mills from the Woodley area, I had to do a detour near Strines as part of the towpath was closed for winter improvement works, so with the sun returning, it felt like a good chance to cover the missing gap. The scenery on the Peak Forest canal was very good as it was in December, as I headed towards Strines, passing the lift bridge where the towpath was closed to reach the footbridge where I gained access again. At this point I did a U-turn to head towards a footpath along a steep hill towards the main road and had a fast walk towards the station arriving with a minute to spare before the next Manchester bound service (I was aiming for the New Mills bound service 10 minutes later).
Surprisingly the stopper from New Mills Central was 195127 (I was expecting a 150), as I took this to Brinnington for some better photos, doubling back to Bredbury on 195128 before taking 195103 towards Manchester Piccadilly. A friend was heading towards Manchester on a TfW service which I was planning to intercept at Stockport, but before hand I headed to the tram platforms buying a zone 1 & 2 day ticket to take 3106 & 3069 to Cornbrook, returning to Piccadilly on 3009 & 3052 just to waste some time. After popping out of the station to the nearby Co-Op for a bottle of water before deciding to jump on the 18:30 service to Cardiff with 67012 at the blocks and DVT 82200 up front.
195127 at Strines by Kite, on FlickrThis where things went a bit wrong, the train pulled away from Piccadilly before coming to a stop before the rear of the train had left the station, before resuming. The train stopped again near Longsight North, losing power. After the driver attempted to restart the 67, it was deemed a failure with 67007 called for to act as a thunderbird loco to haul the train towards Crewe. Arrival into Stockport was around 200 minutes late, with my friend long since gone I jumped on the first available train back to Manchester (a late running 390148), grabbing dinner from the Co-Op before taking trams 3022 & 3117 to Salford Quays. I had a short walk to the hotel, noting how different things looked with a lot more housing popping up since my last visit. After checking in (asking to confirm my address, email address, phone number, confirmation number) I relaxed for the remainder of the evening.
67007 hauling DVT 82220 at Stockport by Kite, on Flickr15th May – A visit to Saddleworth
Another day where my plan changed overnight, as originally I was planning to head towards Bolton to finish the Roe Green Loopline & do some other old railway lines in that general area, but when I was heading to the hotel on the Thursday night I had the idea to instead head east towards Mossley for a mix walk of an old railway (the former Micklehurst Loop) and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, connecting with a walk I did back in April 2022.
After checking out of the hotel, I popped to a nearby Tesco Express for breakfast items before having a walk towards Salford Crescent station to board 323202 & 323233 on a Manchester Airport service for the slow crawl towards Piccadilly, once I managed to get past the vestibule dwellers there were plenty of seats. At Manchester Piccadilly I transferred across to platform 1 to take a seat on 185121 working a Huddersfield stopping service which took me to Mossley where my walk began.
185121 departs Mossley Station by Kite, on FlickrDropping down the steep hill from the station, I crossed over the canal before turning left into Station Road, picking up the mixed used path along the route of the long closed Micklehurst Loop line. This section was quite nice with woodland even if the surface was a bit muddy due to recent rain. I followed the path towards the northern edge of the Mossley area, crossing over the A635 giving some nice views of the scenery. The woodland returned as I headed towards Greenfield dropping down to cross the Chew Brook as the old railway route has been lost.
After walking along some roads I soon resumed along the old railway heading towards Uppermill, carrying on to the area where the southern portal of Butterhouse tunnel would have been, a bit of an uphill climb but it was worth it for the views. After pausing for some more drink I crossed over a field following a footpath which I presume at one stage would have been a foot crossing of the railway (owing to the signage) but has since been replaced with a footbridge. I paused on the footbridge for a passing freight train before heading along Old Lane to reach the Huddersfield Narrow Canal near Wool Road in Dobcross.
A TPE 185 heading towards Manchester in Dobcross by Kite, on FlickrOn the canal towpath I headed uphill, with the towpath running along both banks of the canal. The water level in a couple of the pounds between locks looked to be quite low as I headed towards the Diggle portal of the Standedge canal tunnel. After a couple of photographs (including a passing train for I do have a soft spot for the 185s) I headed back down the lock flight, this time on the towpath on the opposite side, enjoying the views of the scenery.
My walk continued as I headed back towards the Uppermill area, going underneath the railway as it crossed the canal on a high viaduct. I passed a crossing of the River Tame on some stepping stones before the towpath swapped sides near the start of the old railway line path towards Delph. Anyhow I passed the Saddleworth museum heading towards Greenfield with some beautiful woodland on a decent towpath which was reasonably busy with other walkers/joggers & occasional cyclist.
Standedge Tunnel on Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Diggle by Kite, on FlickrI continued along the towpath enjoying the weather as I returned towards Mossley and onto part of the canal I walked back in 2022 when I walked from Mossley towards Manchester city centre, for there was another section of the old Micklehurst railway line which was walkable. The water level was very low near Scout tunnel as I continued the walk heading away from Mossley towards Stalybridge. On reaching Grove Road I headed away from the railway, climbing up a slope to reach the route of the old railway for a short distance towards Stalybridge. After the old railway path ended, I dropped back onto the canal to walk towards the large Tesco to grab some supplies before making my way to the station via the town centre. Had the next Northern service been a 769 I would have taken that towards Victoria but as that was a pair of 156s I turned that down for 185121 to take me towards Piccadilly arriving a few minutes early.
This gave me time to head towards 390001 on the next London train to see how busy coach C was, getting a reasonable seat to put my phone on charge and to relax with some cookies (mmm cookie). All was going well until it got caught up in a bridge strike near Rugeley, losing around 20 minutes, time it didn’t manage to claw back. As I had been given news that the 17:23 service to Exeter was short formed to be 3 coaches instead of 8 I decided it wasn’t worth rushing to Waterloo, instead I took my time to walk to Waterloo to catch the 17:53 service formed of 159002 & 159014 to take me home.
An enjoyable day, one of those walks which had been on my list of things to do for a while but never got round to it, or bad weather forcing a change of plan.
Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Diggle (2) by Kite, on Flickr16th May – Lost in Wharncliffe Wood
A trip to South Yorkshire was on the cards today, mainly to visit the recently opened tram stop near Rotherham, but also for a mixed walk of the former Woodhead route, a woodland path & a riverside path. The day started with the 05:27 service from Grateley with 159104 for the trip to Waterloo, where I headed towards Waterloo East jumping onto 707018 & 707024 to London Bridge and 700120 to St Pancras, giving me time to grab some supplies before making my way to the annex of the shopping centre known as St Pancras (where most of the seats have been placed on the arrival side of the fence). Anyhow it was onto 222008 working the next fast Sheffield service, a train which was busy even in the front coach (which bare in mind this was parked on top of another 222 on the platform).
The train lost time heading towards Leicester as it got caught up with a late running charter train near Kettering, losing around 10 minutes, time it never recovered and lost some more time on the outskirts of Sheffield with congestion caused by the 10:00 Sheffield – London train having issues of some description. I remained on the station for the next train towards Lockwood (Huddersfield area was closed again today) with 150002 on this service marked with some idiotic teenagers attempting to dodge the fare when heading to Silkstone Common. Peace was restored once they alighted at Silkstone Common for the final section to Penistone where my walk began.
150002 departs Penistone Station by Kite, on FlickrBack in the day Penistone was a busy railway junction with the electrified Woodhead line towards Manchester & Sheffield. One of these days I will walk the old railway towards Hadfield, but today once I left the station I headed left. I had a little detour towards the old railway turntable & tank loading ramp before continuing along the path alongside the railway before heading towards woodland near Oxspring. Quite a busy path in places, but at times it was quiet, some beautiful views of the scenery in the places where the woodland opened up.
I crossed over the Rumtickle Viaduct and went via the 1947 built 'Up bore' of the Thurgoland Tunnel (the older down bore has lost since been closed up). The next section of the path was a bit muddy in places due to recent rain as I continued passing the former Wortley station heading towards the A616 where the surfaced section of the old railway ceased as the cycle route followed Plank Gate within the large Wharncliffe Wood.
Western Portal of the Thurgoland Tunnel on the former Woodhead Railway (Trans Pennine Trail) by Kite, on FlickrThis is an area with a few paths of interest, especially heading towards Deepcar & Stocksbridge itself, but today I followed the route of the old railway, now a slightly muddy path between trees. Hard to picture this being an electrified railway linking Manchester & Sheffield but it was mostly peaceful. I didn't expect the path to simply end on the actual existing railway (all be mothballed) near the former Deepcar station, I was expecting the path to end with some sort of security fence. Anyhow I turned back on myself, getting a bit lost trying to follow some paths leading back to the main Plank Gate path, having to turn back a couple of times as the path I was following had a dead end with some cliffs.
I found my way to the main path (labelled on the maps at Plank Gate), which was a hilly track with some beautiful woodland. Busy with other cyclists as this woodland is popular for mountain bike riding (for it has many paths), the only negative being the constant sound of traffic from the A6102 road the other side of the River Don. I paused for some lunch at a bridge over the freight line (maybe one of these days it will come back into use considering the steel terminal it was kept to serve has closed).
Plank Gate Path within Wharncliffe Wood (between Deepcar & Oughtibridge) (36) by Kite, on FlickrI continued my walk within Wharncliffe Wood, heading away from Plank Gate along another path towards Oughtibridge, which at times was very steep as it dropped down to run alongside the railway (protected by a fence this time), and onto Oughtibridge Lane. I headed along the road towards the centre of the settlement and onto the Upper Don Trail path which ran alongside the River Don. This was another nice path for woodland views as it was part of Beeley Wood, with some nice views of the river in places.
The River Don was crossed on a footbridge near Middlewood with the path ending on Middlewood Road in Sheffield. One final detour via Middlewood Park before I headed to the tram stop jumping onto tram 123 to take me towards the Cathedral stop. With 25 minutes to kill before the next tram towards Rotherham, I popped to a couple of the nearby shops to grab some supplies before taking a seat on 399202 to take me to Magna. I will admit to expecting to see the car park a bit busier for a Saturday afternoon, but it had half a dozen vehicles in. Not a lot else in the area other than the platform announcements shouting to stand back for the tram as I guess it was thinking it was a freight train.
399202 departs Magna Tram Stop by Kite, on Flickr399202 returned from Parkgate to take me back towards Sheffield city centre, alighting at the Fitzalan Square stop for a gentle walk towards Sheffield station as I had no idea when the next tram would be due to the lack of departure screens at this city centre tram stop. At Sheffield station, I took a seat on the next London service which was winner 810016 on a fast service, which was lightly loaded in the front coach, even having an empty table from Leicester. This train arrived into St Pancras near enough on time (even though it felt it was running on diesel), however Thameslink was a bit chaotic with a 25 minute wait for the next train towards London Bridge due to multiple cancellations, so I jumped onto a Sutton bound 700051 to take me to Blackfriars where I walked the short distance to Waterloo, waiting for 159016 to roll in on the very busy 20:50 service (what doesn't help is the 30 minute gap between fast services to Basingstoke).
This service took me back home to Grateley, where I relaxed before heading to sleep. An enjoyable mixed walk, the woodland was very nice, certainly makes me want to head back there on another trip to explore some more of it.
17th May – Two Walks in Dorset
The day began with a drive to Romsey to pick up the first service towards Southampton with 158882 on the anti-clockwise loops today (Salisbury was closed with the timetable changed with the 158s doing loops). At Southampton Central I had time to pop to the little Tesco outside the station, even had time to walk towards the Co-Op which used to be near the theatre, however since my last visit that had changed hands to become a “Simply Fresh” charging a lot more money for stuff compared to Co-Op, so something for me to bare in mind if I ever find myself in Southampton on a break at work.
Anyhow back to the station and onto 444003 on a Weymouth train which took me to Parkstone where the first of today’s walks began. I followed various roads to reach the Whitecliff Harbourside Park giving some views of Parkstone Bay within Poole Harbour. This path was followed around the bay, with a detour underneath the railway to reach Poole Park. There was some sort of motorcycle event happening this morning as there was a lot of motorbikes of various sizes & types heading around the lake. I did a circle of the boating lake (with a detour towards the Poole Park Railway Station) before making my way back towards Parkstone Bay.
Parkstone Bay from Whitecliff Harbourside Park, Poole by Kite, on FlickrBack alongside Parkstone Bay, I followed the busy path (split with a path for cyclists and another for walkers/joggers) heading towards Poole Harbourside Park, reaching Poole Quayside. Being here did bring back memories of the past when I visited with family over the years. I continued my walk alongside the quay with many boots moored up, both little & big boats. Originally, I was only to walk this far, cutting via the town centre to reach the station, but I was running ahead of schedule (due to being unable to count). With this in mind I crossed over Poole Bridge, heading towards Hamworthy, following a couple of roads leading to a footbridge over the Hamworthy freight line (which I believe these days is effectively disused).
I returned to the waterfront at Hamworthy Park, before following various roads in the "Lake" area, passing a MOD place with high security fences and attempts to block view with fake plastic bushes (which had broken off in places). Once again, I returned to the waterfront at Lake Pier, before walking along the beach for a short section. After getting sand in my boots, I headed inland following a "Fire Break" road on Ham Common coming out near Haven's Rockley Park. I followed another path which ran between the Holiday Park (on my left) and another MOD area on my right, crossing over the railway into Turlin Moor.
Poole Harbour from Ham Common, Hamworthy (4) by Kite, on FlickrOnce back on the roads, I headed towards the Rock Lea River, part of Lytchett Bay, following a path towards a little view point across the bay, although not the best for views due to vegetation. I returned to the roads via some open grassland, swinging via Lidl for some lunch before making my way to Hamworthy station, boarding 444002 to take me to Weymouth, returning to Dorchester South on 444023 for the short walk to Dorchester West station. Next up was 158748 & 158760 on a Bristol bound service to take me one stop to Maiden Newton, which is where trains normally pass, but this service on a Sunday passes the southbound at Yeovil Pen Mill which gave me nearly an hour.
I picked up the path which runs along part of the disused Bridport branch line at Maiden Newton station, running alongside the former branch platform, it’s a short old railway path of just over half a mile, but one which had been bugging me for a while. When the path came to an end, I headed on a footpath across a field to follow another footpath alongside the River Frome, one which did get quite muddy in places. I was back at the station with time to spare, relaxing before 158769 rolled in to take me back to Dorchester West.
158769 at Maiden Newton Station by Kite, on FlickrIn Dorchester I had time for a quick visit to a nearby Co-Op for some food before making my way to a busy Dorchester South station, and onto a slightly late running 444034 back to Southampton, running into the back of 444010 at Bournemouth. At Southampton Central it was a short wait before 158882 rolled in to take me back to Romsey, going via Eastleigh where the rain started. At Romsey I made a quick dash to my car to drive home, the end of another enjoyable day. Two more Dorset area walks complete in some nice weather. I got lucky with the weather for all 4 days with only Thursday getting a bit wet at times. Thanks for reading, as always many more photos can be found on my Flickr *here*, what will the bank holiday weekend bring (other than hot weather).
eastwestdivide
Established Member
The Magna stop opened when it was school holidays, and quite a few families were using it to visit the science centre when I went along to photograph things on the first day.
Last week, I passed through on a Wednesday afternoon. No-one got on or off, and the car park (it’s being marketed as a park and ride) was pretty empty. Maybe it’ll build up gradually. There’s a reasonable number now using Parkgate for park and ride.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Visited around 16;30 last Saturday, only person alighting or boarding. I guess if you wanted to use a tram P&R the one near the tram depot would be more popular owing to more trams per hour.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Trips 25th & 26th May
I also had the Sunday off work, but with a late finish on the Saturday and multiple cancellations I decided to have a more local day to walk the Test Way path between Redbridge & Romsey, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. The bank holiday Monday I had a cheap Travelodge in Birmingham city centre giving me quite a few options for the Monday itself, making use of the lack of peak restrictions on the bank holiday. Even if the weather was set to be Scorchio!
25th May – Exploring the Macclesfield Canal (Part 2)
After exploring the section of the canal from Macclesfield to Marple the previous week, I decided to visit the section between Congleton & Macclesfield. The day started with the 05:27 service from Grateley with 159018 to Waterloo, with a gentle stroll towards Euston to catch the 07:53 Avanti service to Stoke on Trent giving me a nice 25-minute connection to the stopping service to Manchester. 390001 was lightly loaded in coach C as it called at Milton Keynes & Rugby along the way, an uneventful trip to Staffordshire.
I made use of the toilets at Stoke station before boarding former West Midlands 323206 from the bay platform for the speedy run towards Congleton, although the heat was already starting to rise (even with the majority of windows opened). At Congleton I left the train to begin my walk, heading towards the Queens Head pub, finding a slightly overgrown path down some steps leading to the canal, where I turned left to go underneath the railway on the towpath (not the main access point, as the main access point is crossing the footbridge and a path leading from a dead-end road close to the station)
323206 departing Congleton Station by Kite, on Flickr
The towpath in this area was quite decent, although a bit narrow in places (to the degree when I met someone coming the opposite direction one of us had to pull over in a wider spot to allow the other to pass without the risk of getting too close to the canal side). Thankfully the towpath did open up a bit more after leaving the built-up area of Congleton. I crossed over the Dane-in-Shaw Brook and the route of the old railway line (which headed towards Biddulph). After pausing for a photo of a 323 crossing the Congleton Viaduct, I continued my walk with the canal changing direction to head north west (rather than north east), going underneath the railway to skirt round the edge of the Havannah area of the town.
After changing of direction to go back heading north east, I left Congleton behind and headed into the countryside, the towpath quality changing a few times, similar to most rural canals. After crossing underneath both the A54 road and the railway for the last time, the canal crossed over the River Dane to approach the Bosley Lock Flight, the only set of locks on the entire canal, raising the level by 118 feet. The route of the long closed Churnet Valley line crosses the canal in this area with evidence of the old railway embankment crossing the fields. The lock flight ended, going underneath the A54 once again with the canal running close to the railway, giving a nice view over the North Rode Viaduct, somewhere I stopped for a photograph and to have my lunch.
A voyager crossing North Rode Viaduct by Kite, on Flickr
My lunch consumed, I resumed my walk, heading towards Oakgrove and a noisy section with the canal running close to the A523 road, although the woodland did give me some nice shade from the sunshine. Another change of direction of the canal took it close to the railway near Danes Moss nature reserve before heading back east, underneath the A523 near Lyme Green, skirting close to Gurnett in Sutton with some lovely views of the hills to the east of Macclesfield. Soon the countryside was replaced with the urban area of Macclesfield with the towpath switching sides for the first time. My walk along the canal ended when I reached the A537 Buxton Road, the point where I joined the canal the previous week.
Before heading down the hill towards the station, I visited a nearby Co-Op for some cold drink, for the water I had in my rucksack had gotten warm. After visiting the shop I headed along Buxton Road, detouring via Victoria Park before reaching the station, with quite a few delays due to various issues. The first northbound train was 323230 on the stopping service, for it must be a good few years since I last called at the likes of Adlington & Poynton. Due to overcrowding (I presume due to a Man City parade based on the number of Man City shirts) I couldn’t get off the train at Stockport, so stayed on to Manchester Piccadilly.
Victoria Park Bandstand, Macclesfield by Kite, on Flickr
I decided it would probably be better to head towards Birmingham sooner rather than later, as I wanted to do the 18:30-odd Chiltern service from Moor Street towards Stourbridge Junction for the novelty of Mk5 coaches on that area of the network (as the one later in the day has rubbish connections back towards Birmingham). The next service was a refurbished voyager in the shape of 220028 as I managed to grab one of the unreserved seats in coach D. First impression was good; the new seats were comfortable with USB sockets located in the front between the seats (makes it easier for someone sitting in the aisle seat to access them). As expected of a 4-coach voyager, it departed Manchester very busy, remaining busy (in terms of standees in the aisle) until Stoke on Trent where it did empty out a bit, although didn’t help this service running in front of an Avanti 11 coach Pendo).
Due to signalling issues around Wolverhampton, the train was diverted to run via Bescot Stadium & Aston to reach Birmingham New Street (Darlaston having a massive 5 vehicles in the large car park). I left the voyager at New Street, heading outside into the afternoon heat. After visiting Poundland for some more liquid supplies I was going to head towards the hotel, to get myself checked into the hotel (losing some weight from my rucksack and to make sure the room wasn’t roasting). When I was passing Bull Street, I noticed a tram for Millennium Point so I decided to jump on for the one stop journey to Albert Street on tram 50, waiting for it to return to take me to Corporation Street. I walked back towards Bull Street but the platform display was suggesting a 30-minute gap before the next tram so decided Millenium Point would have to wait for another day.
West Midland Metro Tram 50 at Albert Street by Kite, on Flickr
After getting checked into the hotel, getting a room on the 3rd floor (again!), finding the room to be reasonably cool (window open with curtains closed), I relaxed. Sadly, my plans changed as the Stourbridge Junction train had been cancelled at Banbury due to a train fault, but not wanting to spend the rest of the evening I decided to take a spin to Dorridge to intercept the 2nd Stourbridge Junction service. Leaving the hotel, I headed towards Moor Street and onto 168002 which was delayed, the stopping service went first, but this service passed it at Tyseley (the 172s using platform 3 and the connecting line). At Dorridge, I dodged the many youths whom had alighted from a train from Stratford Upon Avon (complete with loud speakers and various drug related smells) to pop to Sainsburys to waste some time.
When I returned to Dorridge station (which was quite humid), the ID of the 2nd Stourbridge train had been updated to be a pair of 165s, so I cut my losses and boarded a late running Birmingham bound 168328 & 168003. Part of me would have loved to have done the 165s to Stourbridge for the novelty factor, but the more sensible part looked at RTT to highlight a 45-minute wait for something back to Birmingham, assuming that was actually running. Anyhow back at Moor Street, I headed back to the hotel on Newhall Street to have a shower & to relax, with an early start planned for the Tuesday with a return to Leicestershire. An enjoyable (if a bit hot) day in Cheshire, just the 6-mile section between Kidsgrove & Congleton left to explore of the Macclesfield Canal, so hopefully another canal can be ticked from my list by the end of July.
70811 passing Dorridge by Kite, on Flickr
26th May – Reaching Moira and the End of the Ashby Canal
It was an early start (although I was already awake before the alarm went off due to the warmth in the room) to stroll towards Birmingham New Street to catch the 06:52 service for Leicester, featuring my first refurbished XC 170 (similar to the EMR sets, just different colours inside). We weren’t allowed on board until the 2-coach unit on a Nottingham service departed first as both were sharing the platform. 170101 took me to Hinckley where after detouring via the large Tesco next to the station I made my way to the slightly poorly designed bus station (the road isn’t quite wide enough for 2 buses to pass comfortably). I took the Centrebus run route LC6 service (bound for Coalville) with a little Solo to Market Bosworth, alighting at the oddly named “Terminus” bus stop, close to the canal (saved walking the mile from the town centre to the wharf!)
After a short walk via the car park of a Sports Club, I dropped down onto the Ashby (De La Zouch) canal at the point where I left it a couple weeks ago, turning north underneath the road bridge, passing a large marina. The countryside arrived with the towpath being quite changeable for quality, no big hazards which was good. The canal weaved towards Congerstone skirting round the edge of this little village before weaving towards Shackerstone, where I decided to make a little detour to pay a visit to Shackerstone station on the Battlefield Line, grabbing a few photos of various locos before making my way back towards the canal.
Shackerstone Station (Battlefield Line Railway) by Kite, on Flickr
The towpath had swapped sides so the canal was now on my left, as I entered a nice woodland cutting, the shade being nice as well as the peace & quiet of rural Leicestershire. Soon I arrived at Snarestone where there was a small tunnel requiring a detour over the top on a well signposted path. I re-joined the canal the northern side of the tunnel for the last section of the canal, reaching Sharestone Wharf where the current canal ends. I switched from walking alongside the canal to walking on the base of the old canal, then onto the "Ashby Canal Trail" path, passing the site of Ilott Wharf and heading towards Measham. On the outskirts of Measham I joined the route of the former Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway, passing the site of the former station before reaching the road. I did have an option to end the walk but decided to carry on as the buses are only hourly and I had missed one by around 10 minutes.
After Measham I followed cycle route 63 which ran along the route of the old railway with one small detour near the bridge underneath the A42. The railway path skirted close to Oakthorpe before reaching Donisthorpe. At Donisthorpe I headed towards the Donisthorpe Woodland Park before picking up the route of the old railway as it headed towards Moira Junction where in the olden days it connected with the Burton - Leicester railway line (now effectively mothballed at the northern end, slowly being reclaimed by nature). I joined another path which ran alongside the railway before heading towards the original canal terminus (complete with a 30-0 milepost marker), now part of a small nature reserve near Overseal.
Ashby Canal at Snarestone (3) by Kite, on Flickr
The next section was via the roads, passing the National Forest YHA and reaching the Conkers Waterside Centre, as part of the canal has been restored. I headed towards Moira, detouring towards a handy Co-Op for some more liquids and some food, before carrying on. I passed the Moira Furnace Museum heading back towards Donisthorpe, the restored section of canal ending near a woodland centre. The last section was a walk towards a bus stop near the Donisthorpe Memorial Park, relaxing leaning against the wall (thankfully in the shade). I had around 20 minutes left before the bus to Burton, which was running around 10 minutes late.
Annoyingly I had left my power bank in my work bag, so my phone was down to single digit percentage battery (which after a 4-and-a-half-hour walk was good going considering I started at 90%), so I needed to be careful. Sadly, the Diamond run route 19 bus didn't have USB sockets, but I was surprised at it being a double decker. An interesting route which headed towards Burton Upon Trent via Overseal, Albert Village, Swadlincote & Newhall, featuring some steep hills as it crossed into Derbyshire & then Staffordshire.
Moira Furnace Museum alongside the Ashby Canal by Kite, on Flickr
In Burton Upon Trent town centre, I headed towards the station via a couple of shops. I had a couple of options, either take the next service into Birmingham for a voyager towards Basingstoke or take the next service which called at Tamworth to change for something towards London. I decided on the voyager option due to issues on SWR (where most of the West of England trains were only getting as far as Basingstoke due to late running). First option was a 2-coach refurbished 170117, where I got a seat and put my phone on charge, relaxing with the trip to Birmingham New Street where I had around 30 minutes to wait before the next Bournemouth train (the Reading train I was hoping to catch was running hopelessly late with issues on the ECML). 220020 rolled in, annoyingly the wrong way round to what RTT was suggesting (RTT was suggesting 1st class was at the front, whereas it was at the rear, as I was aiming for one of those seats in coach D which can’t be reserved).
The train departed New Street very busy, but as usual for XC it emptied out at Coventry & Leamington Spa, however it was running around 30 minutes late due to congestion between Wolverhampton & Birmingham so it gave me extra time at Basingstoke before taking a busy 159009 & 159004 to Grateley. An enjoyable, if hot, day in Leicestershire, certainly for rural charm the Ashby Canal is a good rival for the Leicester arm of the Grand Union canal. Anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr *here*. May is nearly at an end, scary that.
I also had the Sunday off work, but with a late finish on the Saturday and multiple cancellations I decided to have a more local day to walk the Test Way path between Redbridge & Romsey, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. The bank holiday Monday I had a cheap Travelodge in Birmingham city centre giving me quite a few options for the Monday itself, making use of the lack of peak restrictions on the bank holiday. Even if the weather was set to be Scorchio!
25th May – Exploring the Macclesfield Canal (Part 2)
After exploring the section of the canal from Macclesfield to Marple the previous week, I decided to visit the section between Congleton & Macclesfield. The day started with the 05:27 service from Grateley with 159018 to Waterloo, with a gentle stroll towards Euston to catch the 07:53 Avanti service to Stoke on Trent giving me a nice 25-minute connection to the stopping service to Manchester. 390001 was lightly loaded in coach C as it called at Milton Keynes & Rugby along the way, an uneventful trip to Staffordshire.
I made use of the toilets at Stoke station before boarding former West Midlands 323206 from the bay platform for the speedy run towards Congleton, although the heat was already starting to rise (even with the majority of windows opened). At Congleton I left the train to begin my walk, heading towards the Queens Head pub, finding a slightly overgrown path down some steps leading to the canal, where I turned left to go underneath the railway on the towpath (not the main access point, as the main access point is crossing the footbridge and a path leading from a dead-end road close to the station)
323206 departing Congleton Station by Kite, on FlickrThe towpath in this area was quite decent, although a bit narrow in places (to the degree when I met someone coming the opposite direction one of us had to pull over in a wider spot to allow the other to pass without the risk of getting too close to the canal side). Thankfully the towpath did open up a bit more after leaving the built-up area of Congleton. I crossed over the Dane-in-Shaw Brook and the route of the old railway line (which headed towards Biddulph). After pausing for a photo of a 323 crossing the Congleton Viaduct, I continued my walk with the canal changing direction to head north west (rather than north east), going underneath the railway to skirt round the edge of the Havannah area of the town.
After changing of direction to go back heading north east, I left Congleton behind and headed into the countryside, the towpath quality changing a few times, similar to most rural canals. After crossing underneath both the A54 road and the railway for the last time, the canal crossed over the River Dane to approach the Bosley Lock Flight, the only set of locks on the entire canal, raising the level by 118 feet. The route of the long closed Churnet Valley line crosses the canal in this area with evidence of the old railway embankment crossing the fields. The lock flight ended, going underneath the A54 once again with the canal running close to the railway, giving a nice view over the North Rode Viaduct, somewhere I stopped for a photograph and to have my lunch.
A voyager crossing North Rode Viaduct by Kite, on FlickrMy lunch consumed, I resumed my walk, heading towards Oakgrove and a noisy section with the canal running close to the A523 road, although the woodland did give me some nice shade from the sunshine. Another change of direction of the canal took it close to the railway near Danes Moss nature reserve before heading back east, underneath the A523 near Lyme Green, skirting close to Gurnett in Sutton with some lovely views of the hills to the east of Macclesfield. Soon the countryside was replaced with the urban area of Macclesfield with the towpath switching sides for the first time. My walk along the canal ended when I reached the A537 Buxton Road, the point where I joined the canal the previous week.
Before heading down the hill towards the station, I visited a nearby Co-Op for some cold drink, for the water I had in my rucksack had gotten warm. After visiting the shop I headed along Buxton Road, detouring via Victoria Park before reaching the station, with quite a few delays due to various issues. The first northbound train was 323230 on the stopping service, for it must be a good few years since I last called at the likes of Adlington & Poynton. Due to overcrowding (I presume due to a Man City parade based on the number of Man City shirts) I couldn’t get off the train at Stockport, so stayed on to Manchester Piccadilly.
Victoria Park Bandstand, Macclesfield by Kite, on FlickrI decided it would probably be better to head towards Birmingham sooner rather than later, as I wanted to do the 18:30-odd Chiltern service from Moor Street towards Stourbridge Junction for the novelty of Mk5 coaches on that area of the network (as the one later in the day has rubbish connections back towards Birmingham). The next service was a refurbished voyager in the shape of 220028 as I managed to grab one of the unreserved seats in coach D. First impression was good; the new seats were comfortable with USB sockets located in the front between the seats (makes it easier for someone sitting in the aisle seat to access them). As expected of a 4-coach voyager, it departed Manchester very busy, remaining busy (in terms of standees in the aisle) until Stoke on Trent where it did empty out a bit, although didn’t help this service running in front of an Avanti 11 coach Pendo).
Due to signalling issues around Wolverhampton, the train was diverted to run via Bescot Stadium & Aston to reach Birmingham New Street (Darlaston having a massive 5 vehicles in the large car park). I left the voyager at New Street, heading outside into the afternoon heat. After visiting Poundland for some more liquid supplies I was going to head towards the hotel, to get myself checked into the hotel (losing some weight from my rucksack and to make sure the room wasn’t roasting). When I was passing Bull Street, I noticed a tram for Millennium Point so I decided to jump on for the one stop journey to Albert Street on tram 50, waiting for it to return to take me to Corporation Street. I walked back towards Bull Street but the platform display was suggesting a 30-minute gap before the next tram so decided Millenium Point would have to wait for another day.
West Midland Metro Tram 50 at Albert Street by Kite, on FlickrAfter getting checked into the hotel, getting a room on the 3rd floor (again!), finding the room to be reasonably cool (window open with curtains closed), I relaxed. Sadly, my plans changed as the Stourbridge Junction train had been cancelled at Banbury due to a train fault, but not wanting to spend the rest of the evening I decided to take a spin to Dorridge to intercept the 2nd Stourbridge Junction service. Leaving the hotel, I headed towards Moor Street and onto 168002 which was delayed, the stopping service went first, but this service passed it at Tyseley (the 172s using platform 3 and the connecting line). At Dorridge, I dodged the many youths whom had alighted from a train from Stratford Upon Avon (complete with loud speakers and various drug related smells) to pop to Sainsburys to waste some time.
When I returned to Dorridge station (which was quite humid), the ID of the 2nd Stourbridge train had been updated to be a pair of 165s, so I cut my losses and boarded a late running Birmingham bound 168328 & 168003. Part of me would have loved to have done the 165s to Stourbridge for the novelty factor, but the more sensible part looked at RTT to highlight a 45-minute wait for something back to Birmingham, assuming that was actually running. Anyhow back at Moor Street, I headed back to the hotel on Newhall Street to have a shower & to relax, with an early start planned for the Tuesday with a return to Leicestershire. An enjoyable (if a bit hot) day in Cheshire, just the 6-mile section between Kidsgrove & Congleton left to explore of the Macclesfield Canal, so hopefully another canal can be ticked from my list by the end of July.
70811 passing Dorridge by Kite, on Flickr26th May – Reaching Moira and the End of the Ashby Canal
It was an early start (although I was already awake before the alarm went off due to the warmth in the room) to stroll towards Birmingham New Street to catch the 06:52 service for Leicester, featuring my first refurbished XC 170 (similar to the EMR sets, just different colours inside). We weren’t allowed on board until the 2-coach unit on a Nottingham service departed first as both were sharing the platform. 170101 took me to Hinckley where after detouring via the large Tesco next to the station I made my way to the slightly poorly designed bus station (the road isn’t quite wide enough for 2 buses to pass comfortably). I took the Centrebus run route LC6 service (bound for Coalville) with a little Solo to Market Bosworth, alighting at the oddly named “Terminus” bus stop, close to the canal (saved walking the mile from the town centre to the wharf!)
After a short walk via the car park of a Sports Club, I dropped down onto the Ashby (De La Zouch) canal at the point where I left it a couple weeks ago, turning north underneath the road bridge, passing a large marina. The countryside arrived with the towpath being quite changeable for quality, no big hazards which was good. The canal weaved towards Congerstone skirting round the edge of this little village before weaving towards Shackerstone, where I decided to make a little detour to pay a visit to Shackerstone station on the Battlefield Line, grabbing a few photos of various locos before making my way back towards the canal.
Shackerstone Station (Battlefield Line Railway) by Kite, on FlickrThe towpath had swapped sides so the canal was now on my left, as I entered a nice woodland cutting, the shade being nice as well as the peace & quiet of rural Leicestershire. Soon I arrived at Snarestone where there was a small tunnel requiring a detour over the top on a well signposted path. I re-joined the canal the northern side of the tunnel for the last section of the canal, reaching Sharestone Wharf where the current canal ends. I switched from walking alongside the canal to walking on the base of the old canal, then onto the "Ashby Canal Trail" path, passing the site of Ilott Wharf and heading towards Measham. On the outskirts of Measham I joined the route of the former Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway, passing the site of the former station before reaching the road. I did have an option to end the walk but decided to carry on as the buses are only hourly and I had missed one by around 10 minutes.
After Measham I followed cycle route 63 which ran along the route of the old railway with one small detour near the bridge underneath the A42. The railway path skirted close to Oakthorpe before reaching Donisthorpe. At Donisthorpe I headed towards the Donisthorpe Woodland Park before picking up the route of the old railway as it headed towards Moira Junction where in the olden days it connected with the Burton - Leicester railway line (now effectively mothballed at the northern end, slowly being reclaimed by nature). I joined another path which ran alongside the railway before heading towards the original canal terminus (complete with a 30-0 milepost marker), now part of a small nature reserve near Overseal.
Ashby Canal at Snarestone (3) by Kite, on FlickrThe next section was via the roads, passing the National Forest YHA and reaching the Conkers Waterside Centre, as part of the canal has been restored. I headed towards Moira, detouring towards a handy Co-Op for some more liquids and some food, before carrying on. I passed the Moira Furnace Museum heading back towards Donisthorpe, the restored section of canal ending near a woodland centre. The last section was a walk towards a bus stop near the Donisthorpe Memorial Park, relaxing leaning against the wall (thankfully in the shade). I had around 20 minutes left before the bus to Burton, which was running around 10 minutes late.
Annoyingly I had left my power bank in my work bag, so my phone was down to single digit percentage battery (which after a 4-and-a-half-hour walk was good going considering I started at 90%), so I needed to be careful. Sadly, the Diamond run route 19 bus didn't have USB sockets, but I was surprised at it being a double decker. An interesting route which headed towards Burton Upon Trent via Overseal, Albert Village, Swadlincote & Newhall, featuring some steep hills as it crossed into Derbyshire & then Staffordshire.
Moira Furnace Museum alongside the Ashby Canal by Kite, on FlickrIn Burton Upon Trent town centre, I headed towards the station via a couple of shops. I had a couple of options, either take the next service into Birmingham for a voyager towards Basingstoke or take the next service which called at Tamworth to change for something towards London. I decided on the voyager option due to issues on SWR (where most of the West of England trains were only getting as far as Basingstoke due to late running). First option was a 2-coach refurbished 170117, where I got a seat and put my phone on charge, relaxing with the trip to Birmingham New Street where I had around 30 minutes to wait before the next Bournemouth train (the Reading train I was hoping to catch was running hopelessly late with issues on the ECML). 220020 rolled in, annoyingly the wrong way round to what RTT was suggesting (RTT was suggesting 1st class was at the front, whereas it was at the rear, as I was aiming for one of those seats in coach D which can’t be reserved).
The train departed New Street very busy, but as usual for XC it emptied out at Coventry & Leamington Spa, however it was running around 30 minutes late due to congestion between Wolverhampton & Birmingham so it gave me extra time at Basingstoke before taking a busy 159009 & 159004 to Grateley. An enjoyable, if hot, day in Leicestershire, certainly for rural charm the Ashby Canal is a good rival for the Leicester arm of the Grand Union canal. Anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr *here*. May is nearly at an end, scary that.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
As always, excellent reading 
I absolutely agree with you regarding May, it dragged on for what felt like ages then all of a sudden it’s gone. It looks like it’s taking the fantastic weather with it too!
Mind, if it also takes all the industrial action, epic delays and cancellations with it that’s not so bad!
I absolutely agree with you regarding May, it dragged on for what felt like ages then all of a sudden it’s gone. It looks like it’s taking the fantastic weather with it too!Mind, if it also takes all the industrial action, epic delays and cancellations with it that’s not so bad!
eastwestdivide
Established Member
Congleton - yes those viaducts are worth a look. If you're into rivers as well as canals, it's relatively easy to walk from Congleton to the source of the Trent up on Biddulph Moor. The actual source was a bit nettle-covered when we went, but that's to be expected I suppose!
Kite159
Veteran Member
Trips in June
I wasn’t planning on doing one large post for my various June trips, but time flew by and before I knew it my trips for the month were at the end.
2nd June – Daventry & the Oxford Canal
I decided to take a gamble with the weather forecast being a bit on the changeable side to kick off my June walking with a trip to Daventry. For an old railway line and the Oxford canal from Braunston towards Rugby. The trip began with 159009 & 159008 to Waterloo on the 06:18 service from Grateley, giving me plenty of time to walk to Euston for the 08:53 service to Birmingham New Street formed of 350124, 350112 & 350407 with 350124 detaching at Northampton. I alighted from the service at Long Buckby, walking up the hill towards the centre, swinging via a handy Co-Op for some supplies before taking the Stagecoach run D4 service to the small bus station in Daventry.
I headed away from the bus station, via the Tesco car park, following a couple of paths which took me towards the Daventry Country Park where I had a change of mind and did a loop of the reservoir, mostly within some lovely woodland. The only time I saw the reservoir was at the northern end with a steep slipway. My loop complete I followed a couple more paths going underneath some roads to pick up a mixed used path along the route of the long closed Weedon - Leamington Spa railway line. This path took me towards the Heartlands Business Park area of the town, coming to an end as I continued along the route of the old railway towards a deep cutting topped with a viaduct, the walkable section ending in mud & fallen trees.
Daventry Reservoir by Kite, on Flickr
To avoid doubling back on myself, I climbed the side of the steep cutting, making use of trees to grab onto, crossing over onto a cycle path which doesn't show on Google Maps, leading me towards the Grand Union canal at Braunston tunnel. I turned west dropping down towards the canal and walked towards the village of Braunston, covering part of the canal I walked back in May 2024, reaching the junction where the Oxford canal turns north. The towpath was as expected a mixed bag in terms of being a bit overgrown in places or with large gaps where erosion had eaten away the bank.
Once underneath the A45 road bridge, the countryside opened out and I continued along the canal, enjoying the sunshine and views. The sound of traffic from the A45 soon departed as I reached a large modern marina (Dunchurch Pools) and the first of the day's short showers, lasting for a couple of minutes (if that). I continued in the countryside, going underneath the M45 heading towards Hillmorton, going underneath two railway bridges, the first carrying the main WCML via Weedon, the second carrying the Northampton loop.
WCML bridge over the Oxford Canal at Hillmorton by Kite, on Flickr
The canal direction changed as it followed the route of the railway, dropping down a trio of locks. I continued along the canal towards an access path near the River Avon aqueduct, heading towards Broughton Road and the station. Along the way of the walk there was another heavier shower, but nothing that major or lasting long enough to warrant digging out my coat. Anyhow at Rugby station, it was a short wait before a lightly loaded 807003 rolled in from Crewe, for a nonstop run towards Euston, where it was clearer that London hadn’t escaped the rain like I had in Northamptonshire/Warwickshire.
I headed towards the underground station, passing confused looking passengers as the Northern line was part suspended due to a strike, and to the Victoria line platforms where I managed to board 11047/11048 on the first Brixton bound service, a lot quieter than expected. I took this to Vauxhall (to save the hassle of changing onto the Bakerloo or Jubilee lines), jumping onto 701010 on the first available train towards Waterloo, changing onto 158887, 159004 & 159005 on an Exeter service, to take me back to Grateley.
An enjoyable day, the country park was a hidden gem, the railway path ticked off my list as well as the section of Oxford canal towards Rugby. The section towards the junction in Coventry will have to wait until the towpath near the M6 has reopened (although I might return to the Rugby area again). The 3rd & 4th June was spent in Greater Anglia land taking my mum out for a birthday trip, making a return to the Ipswich Easy Hotel for the first time in a couple of years.
10th June – Another stroll alongside the Oxford Canal
I had a day of annual leave put in for today with catching the sleeper to Scotland later on, deciding it would be a good chance to do another section of the Oxford canal, from Fenny Compton towards Banbury (the section between Fenny Compton & Napton on the Hill will need to wait until next year as part of the towpath is closed for HS2 construction works). The trip began with the 07:27 service from Grateley with a short formed 159016 & 159017 to Basingstoke, where after grabbing some supplies, I boarded a Newcastle bound 220001, grabbing one of the seats in coach D which can’t be reserved. This refurbished voyager took me to a slightly damp Banbury where I had a gentle stroll to the bus station to catch the Stagecoach run route 77A service bound for Leamington Spa to Fenny Compton Wharf with a fast run along the A423.
The bus stop was close to the canal (also close to a pub) so it didn't take me long to pick up the canal, turning right heading towards a marina & the railway line. As expected from the Oxford canal, the towpath was quite variable (like it was the previous week), especially once past the marina. The towpath flipped sides just before the A423 road bridge and into an area where once there was a tunnel (which has since been opened out). This area the towpath runs at a higher ground and away from the canal (this area being the worse for overgrown trees). The towpath resumed running alongside the canal as I headed into the countryside, having a little detour towards the Wormleighton Reservoir.
Oxford Canal between Fenny Compton Wharf & Claydon Locks by Kite, on Flickr
The canal branched away from the railway, as I went underneath the remains of an old railway bridge which I presumed carried the old railway route towards Northampton, reaching the Claydon lock flight. The sun had arrived as I carried on heading towards Banbury, enjoying the countryside, passing a large marina to the north of Cropredy (and the area where the towpath had previously been closed). I soon reached Cropredy (famous for being where a music festival gets held every year), passing a few moored boats before the countryside returned with the canal heading back towards the railway line (a 68 certainly is louder than a voyager).
I continued along the canal towpath heading towards Banbury, the sound of traffic getting louder (as well as the sky turning darker at times), as I headed underneath the M40 & railway line, with the canal skirting round the edge of Grimsbury Reservoir & Spiceball Country Park (both places on my list to visit on another trip). I soon reached the town centre and headed to the station where annoyingly I had missed a XC service to Bournemouth by a matter of a couple of minutes (typical the one time you want XC to be a few minutes late, they are on time!). The rain arrived soon after I arrived at the station, as I relaxed before taking a lightly loaded 220011 on a Reading terminator to Reading, popping out of the station for some supplies before taking 165111 to Basingstoke and 159014 & 159018 to Andover, where I got a lift home to get myself sorted out with some food.
Oxford Canal between Cropredy & Banbury (27) by Kite, on Flickr
After getting my rucksack sorted for the Scottish trip, I headed to Grateley station to take 158886 to Basingstoke, before 444017 & 444001 into London Waterloo. For a time-wasting move before the sleeper, I jumped on winner 701032 to Twickenham (going via Kingston) stepping back onto winner 701019 back to Waterloo, where I set about walking to Euston, getting across Waterloo Bridge before the rain started. At Euston I got checked into the sleeper with 92014 hauling the coaches, and attempted to make myself comfortable for the overnight journey to Glasgow Central.
92014 at Glasgow Central by Kite, on Flickr
11th June – Dumbarton & Ayrshire
After the usual so-so night on the sleeper, I was in Glasgow with various options at what to do. In the end I decided to have a trip towards Neilston as it had been a few years since I last headed that way (when the 314s were still around). After grabbing breakfast, I boarded 380112 which unusually ran nonstop to Muirend before calling all stops on the short branch line. I decided to jump off at Patterton to head towards Whitecraigs on 380111. Had the weather been better I would have explored Rouken Glen Park but as it was a bit on the damp side, I took 380112 to Muirend for a quick connection to 380014 to Neilston.
This line changes so much after Patterton in terms of countryside, passing the future Balgray station at the southern end of Barrhead. Changing platforms at Neilston as I waited for the 380 to return from the reversing siding (I guess it’s protected with a fixed red signal with a position light signal to allow drivers to proceed into the siding owing to what was displayed when I saw the 380 head into the siding. Anyhow 380014 took me back to Glasgow Central where I had a gentle stroll towards Queen Street, wasting a bit of time before the Oban train.
380014 at Neilston Station by Kite, on Flickr
In the last timetable change, for some unknown reason, ScotRail has changed a couple of the West Highland trains so instead of heading towards Dalmuir the usual route via Maryhill they go via Springburn in a Looe line style arc to pass underneath Queen Street and head towards Dalmuir via Yoker. One of those little random things as I took a seat on a busy 156446 to take me to Dumbarton Central where the train got extremely busy with a coach party joining, thankfully I was planning to leave the train at Dumbarton, where I decided to brave the changeable weather for a little stroll. Something I was planning to do on a previous trip to Dumbarton (when I walked from Balloch) but cut back the walk at Dalreoch. I left the station at Dumbarton Central heading towards the town centre and the path alongside the river Leven walking towards the old bridge, crossing the river. I headed towards Levengrove Park doing a walk around the edge of this little park to pick up a walk which was signposted as "The Shore Circular Path". Walking alongside the Clyde Estuary, the mist being so thick that I could barely make out the southern shore, but I did have a nice view of Dumbarton Rock.
I continued along the path, as it moved inland away from the waterfront into an open area, before following a little used road, skirting the edge of a sewage works. I headed underneath the railway and onto a steep climb, which did involve having to jump across a small gap near a waterfall as the path had disappeared. This path took me towards the A814 road in the Westcliff area of Dumbarton. A road I followed towards Dalreoch station where I could have made an Edinburgh bound service if I wanted to, but decided to continue my walk. I returned towards the old bridge, crossing the Leven into Dumbarton town centre, before carrying on with the walk alongside the quay and onto a slightly rough path heading towards the football stadium (a lot of construction work in this area). I headed towards Dumbarton Castle Park to grab a photograph of the castle hiding within Dumbarton Rock before heading towards the Gruggies Burn, following a footpath alongside the small river towards an industrial area. The last section was via the roads to Dumbarton East station where I jumped onto 334018 & 334025 to Dumbarton Central as I needed to make use of the toilet.
Dumbarton Castle by Kite, on Flickr
A short wait at Dumbarton Central before 334030 & 334008 rolled in to take me towards Partick where I visited the nearby Morrisons for something to eat before taking 320303 & 320321 to Glasgow Central, where I made a nice connection onto an Ayr bound 380113 to take me to Irvine where my accommodation was located for this trip, based on cost & ease of access. Also, Irvine made sense as I had a few walking options available in that area. A few minutes after leaving Irvine station I reached the pub I was staying above on the harbour side, getting myself checked into this small place, emptying out my rucksack and drying off. I had a lovely view of the river from my bedroom window. 20 or so minutes after arrival I decided to head back out, the weather was improving and I had a couple options from Irvine itself, the rejected option was to head north towards Kilwinning instead I headed south following cycle route 7.
Leaving the built-up area I reached the edge of the Irvine Beach Park with the cycle path following Marine Drive before the road headed in land, some nice scenery along this section, especially towards the bay. I crossed over the railway near Gailes and a posh looking hotel, heading inland with a bit walking on a pavement before crossing over the A78 on a bridge. The next section was close to Bookers Pit, heading towards an industrial area near the Caledonian Paper Mill. After crossing the road, I headed towards Shewalton Wood which was very nice for explore (plenty more paths within the woodland, although one not for after the rain).
View of the River Irvine from room at Harbour Lights, Irvine by Kite, on Flickr
The cycle path took me towards an old road to the south of the paper mill, reaching the freight branch which serves the paper mill before running alongside the passenger line between Kilmarnock & Barassie, going underneath the A78 and into South Ayrshire. Within the Barassie area I walked on a modern looking path alongside the A759 before following Kilmarnock Road, leaving cycle route 7 near the station (as it headed towards the beach to run towards Troon), and onto another unnumbered cycle path which ran alongside the Barassie freight yard, leading towards the route of the former Troon avoider. I re-joined cycle route 7 to the south of Troon with the old railway path ending and cycle path running alongside the Ayshire coast line with some good views of countryside.
The countryside section ended with the cycle path joining the A79 at the north western corner of Prestwick Airport, with the last section involving walking alongside this busy dual carriageway towards Prestwick Airport station, the access being at the southern side of the platforms of this station which has seen better days. I took 380017 & 380009 back to Irvine, detouring via the local Spoons (located next to the shopping centre), returning to my accommodation via Asda for some supplies (picking up some bottles of flavoured Highland Spring water as it was very cheap). The accommodation was decent enough, and I had been warned in advance that it would be noisy until the pub closed. Once the pub did close, it was quite quiet outside. I spent the time relaxing looking up a crazy idea for the Friday to have a day off from walking.
380016 alongside the Cycle Route 7 path between Troon & Prestwick by Kite, on Flickr
12th June – A trip to the Highlands
I left the pub in the morning, heading towards the station to catch a reasonably busy 380109 into Glasgow Central, giving me a bit of time within Glasgow to head to Queen Street where I relaxed on the benches people watching (and the Euston style surge when an Edinburgh ‘Express’ was announced). Soon enough the Inverness train was announced and I took a seat on a 5 coach HST set with 43133 leading 43015, the train only getting busy in the front coach at Perth. It’s been a while since I’ve done the Highland Main Line in daylight and it’s a case of forgetting how pretty it is in places. The train paused on platform 2 at Dunkeld & Birnam for a southbound service to pass, a station which has changed a lot since my last visit with new platforms located to the south of the footbridge (with the existing low platforms disused to the north of the foot bridge, similar to Culham).
This service was reasonably fast on the Highland Main Line in terms of stops (Pitlochry, Kingussie & Aviemore), giving me around an hour at Inverness. I had a little stroll towards the River Ness & Inverness Castle before heading to the station to take a busy 158724 on an Aberdeen bound service towards Inverurie. This is another line that I hadn’t done for a while and whilst it’s not as pretty as the Highland Main line, it is still rural and scenic. Although I was glad to leave the 158 at Inverurie as it was getting a bit warm.
Inverness Castle by Kite, on Flickr
Inverurie is one of those places which I had previously never left the station, I’m pretty sure when I visited it back in 2017 I only had a short wait before a Inverurie terminator & an Inverness train, so today I had a little stroll towards the Ury Riverside Park, doing a loop within this park before heading back to the station to board 158704 on a Montrose train which started from platform 1 (and hence using the crossover to the Aberdeen end of the station). This 158 took me to Aberdeen where I popped out of the station to visit Sainsburys for some supplies before taking a seat on a busy 4 coach HST set with 43147 leading 43131.
This HST took me towards Glasgow Queen Street, making use of the short loop alongside platform 1 at Dundee to pass another train. This arrived near enough on time into Queen Street and a miracle happened as I made an 8-minute platform to platform fast walk to Glasgow Central (especially when the main entrance is still closed after the great fire of Glasgow). I jumped onto 380112 with less than a minute before it departed for Ayr, taking me to Irvine to end the day. Not the sort of day I was expecting to do on this trip, but nice to have a day exploring parts of Scotland I hadn’t visited for ages.
158704 at Inverurie Station by Kite, on Flickr
13th June – Ayrshire & Inverclyde
The idea for the Saturday was either to head towards Glengarnock to walk to Johnstone, or head to Johnstone to walk towards the Greenock area via Bridge of Weir however due to damage to the overhead power lines near Prestwick (the wind was quite strong the previous night as I ditched a plan walk towards Irvine beach) forced a change of plan to something I was planning to do on the Sunday.
After leaving my accommodation, I headed towards Asda to grab something to eat for breakfast before picking up the path along the bank of the River Irvine, part of which was closed last year when I walked from Kilmarnock. Crossing the river, I headed back towards the shopping centre via the Powder House and St Inan's Well, my path blocked by a fence on the opposite side of the shopping centre (which spans the river). I crossed back over the river via the shopping centre and walked towards cycle route 7 and the Waterside Bridge. Back across the river into the Low Green area and I followed the cycle path. This path took me north underneath the A737 passing a monument to Robert Burns before going into a more rural area with views of the railway viaduct.
Railway Bridge over the River Irvine to the north of Irvine by Kite, on Flickr
The next section of my walk was close to the railway in some nice countryside before heading inland to follow the B779 towards a bridge over the River Garnock. I went underneath the busy sounding A78 into Kilwinning, following the river towards a crossroads where the path splits to head into Kilwinning itself as cycle route 7 and route 73 heads towards Saltcoats (with a 4th path which heads towards Dreghorn. I decided to follow route 73 as it went via an industrial estate area before following Byrehill Road (these days a dead-end road so traffic was minimal). I did have one small detour following the link path towards Kilwinning town centre before continuing along the road, going underneath the railway (where it changes to Dubbs Road).
I reached Stevenston and followed the path into the Ardeer Quarry Local Nature Reserve before picking up the route of the long-closed Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway route, which did require a small detour via the streets of Sandylands Holiday Park due to part of the route being closed for works relating to waterpipes. This old railway line path took me into Saltcoats, ending near Ardrossan. I went via Holm Plantation to cross over the railway at Ardrossan South Beach station where I did have an option to finish the walk, but I decided to continue as I headed towards the water-front, picking up cycle route 73 once more. Following the path alongside the seaside I reached Saltcoats again, following the coastal path (getting covered in sand a couple of times due to the wind blowing sand inland). The highlight of this section was walking alongside the railway on the sea wall, a bit like Dawlish but with overhead wires.
Saltcoats Waterfront (alongside railway line) by Kite, on Flickr
The last section of the walk took me towards Stevenston Beach (complete with sand dunes) before a walk to the station at Stevenston, clocking nearly 15 miles and I was getting hungry. An enjoyable walk, longer than expected (the part on Sunday would have involved following route 7 into Kilwinning station, maybe with a detour to the Garnock viaduct on the old railway line route from Neilston. Time to play with some trains and it was onto 380001 & 380005 on the stopping service (one thing I’ve noticed when in this area is the train lengths being somewhat variable between 3, 4, 6 & 7 coaches). I took the stopper to Paisley Gilmour Street making a fast cross platform change onto 380008 on a Wemyss Bay stopping service to Port Glasgow in order to visit Tesco (for the first time since May 2014, which must be some sort of record for longest time being visiting a particular branch of a supermarket!).
After grabbing a late lunch, I returned to Port Glasgow station and onto 385009 on the next train to Wemyss Bay for the novelty of doing a 385 on this branch and to enjoy the scenery as once it departs Branchton, it goes into some nice countryside, passing the former IBM station, and a Glasgow bound service at Dunrod loop before reaching the coast near Inverkip. After a couple of photographs at Wemyss Bay I returned to Port Glasgow to step back onto 385036 from Gourock to take me to Glasgow Central, getting some speed up on the non-stop section alongside the Clyde. At Glasgow Central and downstairs to a scene of chaos with multiple cancelations, including a service terminating at Glasgow Central to go ECS towards Dalmuir, part of me was tempted to call it quits but decided to stay to board a busy 320302 to Partick for some classic 320 motor noise.
385009 at Wemyss Bay Station by Kite, on Flickr
I didn’t hang around Partick for long before returning to Glasgow Central on 320301 & 320315, giving me time to board 156508 on a Kilmarnock service (running nonstop to Barrhead. At Kilmarnock this unit turns into an Ayr bound service for it had been a good few years since I last did the mostly single-track line linking Kilmarnock with Troon, with this service running nonstop to Ayr after Troon. At Ayr I headed towards platform 1 to board 380115 to take me to Irvine where for lack of a better idea I ended up in the nearby Spoons again for dinner.
After dinner, I headed towards Irvine Beach, passing an open bridge which gave access to the Big Idea Science Centre near Ardeer (it just looked odd). The beach was delightfully peaceful this time of night, I dread to think what it would have been like during a summer’s day. I did a loop via the Beach Park to my accommodation, being thankful that when midnight struck the pub closed (for when I was booking this trip I failed to take into account the football and Scotland having a 2am kick-off).
Irvine Beach Sand Dunes (3) by Kite, on Flickr
14th June – An unexpected visit to Glengarnock & old railways
After checking out of the accommodation, which other than the noise (of being above a pub which I was told about when booking), the biggest negative being the window blinds being a bit hopeless (like most window blinds are). Certainly, a place I would consider using again if the price was right, I’ve still got some walks on my oversized list for this general area. Due to the events of the Saturday, I came up with a revised plan for Sunday. After grabbing breakfast at Asda (always a strange feeling walking into a large supermarket at 8am on a Sunday morning in Scotland) it was onto 380021 & 380009 on the first Glasgow bound service of the day, which got as far as the loops north of Dalry before coming to a stop. Eventually the train got going again, but was terminated at Glengarnock (I dare say the busiest that station had been in ages!). I presume the driver had to isolate one of the on-board safety systems which requires the train to be taken out of service ASAP.
Thankfully ScotRail were a bit sensible in having a special stop order for the following train from Ayr, a busy 380115 which I took to Johnstone where my walk began, although being 45 minutes late meant it was revised once more. My original idea was to follow the High Street of Johnstone to pick up the cycle path near Morrisons, but instead I followed signs for a link path heading towards the Linwood Cyclepath to pick up the route of the former Dalry and North Johnstone Line. Some nice sunshine this morning and the path was busy with other walkers & cyclists as I followed the route towards Elderslie, going underneath the railway line.
380114 passing Glengarnock Station by Kite, on Flickr
The next section was mostly alongside the main road before it followed the route of the former Paisley Canal line, skirting around suburban Paisley to reach the current Paisley Canal station, nice enough but not a route I would be rushing back for (I presume countryside rather than urban). I followed cycle route 7 past the station into Saucelhill Park, leaving the cycle route as it seems to follow the roads towards Glasgow and I headed towards a Morrisons for lunch & Paisley Gilmour Street via the beautiful Paisley Abbey & Town Hall. Paisley is one of those places where I've used the station a lot of times (especially when chasing units) but hardly ever ventured outside.
My last ScotRail service of this trip was a busy 380001 which took me to Glasgow Central, where I had time to grab some supplies before boarding 390125, getting a decent seat in Coach U for the speedy run to London Euston, arriving a couple of minutes late due to following a LNR service it was meant to pass between Nuneaton & Rugby (but this was at the time the WCML was reduced to 2 tracks following the bridge bash). In London I headed towards Paddington via the Northern line (51567 & 51552) and Elizabeth line (345054), making a swift connection onto 387157 & 387166 on a Swindon service to speed towards Reading (as a Staines avoidance move).
Paisley Abbey (3) by Kite, on Flickr
I was ahead of schedule in Reading as I was planning to catch the following train, so I relaxed turning down a busy looking 3 coach 165 for a lightly loaded 220012 leading 221116 to Basingstoke, for another fester before 158885 & 158888 rolled in on a Basingstoke terminator to form a Salisbury stopping service, watching a pair of 444s arrive from Waterloo I probably wouldn’t have caught looking very busy. The 158s took me to Grateley, where the trip ended with a gentle stroll home where I sorted out my rucksack and did other admin work before the return to work. An enjoyable trip to Scotland, mostly decent weather.
20th June- Exploring Tiverton & the Grand Western Canal
My original idea for today was to head towards Suffolk to walk the old railway line with others from Lavenham to Sudbury via Long Melford, but due to a later than expected finish on the Friday night I decided to put that walk on ice (owing to feeling like I needed more than 4 and a bit hours sleep), instead I looked west for potential ideas in Devon (before the return of the 2 hourly dry ground timetable comes back in). Deciding on a trip towards Tiverton for a short old railway line path and the start of the short isolated Grand Western canal.
The trip began with the 08:30 service from Grateley with 159005 which ran into the back of 159018 at Salisbury to head towards Exeter, I alighted at Exeter Central deciding to get the bus trip done first (and that the timetable from St Davids to Tiverton Parkway gave a 45-minute wait). A gentle walk to the bus station (via the little Sainsburys Local) and onto the Stagecoach run route 55 bus to Tiverton. A detour from the usual route via the city centre was needed due to closed roads before a reasonably fast run to Tiverton via Stoke Canon & Bickleigh Bridge. At the bus station my walk began heading towards the river Exe for a short stroll alongside the river (detouring via the local Spoons to make use of the toilet).
River Exe in Tiverton (1) by Kite, on Flickr
After my stroll alongside the Exe, it was via several roads to pick up cycle route 3 which ran along the road of the former railway branch line linking the town with the great western railway route between Exeter & Taunton. The surface quality was reasonable, probably not one to do during winter months as I suspect it would be muddy in places. The first section was in the suburbs with various paths dashing off left & right before leaving behind the town to head towards Manley Lane where the cycle path leaves the route of the railway, the rest of the route lost to history.
I doubled back along the railway line path towards Tiverton, cutting via the housing area to reach the Grand Western Canal, a canal which at one time ran between Tiverton & Taunton but now only runs for around 11 miles between Tiverton & Lowdwells. A decent solid towpath on the part I walked, certainly a walk for the winter months as well. After grabbing a couple of photographs at a busy canal basin (high above the town centre), I followed the towpath of the twisty canal via the suburbs. At times it was hard to see the canal itself due to tall vegetation. The towpath was reasonably busy with other walkers, cyclists, joggers with the canal busy with canoes & wakeboards.
Grand Western Canal Basin in Tiverton by Kite, on Flickr
Leaving Tiverton behind I entered some beautiful Devon countryside, the towpath flipping near Halberton before it doing a large loop to avoid hills. I continued the walk along the canal as the sunshine returned reaching the village of Sampford Peverell, the walk along the canal ending near the A361 road bridge, where I used an access path & minor road to reach Tiverton Parkway station. Certainly, a very nice canal to walk along, and the section from Sampford Peverell towards Lowdwells (and continuing along the footpath on the route of the old canal towards Wellington will be done at some point this year with any luck.
Back to the trains and it was onto a late running 802105 to take me towards Exeter St Davids where annoyingly the next SWR service was starting from Exeter Central and the Penzance bound 802 had just missed an Exmouth train which would have connected with the 159s, so with an hour to waste I walked up the hill into the city centre to buy some stuff before taking 150216 & 150261 back down the hill from Exeter Central in order to board 159106 & 159108 at the start for a decent seat for the trip back to Grateley, spending the journey relaxing and catching up with various stuff online.
21st June – Oxfordshire Way & Warwick
I was planning to meet up with my good friend Jules in Worcester, but due to multiple cancellations from Hereford we put that plan on hold for the Monday, leaving me with looking for a new plan for a walk based on engineering works, flipping from Kidderminster towards Stourbridge for a rural walk in Oxfordshire, making use of the long-distance Oxfordshire Way path. The day began with a busy 159005 & 159018 to Andover followed with 159107 to Reading where after grabbing some supplies I decided to take 221119 to Oxford as the following GWR service was running late and my theory was that it would probably empty out at Oxford. My theory was correct as 800301 rolled into Oxford looking quite busy, emptying out a bit but remained busy as I took it to Charlbury where my walk began.
The first section was along the road towards Charlbury, picking up the Oxfordshire Way near a byway, this area was nice woodland, leaving to open countryside with the footpath running across fields and woodland. This path ran to the north of the railway line which mirrored a similar walk I did back in 2020 from Ascott to Charlbury via footpaths to the south of the railway. I soon reached Ascott Under Wychwood, a large village served by a station with a rubbish service level (in my eyes I reckon even a 2 hourly service flipped with nearby Shipton would generate extra revenue for the railway. Certainly more around those two limited served stations than Kingham!
800302 passing Ascott Under Wychwood Station by Kite, on Flickr
After lunch (making use of a handy bench on the station) I continued via the village of Ascott, heading towards Shipton where I made the decision to come away from the Oxfordshire Way path at a foot crossing owing to the footpath looking a bit overgrown and the south section being in woodland. This footpath took me towards the A361 in Shipton (Under Wychwood), before resuming along the Oxfordshire Way as it made its way north west close to the railway across fields & in woodland. The worse section of the path was near the end where it was a bit overgrown in places, but nothing that major as I reached Bledington and a half mile stroll along the B4450 to reach the isolated Kingham station, the pavement randomly changing sides a few times.
At Kingham station it was a short wait before 800034 rolled in to take me to Worcester Foregate Street, grabbing some extra supplies from the little Tesco outside the station before boarding 172340 & 172217 for the long run towards Birmingham Moor Street, switching to 168328 & 168106 on a Chiltern service for Maylebone. The rear coach of 328 was lightly loaded, easy to grab a table seat to relax as it headed to Warwick Parkway where my second walk began.
168106 departing Warwick Parkway by Kite, on Flickr
Leaving the station at Warwick Parkway, I headed towards the Grand Union Canal, but stayed on the south side as I followed a cycle route towards an industrial estate before picking up the short Saltisford arm (now used for moorings), although sadly I couldn't do the entire length of the path as part of it was closed. It was then onto roads towards Warwick town centre detouring via St Mary's Church & Eastgate to reach the River Avon at St Nicholas' Park. I followed a busy path alongside the Avon going underneath the railway and canal, ending alongside the A445 where after doing a little loop (including a dead-end path) I returned towards the canal, climbing the stairs to reach the towpath.
A short section along the Grand Union towards the railway aqueduct before I branched off towards the River Leam, along a narrow path. This footpath took me towards a weir on the river and a bridge underneath the railway to Coventry and into Victoria Park. I followed the riverside path towards Leamington Spa town centre, going into the Spoons for dinner (for the lack of a better idea owing to it being a Sunday night). After dinner I headed to the station for winner 68031 to take me to Birmingham Snow Hill, making use of the first-class area being declassified for a slightly more comfortable ride. At Birmingham Snow Hill I headed towards the Travelodge on Newhall Street to get checked in and relax for the rest of the evening.
68031 at Birmingham Snow Hill by Kite, on Flickr
22nd June – River Severn & Droitwich Barge Canal
It was an early start (I came to an agreement with Jules that it would be better to start early before the temperatures got too high) as I left the hotel and headed to New Street via a couple of shops and onto 172344 on a Great Malvern service. Busy until University where it emptied out, before filling up again with school kids at Barnt Green & Bromsgrove, I alighted at Worcester Foregate Street where my final big walk of June began, meeting up with Jules outside the station.
After swinging via Tesco for some supplies, we headed via the city centre to reach the River Severn near the road bridge at North Parade. We joined the path alongside the river, underneath the railway bridge and towards a rowing club, heading inland onto a path running alongside the western edge of the race course. We made use of the shade of the trees before heading via a modern path (featuring a modern footbridge across the river (Kepax). The next section was via roads & a couple of footpaths leading towards the Northwick area of the city, picking up the Northwick Manor Heritage Trail with a road leading to an open space called "The Slip". Needless to say the litter bins were overflowing as I dare say this area would have been busy at the weekend.
River Severn in Worcester (1) by Kite, on Flickr
Now away from the tarmac path onto more rural walking, with the occasional glimpse of the Severn as we headed north in the peace & quiet. We passed a large weir on the river near Bevere Island as well as a Fish Pass. The walk continued climbing up a steep hill moving in-land and onto a narrower section between a fence & hedge, the footpath ending near Hawford Junction where the Droitwich Barge Canal begins. Passing a couple of locks, with the towpath starting at the top of one of the locks, flipping onto the north bank. Once underneath the busy A449 road (via a lengthy tunnel), the countryside returned with the sound of birds.
This canal was similar with the Grand Western on Saturday in terms of having a decent solid towpath (certainly one you could do during the winter months) and also with the canal being sheltered from view with vegetation. We passed some nice Worcestershire countryside, not passing any major settlements until Salwarpe (and that was only minor), reaching Droitwich Spa. The countryside changed to slightly more urban, but as the canal skirted on the edge of the built-up area with the towpath getting busier (thankfully we only saw one idiot taking a poor dog out for a walk in the high temperatures).
Bevere Weir Fish Pass by Kite, on Flickr
The walk ended at Vines Park, near to where the Barge Canal ends and the Droitwich Junction Canal begins (a walk I did last October time when walking from Droitwich into Worcester via the Worcester & Birmingham canal). We made our way to the station and onto 172216 & 172004 on a Foregate Street terminating service which went via Shrub Hill, the AC on the 172 felt ever so nice. After grabbing a late lunch from Tesco, we jumped onto 158767 towards Shrub Hill, saying farewell as I took a seat on 800022 which started at Shrub Hill. All was going well with the service until Didcot Parkway, where I presume due to the hot weather timetable reducing moving of points, the service was put on the relief lines, following a stopping service losing 10 minutes. As a result, the Basingstoke stopper was pulling out just as the IET eventually reached Reading, thankfully there was a late running XC pulling in at the same time, so I dashed across to board 221114 to head towards Basingstoke.
Annoyingly it was held outside Basingstoke for around 8 minutes, meaning the connection with the Salisbury stopper was missed, giving me an hour to kill before the next stopping service. I popped out of the station to get some bits & pieces, before taking a late running 159015 & 159005 on an Exeter service to Andover, stepping back to 158883 & 159011 to Grateley, being thankful at getting home before the chaos started with further heat related delays. Anyhow as always, thanks for reading this very long blog post, I never meant to do a monthly post, but things started slipping away. Various photos can be found on my Flickr [URL='https://flickr.com/photos/157760463@N05/albums/72177720334075726/*here*[/url], where will July take me, I wonder. I will leave you with a photo of the Droitwich Canal. Hopefully next month I will try and keep on top of my writing a bit better!
Droitwich Barge Canal in Droitwich Spa (10) by Kite, on Flickr
I wasn’t planning on doing one large post for my various June trips, but time flew by and before I knew it my trips for the month were at the end.
2nd June – Daventry & the Oxford Canal
I decided to take a gamble with the weather forecast being a bit on the changeable side to kick off my June walking with a trip to Daventry. For an old railway line and the Oxford canal from Braunston towards Rugby. The trip began with 159009 & 159008 to Waterloo on the 06:18 service from Grateley, giving me plenty of time to walk to Euston for the 08:53 service to Birmingham New Street formed of 350124, 350112 & 350407 with 350124 detaching at Northampton. I alighted from the service at Long Buckby, walking up the hill towards the centre, swinging via a handy Co-Op for some supplies before taking the Stagecoach run D4 service to the small bus station in Daventry.
I headed away from the bus station, via the Tesco car park, following a couple of paths which took me towards the Daventry Country Park where I had a change of mind and did a loop of the reservoir, mostly within some lovely woodland. The only time I saw the reservoir was at the northern end with a steep slipway. My loop complete I followed a couple more paths going underneath some roads to pick up a mixed used path along the route of the long closed Weedon - Leamington Spa railway line. This path took me towards the Heartlands Business Park area of the town, coming to an end as I continued along the route of the old railway towards a deep cutting topped with a viaduct, the walkable section ending in mud & fallen trees.
Daventry Reservoir by Kite, on FlickrTo avoid doubling back on myself, I climbed the side of the steep cutting, making use of trees to grab onto, crossing over onto a cycle path which doesn't show on Google Maps, leading me towards the Grand Union canal at Braunston tunnel. I turned west dropping down towards the canal and walked towards the village of Braunston, covering part of the canal I walked back in May 2024, reaching the junction where the Oxford canal turns north. The towpath was as expected a mixed bag in terms of being a bit overgrown in places or with large gaps where erosion had eaten away the bank.
Once underneath the A45 road bridge, the countryside opened out and I continued along the canal, enjoying the sunshine and views. The sound of traffic from the A45 soon departed as I reached a large modern marina (Dunchurch Pools) and the first of the day's short showers, lasting for a couple of minutes (if that). I continued in the countryside, going underneath the M45 heading towards Hillmorton, going underneath two railway bridges, the first carrying the main WCML via Weedon, the second carrying the Northampton loop.
WCML bridge over the Oxford Canal at Hillmorton by Kite, on FlickrThe canal direction changed as it followed the route of the railway, dropping down a trio of locks. I continued along the canal towards an access path near the River Avon aqueduct, heading towards Broughton Road and the station. Along the way of the walk there was another heavier shower, but nothing that major or lasting long enough to warrant digging out my coat. Anyhow at Rugby station, it was a short wait before a lightly loaded 807003 rolled in from Crewe, for a nonstop run towards Euston, where it was clearer that London hadn’t escaped the rain like I had in Northamptonshire/Warwickshire.
I headed towards the underground station, passing confused looking passengers as the Northern line was part suspended due to a strike, and to the Victoria line platforms where I managed to board 11047/11048 on the first Brixton bound service, a lot quieter than expected. I took this to Vauxhall (to save the hassle of changing onto the Bakerloo or Jubilee lines), jumping onto 701010 on the first available train towards Waterloo, changing onto 158887, 159004 & 159005 on an Exeter service, to take me back to Grateley.
An enjoyable day, the country park was a hidden gem, the railway path ticked off my list as well as the section of Oxford canal towards Rugby. The section towards the junction in Coventry will have to wait until the towpath near the M6 has reopened (although I might return to the Rugby area again). The 3rd & 4th June was spent in Greater Anglia land taking my mum out for a birthday trip, making a return to the Ipswich Easy Hotel for the first time in a couple of years.
10th June – Another stroll alongside the Oxford Canal
I had a day of annual leave put in for today with catching the sleeper to Scotland later on, deciding it would be a good chance to do another section of the Oxford canal, from Fenny Compton towards Banbury (the section between Fenny Compton & Napton on the Hill will need to wait until next year as part of the towpath is closed for HS2 construction works). The trip began with the 07:27 service from Grateley with a short formed 159016 & 159017 to Basingstoke, where after grabbing some supplies, I boarded a Newcastle bound 220001, grabbing one of the seats in coach D which can’t be reserved. This refurbished voyager took me to a slightly damp Banbury where I had a gentle stroll to the bus station to catch the Stagecoach run route 77A service bound for Leamington Spa to Fenny Compton Wharf with a fast run along the A423.
The bus stop was close to the canal (also close to a pub) so it didn't take me long to pick up the canal, turning right heading towards a marina & the railway line. As expected from the Oxford canal, the towpath was quite variable (like it was the previous week), especially once past the marina. The towpath flipped sides just before the A423 road bridge and into an area where once there was a tunnel (which has since been opened out). This area the towpath runs at a higher ground and away from the canal (this area being the worse for overgrown trees). The towpath resumed running alongside the canal as I headed into the countryside, having a little detour towards the Wormleighton Reservoir.
Oxford Canal between Fenny Compton Wharf & Claydon Locks by Kite, on FlickrThe canal branched away from the railway, as I went underneath the remains of an old railway bridge which I presumed carried the old railway route towards Northampton, reaching the Claydon lock flight. The sun had arrived as I carried on heading towards Banbury, enjoying the countryside, passing a large marina to the north of Cropredy (and the area where the towpath had previously been closed). I soon reached Cropredy (famous for being where a music festival gets held every year), passing a few moored boats before the countryside returned with the canal heading back towards the railway line (a 68 certainly is louder than a voyager).
I continued along the canal towpath heading towards Banbury, the sound of traffic getting louder (as well as the sky turning darker at times), as I headed underneath the M40 & railway line, with the canal skirting round the edge of Grimsbury Reservoir & Spiceball Country Park (both places on my list to visit on another trip). I soon reached the town centre and headed to the station where annoyingly I had missed a XC service to Bournemouth by a matter of a couple of minutes (typical the one time you want XC to be a few minutes late, they are on time!). The rain arrived soon after I arrived at the station, as I relaxed before taking a lightly loaded 220011 on a Reading terminator to Reading, popping out of the station for some supplies before taking 165111 to Basingstoke and 159014 & 159018 to Andover, where I got a lift home to get myself sorted out with some food.
Oxford Canal between Cropredy & Banbury (27) by Kite, on FlickrAfter getting my rucksack sorted for the Scottish trip, I headed to Grateley station to take 158886 to Basingstoke, before 444017 & 444001 into London Waterloo. For a time-wasting move before the sleeper, I jumped on winner 701032 to Twickenham (going via Kingston) stepping back onto winner 701019 back to Waterloo, where I set about walking to Euston, getting across Waterloo Bridge before the rain started. At Euston I got checked into the sleeper with 92014 hauling the coaches, and attempted to make myself comfortable for the overnight journey to Glasgow Central.
92014 at Glasgow Central by Kite, on Flickr11th June – Dumbarton & Ayrshire
After the usual so-so night on the sleeper, I was in Glasgow with various options at what to do. In the end I decided to have a trip towards Neilston as it had been a few years since I last headed that way (when the 314s were still around). After grabbing breakfast, I boarded 380112 which unusually ran nonstop to Muirend before calling all stops on the short branch line. I decided to jump off at Patterton to head towards Whitecraigs on 380111. Had the weather been better I would have explored Rouken Glen Park but as it was a bit on the damp side, I took 380112 to Muirend for a quick connection to 380014 to Neilston.
This line changes so much after Patterton in terms of countryside, passing the future Balgray station at the southern end of Barrhead. Changing platforms at Neilston as I waited for the 380 to return from the reversing siding (I guess it’s protected with a fixed red signal with a position light signal to allow drivers to proceed into the siding owing to what was displayed when I saw the 380 head into the siding. Anyhow 380014 took me back to Glasgow Central where I had a gentle stroll towards Queen Street, wasting a bit of time before the Oban train.
380014 at Neilston Station by Kite, on FlickrIn the last timetable change, for some unknown reason, ScotRail has changed a couple of the West Highland trains so instead of heading towards Dalmuir the usual route via Maryhill they go via Springburn in a Looe line style arc to pass underneath Queen Street and head towards Dalmuir via Yoker. One of those little random things as I took a seat on a busy 156446 to take me to Dumbarton Central where the train got extremely busy with a coach party joining, thankfully I was planning to leave the train at Dumbarton, where I decided to brave the changeable weather for a little stroll. Something I was planning to do on a previous trip to Dumbarton (when I walked from Balloch) but cut back the walk at Dalreoch. I left the station at Dumbarton Central heading towards the town centre and the path alongside the river Leven walking towards the old bridge, crossing the river. I headed towards Levengrove Park doing a walk around the edge of this little park to pick up a walk which was signposted as "The Shore Circular Path". Walking alongside the Clyde Estuary, the mist being so thick that I could barely make out the southern shore, but I did have a nice view of Dumbarton Rock.
I continued along the path, as it moved inland away from the waterfront into an open area, before following a little used road, skirting the edge of a sewage works. I headed underneath the railway and onto a steep climb, which did involve having to jump across a small gap near a waterfall as the path had disappeared. This path took me towards the A814 road in the Westcliff area of Dumbarton. A road I followed towards Dalreoch station where I could have made an Edinburgh bound service if I wanted to, but decided to continue my walk. I returned towards the old bridge, crossing the Leven into Dumbarton town centre, before carrying on with the walk alongside the quay and onto a slightly rough path heading towards the football stadium (a lot of construction work in this area). I headed towards Dumbarton Castle Park to grab a photograph of the castle hiding within Dumbarton Rock before heading towards the Gruggies Burn, following a footpath alongside the small river towards an industrial area. The last section was via the roads to Dumbarton East station where I jumped onto 334018 & 334025 to Dumbarton Central as I needed to make use of the toilet.
Dumbarton Castle by Kite, on FlickrA short wait at Dumbarton Central before 334030 & 334008 rolled in to take me towards Partick where I visited the nearby Morrisons for something to eat before taking 320303 & 320321 to Glasgow Central, where I made a nice connection onto an Ayr bound 380113 to take me to Irvine where my accommodation was located for this trip, based on cost & ease of access. Also, Irvine made sense as I had a few walking options available in that area. A few minutes after leaving Irvine station I reached the pub I was staying above on the harbour side, getting myself checked into this small place, emptying out my rucksack and drying off. I had a lovely view of the river from my bedroom window. 20 or so minutes after arrival I decided to head back out, the weather was improving and I had a couple options from Irvine itself, the rejected option was to head north towards Kilwinning instead I headed south following cycle route 7.
Leaving the built-up area I reached the edge of the Irvine Beach Park with the cycle path following Marine Drive before the road headed in land, some nice scenery along this section, especially towards the bay. I crossed over the railway near Gailes and a posh looking hotel, heading inland with a bit walking on a pavement before crossing over the A78 on a bridge. The next section was close to Bookers Pit, heading towards an industrial area near the Caledonian Paper Mill. After crossing the road, I headed towards Shewalton Wood which was very nice for explore (plenty more paths within the woodland, although one not for after the rain).
View of the River Irvine from room at Harbour Lights, Irvine by Kite, on FlickrThe cycle path took me towards an old road to the south of the paper mill, reaching the freight branch which serves the paper mill before running alongside the passenger line between Kilmarnock & Barassie, going underneath the A78 and into South Ayrshire. Within the Barassie area I walked on a modern looking path alongside the A759 before following Kilmarnock Road, leaving cycle route 7 near the station (as it headed towards the beach to run towards Troon), and onto another unnumbered cycle path which ran alongside the Barassie freight yard, leading towards the route of the former Troon avoider. I re-joined cycle route 7 to the south of Troon with the old railway path ending and cycle path running alongside the Ayshire coast line with some good views of countryside.
The countryside section ended with the cycle path joining the A79 at the north western corner of Prestwick Airport, with the last section involving walking alongside this busy dual carriageway towards Prestwick Airport station, the access being at the southern side of the platforms of this station which has seen better days. I took 380017 & 380009 back to Irvine, detouring via the local Spoons (located next to the shopping centre), returning to my accommodation via Asda for some supplies (picking up some bottles of flavoured Highland Spring water as it was very cheap). The accommodation was decent enough, and I had been warned in advance that it would be noisy until the pub closed. Once the pub did close, it was quite quiet outside. I spent the time relaxing looking up a crazy idea for the Friday to have a day off from walking.
380016 alongside the Cycle Route 7 path between Troon & Prestwick by Kite, on Flickr12th June – A trip to the Highlands
I left the pub in the morning, heading towards the station to catch a reasonably busy 380109 into Glasgow Central, giving me a bit of time within Glasgow to head to Queen Street where I relaxed on the benches people watching (and the Euston style surge when an Edinburgh ‘Express’ was announced). Soon enough the Inverness train was announced and I took a seat on a 5 coach HST set with 43133 leading 43015, the train only getting busy in the front coach at Perth. It’s been a while since I’ve done the Highland Main Line in daylight and it’s a case of forgetting how pretty it is in places. The train paused on platform 2 at Dunkeld & Birnam for a southbound service to pass, a station which has changed a lot since my last visit with new platforms located to the south of the footbridge (with the existing low platforms disused to the north of the foot bridge, similar to Culham).
This service was reasonably fast on the Highland Main Line in terms of stops (Pitlochry, Kingussie & Aviemore), giving me around an hour at Inverness. I had a little stroll towards the River Ness & Inverness Castle before heading to the station to take a busy 158724 on an Aberdeen bound service towards Inverurie. This is another line that I hadn’t done for a while and whilst it’s not as pretty as the Highland Main line, it is still rural and scenic. Although I was glad to leave the 158 at Inverurie as it was getting a bit warm.
Inverness Castle by Kite, on FlickrInverurie is one of those places which I had previously never left the station, I’m pretty sure when I visited it back in 2017 I only had a short wait before a Inverurie terminator & an Inverness train, so today I had a little stroll towards the Ury Riverside Park, doing a loop within this park before heading back to the station to board 158704 on a Montrose train which started from platform 1 (and hence using the crossover to the Aberdeen end of the station). This 158 took me to Aberdeen where I popped out of the station to visit Sainsburys for some supplies before taking a seat on a busy 4 coach HST set with 43147 leading 43131.
This HST took me towards Glasgow Queen Street, making use of the short loop alongside platform 1 at Dundee to pass another train. This arrived near enough on time into Queen Street and a miracle happened as I made an 8-minute platform to platform fast walk to Glasgow Central (especially when the main entrance is still closed after the great fire of Glasgow). I jumped onto 380112 with less than a minute before it departed for Ayr, taking me to Irvine to end the day. Not the sort of day I was expecting to do on this trip, but nice to have a day exploring parts of Scotland I hadn’t visited for ages.
158704 at Inverurie Station by Kite, on Flickr13th June – Ayrshire & Inverclyde
The idea for the Saturday was either to head towards Glengarnock to walk to Johnstone, or head to Johnstone to walk towards the Greenock area via Bridge of Weir however due to damage to the overhead power lines near Prestwick (the wind was quite strong the previous night as I ditched a plan walk towards Irvine beach) forced a change of plan to something I was planning to do on the Sunday.
After leaving my accommodation, I headed towards Asda to grab something to eat for breakfast before picking up the path along the bank of the River Irvine, part of which was closed last year when I walked from Kilmarnock. Crossing the river, I headed back towards the shopping centre via the Powder House and St Inan's Well, my path blocked by a fence on the opposite side of the shopping centre (which spans the river). I crossed back over the river via the shopping centre and walked towards cycle route 7 and the Waterside Bridge. Back across the river into the Low Green area and I followed the cycle path. This path took me north underneath the A737 passing a monument to Robert Burns before going into a more rural area with views of the railway viaduct.
Railway Bridge over the River Irvine to the north of Irvine by Kite, on FlickrThe next section of my walk was close to the railway in some nice countryside before heading inland to follow the B779 towards a bridge over the River Garnock. I went underneath the busy sounding A78 into Kilwinning, following the river towards a crossroads where the path splits to head into Kilwinning itself as cycle route 7 and route 73 heads towards Saltcoats (with a 4th path which heads towards Dreghorn. I decided to follow route 73 as it went via an industrial estate area before following Byrehill Road (these days a dead-end road so traffic was minimal). I did have one small detour following the link path towards Kilwinning town centre before continuing along the road, going underneath the railway (where it changes to Dubbs Road).
I reached Stevenston and followed the path into the Ardeer Quarry Local Nature Reserve before picking up the route of the long-closed Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway route, which did require a small detour via the streets of Sandylands Holiday Park due to part of the route being closed for works relating to waterpipes. This old railway line path took me into Saltcoats, ending near Ardrossan. I went via Holm Plantation to cross over the railway at Ardrossan South Beach station where I did have an option to finish the walk, but I decided to continue as I headed towards the water-front, picking up cycle route 73 once more. Following the path alongside the seaside I reached Saltcoats again, following the coastal path (getting covered in sand a couple of times due to the wind blowing sand inland). The highlight of this section was walking alongside the railway on the sea wall, a bit like Dawlish but with overhead wires.
Saltcoats Waterfront (alongside railway line) by Kite, on FlickrThe last section of the walk took me towards Stevenston Beach (complete with sand dunes) before a walk to the station at Stevenston, clocking nearly 15 miles and I was getting hungry. An enjoyable walk, longer than expected (the part on Sunday would have involved following route 7 into Kilwinning station, maybe with a detour to the Garnock viaduct on the old railway line route from Neilston. Time to play with some trains and it was onto 380001 & 380005 on the stopping service (one thing I’ve noticed when in this area is the train lengths being somewhat variable between 3, 4, 6 & 7 coaches). I took the stopper to Paisley Gilmour Street making a fast cross platform change onto 380008 on a Wemyss Bay stopping service to Port Glasgow in order to visit Tesco (for the first time since May 2014, which must be some sort of record for longest time being visiting a particular branch of a supermarket!).
After grabbing a late lunch, I returned to Port Glasgow station and onto 385009 on the next train to Wemyss Bay for the novelty of doing a 385 on this branch and to enjoy the scenery as once it departs Branchton, it goes into some nice countryside, passing the former IBM station, and a Glasgow bound service at Dunrod loop before reaching the coast near Inverkip. After a couple of photographs at Wemyss Bay I returned to Port Glasgow to step back onto 385036 from Gourock to take me to Glasgow Central, getting some speed up on the non-stop section alongside the Clyde. At Glasgow Central and downstairs to a scene of chaos with multiple cancelations, including a service terminating at Glasgow Central to go ECS towards Dalmuir, part of me was tempted to call it quits but decided to stay to board a busy 320302 to Partick for some classic 320 motor noise.
385009 at Wemyss Bay Station by Kite, on FlickrI didn’t hang around Partick for long before returning to Glasgow Central on 320301 & 320315, giving me time to board 156508 on a Kilmarnock service (running nonstop to Barrhead. At Kilmarnock this unit turns into an Ayr bound service for it had been a good few years since I last did the mostly single-track line linking Kilmarnock with Troon, with this service running nonstop to Ayr after Troon. At Ayr I headed towards platform 1 to board 380115 to take me to Irvine where for lack of a better idea I ended up in the nearby Spoons again for dinner.
After dinner, I headed towards Irvine Beach, passing an open bridge which gave access to the Big Idea Science Centre near Ardeer (it just looked odd). The beach was delightfully peaceful this time of night, I dread to think what it would have been like during a summer’s day. I did a loop via the Beach Park to my accommodation, being thankful that when midnight struck the pub closed (for when I was booking this trip I failed to take into account the football and Scotland having a 2am kick-off).
Irvine Beach Sand Dunes (3) by Kite, on Flickr14th June – An unexpected visit to Glengarnock & old railways
After checking out of the accommodation, which other than the noise (of being above a pub which I was told about when booking), the biggest negative being the window blinds being a bit hopeless (like most window blinds are). Certainly, a place I would consider using again if the price was right, I’ve still got some walks on my oversized list for this general area. Due to the events of the Saturday, I came up with a revised plan for Sunday. After grabbing breakfast at Asda (always a strange feeling walking into a large supermarket at 8am on a Sunday morning in Scotland) it was onto 380021 & 380009 on the first Glasgow bound service of the day, which got as far as the loops north of Dalry before coming to a stop. Eventually the train got going again, but was terminated at Glengarnock (I dare say the busiest that station had been in ages!). I presume the driver had to isolate one of the on-board safety systems which requires the train to be taken out of service ASAP.
Thankfully ScotRail were a bit sensible in having a special stop order for the following train from Ayr, a busy 380115 which I took to Johnstone where my walk began, although being 45 minutes late meant it was revised once more. My original idea was to follow the High Street of Johnstone to pick up the cycle path near Morrisons, but instead I followed signs for a link path heading towards the Linwood Cyclepath to pick up the route of the former Dalry and North Johnstone Line. Some nice sunshine this morning and the path was busy with other walkers & cyclists as I followed the route towards Elderslie, going underneath the railway line.
380114 passing Glengarnock Station by Kite, on FlickrThe next section was mostly alongside the main road before it followed the route of the former Paisley Canal line, skirting around suburban Paisley to reach the current Paisley Canal station, nice enough but not a route I would be rushing back for (I presume countryside rather than urban). I followed cycle route 7 past the station into Saucelhill Park, leaving the cycle route as it seems to follow the roads towards Glasgow and I headed towards a Morrisons for lunch & Paisley Gilmour Street via the beautiful Paisley Abbey & Town Hall. Paisley is one of those places where I've used the station a lot of times (especially when chasing units) but hardly ever ventured outside.
My last ScotRail service of this trip was a busy 380001 which took me to Glasgow Central, where I had time to grab some supplies before boarding 390125, getting a decent seat in Coach U for the speedy run to London Euston, arriving a couple of minutes late due to following a LNR service it was meant to pass between Nuneaton & Rugby (but this was at the time the WCML was reduced to 2 tracks following the bridge bash). In London I headed towards Paddington via the Northern line (51567 & 51552) and Elizabeth line (345054), making a swift connection onto 387157 & 387166 on a Swindon service to speed towards Reading (as a Staines avoidance move).
Paisley Abbey (3) by Kite, on FlickrI was ahead of schedule in Reading as I was planning to catch the following train, so I relaxed turning down a busy looking 3 coach 165 for a lightly loaded 220012 leading 221116 to Basingstoke, for another fester before 158885 & 158888 rolled in on a Basingstoke terminator to form a Salisbury stopping service, watching a pair of 444s arrive from Waterloo I probably wouldn’t have caught looking very busy. The 158s took me to Grateley, where the trip ended with a gentle stroll home where I sorted out my rucksack and did other admin work before the return to work. An enjoyable trip to Scotland, mostly decent weather.
20th June- Exploring Tiverton & the Grand Western Canal
My original idea for today was to head towards Suffolk to walk the old railway line with others from Lavenham to Sudbury via Long Melford, but due to a later than expected finish on the Friday night I decided to put that walk on ice (owing to feeling like I needed more than 4 and a bit hours sleep), instead I looked west for potential ideas in Devon (before the return of the 2 hourly dry ground timetable comes back in). Deciding on a trip towards Tiverton for a short old railway line path and the start of the short isolated Grand Western canal.
The trip began with the 08:30 service from Grateley with 159005 which ran into the back of 159018 at Salisbury to head towards Exeter, I alighted at Exeter Central deciding to get the bus trip done first (and that the timetable from St Davids to Tiverton Parkway gave a 45-minute wait). A gentle walk to the bus station (via the little Sainsburys Local) and onto the Stagecoach run route 55 bus to Tiverton. A detour from the usual route via the city centre was needed due to closed roads before a reasonably fast run to Tiverton via Stoke Canon & Bickleigh Bridge. At the bus station my walk began heading towards the river Exe for a short stroll alongside the river (detouring via the local Spoons to make use of the toilet).
River Exe in Tiverton (1) by Kite, on FlickrAfter my stroll alongside the Exe, it was via several roads to pick up cycle route 3 which ran along the road of the former railway branch line linking the town with the great western railway route between Exeter & Taunton. The surface quality was reasonable, probably not one to do during winter months as I suspect it would be muddy in places. The first section was in the suburbs with various paths dashing off left & right before leaving behind the town to head towards Manley Lane where the cycle path leaves the route of the railway, the rest of the route lost to history.
I doubled back along the railway line path towards Tiverton, cutting via the housing area to reach the Grand Western Canal, a canal which at one time ran between Tiverton & Taunton but now only runs for around 11 miles between Tiverton & Lowdwells. A decent solid towpath on the part I walked, certainly a walk for the winter months as well. After grabbing a couple of photographs at a busy canal basin (high above the town centre), I followed the towpath of the twisty canal via the suburbs. At times it was hard to see the canal itself due to tall vegetation. The towpath was reasonably busy with other walkers, cyclists, joggers with the canal busy with canoes & wakeboards.
Grand Western Canal Basin in Tiverton by Kite, on FlickrLeaving Tiverton behind I entered some beautiful Devon countryside, the towpath flipping near Halberton before it doing a large loop to avoid hills. I continued the walk along the canal as the sunshine returned reaching the village of Sampford Peverell, the walk along the canal ending near the A361 road bridge, where I used an access path & minor road to reach Tiverton Parkway station. Certainly, a very nice canal to walk along, and the section from Sampford Peverell towards Lowdwells (and continuing along the footpath on the route of the old canal towards Wellington will be done at some point this year with any luck.
Back to the trains and it was onto a late running 802105 to take me towards Exeter St Davids where annoyingly the next SWR service was starting from Exeter Central and the Penzance bound 802 had just missed an Exmouth train which would have connected with the 159s, so with an hour to waste I walked up the hill into the city centre to buy some stuff before taking 150216 & 150261 back down the hill from Exeter Central in order to board 159106 & 159108 at the start for a decent seat for the trip back to Grateley, spending the journey relaxing and catching up with various stuff online.
21st June – Oxfordshire Way & Warwick
I was planning to meet up with my good friend Jules in Worcester, but due to multiple cancellations from Hereford we put that plan on hold for the Monday, leaving me with looking for a new plan for a walk based on engineering works, flipping from Kidderminster towards Stourbridge for a rural walk in Oxfordshire, making use of the long-distance Oxfordshire Way path. The day began with a busy 159005 & 159018 to Andover followed with 159107 to Reading where after grabbing some supplies I decided to take 221119 to Oxford as the following GWR service was running late and my theory was that it would probably empty out at Oxford. My theory was correct as 800301 rolled into Oxford looking quite busy, emptying out a bit but remained busy as I took it to Charlbury where my walk began.
The first section was along the road towards Charlbury, picking up the Oxfordshire Way near a byway, this area was nice woodland, leaving to open countryside with the footpath running across fields and woodland. This path ran to the north of the railway line which mirrored a similar walk I did back in 2020 from Ascott to Charlbury via footpaths to the south of the railway. I soon reached Ascott Under Wychwood, a large village served by a station with a rubbish service level (in my eyes I reckon even a 2 hourly service flipped with nearby Shipton would generate extra revenue for the railway. Certainly more around those two limited served stations than Kingham!
800302 passing Ascott Under Wychwood Station by Kite, on FlickrAfter lunch (making use of a handy bench on the station) I continued via the village of Ascott, heading towards Shipton where I made the decision to come away from the Oxfordshire Way path at a foot crossing owing to the footpath looking a bit overgrown and the south section being in woodland. This footpath took me towards the A361 in Shipton (Under Wychwood), before resuming along the Oxfordshire Way as it made its way north west close to the railway across fields & in woodland. The worse section of the path was near the end where it was a bit overgrown in places, but nothing that major as I reached Bledington and a half mile stroll along the B4450 to reach the isolated Kingham station, the pavement randomly changing sides a few times.
At Kingham station it was a short wait before 800034 rolled in to take me to Worcester Foregate Street, grabbing some extra supplies from the little Tesco outside the station before boarding 172340 & 172217 for the long run towards Birmingham Moor Street, switching to 168328 & 168106 on a Chiltern service for Maylebone. The rear coach of 328 was lightly loaded, easy to grab a table seat to relax as it headed to Warwick Parkway where my second walk began.
168106 departing Warwick Parkway by Kite, on FlickrLeaving the station at Warwick Parkway, I headed towards the Grand Union Canal, but stayed on the south side as I followed a cycle route towards an industrial estate before picking up the short Saltisford arm (now used for moorings), although sadly I couldn't do the entire length of the path as part of it was closed. It was then onto roads towards Warwick town centre detouring via St Mary's Church & Eastgate to reach the River Avon at St Nicholas' Park. I followed a busy path alongside the Avon going underneath the railway and canal, ending alongside the A445 where after doing a little loop (including a dead-end path) I returned towards the canal, climbing the stairs to reach the towpath.
A short section along the Grand Union towards the railway aqueduct before I branched off towards the River Leam, along a narrow path. This footpath took me towards a weir on the river and a bridge underneath the railway to Coventry and into Victoria Park. I followed the riverside path towards Leamington Spa town centre, going into the Spoons for dinner (for the lack of a better idea owing to it being a Sunday night). After dinner I headed to the station for winner 68031 to take me to Birmingham Snow Hill, making use of the first-class area being declassified for a slightly more comfortable ride. At Birmingham Snow Hill I headed towards the Travelodge on Newhall Street to get checked in and relax for the rest of the evening.
68031 at Birmingham Snow Hill by Kite, on Flickr22nd June – River Severn & Droitwich Barge Canal
It was an early start (I came to an agreement with Jules that it would be better to start early before the temperatures got too high) as I left the hotel and headed to New Street via a couple of shops and onto 172344 on a Great Malvern service. Busy until University where it emptied out, before filling up again with school kids at Barnt Green & Bromsgrove, I alighted at Worcester Foregate Street where my final big walk of June began, meeting up with Jules outside the station.
After swinging via Tesco for some supplies, we headed via the city centre to reach the River Severn near the road bridge at North Parade. We joined the path alongside the river, underneath the railway bridge and towards a rowing club, heading inland onto a path running alongside the western edge of the race course. We made use of the shade of the trees before heading via a modern path (featuring a modern footbridge across the river (Kepax). The next section was via roads & a couple of footpaths leading towards the Northwick area of the city, picking up the Northwick Manor Heritage Trail with a road leading to an open space called "The Slip". Needless to say the litter bins were overflowing as I dare say this area would have been busy at the weekend.
River Severn in Worcester (1) by Kite, on FlickrNow away from the tarmac path onto more rural walking, with the occasional glimpse of the Severn as we headed north in the peace & quiet. We passed a large weir on the river near Bevere Island as well as a Fish Pass. The walk continued climbing up a steep hill moving in-land and onto a narrower section between a fence & hedge, the footpath ending near Hawford Junction where the Droitwich Barge Canal begins. Passing a couple of locks, with the towpath starting at the top of one of the locks, flipping onto the north bank. Once underneath the busy A449 road (via a lengthy tunnel), the countryside returned with the sound of birds.
This canal was similar with the Grand Western on Saturday in terms of having a decent solid towpath (certainly one you could do during the winter months) and also with the canal being sheltered from view with vegetation. We passed some nice Worcestershire countryside, not passing any major settlements until Salwarpe (and that was only minor), reaching Droitwich Spa. The countryside changed to slightly more urban, but as the canal skirted on the edge of the built-up area with the towpath getting busier (thankfully we only saw one idiot taking a poor dog out for a walk in the high temperatures).
Bevere Weir Fish Pass by Kite, on FlickrThe walk ended at Vines Park, near to where the Barge Canal ends and the Droitwich Junction Canal begins (a walk I did last October time when walking from Droitwich into Worcester via the Worcester & Birmingham canal). We made our way to the station and onto 172216 & 172004 on a Foregate Street terminating service which went via Shrub Hill, the AC on the 172 felt ever so nice. After grabbing a late lunch from Tesco, we jumped onto 158767 towards Shrub Hill, saying farewell as I took a seat on 800022 which started at Shrub Hill. All was going well with the service until Didcot Parkway, where I presume due to the hot weather timetable reducing moving of points, the service was put on the relief lines, following a stopping service losing 10 minutes. As a result, the Basingstoke stopper was pulling out just as the IET eventually reached Reading, thankfully there was a late running XC pulling in at the same time, so I dashed across to board 221114 to head towards Basingstoke.
Annoyingly it was held outside Basingstoke for around 8 minutes, meaning the connection with the Salisbury stopper was missed, giving me an hour to kill before the next stopping service. I popped out of the station to get some bits & pieces, before taking a late running 159015 & 159005 on an Exeter service to Andover, stepping back to 158883 & 159011 to Grateley, being thankful at getting home before the chaos started with further heat related delays. Anyhow as always, thanks for reading this very long blog post, I never meant to do a monthly post, but things started slipping away. Various photos can be found on my Flickr [URL='https://flickr.com/photos/157760463@N05/albums/72177720334075726/*here*[/url], where will July take me, I wonder. I will leave you with a photo of the Droitwich Canal. Hopefully next month I will try and keep on top of my writing a bit better!
Droitwich Barge Canal in Droitwich Spa (10) by Kite, on Flickr
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Techniquest
Veteran Member
That canal walk we did was a good one, first proper bit of canal walking I’ve done in a while. Here’s to doing a bit more of it next month, although who knows where and when that will be!
That was a big post it must be noted, however as always a good read and I’m still a bit jealous of all your NCN coverage in Scotland. I must get myself organised and get up there to Ayrshire. Maybe in September!
That was a big post it must be noted, however as always a good read and I’m still a bit jealous of all your NCN coverage in Scotland. I must get myself organised and get up there to Ayrshire. Maybe in September!
Kite159
Veteran Member
Trips 1st & 2nd July – Thames Path & Camel Trail
1st July – Thames Path in very rural Oxfordshire
After a tough week at work (hot weather, broken AC, short formations) I wanted a nice walk to get back to nature. I decided it would be a good chance to head towards Gloucestershire to walk the long section of the Thames Path from Lechlade (On Thames) towards Newbridge, linking up with the walk I did in April. Like the walk in April when I was first planning this walk a couple of years ago, the bus service has thankfully improved with a limited service from Swindon (rather than just a limited Highworth – Cirencester bus service).
The day began with a drive to Salisbury, and onto a Bristol bound 166218 to Westbury, where I changed onto 158766 bound for Swindon, a short delay gaining access to the Melksham line but otherwise an uneventful trip to Wiltshire. I left the railway station, heading towards the modern bus station, otherwise known as bus stops & shelters alongside various roads close to the previous bus station, somewhere which is fine for locals who know which of the various bus stands they need to head to, but with limited information on display it can be a bit confusing for first time visitors. As well with the shelter alongside the “J” stops being a bit smelly like someone had been inside smoking drugs.
158766 at Swindon Station by Kite, on Flickr
The Pulhams route 64 for Witney was running around 20 minutes late due to roadworks, but it was a reasonably fast run away from Swindon, going via Highworth to reach Lechlade on Thames, where my walk began, making my way back towards the Thames from the bus stop within the small town centre, pausing due to following school children heading on a trip to the meadows (I presume for art lessons). Once I passed the school children as they settled down on the grass I headed east, passing the Father Thames statue from the Crystal Palace at St John's Lock (making use of a nearby toilet block for a quick visit), before going underneath the A417 and towards the wilderness. This part of the Thames is very curvy as it meanders its way through the countryside, the Thames Path crossing over to the opposite bank (river on my right hand side) with a footbridge I was a bit worried about as Strava had it marked as closed (but seems the data is wrong and it was very much open).
The path was as expected very rural, not one to do during winter months nor after heavy rain. I continued the stroll passing Buscot Lock heading towards Radcot, enjoying the sunny countryside. The path flipped sides again in the tiny settlement of Radcot, which was busy with moored boats & a camp site on the 'north bank'. Part of this section wasn't the nicest to walk as the field had been cut with the ground covered with long grass, a bit slippery in places. Another section where the Thames was very bendy, although the Thames Path was mostly straight, moving away from the river a few times, with fishermen on the north bank.
Thames Path between Buscot Lock & Grafton Lock (5) by Kite, on Flickr
At Rushey Lock the path once again crosses the river to run along the north bank along an access road toward the lock (with the river mostly hidden from view), this headed towards Tadpole Bridge, passing a busy remote pub (The Trout). My walk continued with some more countryside views mixed up with some woods however this section was the worse in terms of being a bit overgrown with thorn bushes & nettles. Ready to pounce on any exposed skin, my water bottle coming in handy to help push aside some of the thorns, I was glad when the path opened up a bit more near Chimney Meadows where I reached the Shifford Lock Cut with the original river heading towards Duxford. I crossed over the river into some more woodland, the river disappearing from view for a good half mile (hidden by trees and with the path moving a bit more inland).
I guess there must be some sort of RAF base in this general area, owing to the number of military aircraft I saw in the sky, a good walk for those who like to spot military aircraft. Anyhow the woodland gave way to open fields with another section of bends, passing the path leading to Harrowdown Hill before I made the final push with my walk ending in the small settlement of Newbridge with a choice of pubs (The Maybush on the south bank, Rose Revived on the north bank), although as I had around 10 minutes before the next Oxford bound bus I didn't visit either (had I faced a longer wait I would have popped into for a cold soft drink).
River Thames (Isis) between Tadpole Bridge & Tenfoot Bridge (8) by Kite, on Flickr
An enjoyable walk in the countryside, other than a couple of parts which were hard going, lots of sunshine & wildlife. It was onto the Oxford Bus Company run X15 service which I took a couple of stops to Kingston Bagpuize, swinging via the Co-Op only to find it being quite bare boned, before jumping on a late running Stagecoach run S6 service to Osney Island in Oxford (the temporary bus terminus whilst the road bridge at the station is still closed), this one goes more direct to Oxford compared with the X15 which goes a more indirect route taking over an hour. A fast walk to Oxford station where I arrived in time for a Reading bound XC service which ended up losing 15 minutes due to congestion, with 220006 being very busy on departure (didn’t help the following Paddington service was cancelled). At Reading it was a short walk to board 165106 on the stopping service to Basingstoke, losing enough time to miss the connection for a Salisbury bound service at Basingstoke giving me 25 minutes to pop to Sainsburys for some supplies & dinner before taking 159107 & 159018 to Salisbury where I drove home.
2nd July – Bodmin & The Camel Trail
The Camel Trail is the name given to the former railway line path running from Padstow towards Wadebridge & Bodmin with a branch heading towards the small settlement of Wenford Bridge, a walk I split into two sections owing to the awkwardness of getting towards Wenford Bridge as it’s not served by many buses (and even those buses require a near mile walk along country lanes to reach). The day began with a drive to Salisbury to catch the 07:39 service towards Exeter Central with 159003 & 159005 where I visited the nearby Co-Op for some lunch items before taking 166204 down the hill to Exeter St Davids. This is where my plans changed as my original idea was to take the service which started at Exeter heading towards Penzance for my first 175 for many a year, but that was cancelled so it was onto 802114 from London to take me to Bodmin Parkway. Another change of plan as I was going to bail at Liskeard to take the Camelford bus from Liskeard but as I had extra time I decided on a little stroll.
Leaving Bodmin Parkway station, I followed the signs for the path towards Lanhydrock. Some nice woodland on this tarmac path, as I followed another twisty path into some hilly woodland with signposted of the "Timber Trail". A short section along a road took me towards cycle route 3 on a section which runs parallel to a busy road, crossing the A30 Bodmin Bypass on a suspension bridge and into some more nice woodland.
37175 at Exeter St Davids by Kite, on Flickr
This took me to Respryn Road, a dead-end road (has an emergency access gate with the dual carriageway) taking me towards the southern reach of Bodmin, with a detour along another short cycle path to reach Lostwithiel Road to avoid a busy section of pavementless road. This road took me towards Bodmin town centre, passing the heritage line railway station, detouring via Priory Park. After a visit to the town centre I decided as I still had time to make a small start with the Camel Trail, passing the former Bodmin Jail (now a posh hotel) on the railway line path heading towards Dunmere and an access point at the former station, and to a bus stop outside the Borough Arms pub.
The Camelford bus (a Transport for Cornwall route 55) was running late, and was a double decker (I guess for a school run afterwards), this was a reasonably fast run along the B3266 road detouring via St Tudy where I alighted from the bus at the bus stop at Penhale Crossroads where my second walk of the day began. Following the country lanes towards Wenford Bridge, crossing sides of the road to protect myself on bends I soon reached the bridge over the Camel and onto the former freight line.
Priory Park, Bodmin (4) by Kite, on Flickr
This was a treat for beautiful woodland & views along a decent tarmac path as I headed south on this rural path with some small settlements along the way, such as Keybridge, Tresarrett & Hellandbridge. I was enjoying the sound of the river running close by as well as the birds. Part of the route went via the Shell Woods and was beautiful. I was making good progress along the busy path (cyclists, dog walkers & occasional jogger), but I suspect as this is more remote it's less used compared with the main route towards Padstow (which does benefit from more buses).
All good things come to an end as I reached Dunmere once more, meeting up with the path from Bodmin and heading to the bus stop on the A389 road near the former station, getting lucky with a late running bus from Padstow, a case of fast walking up the hill turning around every few seconds to make sure I didn't miss the bus. Thankfully I made it to the bus stop before the route 57 arrived which was a busy bus bound for Liskeard, which I took to Bodmin Parkway station, one of these days I will do the section between Parkway station & Liskeard, but when I have a bit more time.
Remains of platform at Dunmere Halt Station on the Camel Trail (2) by Kite, on Flickr
At Bodmin Parkway I had a short wait before an Exeter St Davids bound 800031 rolled in from Penzance to take me towards Exeter, looking out of the window at the views in Cornwall & also the sea near Dawlish. At Exeter St Davids I walked up the hill to the Co-Op which was quite bare boned in both food & also drink items, managing to grab something I would enjoy (and a bottle of 7Up). I made my way to Exeter Central and onto a late running 159002 & 159019 which I took down the hill to St Davids where it turned back on platform 1 to head back towards Salisbury arriving near enough on time.
Another enjoyable day in Cornwall, the walk from Bodmin Parkway into Bodmin was unexpected but was nice and the section of the Camel Trail was beautiful, I can’t wait to walk the section towards Padstow (probably then for a bus to Newquay to attempt to do that new loop & platform on that line). As always thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr Here, keep safe.
1st July – Thames Path in very rural Oxfordshire
After a tough week at work (hot weather, broken AC, short formations) I wanted a nice walk to get back to nature. I decided it would be a good chance to head towards Gloucestershire to walk the long section of the Thames Path from Lechlade (On Thames) towards Newbridge, linking up with the walk I did in April. Like the walk in April when I was first planning this walk a couple of years ago, the bus service has thankfully improved with a limited service from Swindon (rather than just a limited Highworth – Cirencester bus service).
The day began with a drive to Salisbury, and onto a Bristol bound 166218 to Westbury, where I changed onto 158766 bound for Swindon, a short delay gaining access to the Melksham line but otherwise an uneventful trip to Wiltshire. I left the railway station, heading towards the modern bus station, otherwise known as bus stops & shelters alongside various roads close to the previous bus station, somewhere which is fine for locals who know which of the various bus stands they need to head to, but with limited information on display it can be a bit confusing for first time visitors. As well with the shelter alongside the “J” stops being a bit smelly like someone had been inside smoking drugs.
158766 at Swindon Station by Kite, on FlickrThe Pulhams route 64 for Witney was running around 20 minutes late due to roadworks, but it was a reasonably fast run away from Swindon, going via Highworth to reach Lechlade on Thames, where my walk began, making my way back towards the Thames from the bus stop within the small town centre, pausing due to following school children heading on a trip to the meadows (I presume for art lessons). Once I passed the school children as they settled down on the grass I headed east, passing the Father Thames statue from the Crystal Palace at St John's Lock (making use of a nearby toilet block for a quick visit), before going underneath the A417 and towards the wilderness. This part of the Thames is very curvy as it meanders its way through the countryside, the Thames Path crossing over to the opposite bank (river on my right hand side) with a footbridge I was a bit worried about as Strava had it marked as closed (but seems the data is wrong and it was very much open).
The path was as expected very rural, not one to do during winter months nor after heavy rain. I continued the stroll passing Buscot Lock heading towards Radcot, enjoying the sunny countryside. The path flipped sides again in the tiny settlement of Radcot, which was busy with moored boats & a camp site on the 'north bank'. Part of this section wasn't the nicest to walk as the field had been cut with the ground covered with long grass, a bit slippery in places. Another section where the Thames was very bendy, although the Thames Path was mostly straight, moving away from the river a few times, with fishermen on the north bank.
Thames Path between Buscot Lock & Grafton Lock (5) by Kite, on FlickrAt Rushey Lock the path once again crosses the river to run along the north bank along an access road toward the lock (with the river mostly hidden from view), this headed towards Tadpole Bridge, passing a busy remote pub (The Trout). My walk continued with some more countryside views mixed up with some woods however this section was the worse in terms of being a bit overgrown with thorn bushes & nettles. Ready to pounce on any exposed skin, my water bottle coming in handy to help push aside some of the thorns, I was glad when the path opened up a bit more near Chimney Meadows where I reached the Shifford Lock Cut with the original river heading towards Duxford. I crossed over the river into some more woodland, the river disappearing from view for a good half mile (hidden by trees and with the path moving a bit more inland).
I guess there must be some sort of RAF base in this general area, owing to the number of military aircraft I saw in the sky, a good walk for those who like to spot military aircraft. Anyhow the woodland gave way to open fields with another section of bends, passing the path leading to Harrowdown Hill before I made the final push with my walk ending in the small settlement of Newbridge with a choice of pubs (The Maybush on the south bank, Rose Revived on the north bank), although as I had around 10 minutes before the next Oxford bound bus I didn't visit either (had I faced a longer wait I would have popped into for a cold soft drink).
River Thames (Isis) between Tadpole Bridge & Tenfoot Bridge (8) by Kite, on FlickrAn enjoyable walk in the countryside, other than a couple of parts which were hard going, lots of sunshine & wildlife. It was onto the Oxford Bus Company run X15 service which I took a couple of stops to Kingston Bagpuize, swinging via the Co-Op only to find it being quite bare boned, before jumping on a late running Stagecoach run S6 service to Osney Island in Oxford (the temporary bus terminus whilst the road bridge at the station is still closed), this one goes more direct to Oxford compared with the X15 which goes a more indirect route taking over an hour. A fast walk to Oxford station where I arrived in time for a Reading bound XC service which ended up losing 15 minutes due to congestion, with 220006 being very busy on departure (didn’t help the following Paddington service was cancelled). At Reading it was a short walk to board 165106 on the stopping service to Basingstoke, losing enough time to miss the connection for a Salisbury bound service at Basingstoke giving me 25 minutes to pop to Sainsburys for some supplies & dinner before taking 159107 & 159018 to Salisbury where I drove home.
2nd July – Bodmin & The Camel Trail
The Camel Trail is the name given to the former railway line path running from Padstow towards Wadebridge & Bodmin with a branch heading towards the small settlement of Wenford Bridge, a walk I split into two sections owing to the awkwardness of getting towards Wenford Bridge as it’s not served by many buses (and even those buses require a near mile walk along country lanes to reach). The day began with a drive to Salisbury to catch the 07:39 service towards Exeter Central with 159003 & 159005 where I visited the nearby Co-Op for some lunch items before taking 166204 down the hill to Exeter St Davids. This is where my plans changed as my original idea was to take the service which started at Exeter heading towards Penzance for my first 175 for many a year, but that was cancelled so it was onto 802114 from London to take me to Bodmin Parkway. Another change of plan as I was going to bail at Liskeard to take the Camelford bus from Liskeard but as I had extra time I decided on a little stroll.
Leaving Bodmin Parkway station, I followed the signs for the path towards Lanhydrock. Some nice woodland on this tarmac path, as I followed another twisty path into some hilly woodland with signposted of the "Timber Trail". A short section along a road took me towards cycle route 3 on a section which runs parallel to a busy road, crossing the A30 Bodmin Bypass on a suspension bridge and into some more nice woodland.
37175 at Exeter St Davids by Kite, on FlickrThis took me to Respryn Road, a dead-end road (has an emergency access gate with the dual carriageway) taking me towards the southern reach of Bodmin, with a detour along another short cycle path to reach Lostwithiel Road to avoid a busy section of pavementless road. This road took me towards Bodmin town centre, passing the heritage line railway station, detouring via Priory Park. After a visit to the town centre I decided as I still had time to make a small start with the Camel Trail, passing the former Bodmin Jail (now a posh hotel) on the railway line path heading towards Dunmere and an access point at the former station, and to a bus stop outside the Borough Arms pub.
The Camelford bus (a Transport for Cornwall route 55) was running late, and was a double decker (I guess for a school run afterwards), this was a reasonably fast run along the B3266 road detouring via St Tudy where I alighted from the bus at the bus stop at Penhale Crossroads where my second walk of the day began. Following the country lanes towards Wenford Bridge, crossing sides of the road to protect myself on bends I soon reached the bridge over the Camel and onto the former freight line.
Priory Park, Bodmin (4) by Kite, on FlickrThis was a treat for beautiful woodland & views along a decent tarmac path as I headed south on this rural path with some small settlements along the way, such as Keybridge, Tresarrett & Hellandbridge. I was enjoying the sound of the river running close by as well as the birds. Part of the route went via the Shell Woods and was beautiful. I was making good progress along the busy path (cyclists, dog walkers & occasional jogger), but I suspect as this is more remote it's less used compared with the main route towards Padstow (which does benefit from more buses).
All good things come to an end as I reached Dunmere once more, meeting up with the path from Bodmin and heading to the bus stop on the A389 road near the former station, getting lucky with a late running bus from Padstow, a case of fast walking up the hill turning around every few seconds to make sure I didn't miss the bus. Thankfully I made it to the bus stop before the route 57 arrived which was a busy bus bound for Liskeard, which I took to Bodmin Parkway station, one of these days I will do the section between Parkway station & Liskeard, but when I have a bit more time.
Remains of platform at Dunmere Halt Station on the Camel Trail (2) by Kite, on FlickrAt Bodmin Parkway I had a short wait before an Exeter St Davids bound 800031 rolled in from Penzance to take me towards Exeter, looking out of the window at the views in Cornwall & also the sea near Dawlish. At Exeter St Davids I walked up the hill to the Co-Op which was quite bare boned in both food & also drink items, managing to grab something I would enjoy (and a bottle of 7Up). I made my way to Exeter Central and onto a late running 159002 & 159019 which I took down the hill to St Davids where it turned back on platform 1 to head back towards Salisbury arriving near enough on time.
Another enjoyable day in Cornwall, the walk from Bodmin Parkway into Bodmin was unexpected but was nice and the section of the Camel Trail was beautiful, I can’t wait to walk the section towards Padstow (probably then for a bus to Newquay to attempt to do that new loop & platform on that line). As always thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr Here, keep safe.
Andy Pacer
Established Member
A nice couple of little trips in the sun.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Trips 9th – 12th July
9th July – A flying visit to Glasson Dock
I had booked an overnight stay in Liverpool for the Thursday night a couple of weeks ago without making my mind up about what I wanted to do in the North West. Thankfully the weather would be kind, sunny but not as hot as it was down south (23C) as I eventually decided to do a combined canal & disused railway walk from Lancaster to Glasson Dock.
The trip began with 158887, 159104 & 159011 to take me towards Waterloo, for a gentle stroll towards Euston and onto a busy 390138 on the first off-peak Glasgow service for a fast speedy run along the West Coast Main Line towards Lancaster where the walk began, making the decision to flip the direction as originally, I was going to do the canal first then railway second, switching the direction based on the location of shops for a post walk visit.
156404 & 156424 at Lancaster Station by Kite, on Flickr
I exited Lancaster station via the side gate alongside platform 1 and onto a cycle path alongside a sports field leading towards Long Marsh Lane. After detouring via a housing estate, I reached the river near the railway viaduct, pausing for a photograph of a train crossing the viaduct (a Northern 158 was the first service). After my photo I headed alongside the river (mix of cycle path & pavement alongside New Quay Road). I had the decision to continue via the road which turns into a cycle path towards Aldcliffe Hall Lane or follow the Lancs Coastal Path alongside the river & estuary, deciding to do the coastal path for the potential views.
The coastal path had a reasonable surface but was a bit overgrown in places before I broke free to walk alongside the Lune before the path moved inland with a curve in the river giving views of a nature reserve on the left-hand side and the coastal marshes. Very peaceful with sounds of wildlife, but soon I reached the car park at Aldcliffe Hall Lane which marks the start of the path along the former Glasson branch line. This area was quite rural with the surface being decent tarmac as I headed in a generally southern direction with the river on my right-hand side, with the bushes & trees breaking free giving a lovely view of the estuary. The path was busy with cyclists & other walkers, especially near a caravan park near Ashton Hall.
Lune Estuary from cycle route between Lancaster & Glasson Dock (1) by Kite, on Flickr
I reached Conder Green area where the path turns west (and cycle path 6 heads east via roads), crossing the River Conder on a viaduct before the last section of old railway line towards Glasson Dock, not as busy as it would have been in the past with industry, but still a busy place with motorcyclists & other visitors. After a photograph of the dock itself with the entrance lock into the Glasson branch of the Lancaster Canal heading into a busy marina (mostly sea going craft rather than inland waterways craft). The towpath was as expected quite rural, not as rural as the Oxford or Ashby Canals (no minding the gap with bank erosion), but as soon as I left Glasson behind (and a holiday park) the countryside arrived.
This is a short branch of the main canal, which appeared to be closed for boats heading uphill towards the junction with the main Lancaster canal near Galgate. Along the way I passed hardly anybody else on this peaceful stroll. On reaching the junction with the main canal I turned left to head mostly north, passing quite a few moored narrowboats. The canal skirts the edge of Galgate itself with the soundtrack of passing trains. Some lovely countryside at times and also some nice woodland with the canal ending cuttings (allowing the removal of my hat in the shaded area to allow some of the sweat to evaporate). After going underneath Ashton Road, the rural towpath turned tarmac with a busy cycle path, heading towards Lancaster near Aldcliffe, the canal going underneath the WCML and passing close to the hospital. I decided to end the walk at the bridge with Penny Street, walking towards the station swinging via a Sainsburys Local & Tesco Express for some supplies. A very enjoyable 14-odd mile walk in the sunshine but it was time to play with trains.
Lancaster Canal between Galgate & Lancaster (10) by Kite, on Flickr
I boarded an Euston (via Birmingham) bound 390107 towards Crewe with the idea of making a connection onto 197041 which was working the Shrewsbury – Crewe stoppers, however due to issues earlier in the day at the southern end of the WCML this train got delayed at Preston (with zero announcements) for around 15 minutes meaning when it got to Crewe the connection was long gone, so it was onto plan B and onto winner 197040 working a Chester shuttle (cut back from Wrexham due to the hot weather). This took me towards Chester where the signaller decided to allow a late running freight train in front causing a 5-minute delay (to both the inbound & outbound service owing to a tight turnaround), giving me 29 minutes to kill at Chester for the next Merseyrail service (for it was the time of day where Merseyrail halves their service frequency). It was onto a very busy 777028 to end the day with a trip to James Street.
Before making my way to the Travelodge near James Street (first time staying here for nearly 10 years!) I headed towards the waterfront for some photos. After getting checked in on a half reasonable room on the 7th floor (not facing the main road directly which was a bonus) I relaxed for the remainder of the evening. (Although the shower was extremely weak in terms of water pressure so it wasn’t much of a relief to wash away the sweat).
The Beatles Statues on Liverpool Waterfront by Kite, on Flickr
10th July - Lancashire Union Railway
Today my plan was to do a walk I’ve been meaning to do for a while, but kept putting it off. Although with the warmer temperatures today compared with the Thursday, I decided to cut the full length of the walk to save getting too hot. After checking out of the hotel I made my way via the city centre to Lime Street, grabbing some breakfast along the way and onto a Hull bound 185101 & 185121 for a slow trip across to Manchester Victoria (even though it only called at Lea Green, the Chat Moss route always feels slow). At the suburban nightmare of Manchester Victoria, it was a short wait to board a busy 156485 on a Clitheroe bound service to take me to Bolton, changing over to 331025 on the next Blackpool North service (which was busy). This took me to Adlington where my walk began (even though I was part tempted to jump off at Horwich Parkway to walk back towards Bolton & maybe towards Walkden, but decided against that on grounds of the reduced Northern timetable).
Leaving the station at Adlington, I headed towards the Jubilee Recreation Ground following a path south before an unmarked path (unmarked on Strava) leading towards the River Douglas and the canal aqueduct. After the river it was a steep climb towards the route of the former Lancashire Union Railway route, which for a cycle path (route 55 from memory) the path quality was a lot more rural than expected.
River Douglas near canal aqueduct, Adlington by Kite, on Flickr
The path was quite peaceful with some nice woodland, no evidence of it's former use as a railway other than a couple of bridges, including going underneath the Leeds & Liverpool Canal on the Arley Aqueduct. This path came to an end alongside the former Red Rock station building (now a private house and I headed along the road to pick up the canal towpath near a closed pub. Walking along the canal took me towards the Haigh Country Park, leaving the canal to head via Lady Mabel's Wood to Hall Lane.
This is where the former Wheeley Loop railway path began (although it looked like it did continue north but that is unmarked on my map so I had no idea what it would be like), and compared to earlier this is a path which has had some money spent on it with a smooth tarmac path in woodlands with various paths criss-crossing the main former railway route. The rural woodland gave way to more urban as it went via New Springs & the Kirkless West Nature Reserve reaching the canal which it crossed on a lock, heading into Ince.
Leeds & Liverpool Canal between Red Rock & Haigh Country Park (12) by Kite, on Flickr
I continued along the path in Ince, leaving the industrial area (complete with secure looking fences) back into woodland, crossing underneath the existing Wigan - Hindley railway route and towards the Hindley area. The old railway route ending near Amberswood Nature Reserve which is somewhere I've noted as somewhere to explore on another day. The smooth tarmac cycle path ended at Liverpool Road near the former Hindley South station and onto a rough path in an area of many paths (so a challenge at times to try and ensure I was heading in the right direction, as this area had a lot of old railways from the past. At one point I was walking on old ballast!
I managed to follow the route of the Plank Lane Branch (London and North Western Railway), a path shown on my OS Map & Google Maps as a cycle route (probably suitable only for a Mountain Bike) but not shown on Strava so I was walking a bit blind, following this rural path where it randomly came to an end at Bolton House Road in a very industrial area, certainly not what I was expecting. However, my walk was nearly at an end as I walked to the main B5237 road to await a route 609 bus for Wigan.
Route of former Whelley Loop Railway, Wigan (9) by Kite, on Flickr
This was a busy double decker which called at most of the bus stops along the way into Wigan, including Coronation Street (cue the music!). I think most of the bus alighted at the bus stop on Wallgate rather than continuing to the bus station and I swung via the little Morrisons Local between the two Wigan stations to grab a late lunch (being surprised that it was still under £4, considering the lack of competition within Wigan town centre). Anyhow I had two options, either jumping on a Northern service to Liverpool for an 807 to London, jumping on something towards Manchester, or waiting an hour for a late running 9 coach Pendo from Glasgow (with the previous train cancelled).
I jumped onto 331018 for the run towards Liverpool Lime Street, giving me around 20 minutes to make myself comfy on 807010 on a London bound service, getting lucky as this service was given the signal ahead of a late running Birmingham stopping service, the train only getting busy at Crewe (until Crewe the standard class area of coach H only had myself in it). This train headed to London where on a day of delays on the WCML arrived pretty much bang on time, had I waited around Wigan for the late running Pendo I would have been caught up in a massive farce around Nuneaton where it got into London something like 3 hours late!
807010 at London Euston by Kite, on Flickr
Anyhow I walked to Waterloo, wasn’t as bad as expecting with the warm weather, the worse section being across Waterloo Bridge due to being exposed to the sunlight, however the Weymouth train I was aiming for had been cancelled with the Portsmouth (via Basingstoke) train running late. 444011 & 444014 took me to Basingstoke where I was surprised that the Exeter train was held back 10 minutes to allow a connection, as I boarded a warm 159104, 158886 & 158882 to take me home. After sorting my rucksack out, having a cool shower to wash away the sweat I got myself ready for an early start on the Saturday.
11th July – Marriott’s Way Part 2
I did the first part of a slightly muddy Marriott’s Way path back in February from Lenwade (near Great Witchingham) towards Aylsham with the section from Lenwade towards Norwich on my wish list to do this year. However, with the fire at Stratford, I changed my mind when heading towards London on 159013 to instead head towards Waterbeach to walk the riverside path towards Ely. At Waterloo, I had a gentle stroll to Blackfriars jumping on a late running 700108 to St Pancras where I managed to board an earlier Great Northern service formed of 379022 & 379005 which was meant to be heading to Ely but was only running as far as Cambridge due to a shortage of train drivers (with the following King’s Lynn service doing the same).
I took these 379s for the nonstop speedy run to the recently opened Cambridge South station, stepping back onto a Norwich bound 755412 as I had changed my mind again and was once more heading towards Norwich (considering this service wasn’t as bad I was expecting it to have been considering the lack of trains via Stratford). This 755 took me towards Norwich (even calling at Spooner Row for a novelty!). At Norwich after visiting the bathroom I headed towards the bus stops located at Castle Meadows (swinging via a Tesco Express to grab lunch items) and boarding a First Bus route X29 towards Lenwade. I left the bus at the cross roads at Porter’s Lane (along with 2 other walkers who were walking back towards Norwich).
755412 at Cambridge South Station by Kite, on Flickr
A short walk along a footpath alongside Porter’s Lane took me to the car park near the former Lenwade station, picking up cycle route 1. The first section towards Norwich was close to some industrial units before it headed into woodland away from the busy A1067 road. The surface quality was reasonable, a bit dusty in places due to the recent heat (one not to do during the winter months). Near the former Attlebridge station site the cycle path moves away from the route of the old railway as the area around the former station is now a private residence (you can see the platform from the road). I re-joined the route of the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line heading into some beautiful Norfolk countryside & woodland.
This path was quite busy with cyclists & other walkers as it reached a section running alongside Reepham Road (the road hidden from view with the trees), before heading towards the Taverham/Thorpe Marriott area, crossing the Broadland Northway dual carriageway on a modern bridge and into the urban area. At Drayton the path detours via the roads due to the route of the former railway being a private industrial estate (although I suspect most walkers will get away with walking via the industrial estate as its only gated for vehicles (but I didn't want to risk running into a fence at the opposite end).
Marriott's Way between Attlebridge Station & Taverham (23) by Kite, on Flickr
After re-joining the railway route at Drayton, the first impression is that the path quality has changed from a more rural setting to smooth tarmac as it followed the route of the Wensum heading towards the big bag city of Norwich with various paths branching off towards the site of the former Hellesdon station (complete with old platform). The sun was attempting to break through the clouds as the path headed east near Sloghbottom Park & Anderson's Meadow, this section featuring a tall fence in woodland. The Marriott's Way path officially ends near the site of the former Norwich City railway station (no evidence of it) at St Crispin's Bridge over the Wensum.
I crossed the road and switched to following the Riverside Walk, following the Wensum towards Duke Street (near a Premier Inn), where the riverside path is currently closed so I headed via the city centre (areas closed to traffic due to the Lord Mayor's Parade), swinging via Morrisons for some supplies before my walk ending at the station. An enjoyable stroll in the countryside, on a day where my hat remained in my rucksack as I didn't need it due to the cloud cover. Anyhow at the station and it was onto a refurbished East Midlands 158866 (very purple inside) to take me to Ely, where I switched to 170109 for the trip to Cambridge. Part of me was tempted to carry on to Cambridge South but I decided to alight at Cambridge, walking between platform 8 to the south facing bay platforms where 387116 & 387106 were waiting on the next London fast (meant to have started at Ely).
158866 at Ely Station by Kite, on Flickr
I was glad I changed at Cambridge due to the large crowd waiting for these 387s, thankfully all mostly waiting at the buffer stop end so when the doors got released, I managed to get a decent seat in the front coach. The service got delayed along the way (must have missed its path on the busy 2 track section of the ECML) arriving into a dangerous overcrowded platform at Kings Cross featuring idiots standing very close to the platform edge (the driver blasting on the horn and slowing to a crawl) who decided they didn’t want to wait to allow others off the train first before barging their way on. Anyhow the first thing I noticed is how hotter London was compared to Cambridge, as I headed to St Pancras jumping on 700141 to Blackfriars for another gentle stroll to Waterloo, taking my time before boarding 444023 & 444032 for a speedy run to Basingstoke which was a bit chaotic due to numerous delays & cancellations (this was a day where the West of England services were getting terminated at Basingstoke, heading into Barton Mill sidings for 2 hours before coming back out, warmer than a hot thing).
I jumped onto an Exeter bound 159005 & 159012 to take me to Andover for a quieter place to wait (a nice bench in the shade outside the station) before 159011 & 158882 rolled in on the following stopper to take me back to Grateley, where I had a gentle stroll home to relax after a mostly decent day.
12th July – Burgess Park & 701 hunting
As I was going into a week of early shifts (average alarm was 4:00) I didn’t want a late finish on the Sunday to get myself ready for the week ahead. I decided to head towards London for a little walk which had been on my London area wish-list before a few hours hunting down some of the 701s which had entered service in the last couple of months. The day began with a drive to Andover to catch the 07:02 service to Waterloo (with 159019 & 159022), transferring to a Bakerloop bus to the bus stop on Old Kent Road opposite Burgess Park (near a large Tesco) where my walk began.
Even this time of the morning (08:45) it was already getting warm as I entered Burgess Park, following one of many paths passing a lake and dead grass (thinking to myself that it's like a tinderbox ready to go up in flames). I reached Camberwell Road, for a short section along the road before picking up a busy path which runs although the route of the former Grand Surrey Canal leading towards the Surrey Canal Linear Park. I turned south in the linear park, underneath some nice-looking old bridges and towards Peckham, finishing the walk at Peckham Rye where I had various options.
Surrey Linear Canal Park, Peckham, London (7) by Kite, on Flickr
I was toying with heading towards Blackheath to explore Greenwich Park, but decided that could wait for another day (preferably when it wasn’t so hot!), jumping on a Clapham Junction bound 378216 to begin my 701 hunting. 10 minutes at Clapham Junction, winner 701027 rolled in on a Staines service (engineering works between Staines & Reading) to take me to Feltham, stepping back to Twickenham on 701046 for a short wait (annoyingly the little Sainsburys outside Twickenham station had no sandwiches due to the fridges breaking down). Winner 701016 arrived on a stopping service to Waterloo, so I made myself comfortable, arriving at Waterloo to grab some lunch. There was a winner on a Chessington South service, but I had one eye on the Woking stopping service which weren’t showing on RTT due to being short planned changed from running to Guildford via Woking to terminating at Woking. This was winner 701055 and due to late running was running nonstop to Surbiton which was a nice bonus.
At Surbiton I boarded dud 701009 to take me to Raynes Park in an attempt to get a reasonable photo of the GBR coloured 701 with the idea of heading towards Motspur Park to intercept the 701 I turned down earlier, but that planned changed when I saw another 701 passing from Woking as I assumed it was only 4 units out on the Woking – Waterloo stoppers with a tight turnaround at Woking, but in fact there were 5 (with Woking bound services being delayed). So, it was onto 450087 & 450401 (from either Guildford or Dorking) to Waterloo, changing over to winner 701040 with the idea of taking it all the way to Woking for a nice connection onto an Exeter train.
701006 at Raynes Park by Kite, on Flickr
All was going well until West Byfleet where there was news of issues around Winchester with delays heading west, forcing the 701 to wait time at West Byfleet with the next stopper failing to depart. Eventually the 701 arrived into Woking alongside the Exeter train with a fast walk across from platform 5 to platform 2 to join a large crowd (mainly Basingstoke bound passengers as the Weymouth train was sitting on platform 3 with a Poole service cancelled) to squeeze onto a roasting hot 159010 & 159015 which departed rather busy (until Basingstoke where it emptied out).
I took these 159s to Andover, walking to the car driving to the big Tesco before it closed at 4pm to grab some dinner items and some shorts for work as the week ahead was looking warm again. Once home I relaxed after a reasonable day in London, some more 701s into my little book as well as a visit to Burgess Park. One of many things on my London area wish-list, anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found here. Have a nice day.
9th July – A flying visit to Glasson Dock
I had booked an overnight stay in Liverpool for the Thursday night a couple of weeks ago without making my mind up about what I wanted to do in the North West. Thankfully the weather would be kind, sunny but not as hot as it was down south (23C) as I eventually decided to do a combined canal & disused railway walk from Lancaster to Glasson Dock.
The trip began with 158887, 159104 & 159011 to take me towards Waterloo, for a gentle stroll towards Euston and onto a busy 390138 on the first off-peak Glasgow service for a fast speedy run along the West Coast Main Line towards Lancaster where the walk began, making the decision to flip the direction as originally, I was going to do the canal first then railway second, switching the direction based on the location of shops for a post walk visit.
156404 & 156424 at Lancaster Station by Kite, on FlickrI exited Lancaster station via the side gate alongside platform 1 and onto a cycle path alongside a sports field leading towards Long Marsh Lane. After detouring via a housing estate, I reached the river near the railway viaduct, pausing for a photograph of a train crossing the viaduct (a Northern 158 was the first service). After my photo I headed alongside the river (mix of cycle path & pavement alongside New Quay Road). I had the decision to continue via the road which turns into a cycle path towards Aldcliffe Hall Lane or follow the Lancs Coastal Path alongside the river & estuary, deciding to do the coastal path for the potential views.
The coastal path had a reasonable surface but was a bit overgrown in places before I broke free to walk alongside the Lune before the path moved inland with a curve in the river giving views of a nature reserve on the left-hand side and the coastal marshes. Very peaceful with sounds of wildlife, but soon I reached the car park at Aldcliffe Hall Lane which marks the start of the path along the former Glasson branch line. This area was quite rural with the surface being decent tarmac as I headed in a generally southern direction with the river on my right-hand side, with the bushes & trees breaking free giving a lovely view of the estuary. The path was busy with cyclists & other walkers, especially near a caravan park near Ashton Hall.
Lune Estuary from cycle route between Lancaster & Glasson Dock (1) by Kite, on FlickrI reached Conder Green area where the path turns west (and cycle path 6 heads east via roads), crossing the River Conder on a viaduct before the last section of old railway line towards Glasson Dock, not as busy as it would have been in the past with industry, but still a busy place with motorcyclists & other visitors. After a photograph of the dock itself with the entrance lock into the Glasson branch of the Lancaster Canal heading into a busy marina (mostly sea going craft rather than inland waterways craft). The towpath was as expected quite rural, not as rural as the Oxford or Ashby Canals (no minding the gap with bank erosion), but as soon as I left Glasson behind (and a holiday park) the countryside arrived.
This is a short branch of the main canal, which appeared to be closed for boats heading uphill towards the junction with the main Lancaster canal near Galgate. Along the way I passed hardly anybody else on this peaceful stroll. On reaching the junction with the main canal I turned left to head mostly north, passing quite a few moored narrowboats. The canal skirts the edge of Galgate itself with the soundtrack of passing trains. Some lovely countryside at times and also some nice woodland with the canal ending cuttings (allowing the removal of my hat in the shaded area to allow some of the sweat to evaporate). After going underneath Ashton Road, the rural towpath turned tarmac with a busy cycle path, heading towards Lancaster near Aldcliffe, the canal going underneath the WCML and passing close to the hospital. I decided to end the walk at the bridge with Penny Street, walking towards the station swinging via a Sainsburys Local & Tesco Express for some supplies. A very enjoyable 14-odd mile walk in the sunshine but it was time to play with trains.
Lancaster Canal between Galgate & Lancaster (10) by Kite, on FlickrI boarded an Euston (via Birmingham) bound 390107 towards Crewe with the idea of making a connection onto 197041 which was working the Shrewsbury – Crewe stoppers, however due to issues earlier in the day at the southern end of the WCML this train got delayed at Preston (with zero announcements) for around 15 minutes meaning when it got to Crewe the connection was long gone, so it was onto plan B and onto winner 197040 working a Chester shuttle (cut back from Wrexham due to the hot weather). This took me towards Chester where the signaller decided to allow a late running freight train in front causing a 5-minute delay (to both the inbound & outbound service owing to a tight turnaround), giving me 29 minutes to kill at Chester for the next Merseyrail service (for it was the time of day where Merseyrail halves their service frequency). It was onto a very busy 777028 to end the day with a trip to James Street.
Before making my way to the Travelodge near James Street (first time staying here for nearly 10 years!) I headed towards the waterfront for some photos. After getting checked in on a half reasonable room on the 7th floor (not facing the main road directly which was a bonus) I relaxed for the remainder of the evening. (Although the shower was extremely weak in terms of water pressure so it wasn’t much of a relief to wash away the sweat).
The Beatles Statues on Liverpool Waterfront by Kite, on Flickr10th July - Lancashire Union Railway
Today my plan was to do a walk I’ve been meaning to do for a while, but kept putting it off. Although with the warmer temperatures today compared with the Thursday, I decided to cut the full length of the walk to save getting too hot. After checking out of the hotel I made my way via the city centre to Lime Street, grabbing some breakfast along the way and onto a Hull bound 185101 & 185121 for a slow trip across to Manchester Victoria (even though it only called at Lea Green, the Chat Moss route always feels slow). At the suburban nightmare of Manchester Victoria, it was a short wait to board a busy 156485 on a Clitheroe bound service to take me to Bolton, changing over to 331025 on the next Blackpool North service (which was busy). This took me to Adlington where my walk began (even though I was part tempted to jump off at Horwich Parkway to walk back towards Bolton & maybe towards Walkden, but decided against that on grounds of the reduced Northern timetable).
Leaving the station at Adlington, I headed towards the Jubilee Recreation Ground following a path south before an unmarked path (unmarked on Strava) leading towards the River Douglas and the canal aqueduct. After the river it was a steep climb towards the route of the former Lancashire Union Railway route, which for a cycle path (route 55 from memory) the path quality was a lot more rural than expected.
River Douglas near canal aqueduct, Adlington by Kite, on FlickrThe path was quite peaceful with some nice woodland, no evidence of it's former use as a railway other than a couple of bridges, including going underneath the Leeds & Liverpool Canal on the Arley Aqueduct. This path came to an end alongside the former Red Rock station building (now a private house and I headed along the road to pick up the canal towpath near a closed pub. Walking along the canal took me towards the Haigh Country Park, leaving the canal to head via Lady Mabel's Wood to Hall Lane.
This is where the former Wheeley Loop railway path began (although it looked like it did continue north but that is unmarked on my map so I had no idea what it would be like), and compared to earlier this is a path which has had some money spent on it with a smooth tarmac path in woodlands with various paths criss-crossing the main former railway route. The rural woodland gave way to more urban as it went via New Springs & the Kirkless West Nature Reserve reaching the canal which it crossed on a lock, heading into Ince.
Leeds & Liverpool Canal between Red Rock & Haigh Country Park (12) by Kite, on FlickrI continued along the path in Ince, leaving the industrial area (complete with secure looking fences) back into woodland, crossing underneath the existing Wigan - Hindley railway route and towards the Hindley area. The old railway route ending near Amberswood Nature Reserve which is somewhere I've noted as somewhere to explore on another day. The smooth tarmac cycle path ended at Liverpool Road near the former Hindley South station and onto a rough path in an area of many paths (so a challenge at times to try and ensure I was heading in the right direction, as this area had a lot of old railways from the past. At one point I was walking on old ballast!
I managed to follow the route of the Plank Lane Branch (London and North Western Railway), a path shown on my OS Map & Google Maps as a cycle route (probably suitable only for a Mountain Bike) but not shown on Strava so I was walking a bit blind, following this rural path where it randomly came to an end at Bolton House Road in a very industrial area, certainly not what I was expecting. However, my walk was nearly at an end as I walked to the main B5237 road to await a route 609 bus for Wigan.
Route of former Whelley Loop Railway, Wigan (9) by Kite, on FlickrThis was a busy double decker which called at most of the bus stops along the way into Wigan, including Coronation Street (cue the music!). I think most of the bus alighted at the bus stop on Wallgate rather than continuing to the bus station and I swung via the little Morrisons Local between the two Wigan stations to grab a late lunch (being surprised that it was still under £4, considering the lack of competition within Wigan town centre). Anyhow I had two options, either jumping on a Northern service to Liverpool for an 807 to London, jumping on something towards Manchester, or waiting an hour for a late running 9 coach Pendo from Glasgow (with the previous train cancelled).
I jumped onto 331018 for the run towards Liverpool Lime Street, giving me around 20 minutes to make myself comfy on 807010 on a London bound service, getting lucky as this service was given the signal ahead of a late running Birmingham stopping service, the train only getting busy at Crewe (until Crewe the standard class area of coach H only had myself in it). This train headed to London where on a day of delays on the WCML arrived pretty much bang on time, had I waited around Wigan for the late running Pendo I would have been caught up in a massive farce around Nuneaton where it got into London something like 3 hours late!
807010 at London Euston by Kite, on FlickrAnyhow I walked to Waterloo, wasn’t as bad as expecting with the warm weather, the worse section being across Waterloo Bridge due to being exposed to the sunlight, however the Weymouth train I was aiming for had been cancelled with the Portsmouth (via Basingstoke) train running late. 444011 & 444014 took me to Basingstoke where I was surprised that the Exeter train was held back 10 minutes to allow a connection, as I boarded a warm 159104, 158886 & 158882 to take me home. After sorting my rucksack out, having a cool shower to wash away the sweat I got myself ready for an early start on the Saturday.
11th July – Marriott’s Way Part 2
I did the first part of a slightly muddy Marriott’s Way path back in February from Lenwade (near Great Witchingham) towards Aylsham with the section from Lenwade towards Norwich on my wish list to do this year. However, with the fire at Stratford, I changed my mind when heading towards London on 159013 to instead head towards Waterbeach to walk the riverside path towards Ely. At Waterloo, I had a gentle stroll to Blackfriars jumping on a late running 700108 to St Pancras where I managed to board an earlier Great Northern service formed of 379022 & 379005 which was meant to be heading to Ely but was only running as far as Cambridge due to a shortage of train drivers (with the following King’s Lynn service doing the same).
I took these 379s for the nonstop speedy run to the recently opened Cambridge South station, stepping back onto a Norwich bound 755412 as I had changed my mind again and was once more heading towards Norwich (considering this service wasn’t as bad I was expecting it to have been considering the lack of trains via Stratford). This 755 took me towards Norwich (even calling at Spooner Row for a novelty!). At Norwich after visiting the bathroom I headed towards the bus stops located at Castle Meadows (swinging via a Tesco Express to grab lunch items) and boarding a First Bus route X29 towards Lenwade. I left the bus at the cross roads at Porter’s Lane (along with 2 other walkers who were walking back towards Norwich).
755412 at Cambridge South Station by Kite, on FlickrA short walk along a footpath alongside Porter’s Lane took me to the car park near the former Lenwade station, picking up cycle route 1. The first section towards Norwich was close to some industrial units before it headed into woodland away from the busy A1067 road. The surface quality was reasonable, a bit dusty in places due to the recent heat (one not to do during the winter months). Near the former Attlebridge station site the cycle path moves away from the route of the old railway as the area around the former station is now a private residence (you can see the platform from the road). I re-joined the route of the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line heading into some beautiful Norfolk countryside & woodland.
This path was quite busy with cyclists & other walkers as it reached a section running alongside Reepham Road (the road hidden from view with the trees), before heading towards the Taverham/Thorpe Marriott area, crossing the Broadland Northway dual carriageway on a modern bridge and into the urban area. At Drayton the path detours via the roads due to the route of the former railway being a private industrial estate (although I suspect most walkers will get away with walking via the industrial estate as its only gated for vehicles (but I didn't want to risk running into a fence at the opposite end).
Marriott's Way between Attlebridge Station & Taverham (23) by Kite, on FlickrAfter re-joining the railway route at Drayton, the first impression is that the path quality has changed from a more rural setting to smooth tarmac as it followed the route of the Wensum heading towards the big bag city of Norwich with various paths branching off towards the site of the former Hellesdon station (complete with old platform). The sun was attempting to break through the clouds as the path headed east near Sloghbottom Park & Anderson's Meadow, this section featuring a tall fence in woodland. The Marriott's Way path officially ends near the site of the former Norwich City railway station (no evidence of it) at St Crispin's Bridge over the Wensum.
I crossed the road and switched to following the Riverside Walk, following the Wensum towards Duke Street (near a Premier Inn), where the riverside path is currently closed so I headed via the city centre (areas closed to traffic due to the Lord Mayor's Parade), swinging via Morrisons for some supplies before my walk ending at the station. An enjoyable stroll in the countryside, on a day where my hat remained in my rucksack as I didn't need it due to the cloud cover. Anyhow at the station and it was onto a refurbished East Midlands 158866 (very purple inside) to take me to Ely, where I switched to 170109 for the trip to Cambridge. Part of me was tempted to carry on to Cambridge South but I decided to alight at Cambridge, walking between platform 8 to the south facing bay platforms where 387116 & 387106 were waiting on the next London fast (meant to have started at Ely).
158866 at Ely Station by Kite, on FlickrI was glad I changed at Cambridge due to the large crowd waiting for these 387s, thankfully all mostly waiting at the buffer stop end so when the doors got released, I managed to get a decent seat in the front coach. The service got delayed along the way (must have missed its path on the busy 2 track section of the ECML) arriving into a dangerous overcrowded platform at Kings Cross featuring idiots standing very close to the platform edge (the driver blasting on the horn and slowing to a crawl) who decided they didn’t want to wait to allow others off the train first before barging their way on. Anyhow the first thing I noticed is how hotter London was compared to Cambridge, as I headed to St Pancras jumping on 700141 to Blackfriars for another gentle stroll to Waterloo, taking my time before boarding 444023 & 444032 for a speedy run to Basingstoke which was a bit chaotic due to numerous delays & cancellations (this was a day where the West of England services were getting terminated at Basingstoke, heading into Barton Mill sidings for 2 hours before coming back out, warmer than a hot thing).
I jumped onto an Exeter bound 159005 & 159012 to take me to Andover for a quieter place to wait (a nice bench in the shade outside the station) before 159011 & 158882 rolled in on the following stopper to take me back to Grateley, where I had a gentle stroll home to relax after a mostly decent day.
12th July – Burgess Park & 701 hunting
As I was going into a week of early shifts (average alarm was 4:00) I didn’t want a late finish on the Sunday to get myself ready for the week ahead. I decided to head towards London for a little walk which had been on my London area wish-list before a few hours hunting down some of the 701s which had entered service in the last couple of months. The day began with a drive to Andover to catch the 07:02 service to Waterloo (with 159019 & 159022), transferring to a Bakerloop bus to the bus stop on Old Kent Road opposite Burgess Park (near a large Tesco) where my walk began.
Even this time of the morning (08:45) it was already getting warm as I entered Burgess Park, following one of many paths passing a lake and dead grass (thinking to myself that it's like a tinderbox ready to go up in flames). I reached Camberwell Road, for a short section along the road before picking up a busy path which runs although the route of the former Grand Surrey Canal leading towards the Surrey Canal Linear Park. I turned south in the linear park, underneath some nice-looking old bridges and towards Peckham, finishing the walk at Peckham Rye where I had various options.
Surrey Linear Canal Park, Peckham, London (7) by Kite, on FlickrI was toying with heading towards Blackheath to explore Greenwich Park, but decided that could wait for another day (preferably when it wasn’t so hot!), jumping on a Clapham Junction bound 378216 to begin my 701 hunting. 10 minutes at Clapham Junction, winner 701027 rolled in on a Staines service (engineering works between Staines & Reading) to take me to Feltham, stepping back to Twickenham on 701046 for a short wait (annoyingly the little Sainsburys outside Twickenham station had no sandwiches due to the fridges breaking down). Winner 701016 arrived on a stopping service to Waterloo, so I made myself comfortable, arriving at Waterloo to grab some lunch. There was a winner on a Chessington South service, but I had one eye on the Woking stopping service which weren’t showing on RTT due to being short planned changed from running to Guildford via Woking to terminating at Woking. This was winner 701055 and due to late running was running nonstop to Surbiton which was a nice bonus.
At Surbiton I boarded dud 701009 to take me to Raynes Park in an attempt to get a reasonable photo of the GBR coloured 701 with the idea of heading towards Motspur Park to intercept the 701 I turned down earlier, but that planned changed when I saw another 701 passing from Woking as I assumed it was only 4 units out on the Woking – Waterloo stoppers with a tight turnaround at Woking, but in fact there were 5 (with Woking bound services being delayed). So, it was onto 450087 & 450401 (from either Guildford or Dorking) to Waterloo, changing over to winner 701040 with the idea of taking it all the way to Woking for a nice connection onto an Exeter train.
701006 at Raynes Park by Kite, on FlickrAll was going well until West Byfleet where there was news of issues around Winchester with delays heading west, forcing the 701 to wait time at West Byfleet with the next stopper failing to depart. Eventually the 701 arrived into Woking alongside the Exeter train with a fast walk across from platform 5 to platform 2 to join a large crowd (mainly Basingstoke bound passengers as the Weymouth train was sitting on platform 3 with a Poole service cancelled) to squeeze onto a roasting hot 159010 & 159015 which departed rather busy (until Basingstoke where it emptied out).
I took these 159s to Andover, walking to the car driving to the big Tesco before it closed at 4pm to grab some dinner items and some shorts for work as the week ahead was looking warm again. Once home I relaxed after a reasonable day in London, some more 701s into my little book as well as a visit to Burgess Park. One of many things on my London area wish-list, anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found here. Have a nice day.
Mattplans
Member
Highly recommend, it's a great day out and lots to see in the area. Hope to see some beautiful shots of the area soon then!
I have cycled a portion of your stroll through South London and the Surrey Canal park and it's all very nice and enjoyable. Hope you had a nice time.
Kite159
Veteran Member
London does have quite a few nice parks, ranging from small to medium & the large ones (i.e. Richmond Park).Highly recommend, it's a great day out and lots to see in the area. Hope to see some beautiful shots of the area soon then!
Kite159
Veteran Member
Trips 19 – 21st July, West Yorkshire & South Wales
19th July – Aire & Calder Navigation
I had booked a Sunday night in the Travelodge in Bradford (a lot cheaper than Leeds and has easy access to a station, which is sadly a downside of several other hotels in West Yorkshire) with the idea of doing a couple of walks. For the Sunday I decided on the Aire & Calder Navigation between Leeds & Castleford, linking up with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Leeds and a tiny section in Castleford I walked a couple of years ago when doing the old railway line from Garforth. I was also tempted with the section from Wakefield to Castleford (linking up with the navigation towards Dewsbury & beyond) but decided that could be a weekday trip.
The trip began with the 07:37 service from Grateley (159005 & 159019) towards Waterloo, where I made the mistake of remaining on board after Clapham Junction as the train lost 10 minutes between Clapham & Waterloo with the Sunday morning timetable which sees the service using the Windsor Lines, just meant my stroll towards Kings Cross was a bit faster than expected. I took my seat in a lightly loaded coach G of 801209 on a Leeds service, first time having this 801 within England as the only previous time was between Edinburgh & Glasgow Central. Anyhow the trip to Leeds was uneventful and my walk began. I exited the station, heading down some stairs to reach Swinegate my route towards the Aire blocked due to Leeds Pride (or another similar event) forcing a little detour to pick up the river near Dock Street.
River Aire in Leeds (city centre) (2) by Kite, on Flickr
The first part of the walk was along the Trans Pennine Trail, passing a busy Leeds Dock, heading in a gentle south eastern direction with the river on my left-hand side, partly hidden with various trees & bushes on a decent path. I crossed underneath the A61 heading towards the Knowsthorpe area of the city, crossing to the opposite side of the river near an old flood lock. Industrial & residential buildings gave way to woodland and a security fence protecting the freight yard at Hunslet East with a 66 at the end of the freight line with evidence of the former bridge over the river at Knostrop Weir, marking the start of the first canal section of the Aire & Calder Navigation.
I passed the lock & Stourton Stone Circle (random) with the river on my left & canal on my right. I crossed over the canal on Thwaite Lane into another woodland section of path heading towards Skelton Grange Road, with a minor panic when I saw signs ahead saying "path closed" but thankfully all that was closed was a section underneath a bridge with a detour leading to the road on the northern side rather than the southern side. Crossing this bridge and down some steps (which for a cycle path was a bit unexpected) with the river once more being on my left and canal on my right, not like I could see either waterway due to the trees.
A 66 at the end of the Hunslet Branch Line alongside the River Aire by Kite, on Flickr
However, this section was very scenic with the woodland and peaceful with occasional glimpse of the working river at Stourton. The peace ended near the M1 with the woodland section ending for a walk alongside the Navigation, going underneath what looked to be an old railway bridge. I saw signs of the Rothwell Country Park giving me ideas for the future as I continued alongside the water towards Woodlesford, swapping sides so the canal was on my left-hand side skirting round the edge of the village.
After Aberford Road bridge, the canal gains paths on both sides, I decided to remain with the canal on my left as I headed towards Lemonroyd marina & lock where the navigation joins back with the River Aire and where the Trans Pennine Trail heads away from the waterside near Methley. The next section the river disappears from view as the path on the south side comes close to the railway before going into woodland, I decided to cross over to the northern bank on one of the footbridges. This section skirted round the southern edge of the St Aidan's nature reserve giving some nice views of the various lakes from former coal workings. The hard surface path ended near a section of path which goes a bit wavy and gets a mention in my guidebook as being muddy in the winter months.
RSPB St Aidan's from the path alongside the River Aire (3) by Kite, on Flickr
I returned to the river edge on a rural section heading towards Allerton Bywater having to detour away from the river on a couple of roads before resuming the walk alongside the water heading towards Castleford Junction where the River Calder flows into the Aire and another short section of Navigation begins to bypass the town centre & a large weir. I followed this section of canal towards the road bridge, crossing over to the opposite bank to follow a path alongside the River Aire towards the Millennium Bridge. After leaving the water’s edge for the last time I headed via a quiet town centre (it was after 4pm on a Sunday where all the shops had closed), heading to the station to end my walk.
As my hotel was in Bradford I had a couple of options, either wait for a 150 from Sheffield to take me to Leeds for something to Bradford Interchange (engineering works meant Forster Square was closed) or a 185 to Wakefield for a Grand Central service. I opted for a very lightly loaded 185139 with the AC hitting me hard when I boarded to Wakefield Kirkgate, losing time due to signalling issues (which meant anybody on board would have missed the 2 hourly train up the hill to Westgate). I had a short wait in the sunshine before 180102 arrived to take me towards Halifax where I decided to pop out of the station into the town centre to visit the Spoons (via a steep hill!)
180102 at Halifax by Kite, on Flickr
After a meal in a nice Spoons, I headed back down the steep hill and onto 195016 & 195011 for the near 8-mile trip to Bradford Interchange, heading to the hotel via the city centre (which has massively changed since cars & buses were pushed to the edges), getting a room on the top floor overlooking a large area of wasteland with the station in the background. I spent the remainder of the evening relaxing after an enjoyable stroll from Leeds to Castleford in the sunshine.
20th July – Huddersfield Narrow & Broad Canals
The idea for today was to complete my walking of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Standedge Tunnel towards Huddersfield, linking up with the short Huddersfield Broad canal. I left the hotel making my way to Forster Square and wasn’t welcomed onto the Leeds train as 333012 took me to Leeds complete with the new announcements. After grabbing some supplies within the city centre, I boarded 185139 for the journey to Marsden, looking out of the window at the various upgrades being taken. Unusually this service went into the loop platform at Marsden to allow a late running Liverpool service to pass.
My walk began as I joined the towpath of the canal near the station, walking the short distance within a woodland cutting towards the railway bridge, with the canal making a sharp turn to the Standedge Visitor Centre and Marsden portal of the long Standedge (canal) tunnel. After a couple of photos I returned towards Marsden (this time using a woodland footpath alongside the canal). After re-joining the canal at the lock near the station I headed along the decent towpath, passing many locks reaching Sparth Reservoir. The water level within the reservoir was quite low due to the recent hot weather (to such a point where this canal was closed for traffic due to low water levels at times).
Huddersfield Narrow Canal near Standedge Tunnel (Marsden Portal) (2) by Kite, on Flickr
I continued the walk in the countryside with the sound of trains from the nearby railway line heading towards Slaitwaite and towards the outskirts of Huddersfield where the countryside gave way to the more urban area of both industrial & residential buildings. I soon reached the impressive railway viaduct carrying the line towards Barnsley over the canal and reached the short Bates tunnel forcing a detour via the roads and some steps onto a section of towpath high above the canal (which was in a deep cutting), the towpath dropping down further on. This is the area where the Narrow canal turns into the Broad canal (however due to the width of the Wakefield Road bridge this section is effectively a narrow canal.
Another detour was required around Aspley Wharf (near a Premier Inn) and onto a section of the broad canal which has dual towpaths. After a little detour into a large Sainsburys for some supplies I crossed over the canal on the Turnbridge Lift Bridge in this industrial area of the town with the towpath looking like it has had some money spent on improving it recently (making it wider). This area was a lot busier with other walkers & cyclists (plus the occasional jogger) as I made my way within the Huddersfield suburbs, passing close to the building site of Deighton station and underneath a couple of old railway viaducts (Whitacre Mill Viaduct & Deighton Viaduct).
Railway Viaduct over the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Huddersfield by Kite, on Flickr
I continued the walk along the towpath of the Broad canal, passing various industrial units and locks, going underneath a modern railway bridge built for the line upgrades (making it 4 tracks rather than 2 I believe) with the final section heading towards Cooper Bridge lock where the canal flows into the River Calder (near a large weir). Originally, I was going to end the walk at a bus stop on the bridge itself but saw there was a Tesco Express close by and with the next bus expected in 15 minutes I headed towards the Bradley area of the town to grab a late lunch.
An enjoyable walk with changing scenery, and mostly a decent towpath (the only section which could get muddy in the winter is near Bates Tunnel, but that wasn’t a cycle path due to the steps). Anyhow I jumped onto an Arriva run route 229 service towards Huddersfield Bus Station having a short walk to the railway station, jumping on 185109 on the Manchester Piccadilly stopping service, turning down a late running Liverpool bound 802 as I wanted Manchester Piccadilly. At Piccadilly I boarded the next London bound service with 390115 on a service going via Crewe.
Huddersfield Narrow Puddle between Slaithwaite & Huddersfield (14) by Kite, on Flickr
An uneventful run towards Euston, arriving a couple of minutes early due to a train from Liverpool running late with issues near Runcorn. As my legs were a bit sore I decided to take the Northern line to Waterloo making a decent connection onto a busy 159108 & 158890 on a short formed 17:53 service for a speedy trip to Basingstoke before heading to Grateley where my trip to West Yorkshire ended.
21st July – Not the Heart of Wales
My original idea for today was to take mum on a trip on the Heart of Wales line, however that plan went into the bin due to a planned part cancellation of the train from Shrewsbury we were hoping to catch (it was only running as far as Llandrindod, something which changed during the day but by then it was too late to go back). Anyhow we drove to Salisbury with the idea of catching the 07:22 service to Cardiff Central, but as the 07:03 Bristol service was heavily delayed due to a points failure we boarded 166202, which ran nonstop to Bristol Temples Meads after Westbury due to the lateness (speedy Turbo!)
As it arrived into Bristol Temples Meads near enough on time, we made a quick connection onto 802020 on a Cardiff bound service from Taunton to take us into Wales (the back-up was going to be a Voyager to Bristol Parkway as the Cardiff train I was originally aiming for was running very late). After picking up the Valley Explorer rangers we jumped onto 231006 towards Trefforest via Radyr, connecting onto 756102 back towards Cardiff Central (via Queen Street). After grabbing lunch, it was onto a lightly loaded 197040 to Maesteg and back to Bridgend, where we made an easy connection onto 150252 on a service via the coastal route, getting very busy along the way.
150252 departs Barry Docks Station by Kite, on Flickr
We took this 150 to Barry Docks to change onto 231010 to Barry Island which was very busy with families enjoying the sunshine. After a little stroll we jumped onto 231001 for the spin to Llanbradach (for lack of a better idea), changing onto 231002 for the trip back to Cardiff Central. The last train of this little trip was onto 158747 & 158767 on a GWR service, which was very busy to Newport & Severn Tunnel Junction (where it emptied out, I guess the previous TfW was cancelled), filling up again at Bristol Temples Meads. There was a late running Weymouth train in front of this service at Bath which I presume would have soaked up a lot of the waiting crowds for Bradford & Trowbridge as hardly anybody boarded at Bath Spa, although that Weymouth train did cause a 5-minute delay due to the long signal sections towards Bradford on Avon.
At Salisbury, we left the station, going via the local Spoons for dinner and headed home via Tesco for some shopping for the week ahead. An enjoyable little day trip to South Wales with mum, even if we couldn’t do the Heart of Wales trip. Anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr *Here*. Keep safe everybody and have a dragon:
Red Dragon outside ticket office at Cardiff Central by Kite, on Flickr
19th July – Aire & Calder Navigation
I had booked a Sunday night in the Travelodge in Bradford (a lot cheaper than Leeds and has easy access to a station, which is sadly a downside of several other hotels in West Yorkshire) with the idea of doing a couple of walks. For the Sunday I decided on the Aire & Calder Navigation between Leeds & Castleford, linking up with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Leeds and a tiny section in Castleford I walked a couple of years ago when doing the old railway line from Garforth. I was also tempted with the section from Wakefield to Castleford (linking up with the navigation towards Dewsbury & beyond) but decided that could be a weekday trip.
The trip began with the 07:37 service from Grateley (159005 & 159019) towards Waterloo, where I made the mistake of remaining on board after Clapham Junction as the train lost 10 minutes between Clapham & Waterloo with the Sunday morning timetable which sees the service using the Windsor Lines, just meant my stroll towards Kings Cross was a bit faster than expected. I took my seat in a lightly loaded coach G of 801209 on a Leeds service, first time having this 801 within England as the only previous time was between Edinburgh & Glasgow Central. Anyhow the trip to Leeds was uneventful and my walk began. I exited the station, heading down some stairs to reach Swinegate my route towards the Aire blocked due to Leeds Pride (or another similar event) forcing a little detour to pick up the river near Dock Street.
River Aire in Leeds (city centre) (2) by Kite, on FlickrThe first part of the walk was along the Trans Pennine Trail, passing a busy Leeds Dock, heading in a gentle south eastern direction with the river on my left-hand side, partly hidden with various trees & bushes on a decent path. I crossed underneath the A61 heading towards the Knowsthorpe area of the city, crossing to the opposite side of the river near an old flood lock. Industrial & residential buildings gave way to woodland and a security fence protecting the freight yard at Hunslet East with a 66 at the end of the freight line with evidence of the former bridge over the river at Knostrop Weir, marking the start of the first canal section of the Aire & Calder Navigation.
I passed the lock & Stourton Stone Circle (random) with the river on my left & canal on my right. I crossed over the canal on Thwaite Lane into another woodland section of path heading towards Skelton Grange Road, with a minor panic when I saw signs ahead saying "path closed" but thankfully all that was closed was a section underneath a bridge with a detour leading to the road on the northern side rather than the southern side. Crossing this bridge and down some steps (which for a cycle path was a bit unexpected) with the river once more being on my left and canal on my right, not like I could see either waterway due to the trees.
A 66 at the end of the Hunslet Branch Line alongside the River Aire by Kite, on FlickrHowever, this section was very scenic with the woodland and peaceful with occasional glimpse of the working river at Stourton. The peace ended near the M1 with the woodland section ending for a walk alongside the Navigation, going underneath what looked to be an old railway bridge. I saw signs of the Rothwell Country Park giving me ideas for the future as I continued alongside the water towards Woodlesford, swapping sides so the canal was on my left-hand side skirting round the edge of the village.
After Aberford Road bridge, the canal gains paths on both sides, I decided to remain with the canal on my left as I headed towards Lemonroyd marina & lock where the navigation joins back with the River Aire and where the Trans Pennine Trail heads away from the waterside near Methley. The next section the river disappears from view as the path on the south side comes close to the railway before going into woodland, I decided to cross over to the northern bank on one of the footbridges. This section skirted round the southern edge of the St Aidan's nature reserve giving some nice views of the various lakes from former coal workings. The hard surface path ended near a section of path which goes a bit wavy and gets a mention in my guidebook as being muddy in the winter months.
RSPB St Aidan's from the path alongside the River Aire (3) by Kite, on FlickrI returned to the river edge on a rural section heading towards Allerton Bywater having to detour away from the river on a couple of roads before resuming the walk alongside the water heading towards Castleford Junction where the River Calder flows into the Aire and another short section of Navigation begins to bypass the town centre & a large weir. I followed this section of canal towards the road bridge, crossing over to the opposite bank to follow a path alongside the River Aire towards the Millennium Bridge. After leaving the water’s edge for the last time I headed via a quiet town centre (it was after 4pm on a Sunday where all the shops had closed), heading to the station to end my walk.
As my hotel was in Bradford I had a couple of options, either wait for a 150 from Sheffield to take me to Leeds for something to Bradford Interchange (engineering works meant Forster Square was closed) or a 185 to Wakefield for a Grand Central service. I opted for a very lightly loaded 185139 with the AC hitting me hard when I boarded to Wakefield Kirkgate, losing time due to signalling issues (which meant anybody on board would have missed the 2 hourly train up the hill to Westgate). I had a short wait in the sunshine before 180102 arrived to take me towards Halifax where I decided to pop out of the station into the town centre to visit the Spoons (via a steep hill!)
180102 at Halifax by Kite, on FlickrAfter a meal in a nice Spoons, I headed back down the steep hill and onto 195016 & 195011 for the near 8-mile trip to Bradford Interchange, heading to the hotel via the city centre (which has massively changed since cars & buses were pushed to the edges), getting a room on the top floor overlooking a large area of wasteland with the station in the background. I spent the remainder of the evening relaxing after an enjoyable stroll from Leeds to Castleford in the sunshine.
20th July – Huddersfield Narrow & Broad Canals
The idea for today was to complete my walking of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Standedge Tunnel towards Huddersfield, linking up with the short Huddersfield Broad canal. I left the hotel making my way to Forster Square and wasn’t welcomed onto the Leeds train as 333012 took me to Leeds complete with the new announcements. After grabbing some supplies within the city centre, I boarded 185139 for the journey to Marsden, looking out of the window at the various upgrades being taken. Unusually this service went into the loop platform at Marsden to allow a late running Liverpool service to pass.
My walk began as I joined the towpath of the canal near the station, walking the short distance within a woodland cutting towards the railway bridge, with the canal making a sharp turn to the Standedge Visitor Centre and Marsden portal of the long Standedge (canal) tunnel. After a couple of photos I returned towards Marsden (this time using a woodland footpath alongside the canal). After re-joining the canal at the lock near the station I headed along the decent towpath, passing many locks reaching Sparth Reservoir. The water level within the reservoir was quite low due to the recent hot weather (to such a point where this canal was closed for traffic due to low water levels at times).
Huddersfield Narrow Canal near Standedge Tunnel (Marsden Portal) (2) by Kite, on FlickrI continued the walk in the countryside with the sound of trains from the nearby railway line heading towards Slaitwaite and towards the outskirts of Huddersfield where the countryside gave way to the more urban area of both industrial & residential buildings. I soon reached the impressive railway viaduct carrying the line towards Barnsley over the canal and reached the short Bates tunnel forcing a detour via the roads and some steps onto a section of towpath high above the canal (which was in a deep cutting), the towpath dropping down further on. This is the area where the Narrow canal turns into the Broad canal (however due to the width of the Wakefield Road bridge this section is effectively a narrow canal.
Another detour was required around Aspley Wharf (near a Premier Inn) and onto a section of the broad canal which has dual towpaths. After a little detour into a large Sainsburys for some supplies I crossed over the canal on the Turnbridge Lift Bridge in this industrial area of the town with the towpath looking like it has had some money spent on improving it recently (making it wider). This area was a lot busier with other walkers & cyclists (plus the occasional jogger) as I made my way within the Huddersfield suburbs, passing close to the building site of Deighton station and underneath a couple of old railway viaducts (Whitacre Mill Viaduct & Deighton Viaduct).
Railway Viaduct over the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Huddersfield by Kite, on FlickrI continued the walk along the towpath of the Broad canal, passing various industrial units and locks, going underneath a modern railway bridge built for the line upgrades (making it 4 tracks rather than 2 I believe) with the final section heading towards Cooper Bridge lock where the canal flows into the River Calder (near a large weir). Originally, I was going to end the walk at a bus stop on the bridge itself but saw there was a Tesco Express close by and with the next bus expected in 15 minutes I headed towards the Bradley area of the town to grab a late lunch.
An enjoyable walk with changing scenery, and mostly a decent towpath (the only section which could get muddy in the winter is near Bates Tunnel, but that wasn’t a cycle path due to the steps). Anyhow I jumped onto an Arriva run route 229 service towards Huddersfield Bus Station having a short walk to the railway station, jumping on 185109 on the Manchester Piccadilly stopping service, turning down a late running Liverpool bound 802 as I wanted Manchester Piccadilly. At Piccadilly I boarded the next London bound service with 390115 on a service going via Crewe.
Huddersfield Narrow Puddle between Slaithwaite & Huddersfield (14) by Kite, on FlickrAn uneventful run towards Euston, arriving a couple of minutes early due to a train from Liverpool running late with issues near Runcorn. As my legs were a bit sore I decided to take the Northern line to Waterloo making a decent connection onto a busy 159108 & 158890 on a short formed 17:53 service for a speedy trip to Basingstoke before heading to Grateley where my trip to West Yorkshire ended.
21st July – Not the Heart of Wales
My original idea for today was to take mum on a trip on the Heart of Wales line, however that plan went into the bin due to a planned part cancellation of the train from Shrewsbury we were hoping to catch (it was only running as far as Llandrindod, something which changed during the day but by then it was too late to go back). Anyhow we drove to Salisbury with the idea of catching the 07:22 service to Cardiff Central, but as the 07:03 Bristol service was heavily delayed due to a points failure we boarded 166202, which ran nonstop to Bristol Temples Meads after Westbury due to the lateness (speedy Turbo!)
As it arrived into Bristol Temples Meads near enough on time, we made a quick connection onto 802020 on a Cardiff bound service from Taunton to take us into Wales (the back-up was going to be a Voyager to Bristol Parkway as the Cardiff train I was originally aiming for was running very late). After picking up the Valley Explorer rangers we jumped onto 231006 towards Trefforest via Radyr, connecting onto 756102 back towards Cardiff Central (via Queen Street). After grabbing lunch, it was onto a lightly loaded 197040 to Maesteg and back to Bridgend, where we made an easy connection onto 150252 on a service via the coastal route, getting very busy along the way.
150252 departs Barry Docks Station by Kite, on FlickrWe took this 150 to Barry Docks to change onto 231010 to Barry Island which was very busy with families enjoying the sunshine. After a little stroll we jumped onto 231001 for the spin to Llanbradach (for lack of a better idea), changing onto 231002 for the trip back to Cardiff Central. The last train of this little trip was onto 158747 & 158767 on a GWR service, which was very busy to Newport & Severn Tunnel Junction (where it emptied out, I guess the previous TfW was cancelled), filling up again at Bristol Temples Meads. There was a late running Weymouth train in front of this service at Bath which I presume would have soaked up a lot of the waiting crowds for Bradford & Trowbridge as hardly anybody boarded at Bath Spa, although that Weymouth train did cause a 5-minute delay due to the long signal sections towards Bradford on Avon.
At Salisbury, we left the station, going via the local Spoons for dinner and headed home via Tesco for some shopping for the week ahead. An enjoyable little day trip to South Wales with mum, even if we couldn’t do the Heart of Wales trip. Anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr *Here*. Keep safe everybody and have a dragon:
Red Dragon outside ticket office at Cardiff Central by Kite, on Flickr
Techniquest
Veteran Member
A nice bit of variety there good sir Hopefully by the time you get to do the HoW again, things will have settled down with the TfW fleet and it will actually happen. I’ve not done the most scenic bits of it for ages, well overdue a revisit. Same for the Cambrian for that matter, maybe I should look to head up that way soon
Your reports went up at a good time as it’s a very changeable set of weather conditions in Perth tonight. They made for enjoyable reading while I found myself glad to have not gone out station scoring!
Hopefully by the time you get to do the HoW again, things will have settled down with the TfW fleet and it will actually happen. I’ve not done the most scenic bits of it for ages, well overdue a revisit. Same for the Cambrian for that matter, maybe I should look to head up that way soon Your reports went up at a good time as it’s a very changeable set of weather conditions in Perth tonight. They made for enjoyable reading while I found myself glad to have not gone out station scoring!
Kite159
Veteran Member
A nice bit of variety there good sir
Your reports went up at a good time as it’s a very changeable set of weather conditions in Perth tonight. They made for enjoyable reading while I found myself glad to have not gone out station scoring!
Agreed, probably better doing the Heart of Wales line on a 153 than a 150 as the table seats line up better with the windows (although on some of the 153s the legroom is rubbish)
Kite159
Veteran Member
Day Trips 28th & 29th July (Macclesfield Canal & Thames Path)
28th July – Macclesfield Canal Part 3
Having walked from Congleton towards Marple (via Macclesfield) over 2 trips in May, I decided it would be a good day to finish the canal with the section from Congleton towards Kidsgrove. Due to a reasonable finish time for my week of late shifts, I decided to make use of a tactic I used last September to avoid the potential of overcrowding on the first off-peak Manchester train (since Avanti are not running the 09:33 service from London, the first off-peak train is the 09:53). The day started with the 06:19 service from Grateley, with 159010 & 159106, getting quite busy after Andover as the previous service broke down. It was also quite lucky I did this service rather than my more usual 06:57 service as that didn’t call at Grateley due to signalling issues at Tisbury, the next departure was a delayed 07:27 which didn’t get into London until after 9am.
Anyhow in London, I had my usual stroll to Euston, dodging the cyclists on hire bikes who think red lights are optional, and onto the 08:46 London Northwestern service for my first pair of 730/2s for a few months with 730225 & 730208 for the speedy journey to Rugby. My fester at Rugby was extended due to the Manchester train being delayed as a mostly empty 390121 rolled in for the nonstop run to Stoke on Trent (coach U had 5 other passengers on this ‘peak time’ service from London). After visiting the toilets at Stoke station, I boarded 323236 on the local stopping service to Congleton, delayed by a couple of minutes due to another late running Manchester bound Pendo. At Congleton my walk began.
323236 at Stoke On Trent Station by Kite, on Flickr
Unlike in May I joined the canal via the access from the opposite side of the railway (rather than a path & steep stairs near a pub), heading underneath the railway and west towards a Roving bridge over the canal (designed to allow a horse to cross over the towpath without the need to be unhooked). The towpath was quite reasonable quality along this section, a bit narrow in places but nothing that major. I crossed over Canal road on a nice looking aqueduct, passing the remains of Congleton Wharf, swapping sides of the canal once more near Lamberts Lane as the urban area started to give way to countryside (on the right hand side at least). The towpath changed from a solid smooth surface to something a bit more rougher, still solid but something you wouldn't want to take a road bike along.
Leaving Congleton behind, passing the Astbury Golf Club before heading into peaceful Cheshire countryside with the occasional sound of a train on the nearby railway, the towpath now being more rural in nature (certainly one not to do during the winter months, unless you like mud). I continued passing an old hall (Ramsdell Hall) heading towards Scholar Green with the sound of traffic returning from the A34. The canal skirted round the edge of Scholar Green (the settlement being on my right hand side with the railway reasonably close on the left hand side), the towpath returning to more solid ground as I reached the Hall Green Stop Lock where the Macclesfield Canal ends and the Hall Green branch of the Trent & Mersey begins (something I only found out when researching this walk, as I had assumed it was the Macclesfield Canal all the way to the junction at Kidsgrove.
Hall Green Stop Lock between the Macclesfield & Trent and Mersey Canals by Kite, on Flickr
I continued along the canal towpath reaching Red Bull, gaining wings with a crossing of the Liverpool Road (via an aqueduct) and crossing the main Trent & Mersey canal. The towpath swapped sides once more with a sharp 90-degree bend. This section was a bit overgrown in places (I suspect most people will drop down onto the main canal at the aqueduct). I soon reached another sharp bend where the Hall Green branch ran into the main Trent & Mersey canal, the last section taking me underneath the railway towards Kidsgrove station where I had a couple of options, either head to Stoke or head to Crewe. Due to the timetable for this line being a bit unbalanced (yes, that's the word) I had just missed a LNR service to Crewe so had a short wait (which was made longer due to running late) with 170516 to Crewe (at least the late running meant it didn’t have to sit at the junction protecting the single line for 7 minutes).
Annoyingly earlier in the day 197041 was showing as running on Crewe – Wrexham services, but when I checked when heading to Crewe, I saw it had disappeared somewhere at Chester and replaced with another 2 coach 197, so that unit escapes me once more, so with little else to do at Crewe I boarded a lightly loaded 805013 on a service from Chester for a speedy journey towards Euston, arriving near enough on time. I had an option of going after a winner 730 on a Tring stopper, but the connections to get towards Clapham were a bit rubbish, and I didn’t fancy trying to board a short-formed sprinter at Waterloo so decided to leave that 730 for another day (not like it will be going anywhere). I had a gentle stroll in the heat to Waterloo and onto a hot 159106, 159010 & 159019 which wasn’t that busy in coach 3 of 9, even after Clapham Junction. This took me back to Grateley arriving near enough on time and I had a gentle stroll home. An enjoyable day trip to Cheshire, even if I did get a bit warm at times. Looking at the chaos out west I’m just glad I didn’t decide to change my plan to head towards Cornwall to finish the Camel Trail.
Trent & Mersey Canal in Kidsgrove by Kite, on Flickr
29th July – Thames Path (Part Who Knows!)
The plan for today is to do another section of the Thames Path, heading between Lechlade & Cricklade, this section being another rural section but thankfully not as long as the last section I did earlier in the month. The day started with a drive to Salisbury, swinging via Tesco to grab some breakfast items before taking 166201 to Westbury, followed by 158766 to Swindon arriving a few minutes ahead of schedule due to other long-distance services running late. After making use of the toilets on the station, I made my way to the “J” bus stop within the Fleming Way bus station, via Tesco for lunch items and onto the route 64 bus to Lechlade on Thames where my walk began.
Leaving the bus stop area near the church (fenced off for works so couldn't get a photo), I headed towards the River Thames at Halfpenny Bridge, dropping down the stairs used earlier in the month (when following a school group), this time turning west towards the Lechlade Riverside Park. This area was quite scenic as I passed a few moored boats near the limit of navigation, leaving the riverside park behind for a rural stroll along the edge of a grassy area. I reached a footbridge near to the former canal junction where the Thames & Severn Canal joined the Thames, the path heading south. After crossing a cow filled field (moo) I reached the disused church of St John in the tiny settlement of Inglesham.
River Thames between Lechlade & Inglesham (6) by Kite, on Flickr
The next section was a bit overgrown in places, but nothing that major as I soon re-joined the edge of the Thames in the countryside, the only sound being from the A361 before the river twisted and turned away from the road to head west. I reached a point where the Thames Path moves away from following the actual river, heading alongside the edge of fields before picking up a farm track heading towards Hannington Wick. A short section along the road before picking up another footpath, passing a couple of other walkers. I reached the edge of the river for another short section before the Thames Path moved away to follow a minor road towards the village of Castle Eaton.
Pausing for lunch on a handy bench near the church, I resumed the walk, picking up the Thames again on the western side of the village. Another rural section of twisting river walking along the edge of fields (some which were bumpy at times). In hindsight maybe doing this walk on a hot day wasn't the best plan due to the very limited shade offered, but it was peaceful and quiet. The Thames Path flipped sides of the Thames at a footbridge across some more fields, the river hiding from view from trees, before going back to the 'South' bank near Eysey. The rural peacefulness soon ended as I headed underneath the busy A419 into Cricklade.
River Thames between Inglesham & Hannington Wick (18) by Kite, on Flickr
I passed the Cricklade Millennium Green, heading towards the town centre of this North Wiltshire town. Leaving the riverside behind for the final time I followed the roads to the High Street, detouring north to a road bridge over the river. After this little detour I headed towards the centre, swinging via Tesco for a cold drink (and an ice-cream) making my way to the bus stop alongside Calcutt Street. I didn't have long to wait before a Stagecoach route 51 arrived to take me towards Swindon, where after a gentle stroll in the town centre I made my way to the railway station. It was onto 158766, which unusually was using platform 3 (rather than the more usual bay platform, which I took to Trowbridge for a same platform change onto 158959 & 158747 to take me to Salisbury to end the day.
An enjoyable day alongside the upper Thames, another section of the long Thames Path covered. Leaving just the rough 13-mile section from Cricklade towards the source near Kemble (although this time of year, I would imagine it will be mostly dried out). As always thanks for reading, I’ve got some time off work in August, with many ideas forming, a lot depends on the weather. More photos can be found on my Flickr here. The month started with a 158 and ends with a 158:
158766 at Swindon (using P3) by Kite, on Flickr
28th July – Macclesfield Canal Part 3
Having walked from Congleton towards Marple (via Macclesfield) over 2 trips in May, I decided it would be a good day to finish the canal with the section from Congleton towards Kidsgrove. Due to a reasonable finish time for my week of late shifts, I decided to make use of a tactic I used last September to avoid the potential of overcrowding on the first off-peak Manchester train (since Avanti are not running the 09:33 service from London, the first off-peak train is the 09:53). The day started with the 06:19 service from Grateley, with 159010 & 159106, getting quite busy after Andover as the previous service broke down. It was also quite lucky I did this service rather than my more usual 06:57 service as that didn’t call at Grateley due to signalling issues at Tisbury, the next departure was a delayed 07:27 which didn’t get into London until after 9am.
Anyhow in London, I had my usual stroll to Euston, dodging the cyclists on hire bikes who think red lights are optional, and onto the 08:46 London Northwestern service for my first pair of 730/2s for a few months with 730225 & 730208 for the speedy journey to Rugby. My fester at Rugby was extended due to the Manchester train being delayed as a mostly empty 390121 rolled in for the nonstop run to Stoke on Trent (coach U had 5 other passengers on this ‘peak time’ service from London). After visiting the toilets at Stoke station, I boarded 323236 on the local stopping service to Congleton, delayed by a couple of minutes due to another late running Manchester bound Pendo. At Congleton my walk began.
323236 at Stoke On Trent Station by Kite, on FlickrUnlike in May I joined the canal via the access from the opposite side of the railway (rather than a path & steep stairs near a pub), heading underneath the railway and west towards a Roving bridge over the canal (designed to allow a horse to cross over the towpath without the need to be unhooked). The towpath was quite reasonable quality along this section, a bit narrow in places but nothing that major. I crossed over Canal road on a nice looking aqueduct, passing the remains of Congleton Wharf, swapping sides of the canal once more near Lamberts Lane as the urban area started to give way to countryside (on the right hand side at least). The towpath changed from a solid smooth surface to something a bit more rougher, still solid but something you wouldn't want to take a road bike along.
Leaving Congleton behind, passing the Astbury Golf Club before heading into peaceful Cheshire countryside with the occasional sound of a train on the nearby railway, the towpath now being more rural in nature (certainly one not to do during the winter months, unless you like mud). I continued passing an old hall (Ramsdell Hall) heading towards Scholar Green with the sound of traffic returning from the A34. The canal skirted round the edge of Scholar Green (the settlement being on my right hand side with the railway reasonably close on the left hand side), the towpath returning to more solid ground as I reached the Hall Green Stop Lock where the Macclesfield Canal ends and the Hall Green branch of the Trent & Mersey begins (something I only found out when researching this walk, as I had assumed it was the Macclesfield Canal all the way to the junction at Kidsgrove.
Hall Green Stop Lock between the Macclesfield & Trent and Mersey Canals by Kite, on FlickrI continued along the canal towpath reaching Red Bull, gaining wings with a crossing of the Liverpool Road (via an aqueduct) and crossing the main Trent & Mersey canal. The towpath swapped sides once more with a sharp 90-degree bend. This section was a bit overgrown in places (I suspect most people will drop down onto the main canal at the aqueduct). I soon reached another sharp bend where the Hall Green branch ran into the main Trent & Mersey canal, the last section taking me underneath the railway towards Kidsgrove station where I had a couple of options, either head to Stoke or head to Crewe. Due to the timetable for this line being a bit unbalanced (yes, that's the word) I had just missed a LNR service to Crewe so had a short wait (which was made longer due to running late) with 170516 to Crewe (at least the late running meant it didn’t have to sit at the junction protecting the single line for 7 minutes).
Annoyingly earlier in the day 197041 was showing as running on Crewe – Wrexham services, but when I checked when heading to Crewe, I saw it had disappeared somewhere at Chester and replaced with another 2 coach 197, so that unit escapes me once more, so with little else to do at Crewe I boarded a lightly loaded 805013 on a service from Chester for a speedy journey towards Euston, arriving near enough on time. I had an option of going after a winner 730 on a Tring stopper, but the connections to get towards Clapham were a bit rubbish, and I didn’t fancy trying to board a short-formed sprinter at Waterloo so decided to leave that 730 for another day (not like it will be going anywhere). I had a gentle stroll in the heat to Waterloo and onto a hot 159106, 159010 & 159019 which wasn’t that busy in coach 3 of 9, even after Clapham Junction. This took me back to Grateley arriving near enough on time and I had a gentle stroll home. An enjoyable day trip to Cheshire, even if I did get a bit warm at times. Looking at the chaos out west I’m just glad I didn’t decide to change my plan to head towards Cornwall to finish the Camel Trail.
Trent & Mersey Canal in Kidsgrove by Kite, on Flickr29th July – Thames Path (Part Who Knows!)
The plan for today is to do another section of the Thames Path, heading between Lechlade & Cricklade, this section being another rural section but thankfully not as long as the last section I did earlier in the month. The day started with a drive to Salisbury, swinging via Tesco to grab some breakfast items before taking 166201 to Westbury, followed by 158766 to Swindon arriving a few minutes ahead of schedule due to other long-distance services running late. After making use of the toilets on the station, I made my way to the “J” bus stop within the Fleming Way bus station, via Tesco for lunch items and onto the route 64 bus to Lechlade on Thames where my walk began.
Leaving the bus stop area near the church (fenced off for works so couldn't get a photo), I headed towards the River Thames at Halfpenny Bridge, dropping down the stairs used earlier in the month (when following a school group), this time turning west towards the Lechlade Riverside Park. This area was quite scenic as I passed a few moored boats near the limit of navigation, leaving the riverside park behind for a rural stroll along the edge of a grassy area. I reached a footbridge near to the former canal junction where the Thames & Severn Canal joined the Thames, the path heading south. After crossing a cow filled field (moo) I reached the disused church of St John in the tiny settlement of Inglesham.
River Thames between Lechlade & Inglesham (6) by Kite, on FlickrThe next section was a bit overgrown in places, but nothing that major as I soon re-joined the edge of the Thames in the countryside, the only sound being from the A361 before the river twisted and turned away from the road to head west. I reached a point where the Thames Path moves away from following the actual river, heading alongside the edge of fields before picking up a farm track heading towards Hannington Wick. A short section along the road before picking up another footpath, passing a couple of other walkers. I reached the edge of the river for another short section before the Thames Path moved away to follow a minor road towards the village of Castle Eaton.
Pausing for lunch on a handy bench near the church, I resumed the walk, picking up the Thames again on the western side of the village. Another rural section of twisting river walking along the edge of fields (some which were bumpy at times). In hindsight maybe doing this walk on a hot day wasn't the best plan due to the very limited shade offered, but it was peaceful and quiet. The Thames Path flipped sides of the Thames at a footbridge across some more fields, the river hiding from view from trees, before going back to the 'South' bank near Eysey. The rural peacefulness soon ended as I headed underneath the busy A419 into Cricklade.
River Thames between Inglesham & Hannington Wick (18) by Kite, on FlickrI passed the Cricklade Millennium Green, heading towards the town centre of this North Wiltshire town. Leaving the riverside behind for the final time I followed the roads to the High Street, detouring north to a road bridge over the river. After this little detour I headed towards the centre, swinging via Tesco for a cold drink (and an ice-cream) making my way to the bus stop alongside Calcutt Street. I didn't have long to wait before a Stagecoach route 51 arrived to take me towards Swindon, where after a gentle stroll in the town centre I made my way to the railway station. It was onto 158766, which unusually was using platform 3 (rather than the more usual bay platform, which I took to Trowbridge for a same platform change onto 158959 & 158747 to take me to Salisbury to end the day.
An enjoyable day alongside the upper Thames, another section of the long Thames Path covered. Leaving just the rough 13-mile section from Cricklade towards the source near Kemble (although this time of year, I would imagine it will be mostly dried out). As always thanks for reading, I’ve got some time off work in August, with many ideas forming, a lot depends on the weather. More photos can be found on my Flickr here. The month started with a 158 and ends with a 158:
158766 at Swindon (using P3) by Kite, on Flickr
Kite159
Veteran Member
7 – 10th August Trips
I had managed to use up some annual leave days to bridge the gap between two long weekends on the roster to give myself 12 days off, time which I needed after a crazy week at the start of August. The 6th August was spent with a day trip to Thanet in Kent to ride the open top route 69 tourist bus route with my good friend Dan to give myself a quieter day before all the walking!
7th August – Lancaster Canal in rural Lancashire.
Making use of the no peak fares from London on Fridays meant I could have a day trip to Lancashire to walk part of the canal between Preston & Lancaster, parts I’ve already covered on previous trips. The day started with the 05:22 service from Grateley to Waterloo with 159107 & 159016 followed with a stroll to Euston to grab a seat on a busy 390103 on the 07:30 Glasgow train for some high-speed Pendo travel to Preston. The start point of the canal walk would be near the junction with the Ribble Link in the Ingol area of the city, around 2 and a half miles away from the station. I decided to be a bit lazy and catch the route 44 Preston Bus service for Cottam alighting on Barry Avenue in a residential area of Ingol, crossing the canal on Cottam Mill Bridge and onto the towpath close to the junction.
The first section of the canal was a solid tarmac towpath as it forms a cycle route towards the sports area of a university (on the left-hand side) with housing on the right-hand side. The canal itself was green. The cycle path ended near the end of the housing in Cottam with countryside appearing on both sides of the canal, the towpath still being quite reasonable at this point. I headed underneath the A582 bridge and soon the sound of traffic reduced heading west towards Salwick (giving some views of the railway line at times). The limited served station of Salwick isn't that far from the canal towpath which turns to head north into a woodland cutting.
A Northern 331 heading towards Liverpool from the Lancaster Canal near Salwick by Kite, on Flickr
Now in Salwick village centre (if you could call it that), passing a pub, the towpath changed from a solid surface to a more rural surface (which to be honest I was expecting to see a lot sooner), a mix of grass & sand-like dirt with the sound of traffic increasing as I headed underneath the M55. The canal did another turn, this time heading east, passing a few moored boats (I only saw one boat actually moving on this walk). I was now in the Blackleach rural area, still with fields to both sides with the sound of traffic from the right. In the Swillbrook area the canal turned from heading east to heading more north-east, along a peaceful towpath.
I paused for lunch at a handy bench seat near Moorside Lane before carrying on, now heading more north, crossing the New Mill Brook on Hollowforth Aqueduct. Still with some beautiful countryside on both sides (I do like my rural canal walks for the sense of isolation), I headed towards the village of Bilsborrow where I needed to decide as I could have easily kept going for the next 4 (or so) miles to reach the southern area (Bonds) of Garstang but I had one eye on trains heading back south as there was a couple of cancellations to the fast services to be wary off.
Lancaster Canal in the Salwick area (7) by Kite, on Flickr
In the end I decided to stick with my original split point for this canal, passing through Bilsborrow, crossing over the River Brock and heading towards the large Barton Grange Garden Centre, crossing underneath the A6 with the canal swinging through another 90-degree bend with the WCML appearing, the walk ending with a fast stroll alongside the A6 as a bus was due shortly (one of those walks where I kept on turning back for any sight of the bus). I reached the bus stop before the next Stagecoach route 41 service rolled in with a nice double decker to take me back towards Preston. Sadly, this bus did get caught up with some heavy traffic in the Fulwood area, but Moor Park looked like a nice place to explore.
Arriving into the bus station gave me options for trains, as I made my way to the railway station, the next London via the West Midlands service was cancelled at Preston with the following fast service from Glasgow being formed of 9 coaches and was at the time half an hour late. A Lumo was running nearly an hour late, so not wanting to hang in Preston for 90 minutes I managed to jump on 195118 for a fast run towards Manchester Piccadilly, where I made a nice connection onto 221115 on a Bournemouth service, as there was issues on SWR. Coach B on this voyager getting busy at Stoke on Trent, emptying out at Wolverhampton, surprisingly departed Birmingham New Street with at least a dozen empty seats that I could see, filling up again at the Airport, and slowly emptied out along the way. The voyager lost time around Kenilworth due to a late running Manchester bound service.
Lancaster Canal between Woodplumpton & Bilsborrow (42) by Kite, on Flickr
Annoyingly the train I was hoping to connect into at Basingstoke was running on time, with the following service running late, so I headed out of the station for some fresh air before boarding a busy 158885 for the short run back to Grateley to end the day trip. An enjoyable trip to the Lancaster canal, deciding that when I do the section from Barton Grange Garden Centre (Brock) towards Galgate, it would be better to stay overnight in the general area, just to save the hassle of a late finish.
8th August – Kidderminster to Stourbridge by Canal
Today I decided to head towards Worcestershire to finish both the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and the Stourbridge Canal. The day began with the 05:59 service from Grateley with 158883 & 159010 to Basingstoke, changing onto 220034 & 221128 with the front 4 coaches locked out of use (I have no clue if they came into use at any point, I made my usual bee-line to coach B on the 221 which was at the rear of the train). Arriving into Birmingham New Street near enough on time, gave me the chance to grab some breakfast from Tim Hortons before making my way to Moor Street to board 172003 & 172340 on a Kidderminster terminator (I’ll be back!)
At Kidderminster my walk began, passing the steam railway station (reminds me that one of these days I will take a train from there towards Bridgnorth). Heading via the town centre, going via Tesco to grab lunch items and some more water as it was a bit warmer today compared to Friday. I joined the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal alongside the Tesco superstore car park, heading north going underneath a tunnel formed with the St Marys Ringway road, the towpath swapping sides at the lock (giving some nice views of the church). This section of towpath was reasonably busy with other users and a nice solid surface as I headed via the suburbs before heading into the countryside, the towpath being quite changeable going forward.
I continued my walk in the countryside, reaching Wolverley, the canal being a bit curvy at times heading towards Cookley and a short tunnel. After leaving Cookley I returned to the rural area, the sound of traffic from the A449 not being too far away, heading north to the Kinver area, the canal skirting both Kinver & Dunsley, curving east via another short tunnel before curving north towards Stourton, reaching the junction with the Stourbridge Canal. An enjoyable walk with some nice countryside.
Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal between Kidderminster & Wolverley (11) by Kite, on Flickr
Turning right onto the Stourbridge Canal, it was a short walk within Stourton before that headed into the countryside, with some nice woodland at times, heading towards Stourbridge itself and the junction with the Town Arm. Another canal onto the completed list, as I made my way along the town arm towards Wollaston Road, before following the roads towards Stourbridge Town station and onto 139001 for the spin up the hill to Stourbridge Junction.
I made a tight connection onto 172332 & 172215 to take me towards Birmingham Snow Hill, where I had time to go via the Co-Op to grab some supplies for dinner before making my way to Birmingham New Street and onto a late running 221116 which had lost time around Stafford. I managed to grab a reasonable seat in coach B and relaxed as the train emptied out at Coventry, losing more time in Kenilworth loop for the Nuneaton service to pass on the single-track line. Thankfully it departed Reading before a GWR stopper to reach Basingstoke around 20 minutes late, being thankful I grabbed food earlier in the afternoon in Birmingham as I waited for 158886 & 159002 to roll in from London. An early finish, but I didn’t fancy hanging around Birmingham as the city centre was just chaotic.
Ozzy the Bull at Birmingham New Street by Kite, on Flickr
9th August – Return to South Wales
I had a hotel booked in Cardiff (Travelodge on Queen Street) with a lot of potential ideas for walks, some went back on the pile due to engineering works north of Radyr. The day started with 159015 & 159106 for the short hop to Andover, followed with 159013 to Reading (with an extended pause at Reading Green Park waiting for an engineering works block to get lifted, allowing time for a photo). After grabbing some breakfast related items, it was onto a late running 800036, which I suspect might have been running on diesel as it kept on losing time towards Swindon where it turned left at Wootton Bassett Junction to go nonstop via Chippenham & Bath Spa towards Bristol (the London bound train it passed at Bath looked very busy!) The unit took Dr Days curve onto Filton bank to Bristol Parkway where it crashed into 800010 to become 10 coaches.
Reversing at Bristol Parkway, now running 50-odd minutes late, it headed into Wales and I alighted at Newport with a nice connection into a very busy 197026 on a Chester train to take me to Pontypool & New Inn, a station I could swear used to have a much better Sunday service than the 2 hourly it sees these days. Spend countless millions on a brand-new car park with access from the A4042 dual carriageway and lifts to access said car park but not to exit the station by foot but still have a rubbish frequency. Anyhow like all the others who alighted from the train, I left the station via the original stairs onto the roads, crossing the dual carriageway and reaching the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
197026 departs Pontypool & New Inn Station by Kite, on Flickr
The first of today's walks was along this canal towards Cwmbran, meeting up with a walk I did back in October 2024 (long time ago!) As expected, as part of a cycle route, the towpath was decent quality as I crossed over the Afon Lwyd passing Pontymoile basin (which at one point used to have another part of the canal branching off). Going underneath the A472 & an old railway viaduct (the former GWR route towards Blaenavon, this canal was quite urban with the towpath being busy (dog walkers, joggers, cyclists). I continued mostly south via Griffithstown & Sebastopol reaching the limit of navigation, and the Cwmbran tunnel where annoyingly the canal towpath was blocked due to housing developments.
A reasonably signposted diversional route was followed via the modern housing development (says something about how new it is, when it doesn't even show on Google Maps!), joining the route of the canal on Five Locks Road, dropping down the remains of the locks towards the Cwmbran area, putting a bit of a fast pace along the road to reach the station as I was a bit short on time, making to make it in time for 197002 & 197011 to take me to Cardiff Central, where after popping out of the station to grab a late lunch (and more liquids) I met up with my good friend Jules who was down in Cardiff picking up his bike from getting serviced.
Cwmbran Tunnel Portal on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Cwmbran by Kite, on Flickr
We jumped onto 197011 to take us to Tondu to start my second walk of the warm day. After grabbing a photograph of the 197 heading into the hills with the Tondu signal box, we followed the road to pick up the route of cycle route 4 leading towards the large Parc Slip nature reserve (on the site of a former colliery). This was very rural & beautiful, passing a memorial to those who lost their lives in an explosion in 1892, certainly an area we could easily return to again for a bigger explore. We continued as the cycle path ran alongside the mothballed Tondu - Margam freight line (massively overgrown in a couple of places with foot crossings & a level crossing over a minor road). This path took us towards Bedford Park and onto the route of the former Llynvi and Ogmore Railway route towards Porthcawl. This was another beautiful area heading towards Kenfig Hill, the path ending near a small park.
197011 heading towards Maesteg after getting the token from Tondu Signal Box by Kite, on Flickr
We headed via the roads (and a little Premier shop for cold drinks) to reach Pyle station, a station which doesn't have much in the way of seats and onto winner 197041 on a Manchester bound service, amazingly for a 2-coach TfW special we managed to get seats for the trip to Cardiff Central. Dinner was at the Great Western Spoons before we said farewell with Jules heading back towards Hereford with his bike and I decided to have another walk (because I was crazy!)
Remains of Margam - Tondu freight line from a foot crossing between Parc Slip & Bedford Park (Bridgend) (2) by Kite, on Flickr
I headed along the Taff Embankment, thinking about how long before the east side of the river is full of high-rise accommodation blocks, crossing the river on Clarence Road bridge and into Hamadryad Park. This led me towards the Cardiff Bay Wetlands with some beautiful views of the bay from a little jetty. I followed the path towards some old docks, passing the Mount Stuart Spoons into the busy Mermaid Quay area (lots of eateries). After doing a loop in this area I followed the Canal Park path within Butetown with the option of heading to Cardiff Bay station but the timings didn't work out (this was the time of night where service levels dropped to every 30 minutes so if I headed to the station, I would have had a 25-minute wait) so headed back towards the city centre via Dumballs Road.
This road took me back towards the Cardiff Central area (passing a handy looking Co-Op) as I headed via the city centre to locate the Travelodge near Queen Street (located on The Friary), a pedestrian area as I got given a warm room on the front of the hotel on the 4th floor, a noisy room from a nearby nightclub. A hotel where I suspect outside noise depends which side of the building you get a room, similar to the Travelodge nearest Cardiff Central. Anyhow I did manage to get some sleep once the nightclub closed up, but beforehand I was trying to decide on what to do on the Monday, not wanting too late of a finish. An enjoyable day with 3 different walks.
Cardiff Bay from Wetlands View Platform (2) by Kite, on Flickr
10th August – (David) Tennant Canal in Swansea
In the end I decided to head towards Swansea to walk the path alongside the disused Tennant Canal towards Neath. After checking out of the hotel I made my way towards Queen Street station (it seems that Tim Hortons has closed) and onto 231004 for the short junction to Cardiff Central, making an easy connection onto 800312 for the speedy trip to Swansea where my walk began. I headed out of the station towards the city centre, passing the remains of Swansea Castle, dropping down a hill to head towards the Parc Tawe Retail Park to get some more water from the Food Warehouse. After getting water I headed towards the River Tawe, crossing over the river on the Sail Bridge.
I followed signs for cycle route 4 for a path alongside the Fabian Way Road leading towards a busway along the route of the disused Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, crossing over Fabian Way on a bridge (with the busway heading towards a park & ride site). This took me towards the Port Tennant area of the city before the urban area gave way to woodland with the occasional glimpse of where the canal would have been (mainly a ditch).
Sail Bridge over the River Tawe in Swansea City Centre by Kite, on Flickr
The path quality was reasonable at this point however it changed from a smooth tarmac path to something more bumpy & rough when the canal appeared with water (certainly suitable for a Mountain Bike, not for a road bike). I reached Jersey Marine with the towpath flipping sides with the canal being on my right-hand side, although at times you couldn't see it due to being blocked with vegetation. This section was very rural, certainly not one to do during winter, it was also very quiet and pretty. I headed underneath the (mothballed?) railway line which heads towards Swansea Kings docks, the landscape turning more industrial and traffic noise picking up with the arrival of the M4.
I headed underneath another railway bridge, carrying one of the curves towards the Swansea District Line, underneath the M4 with the unexpected sound of a passing train on the line towards Neath Riverside (looked yellow so maybe that Network Rail 950 unit). The path quality in this part was reasonable, not the best but nothing impassable. After going underneath, the main Swansea District Line (all the railway bridges!), the towpath flipped sides onto a particularly bad section of towpath (bit overgrown). Thankfully it did improve once underneath the A465 skirting the edge of Skewen and reaching the delightful Neath Abbey, a worthwhile detour for the ruins.
Neath Abbey (9) by Kite, on Flickr
I returned to the canal, the towpath flipping sides once more with the landscape changing into more countryside before going underneath various bridges with the A465 and slip roads with the River Neath making an appearance on my right-hand side. I was in two minds about continuing towards Aberdulais where the Tennant Canal meets with the Neath canal but decided that could wait for another day and made my way towards Neath station via Morrisons for food.
At Neath station and it was onto a busy short formed 800014 (5 coaches instead of 10) to take me to Cardiff Central and onto a warm 166214 which got caught up with a farce of a 197 on a Holyhead bound service being late departing, eventually the 166 departed around 20 minutes late, increasing the lateness with a slow run towards Newport where it got overtaken by a sloth. Eventually it picked up speed after Newport and headed towards Bristol before following a stopping service after Bath Spa with no hope of making a connection at Salisbury I bailed at Westbury into the fresh air and onto a cool 158884.
Swansea District Railway Bridge over the Tennant Canal between the M4 Bridge (Skewen) & Neath (2) by Kite, on Flickr
This took me to Salisbury where I relaxed before boarding 158888 & 159005 on the 16:47 service to take me to Grateley to complete the trip. I got home to sort out my rucksack ready for my Tyneside Adventures, which feels a suitable place to finish this blog. As always thanks for reading, more photos (including from a trip along the Avon Valley footpath at the start of the month & from the Thanet trip) can be found on my Flickr *Here*. Have a good evening.
I had managed to use up some annual leave days to bridge the gap between two long weekends on the roster to give myself 12 days off, time which I needed after a crazy week at the start of August. The 6th August was spent with a day trip to Thanet in Kent to ride the open top route 69 tourist bus route with my good friend Dan to give myself a quieter day before all the walking!
7th August – Lancaster Canal in rural Lancashire.
Making use of the no peak fares from London on Fridays meant I could have a day trip to Lancashire to walk part of the canal between Preston & Lancaster, parts I’ve already covered on previous trips. The day started with the 05:22 service from Grateley to Waterloo with 159107 & 159016 followed with a stroll to Euston to grab a seat on a busy 390103 on the 07:30 Glasgow train for some high-speed Pendo travel to Preston. The start point of the canal walk would be near the junction with the Ribble Link in the Ingol area of the city, around 2 and a half miles away from the station. I decided to be a bit lazy and catch the route 44 Preston Bus service for Cottam alighting on Barry Avenue in a residential area of Ingol, crossing the canal on Cottam Mill Bridge and onto the towpath close to the junction.
The first section of the canal was a solid tarmac towpath as it forms a cycle route towards the sports area of a university (on the left-hand side) with housing on the right-hand side. The canal itself was green. The cycle path ended near the end of the housing in Cottam with countryside appearing on both sides of the canal, the towpath still being quite reasonable at this point. I headed underneath the A582 bridge and soon the sound of traffic reduced heading west towards Salwick (giving some views of the railway line at times). The limited served station of Salwick isn't that far from the canal towpath which turns to head north into a woodland cutting.
A Northern 331 heading towards Liverpool from the Lancaster Canal near Salwick by Kite, on FlickrNow in Salwick village centre (if you could call it that), passing a pub, the towpath changed from a solid surface to a more rural surface (which to be honest I was expecting to see a lot sooner), a mix of grass & sand-like dirt with the sound of traffic increasing as I headed underneath the M55. The canal did another turn, this time heading east, passing a few moored boats (I only saw one boat actually moving on this walk). I was now in the Blackleach rural area, still with fields to both sides with the sound of traffic from the right. In the Swillbrook area the canal turned from heading east to heading more north-east, along a peaceful towpath.
I paused for lunch at a handy bench seat near Moorside Lane before carrying on, now heading more north, crossing the New Mill Brook on Hollowforth Aqueduct. Still with some beautiful countryside on both sides (I do like my rural canal walks for the sense of isolation), I headed towards the village of Bilsborrow where I needed to decide as I could have easily kept going for the next 4 (or so) miles to reach the southern area (Bonds) of Garstang but I had one eye on trains heading back south as there was a couple of cancellations to the fast services to be wary off.
Lancaster Canal in the Salwick area (7) by Kite, on FlickrIn the end I decided to stick with my original split point for this canal, passing through Bilsborrow, crossing over the River Brock and heading towards the large Barton Grange Garden Centre, crossing underneath the A6 with the canal swinging through another 90-degree bend with the WCML appearing, the walk ending with a fast stroll alongside the A6 as a bus was due shortly (one of those walks where I kept on turning back for any sight of the bus). I reached the bus stop before the next Stagecoach route 41 service rolled in with a nice double decker to take me back towards Preston. Sadly, this bus did get caught up with some heavy traffic in the Fulwood area, but Moor Park looked like a nice place to explore.
Arriving into the bus station gave me options for trains, as I made my way to the railway station, the next London via the West Midlands service was cancelled at Preston with the following fast service from Glasgow being formed of 9 coaches and was at the time half an hour late. A Lumo was running nearly an hour late, so not wanting to hang in Preston for 90 minutes I managed to jump on 195118 for a fast run towards Manchester Piccadilly, where I made a nice connection onto 221115 on a Bournemouth service, as there was issues on SWR. Coach B on this voyager getting busy at Stoke on Trent, emptying out at Wolverhampton, surprisingly departed Birmingham New Street with at least a dozen empty seats that I could see, filling up again at the Airport, and slowly emptied out along the way. The voyager lost time around Kenilworth due to a late running Manchester bound service.
Lancaster Canal between Woodplumpton & Bilsborrow (42) by Kite, on FlickrAnnoyingly the train I was hoping to connect into at Basingstoke was running on time, with the following service running late, so I headed out of the station for some fresh air before boarding a busy 158885 for the short run back to Grateley to end the day trip. An enjoyable trip to the Lancaster canal, deciding that when I do the section from Barton Grange Garden Centre (Brock) towards Galgate, it would be better to stay overnight in the general area, just to save the hassle of a late finish.
8th August – Kidderminster to Stourbridge by Canal
Today I decided to head towards Worcestershire to finish both the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and the Stourbridge Canal. The day began with the 05:59 service from Grateley with 158883 & 159010 to Basingstoke, changing onto 220034 & 221128 with the front 4 coaches locked out of use (I have no clue if they came into use at any point, I made my usual bee-line to coach B on the 221 which was at the rear of the train). Arriving into Birmingham New Street near enough on time, gave me the chance to grab some breakfast from Tim Hortons before making my way to Moor Street to board 172003 & 172340 on a Kidderminster terminator (I’ll be back!)
At Kidderminster my walk began, passing the steam railway station (reminds me that one of these days I will take a train from there towards Bridgnorth). Heading via the town centre, going via Tesco to grab lunch items and some more water as it was a bit warmer today compared to Friday. I joined the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal alongside the Tesco superstore car park, heading north going underneath a tunnel formed with the St Marys Ringway road, the towpath swapping sides at the lock (giving some nice views of the church). This section of towpath was reasonably busy with other users and a nice solid surface as I headed via the suburbs before heading into the countryside, the towpath being quite changeable going forward.
I continued my walk in the countryside, reaching Wolverley, the canal being a bit curvy at times heading towards Cookley and a short tunnel. After leaving Cookley I returned to the rural area, the sound of traffic from the A449 not being too far away, heading north to the Kinver area, the canal skirting both Kinver & Dunsley, curving east via another short tunnel before curving north towards Stourton, reaching the junction with the Stourbridge Canal. An enjoyable walk with some nice countryside.
Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal between Kidderminster & Wolverley (11) by Kite, on FlickrTurning right onto the Stourbridge Canal, it was a short walk within Stourton before that headed into the countryside, with some nice woodland at times, heading towards Stourbridge itself and the junction with the Town Arm. Another canal onto the completed list, as I made my way along the town arm towards Wollaston Road, before following the roads towards Stourbridge Town station and onto 139001 for the spin up the hill to Stourbridge Junction.
I made a tight connection onto 172332 & 172215 to take me towards Birmingham Snow Hill, where I had time to go via the Co-Op to grab some supplies for dinner before making my way to Birmingham New Street and onto a late running 221116 which had lost time around Stafford. I managed to grab a reasonable seat in coach B and relaxed as the train emptied out at Coventry, losing more time in Kenilworth loop for the Nuneaton service to pass on the single-track line. Thankfully it departed Reading before a GWR stopper to reach Basingstoke around 20 minutes late, being thankful I grabbed food earlier in the afternoon in Birmingham as I waited for 158886 & 159002 to roll in from London. An early finish, but I didn’t fancy hanging around Birmingham as the city centre was just chaotic.
Ozzy the Bull at Birmingham New Street by Kite, on Flickr9th August – Return to South Wales
I had a hotel booked in Cardiff (Travelodge on Queen Street) with a lot of potential ideas for walks, some went back on the pile due to engineering works north of Radyr. The day started with 159015 & 159106 for the short hop to Andover, followed with 159013 to Reading (with an extended pause at Reading Green Park waiting for an engineering works block to get lifted, allowing time for a photo). After grabbing some breakfast related items, it was onto a late running 800036, which I suspect might have been running on diesel as it kept on losing time towards Swindon where it turned left at Wootton Bassett Junction to go nonstop via Chippenham & Bath Spa towards Bristol (the London bound train it passed at Bath looked very busy!) The unit took Dr Days curve onto Filton bank to Bristol Parkway where it crashed into 800010 to become 10 coaches.
Reversing at Bristol Parkway, now running 50-odd minutes late, it headed into Wales and I alighted at Newport with a nice connection into a very busy 197026 on a Chester train to take me to Pontypool & New Inn, a station I could swear used to have a much better Sunday service than the 2 hourly it sees these days. Spend countless millions on a brand-new car park with access from the A4042 dual carriageway and lifts to access said car park but not to exit the station by foot but still have a rubbish frequency. Anyhow like all the others who alighted from the train, I left the station via the original stairs onto the roads, crossing the dual carriageway and reaching the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
197026 departs Pontypool & New Inn Station by Kite, on FlickrThe first of today's walks was along this canal towards Cwmbran, meeting up with a walk I did back in October 2024 (long time ago!) As expected, as part of a cycle route, the towpath was decent quality as I crossed over the Afon Lwyd passing Pontymoile basin (which at one point used to have another part of the canal branching off). Going underneath the A472 & an old railway viaduct (the former GWR route towards Blaenavon, this canal was quite urban with the towpath being busy (dog walkers, joggers, cyclists). I continued mostly south via Griffithstown & Sebastopol reaching the limit of navigation, and the Cwmbran tunnel where annoyingly the canal towpath was blocked due to housing developments.
A reasonably signposted diversional route was followed via the modern housing development (says something about how new it is, when it doesn't even show on Google Maps!), joining the route of the canal on Five Locks Road, dropping down the remains of the locks towards the Cwmbran area, putting a bit of a fast pace along the road to reach the station as I was a bit short on time, making to make it in time for 197002 & 197011 to take me to Cardiff Central, where after popping out of the station to grab a late lunch (and more liquids) I met up with my good friend Jules who was down in Cardiff picking up his bike from getting serviced.
Cwmbran Tunnel Portal on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Cwmbran by Kite, on FlickrWe jumped onto 197011 to take us to Tondu to start my second walk of the warm day. After grabbing a photograph of the 197 heading into the hills with the Tondu signal box, we followed the road to pick up the route of cycle route 4 leading towards the large Parc Slip nature reserve (on the site of a former colliery). This was very rural & beautiful, passing a memorial to those who lost their lives in an explosion in 1892, certainly an area we could easily return to again for a bigger explore. We continued as the cycle path ran alongside the mothballed Tondu - Margam freight line (massively overgrown in a couple of places with foot crossings & a level crossing over a minor road). This path took us towards Bedford Park and onto the route of the former Llynvi and Ogmore Railway route towards Porthcawl. This was another beautiful area heading towards Kenfig Hill, the path ending near a small park.
197011 heading towards Maesteg after getting the token from Tondu Signal Box by Kite, on FlickrWe headed via the roads (and a little Premier shop for cold drinks) to reach Pyle station, a station which doesn't have much in the way of seats and onto winner 197041 on a Manchester bound service, amazingly for a 2-coach TfW special we managed to get seats for the trip to Cardiff Central. Dinner was at the Great Western Spoons before we said farewell with Jules heading back towards Hereford with his bike and I decided to have another walk (because I was crazy!)
Remains of Margam - Tondu freight line from a foot crossing between Parc Slip & Bedford Park (Bridgend) (2) by Kite, on FlickrI headed along the Taff Embankment, thinking about how long before the east side of the river is full of high-rise accommodation blocks, crossing the river on Clarence Road bridge and into Hamadryad Park. This led me towards the Cardiff Bay Wetlands with some beautiful views of the bay from a little jetty. I followed the path towards some old docks, passing the Mount Stuart Spoons into the busy Mermaid Quay area (lots of eateries). After doing a loop in this area I followed the Canal Park path within Butetown with the option of heading to Cardiff Bay station but the timings didn't work out (this was the time of night where service levels dropped to every 30 minutes so if I headed to the station, I would have had a 25-minute wait) so headed back towards the city centre via Dumballs Road.
This road took me back towards the Cardiff Central area (passing a handy looking Co-Op) as I headed via the city centre to locate the Travelodge near Queen Street (located on The Friary), a pedestrian area as I got given a warm room on the front of the hotel on the 4th floor, a noisy room from a nearby nightclub. A hotel where I suspect outside noise depends which side of the building you get a room, similar to the Travelodge nearest Cardiff Central. Anyhow I did manage to get some sleep once the nightclub closed up, but beforehand I was trying to decide on what to do on the Monday, not wanting too late of a finish. An enjoyable day with 3 different walks.
Cardiff Bay from Wetlands View Platform (2) by Kite, on Flickr10th August – (David) Tennant Canal in Swansea
In the end I decided to head towards Swansea to walk the path alongside the disused Tennant Canal towards Neath. After checking out of the hotel I made my way towards Queen Street station (it seems that Tim Hortons has closed) and onto 231004 for the short junction to Cardiff Central, making an easy connection onto 800312 for the speedy trip to Swansea where my walk began. I headed out of the station towards the city centre, passing the remains of Swansea Castle, dropping down a hill to head towards the Parc Tawe Retail Park to get some more water from the Food Warehouse. After getting water I headed towards the River Tawe, crossing over the river on the Sail Bridge.
I followed signs for cycle route 4 for a path alongside the Fabian Way Road leading towards a busway along the route of the disused Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, crossing over Fabian Way on a bridge (with the busway heading towards a park & ride site). This took me towards the Port Tennant area of the city before the urban area gave way to woodland with the occasional glimpse of where the canal would have been (mainly a ditch).
Sail Bridge over the River Tawe in Swansea City Centre by Kite, on FlickrThe path quality was reasonable at this point however it changed from a smooth tarmac path to something more bumpy & rough when the canal appeared with water (certainly suitable for a Mountain Bike, not for a road bike). I reached Jersey Marine with the towpath flipping sides with the canal being on my right-hand side, although at times you couldn't see it due to being blocked with vegetation. This section was very rural, certainly not one to do during winter, it was also very quiet and pretty. I headed underneath the (mothballed?) railway line which heads towards Swansea Kings docks, the landscape turning more industrial and traffic noise picking up with the arrival of the M4.
I headed underneath another railway bridge, carrying one of the curves towards the Swansea District Line, underneath the M4 with the unexpected sound of a passing train on the line towards Neath Riverside (looked yellow so maybe that Network Rail 950 unit). The path quality in this part was reasonable, not the best but nothing impassable. After going underneath, the main Swansea District Line (all the railway bridges!), the towpath flipped sides onto a particularly bad section of towpath (bit overgrown). Thankfully it did improve once underneath the A465 skirting the edge of Skewen and reaching the delightful Neath Abbey, a worthwhile detour for the ruins.
Neath Abbey (9) by Kite, on FlickrI returned to the canal, the towpath flipping sides once more with the landscape changing into more countryside before going underneath various bridges with the A465 and slip roads with the River Neath making an appearance on my right-hand side. I was in two minds about continuing towards Aberdulais where the Tennant Canal meets with the Neath canal but decided that could wait for another day and made my way towards Neath station via Morrisons for food.
At Neath station and it was onto a busy short formed 800014 (5 coaches instead of 10) to take me to Cardiff Central and onto a warm 166214 which got caught up with a farce of a 197 on a Holyhead bound service being late departing, eventually the 166 departed around 20 minutes late, increasing the lateness with a slow run towards Newport where it got overtaken by a sloth. Eventually it picked up speed after Newport and headed towards Bristol before following a stopping service after Bath Spa with no hope of making a connection at Salisbury I bailed at Westbury into the fresh air and onto a cool 158884.
Swansea District Railway Bridge over the Tennant Canal between the M4 Bridge (Skewen) & Neath (2) by Kite, on FlickrThis took me to Salisbury where I relaxed before boarding 158888 & 159005 on the 16:47 service to take me to Grateley to complete the trip. I got home to sort out my rucksack ready for my Tyneside Adventures, which feels a suitable place to finish this blog. As always thanks for reading, more photos (including from a trip along the Avon Valley footpath at the start of the month & from the Thanet trip) can be found on my Flickr *Here*. Have a good evening.
Kite159
Veteran Member
11 – 16th August Trips (North East, Staffordshire, Kenilworth)
I booked a guest house in Whitley Bay for 3 nights with multiple ideas for walks, some of those ideas got put back on ice due to the hot weather forecasted, but like always with my North East trips I changed my mind more times than a weather vane in stormy weather.
11th August – Onwards to Newcastle & Newburn Riverside
With my rucksack packed, I left the house to walk to the station for the 06:57 service to Waterloo with 158883 & 159009 on this busy short formed (5 coaches instead of 8) service. At Waterloo I had my usual stroll across the city to Kings Cross arriving with time to spare before boarding 801225 (the one with Eleanor Rigby vinyl) working the 09:30 Edinburgh fast service. As usual I had reserved a seat in coach G which wasn’t that busy (private table to York where I was meant to be joined with 3 others who didn’t show up). A speedy run to Newcastle where my walk began.
I had decided it would be a good day to walk the cycle path alongside the north bank of the Tyne which turns into an old railway line path (the original route of the Tyne Valle line which used Scotswood Railway bridge). Exiting the station at Newcastle I made my way down the steep hill towards the Tyne and cycle route 72 joining the path near the Metro bridge. I paused near the railway bridge for a photograph of an Azuma crossing the river before continuing along the busy path (it was a sunny day and it was lunchtime). This side gave some nice views of the Dunston Staiths before the cycle path moved away from the river front in the Benwell area of the city.
A LNER Azuma crossing the King Edward VII Bridge in Newcastle by Kite, on Flickr
The next section was a path alongside Scotswood Road before picking up the former railway route, heading further inland with some woodland before dropping back down towards the road (and also the Tyne). I headed underneath the A1, reaching the Newburn Riverside Park, a path which follows the river round a bend with office & industrial buildings on the right-hand side. The riverside path ended in an industrial estate area, which I followed a short cut to join the route of another old railway line heading towards Lemington, passing the point I joined this route earlier in the year where I randomly decided to walk to Prudhoe in the drizzle.
This old railway line path ended near the A1 (where I believe the railway used to go into a tunnel which has since been sealed up), and I followed another path to cross over the A1 into Denton Burn Dene Park (and the football ground of Newcastle Blue Star FC) before heading north via a very nice woodland area (a bit hilly but beautiful woodland). After leaving the woodland I followed the path via Denton to reach Stamfordham Road, near the Stagecoach depot at Slatyford. I jumped onto a stagecoach run route 62 service towards the city centre (would continue towards Killingworth, part of me was tempted to stay on to Four Lane Ends but I bailed near Monument.
Denton Dene, Scotswood, Newcastle (8) by Kite, on Flickr
I headed towards the metro station and onto 555003 to take me towards Whitley Bay (via South Gosforth) to get myself checked into the guest house, going via Iceland to pick up some supplies of bottles for the following days. After getting checked in, emptying out my rucksack (and relaxing for 10 minutes) I headed back out, going via Morrisons for some bottles of flavoured water and back to Whitley Bay, annoyingly just missing a winner 555 heading to South Shields (if I had gone towards Monkseaton Metro I might have caught it). I jumped onto 555019 on a St James service to take me towards Monument (via North Shields) where I spent the next hour (or so) with my little red pen, finishing the day with 555033 back to Whitley Bay. After visiting the local Spoons for dinner (I was going to have a burger as it was Tuesday Burger Club night, but they had fish & chips on a special offer). After dinner I headed towards the waterfront for some photos when it was quieter (I dread to think how busy the beach would have been during the day). When I got back to the guest house, I relaxed thinking about options for the following day making a decision to reverse the direction of a planned walk.
12th August – Hart to Haswell & Bedlington
I had decided to walk the Hart to Haswell Walkway path which roughly follows the route of the “Hartlepool Dock and Railway” route from Hart (north Hartlepool) towards Wingate, Shotton Colliery & South Hetton, where it would meet up with a walk I did earlier in the year from Seaham towards Ryhope. My original idea for this walk was to catch a bus to South Hetton (3 buses an hour from Newcastle) to walk south & east towards Hartlepool, but I decided to swap the direction so the sun would be behind me.
The day began leaving the comfy bed in the guest house to Whitley Bay Metro to catch 555031 to Central Station, where after grabbing some breakfast items I jumped onto 802218 working the first available service towards Durham, before making my way to the bus station for an Arriva run route 24 service bound for Hartlepool for an enjoyable trip across the county. This bus ran via Sherburn, Haswell, Shotton Colliery towards Peterlee, then towards Hartlepool via Horden & Crimdon. I left the bus in the area known as Hart Station (named after the former Hart railway station where the disused railway path connected with the Durham Coast line. A walk via a housing estate led me towards the railway path.
Hart to Haswell Walkway (Cycle Route 14) at Hart Station (Hartlepool) (From footbridge over railway) by Kite, on Flickr
The first section ran alongside the existing railway before the railway branched northwards towards Crimdon and I carried on towards a very pretty wooded nature reserve area. The sound of traffic soon disappearing as I entered countryside, the path was decent all be a bit narrow in places. I reached Hesleden close to a land regeneration site before returning to countryside & Castle Eden. After going underneath the busy sounding A19 the path turned direction towards Wingate where it joined up with the Castle Eden Walkway old railway line path from the Stockton direction.
I was now following cycle route 1 as well as route 14, skirting round the edge of Wingate before having to detour to cross over the A181 road (which wasn't the nicest of road crossings). After re-joining the route of the old railway I continued towards Shotton Colliery with a planned detour to a nearby Co-Op was foiled by a locked gate near a footbridge over a cutting. I continued along the busy path (other walkers, joggers & cyclists, thankfully not many idiotic dog walkers as it was far too hot to take dogs out).
Junction between the Hart to Haswell Walkway (Cycle Route 14) & the Castle Eden Walkway (Cycle Route 1) in Wingate by Kite, on Flickr
Near Haswell the route of the original Hartlepool Dock and Railway carried straight on, with the cycle path following a NER built chord towards the Durham and Sunderland Railway route to Seaham Harbour. This took me towards South Hetton where the walk came to an end near the former South Hetton Colliery. I was lucky and didn't have long to wait for the next Go North East operated X1 service to Peterlee which headed to the town centre bus station via Easington. I headed towards a nearby Asda for a late lunch as well as getting something cold to drink. Returning to the bus station gave me multiple options, either a fast service (X10) towards Newcastle via Heworth or a fast service (X6) to Sunderland. As it was a X10 up first (from Middlesborough) with a double decker complete with comfortable table seats (even if it was a bit warm upstairs). This bus route took me away from Peterlee and on the A19 dual carriageway, detouring via Dalton Park Shopping Centre before resuming the fast run along the A19 towards Boldon & the A184 towards Heworth & Gateshead where I decided to bail, an enjoyable limited stop fast run (and who doesn't enjoy travelling on a double decker on a dual carriageway!)
I jumped on 555017 to take me to Gateshead Stadium to enjoy the fresh-ish air and broke out my little deckchair before winner 555020 rolled in to take me to Central Station, where I came up with an idea as I wasn’t getting into the groove of Metro hunting, taking 555013 to Haymarket where I transferred to the bus station and onto an Arriva run X21 bound for Newbiggin. Earlier in the year I had some unfinished business around Bedlington Station. This warm double decker took me towards Bedlington itself via the Regent Centre & Hartford Bridge. Plessey Woods Country Park & Northumberlandia (Lady of the North) have gone onto my list to further investigations. Anyhow my walk began as I headed towards Netherton Lane and onto a footpath heading towards the A1086 & towards Millfield, one of those mysterious paths which looks interesting on the map. After detouring via a housing estate, I picked up a cycle path which ran alongside the River Blyth (which is still beautiful). This took me towards the site of the former Bedlington Ironworks before I followed the north bank of the river underneath the railway viaduct and onto cycle route 1 on a path alongside the railway towards Bedlington station itself.
A Northern 156 crossing the Bedlington Viaduct by Kite, on Flickr
It wasn’t a long wait for 156483 to return from Ashington to take me towards Newcastle station (in hindsight I should have bailed at Northumberland Park) and onto 555013 to Whitley Bay, where sadly the cloud cover had arrived blocking out sight of the eclipse (although it did get dark during the main event). Afterwards I went via Spoons (for lack of a better idea for dinner) and relaxed in the guest house, complete with a cool shower to wash away the sweat. Once more I was thinking about options for the following day as I was toying with doing the long bus route to Berwick (the X18) but didn’t fancy being on a double decker on a potentially warm day. Some buses are better than others when it comes to windows, but I decided that the X18 could wait for a cooler day.
13th August – Stockton & Darlington plus Auckland Way
The day began slightly earlier than on the Wednesday, with 555035 to Monument via North Shields (as I had just missed a train via South Gosforth), followed with 555020 to Central Station (one of those moments where it would have been quicker to walk). After grabbing breakfast, I boarded 802205 on the 08:03 TPE service to Manchester Piccadilly to take me to Darlington to tick off the recently opened platform 5 on a new up loop to save trains heading towards York from having to cross over the down fast line into the old station building. After a little explore at the new buildings, it was onto 156451 from bay platform 6 to take me to Dinsdale where the first of today’s walks began.
I followed the roads in Middleton St George (where Dinsdale station is located) towards the roundabout with the A67 (similar walk I did back in 2018 when I walked to the since mothballed Tees-Side Airport Station). This time I turned left and onto a cycle path which ran along the route of the original Stockton & Darlington Railway. It was already getting a bit on the warm side as I followed the path towards the site of the former Fighting Cocks station (couldn't get any photographs due to workmen being in the way), and once underneath the A67 the path headed into woodland before crossing the A66 on a modern bridge with the railway path ending near an industrial estate. The route of the railway since being built over by Tornado Way with a walking route alongside the main road separated by hedges.
802205 departs Darlington Station by Kite, on Flickr
This path was followed until I reached the Red Hall residential area of Darlington, cutting via the housing estates to reach a path alongside the River Skerne, which I followed towards the Rockwell Nature Reserve (very pretty). After the nature reserve, I headed underneath the ECML and followed the river towards the world-famous Skerne Bridge finishing the walk at North Road station (detouring via Morrisons for some supplies considering as I had the time). This station was quite busy for the Saltburn bound service (everybody going to the beach?) as I waited for 156448 to roll in to take me to Bishop Auckland where the second of today's walks would begin.
Leaving the station at Bishop Auckland, I headed via the Asda to reach the cemetery, before following a path across the river Gaunless and onto a woodland path leading towards Auckland Park where the Auckland Way railway path began. This is a path along the route of the closed Byers Green Branch of the Clarence Railway, once away from Auckland Park the path headed into the countryside with a bit of woodland, giving the occasional glimpse of a beautiful scenic view (for this part of the country is beautiful)
156484 at North Road Station by Kite, on Flickr
This path doesn't really go close to any settlements, passing the site of the Byers Green station (complete with old platform) before turning east (joining up with the route of the main Clarence Railway). I felt the sun more on this section as it was to my right rather than behind me, as this section was more open countryside. I soon reached the town of Spennymoor, with a little detour via the Asda for a cold drink (I partially like the Dom Simon branded Lemon & Raspberry Juice Drink, and not because it's blue), before heading to a bus stop on Cheapside. It seemed the Newcastle bound bus was a no-show as the first bus was an Arriva run route 6 with a warm service towards Durham bus station, where I decided to sample the fast X20 Go North-East route towards Sunderland via the A690 road, detouring to serve Carrville, Houghton-Le-Spring & the south western suburbs of Sunderland).
The bus took me to the Park Lane Interchange, where I had a gentle stroll to Sunderland railway station for some fresh air, in my mind Sunderland needs a lot more signage on the platform to tell passengers which end of the long platforms trains actually stop. I took 555018 to Pelaw where I decided to have another short walk, as on a previous trip to Newcastle I had spotted a walk near Pelaw station along what seems to be an old railway, signposted as the Angel Cycleway for a short walk towards High Heworth where I was toying with catching a bus but decided to walk towards Heworth station instead where I spent the next couple of hours having a little Metro hunt, although the only score being 555039. I ended up with 555041 to Whitley Bay via North Shields, where after dinner I headed to the waterfront for a last night at Whitley Bay photograph on the sands.
Down on the Beach at Whitley Bay (1) by Kite, on Flickr
I returned to the guest house to get myself sorted ready to check out in the morning, returning the mobile house to the rucksack and deciding on an idea for the Friday. An enjoyable (if a bit warm!) day with varied scenery.
14th August – Visiting Newbiggin by the Sea
For my last day (boo) in the North East, I was originally thinking to head towards Sunderland to walk the old railway line path near University towards Ryhope via Silksworth to position myself for the mid-day Grand Central service however as usual I changed my mind. So, after checking out of the guest house, I made my way to the bus stop on Park Avenue (outside the little Sainsburys Local which sadly doesn’t open until 8am) onto the Arriva run route 57 service to Ashington, with a double decker (the allocations for this bus route seem to be quite varied).
This bus took me away from Whitley Bay via Monkseaton and Earsdon towards Seaton Delaval & Cramlington. After a detour via a hospital site, the bus continued towards Bedlington & Ashington where my walk began as I made my way to the nearby Asda for some breakfast & to make use of the toilets. Afterwards I followed the pavement alongside the A197 at the northern edge of the town, running parallel with the existing freight line towards Lynemouth with a couple of foot crossings (giving access to the Queen Elizabeth Country Park).
Railway Tracks in Ashington (near the Queen Elizabeth Country Park) by Kite, on Flickr
The pavement turned into a separate path away from the road going via some woodland before crossing the A189 alongside a roundabout before the old railway line path towards Newbiggin started. A reasonable quality surface path with some rural views as it headed towards the seaside. Once I reached Newbiggin, I followed the road towards Church Point where I joined the path alongside the Promenade for an enjoyable stroll by the waterfront. After the Promenade I followed the Coastal Path route towards the Sandy Bay Holiday Park, detouring via the holiday park due to coastal erosion making the coastal path unsafe. This took me towards the Wansbeck Estuary and another path alongside the river Wansbeck, underneath the A189 with the long-distance England Coastal path heading south towards Cambois and I continued along a curvy hilly path towards the Wansbeck Riverside Country Park where the path quality did increase.
I headed underneath the railway viaduct, even pausing at a reasonable location for a photo of a passing 158, only for the sun to decide to pop out from behind the clouds making the photograph not the greatest. Anyhow I continued along the riverside path, quite busy with other path users, finishing near a car park and I made my way up a steep hill towards the roads of Ashington and via the suburbs to reach the station, arriving at the same time as 158816, which was lucky as the following service had been cancelled. This 158 (which got busy along the way) took me to Newcastle where I had time to visit Sainsburys for lunch before boarding 801219 on a fast London service, even getting lucky to get a seat at a table which was reserved from Edinburgh to London but had nobody sitting there.
Beach at Newbiggin by the Sea (1) by Kite, on Flickr
An uneventful trip towards London, where I felt the temperature rising the further south to the point that Kings Cross was quite toasty, certainly not the day to walk 2 miles to Waterloo nor get cooked on the underground, so I headed to St Pancras for 700022 to Blackfriars for the shorter walk to Waterloo. After going via Iceland for something cold to drink I boarded a roasting hot 159007 & 159013 which was so hot it was limited speed due to the driver needing the window open to get air in the cab, to the point where I needed to leave at a busy & chaotic Basingstoke as it was running nonstop to Salisbury due to being around 30 minutes late. Sometime later 159022 & 159015 arrived on another service, still quite hot but not as hot as the last pair, these took me to Grateley to end my North Eastern adventures. Farewell Whitley Bay, for I will be back next month.
15th August - Churnet Valley Line
I was considering heading towards Cricklade today to finish the Thames Path, but I decided after a busy week to have a shorter walk. After looking at various options I decided on a visit to Staffordshire to walk the path along the route of the Churnet Valley Line between Leek & Rushton Spencer via Rudyard Lake. The day began with the 05:27 service from Grateley to Waterloo with 159016, as I made my way to the Northern line with 51613/51612 taking me to Euston where it was a fast walk to make a connection onto the 07:13 Manchester service with a lightly loaded 390155 to take me to Stoke on Trent (just to save hanging around Euston for an extra 40 minutes for a 9-coach Pendo).
At Stoke on Trent it was a short walk over to the bay platform and onto 323205 for the speedy run to Macclesfield, departing ahead of a late running XC service and surprisingly didn’t get looped at Macclesfield for the XC to pass. I had a gentle stroll towards Macclesfield bus station via a Tesco for some supplies and waited for the Aimee run route 109 for Leek with an old Solo (YK05 CCN) on a busy service. It dropped a couple of passengers off near the football club at the southern end of the town, before following the A523 via some nice countryside and I left the bus in the village of Rushton Spencer where my walk began.
323205 at Stoke on Trent Station by Kite, on Flickr
The first section was along Station Lane to reach the old station (now a private house) and onto a section of old railway heading north west which is part of the Staffordshire Way. The railway path ended at a road bridge close to the River Dane (the route continued but was heavily overgrown and is a dead-end since the railway bridge over the river is long gone). I doubled back towards Rushton station, passing a pub and small car park to re-join the route of the old railway. The car park had evidence of an old platform but it was overgrown and had vehicles parked so I couldn't get a decent photo nor investigate.
The second section of today's walk was leaving Rushton Spencer behind on a path which had a reasonable quality surface, not one to do during winter months as I suspect it would get muddy in places. It was very woody, and soon I reached the northern edge of Rudyard Lake, a large body of water built to supply the Caldon Canal. The path in this area was now mostly tarmac and quite busy with other visitors to this large lake, where the water level looked to be low due to exposed dried mud at the edge, the lake being hidden from view by trees but it was a delight to see it with gaps in the trees.
Rudyard Lake by Kite, on Flickr
My walk continued heading towards the southern edge of the lake, and I reached Hunthouse Wood Station on the narrow-gauge Rudyard Lake Steam Railway, a railway line which ran alongside the path towards the Dam at the southern edge of the lake. Leaving the lakeside behind I soon reached Rudyard Station complete with a very busy steam service ready to depart and was soon back in the beautiful countryside. The path took me towards the town of Leek, ending in the Westwood area of the town (the railway itself used to continue via a tunnel which has since been filled in). The last section of the walk was via the suburbs to reach the town centre and the bus station.
The first available bus towards Hanley was the First run Route 18 service which follows the A53 via Endon & Stockton Brook to reach Stoke on Trent and Hanley Bus Station. I had a gentle stroll towards Stoke on Trent station, relaxing before 390148 rolled in to take me to Euston with a trip on the Northern line with 51647 & 51648 to Waterloo where I managed to make a connection with a Salisbury service for 158890 & 159105 to take me back to Grateley to end a short-day trip to Staffordshire. A walk worth doing for the scenery and a little steam train.
Rudyard Station on the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway by Kite, on Flickr
16th August – Kenilworth Greenway
Another day where I changed my mind as originally, I was considering heading towards Wakefield to walk the Aire and Calder Navigation towards Castleford, but I decided to put that on ice (and a good thing I did considering the ECML fell over in the afternoon!) I decided to change my plan for a short walk along the Kenilworth Greenway. A walk where I was in two minds about doing due to the last couple of miles being a temporary route due to HS2 construction however even when the original route of the greenway gets put back, it won’t be the same as it used to be, for it will Never Be the Same Again (as Mel C once sang).
The day began with 159020 & 159016 to take me to Andover, stepping back onto 159006 on the Reading train. At Reading I popped out of the station to grab some supplies for breakfast before taking a seat on a lightly loaded 221130 & 221125 on a rare 10 coach XC formation to Leamington Spa, where I made a fast walk to the bus stop for the Stagecoach run X17 service to take me to Kenilworth, as I didn’t noticed that the inbound for the next Nuneaton train had departed late from Coventry.
After detouring via a large Sainsburys to make use of the toilet, I headed towards the Castle Farm Leisure Centre to follow a path alongside the Finham Brook towards Abbey Fields. Crossing Abbey Fields I detoured via the remains of the Abbey & the church before picking up the cycle path alongside the brook once more taking me to Kenilworth Common. An area on my list to revisit on another trip (as part of an explore of the route towards Coventry via the University campus. I reached the starting point of the greenway path, running alongside the railway near Kenilworth loop before branching away in a north western direction.
Kenilworth Greenway within Kenilworth Common (2) by Kite, on Flickr
The first section was a bit urban, but once away from the housing the path soon opened out with countryside mixed with woodland. A very busy path with cyclists, dog walkers, joggers for a sunny Sunday. The old railway line path ends in Burton Green where the start of the HS2 related diverted temporary path, a path which has a decent surface and well-constructed fences as it weaves its way across some fields towards Balsall Common where Berkswell Station is located. Not much in the way of viewing of HS2 itself (I think this section it is mostly going to be underground). I made it to Berkswell station with plenty of time before the next London train. One thing I will say is where the Birmingham bound platform has quite a lot of bench seats along the length of the platform, the Coventry bound platform has a couple small shelters but nothing else.
It was onto a reasonably busy 350407 & 350405 to take me to Rugby where I made a tight connection onto a late running Crewe service which was a quite busy winner 730227 & dud 730222 to take me to Nuneaton (a connection I wouldn’t have otherwise made had it not been running 5 minutes late, another 730 into my little book). On seeing how busy that northbound service was I decided to turn down the next southbound LNR service (owing to the previous train running fast due to late running) and head towards Asda for a little potter. I returned to the station to relax, turning down a Pendo from Manchester for 222601 from Stirling for my first taste of Lumo’s West Coast operation.
2220601 at Nuneaton by Kite, on Flickr
I ended up (completely by chance) in the former 1st class coach which has been reseated with similar seats to the refurbished voyagers, managed to get a seat (reservation screens not working) with a ticket check soon after departure. Arriving into Euston near enough on time, I saw the other coaches looked very busy judging by the numbers alighting from them, as I headed across to board 710378 on the next Watford service to take me to Willesden Junction where I made a swift connection onto 378231 on the next Clapham Junction take, even getting a seat near the back of the train. All was going well until it terminated at Shepherd’s Bush for some unknown reason, making the platform very busy. An already busy 377703 rolled in from Watford (complete with drunken kickball fans) soaking up some of the crowd (but even that left folk behind). At Clapham Junction, it took a few minutes for the crowd to head down the stairs on P17 as I made my way to jump on the first available Waterloo train (better than hanging around Clapham Junction for longer than required), this turned out to be winner 701015.
At Waterloo, I made my slow way towards the 17:45 service formed of 159016, 159020 & 159011 to take me to Grateley to end the day trip to Warwickshire. An enjoyable former railway line walk. The Monday was a little restful red pen day scoring a trio of 701s & getting 701002 over ten miles after a visit to the dentist. A quieter day to end the time away from work, allowing myself to catch up with admin & the many photos. Those photos can be found on my Flickr *here*, thanks for reading, my final trip of August is planning to be an overnight trip to the North West.
I booked a guest house in Whitley Bay for 3 nights with multiple ideas for walks, some of those ideas got put back on ice due to the hot weather forecasted, but like always with my North East trips I changed my mind more times than a weather vane in stormy weather.
11th August – Onwards to Newcastle & Newburn Riverside
With my rucksack packed, I left the house to walk to the station for the 06:57 service to Waterloo with 158883 & 159009 on this busy short formed (5 coaches instead of 8) service. At Waterloo I had my usual stroll across the city to Kings Cross arriving with time to spare before boarding 801225 (the one with Eleanor Rigby vinyl) working the 09:30 Edinburgh fast service. As usual I had reserved a seat in coach G which wasn’t that busy (private table to York where I was meant to be joined with 3 others who didn’t show up). A speedy run to Newcastle where my walk began.
I had decided it would be a good day to walk the cycle path alongside the north bank of the Tyne which turns into an old railway line path (the original route of the Tyne Valle line which used Scotswood Railway bridge). Exiting the station at Newcastle I made my way down the steep hill towards the Tyne and cycle route 72 joining the path near the Metro bridge. I paused near the railway bridge for a photograph of an Azuma crossing the river before continuing along the busy path (it was a sunny day and it was lunchtime). This side gave some nice views of the Dunston Staiths before the cycle path moved away from the river front in the Benwell area of the city.
A LNER Azuma crossing the King Edward VII Bridge in Newcastle by Kite, on FlickrThe next section was a path alongside Scotswood Road before picking up the former railway route, heading further inland with some woodland before dropping back down towards the road (and also the Tyne). I headed underneath the A1, reaching the Newburn Riverside Park, a path which follows the river round a bend with office & industrial buildings on the right-hand side. The riverside path ended in an industrial estate area, which I followed a short cut to join the route of another old railway line heading towards Lemington, passing the point I joined this route earlier in the year where I randomly decided to walk to Prudhoe in the drizzle.
This old railway line path ended near the A1 (where I believe the railway used to go into a tunnel which has since been sealed up), and I followed another path to cross over the A1 into Denton Burn Dene Park (and the football ground of Newcastle Blue Star FC) before heading north via a very nice woodland area (a bit hilly but beautiful woodland). After leaving the woodland I followed the path via Denton to reach Stamfordham Road, near the Stagecoach depot at Slatyford. I jumped onto a stagecoach run route 62 service towards the city centre (would continue towards Killingworth, part of me was tempted to stay on to Four Lane Ends but I bailed near Monument.
Denton Dene, Scotswood, Newcastle (8) by Kite, on FlickrI headed towards the metro station and onto 555003 to take me towards Whitley Bay (via South Gosforth) to get myself checked into the guest house, going via Iceland to pick up some supplies of bottles for the following days. After getting checked in, emptying out my rucksack (and relaxing for 10 minutes) I headed back out, going via Morrisons for some bottles of flavoured water and back to Whitley Bay, annoyingly just missing a winner 555 heading to South Shields (if I had gone towards Monkseaton Metro I might have caught it). I jumped onto 555019 on a St James service to take me towards Monument (via North Shields) where I spent the next hour (or so) with my little red pen, finishing the day with 555033 back to Whitley Bay. After visiting the local Spoons for dinner (I was going to have a burger as it was Tuesday Burger Club night, but they had fish & chips on a special offer). After dinner I headed towards the waterfront for some photos when it was quieter (I dread to think how busy the beach would have been during the day). When I got back to the guest house, I relaxed thinking about options for the following day making a decision to reverse the direction of a planned walk.
12th August – Hart to Haswell & Bedlington
I had decided to walk the Hart to Haswell Walkway path which roughly follows the route of the “Hartlepool Dock and Railway” route from Hart (north Hartlepool) towards Wingate, Shotton Colliery & South Hetton, where it would meet up with a walk I did earlier in the year from Seaham towards Ryhope. My original idea for this walk was to catch a bus to South Hetton (3 buses an hour from Newcastle) to walk south & east towards Hartlepool, but I decided to swap the direction so the sun would be behind me.
The day began leaving the comfy bed in the guest house to Whitley Bay Metro to catch 555031 to Central Station, where after grabbing some breakfast items I jumped onto 802218 working the first available service towards Durham, before making my way to the bus station for an Arriva run route 24 service bound for Hartlepool for an enjoyable trip across the county. This bus ran via Sherburn, Haswell, Shotton Colliery towards Peterlee, then towards Hartlepool via Horden & Crimdon. I left the bus in the area known as Hart Station (named after the former Hart railway station where the disused railway path connected with the Durham Coast line. A walk via a housing estate led me towards the railway path.
Hart to Haswell Walkway (Cycle Route 14) at Hart Station (Hartlepool) (From footbridge over railway) by Kite, on FlickrThe first section ran alongside the existing railway before the railway branched northwards towards Crimdon and I carried on towards a very pretty wooded nature reserve area. The sound of traffic soon disappearing as I entered countryside, the path was decent all be a bit narrow in places. I reached Hesleden close to a land regeneration site before returning to countryside & Castle Eden. After going underneath the busy sounding A19 the path turned direction towards Wingate where it joined up with the Castle Eden Walkway old railway line path from the Stockton direction.
I was now following cycle route 1 as well as route 14, skirting round the edge of Wingate before having to detour to cross over the A181 road (which wasn't the nicest of road crossings). After re-joining the route of the old railway I continued towards Shotton Colliery with a planned detour to a nearby Co-Op was foiled by a locked gate near a footbridge over a cutting. I continued along the busy path (other walkers, joggers & cyclists, thankfully not many idiotic dog walkers as it was far too hot to take dogs out).
Junction between the Hart to Haswell Walkway (Cycle Route 14) & the Castle Eden Walkway (Cycle Route 1) in Wingate by Kite, on FlickrNear Haswell the route of the original Hartlepool Dock and Railway carried straight on, with the cycle path following a NER built chord towards the Durham and Sunderland Railway route to Seaham Harbour. This took me towards South Hetton where the walk came to an end near the former South Hetton Colliery. I was lucky and didn't have long to wait for the next Go North East operated X1 service to Peterlee which headed to the town centre bus station via Easington. I headed towards a nearby Asda for a late lunch as well as getting something cold to drink. Returning to the bus station gave me multiple options, either a fast service (X10) towards Newcastle via Heworth or a fast service (X6) to Sunderland. As it was a X10 up first (from Middlesborough) with a double decker complete with comfortable table seats (even if it was a bit warm upstairs). This bus route took me away from Peterlee and on the A19 dual carriageway, detouring via Dalton Park Shopping Centre before resuming the fast run along the A19 towards Boldon & the A184 towards Heworth & Gateshead where I decided to bail, an enjoyable limited stop fast run (and who doesn't enjoy travelling on a double decker on a dual carriageway!)
I jumped on 555017 to take me to Gateshead Stadium to enjoy the fresh-ish air and broke out my little deckchair before winner 555020 rolled in to take me to Central Station, where I came up with an idea as I wasn’t getting into the groove of Metro hunting, taking 555013 to Haymarket where I transferred to the bus station and onto an Arriva run X21 bound for Newbiggin. Earlier in the year I had some unfinished business around Bedlington Station. This warm double decker took me towards Bedlington itself via the Regent Centre & Hartford Bridge. Plessey Woods Country Park & Northumberlandia (Lady of the North) have gone onto my list to further investigations. Anyhow my walk began as I headed towards Netherton Lane and onto a footpath heading towards the A1086 & towards Millfield, one of those mysterious paths which looks interesting on the map. After detouring via a housing estate, I picked up a cycle path which ran alongside the River Blyth (which is still beautiful). This took me towards the site of the former Bedlington Ironworks before I followed the north bank of the river underneath the railway viaduct and onto cycle route 1 on a path alongside the railway towards Bedlington station itself.
A Northern 156 crossing the Bedlington Viaduct by Kite, on FlickrIt wasn’t a long wait for 156483 to return from Ashington to take me towards Newcastle station (in hindsight I should have bailed at Northumberland Park) and onto 555013 to Whitley Bay, where sadly the cloud cover had arrived blocking out sight of the eclipse (although it did get dark during the main event). Afterwards I went via Spoons (for lack of a better idea for dinner) and relaxed in the guest house, complete with a cool shower to wash away the sweat. Once more I was thinking about options for the following day as I was toying with doing the long bus route to Berwick (the X18) but didn’t fancy being on a double decker on a potentially warm day. Some buses are better than others when it comes to windows, but I decided that the X18 could wait for a cooler day.
13th August – Stockton & Darlington plus Auckland Way
The day began slightly earlier than on the Wednesday, with 555035 to Monument via North Shields (as I had just missed a train via South Gosforth), followed with 555020 to Central Station (one of those moments where it would have been quicker to walk). After grabbing breakfast, I boarded 802205 on the 08:03 TPE service to Manchester Piccadilly to take me to Darlington to tick off the recently opened platform 5 on a new up loop to save trains heading towards York from having to cross over the down fast line into the old station building. After a little explore at the new buildings, it was onto 156451 from bay platform 6 to take me to Dinsdale where the first of today’s walks began.
I followed the roads in Middleton St George (where Dinsdale station is located) towards the roundabout with the A67 (similar walk I did back in 2018 when I walked to the since mothballed Tees-Side Airport Station). This time I turned left and onto a cycle path which ran along the route of the original Stockton & Darlington Railway. It was already getting a bit on the warm side as I followed the path towards the site of the former Fighting Cocks station (couldn't get any photographs due to workmen being in the way), and once underneath the A67 the path headed into woodland before crossing the A66 on a modern bridge with the railway path ending near an industrial estate. The route of the railway since being built over by Tornado Way with a walking route alongside the main road separated by hedges.
802205 departs Darlington Station by Kite, on FlickrThis path was followed until I reached the Red Hall residential area of Darlington, cutting via the housing estates to reach a path alongside the River Skerne, which I followed towards the Rockwell Nature Reserve (very pretty). After the nature reserve, I headed underneath the ECML and followed the river towards the world-famous Skerne Bridge finishing the walk at North Road station (detouring via Morrisons for some supplies considering as I had the time). This station was quite busy for the Saltburn bound service (everybody going to the beach?) as I waited for 156448 to roll in to take me to Bishop Auckland where the second of today's walks would begin.
Leaving the station at Bishop Auckland, I headed via the Asda to reach the cemetery, before following a path across the river Gaunless and onto a woodland path leading towards Auckland Park where the Auckland Way railway path began. This is a path along the route of the closed Byers Green Branch of the Clarence Railway, once away from Auckland Park the path headed into the countryside with a bit of woodland, giving the occasional glimpse of a beautiful scenic view (for this part of the country is beautiful)
156484 at North Road Station by Kite, on FlickrThis path doesn't really go close to any settlements, passing the site of the Byers Green station (complete with old platform) before turning east (joining up with the route of the main Clarence Railway). I felt the sun more on this section as it was to my right rather than behind me, as this section was more open countryside. I soon reached the town of Spennymoor, with a little detour via the Asda for a cold drink (I partially like the Dom Simon branded Lemon & Raspberry Juice Drink, and not because it's blue), before heading to a bus stop on Cheapside. It seemed the Newcastle bound bus was a no-show as the first bus was an Arriva run route 6 with a warm service towards Durham bus station, where I decided to sample the fast X20 Go North-East route towards Sunderland via the A690 road, detouring to serve Carrville, Houghton-Le-Spring & the south western suburbs of Sunderland).
The bus took me to the Park Lane Interchange, where I had a gentle stroll to Sunderland railway station for some fresh air, in my mind Sunderland needs a lot more signage on the platform to tell passengers which end of the long platforms trains actually stop. I took 555018 to Pelaw where I decided to have another short walk, as on a previous trip to Newcastle I had spotted a walk near Pelaw station along what seems to be an old railway, signposted as the Angel Cycleway for a short walk towards High Heworth where I was toying with catching a bus but decided to walk towards Heworth station instead where I spent the next couple of hours having a little Metro hunt, although the only score being 555039. I ended up with 555041 to Whitley Bay via North Shields, where after dinner I headed to the waterfront for a last night at Whitley Bay photograph on the sands.
Down on the Beach at Whitley Bay (1) by Kite, on FlickrI returned to the guest house to get myself sorted ready to check out in the morning, returning the mobile house to the rucksack and deciding on an idea for the Friday. An enjoyable (if a bit warm!) day with varied scenery.
14th August – Visiting Newbiggin by the Sea
For my last day (boo) in the North East, I was originally thinking to head towards Sunderland to walk the old railway line path near University towards Ryhope via Silksworth to position myself for the mid-day Grand Central service however as usual I changed my mind. So, after checking out of the guest house, I made my way to the bus stop on Park Avenue (outside the little Sainsburys Local which sadly doesn’t open until 8am) onto the Arriva run route 57 service to Ashington, with a double decker (the allocations for this bus route seem to be quite varied).
This bus took me away from Whitley Bay via Monkseaton and Earsdon towards Seaton Delaval & Cramlington. After a detour via a hospital site, the bus continued towards Bedlington & Ashington where my walk began as I made my way to the nearby Asda for some breakfast & to make use of the toilets. Afterwards I followed the pavement alongside the A197 at the northern edge of the town, running parallel with the existing freight line towards Lynemouth with a couple of foot crossings (giving access to the Queen Elizabeth Country Park).
Railway Tracks in Ashington (near the Queen Elizabeth Country Park) by Kite, on FlickrThe pavement turned into a separate path away from the road going via some woodland before crossing the A189 alongside a roundabout before the old railway line path towards Newbiggin started. A reasonable quality surface path with some rural views as it headed towards the seaside. Once I reached Newbiggin, I followed the road towards Church Point where I joined the path alongside the Promenade for an enjoyable stroll by the waterfront. After the Promenade I followed the Coastal Path route towards the Sandy Bay Holiday Park, detouring via the holiday park due to coastal erosion making the coastal path unsafe. This took me towards the Wansbeck Estuary and another path alongside the river Wansbeck, underneath the A189 with the long-distance England Coastal path heading south towards Cambois and I continued along a curvy hilly path towards the Wansbeck Riverside Country Park where the path quality did increase.
I headed underneath the railway viaduct, even pausing at a reasonable location for a photo of a passing 158, only for the sun to decide to pop out from behind the clouds making the photograph not the greatest. Anyhow I continued along the riverside path, quite busy with other path users, finishing near a car park and I made my way up a steep hill towards the roads of Ashington and via the suburbs to reach the station, arriving at the same time as 158816, which was lucky as the following service had been cancelled. This 158 (which got busy along the way) took me to Newcastle where I had time to visit Sainsburys for lunch before boarding 801219 on a fast London service, even getting lucky to get a seat at a table which was reserved from Edinburgh to London but had nobody sitting there.
Beach at Newbiggin by the Sea (1) by Kite, on FlickrAn uneventful trip towards London, where I felt the temperature rising the further south to the point that Kings Cross was quite toasty, certainly not the day to walk 2 miles to Waterloo nor get cooked on the underground, so I headed to St Pancras for 700022 to Blackfriars for the shorter walk to Waterloo. After going via Iceland for something cold to drink I boarded a roasting hot 159007 & 159013 which was so hot it was limited speed due to the driver needing the window open to get air in the cab, to the point where I needed to leave at a busy & chaotic Basingstoke as it was running nonstop to Salisbury due to being around 30 minutes late. Sometime later 159022 & 159015 arrived on another service, still quite hot but not as hot as the last pair, these took me to Grateley to end my North Eastern adventures. Farewell Whitley Bay, for I will be back next month.
15th August - Churnet Valley Line
I was considering heading towards Cricklade today to finish the Thames Path, but I decided after a busy week to have a shorter walk. After looking at various options I decided on a visit to Staffordshire to walk the path along the route of the Churnet Valley Line between Leek & Rushton Spencer via Rudyard Lake. The day began with the 05:27 service from Grateley to Waterloo with 159016, as I made my way to the Northern line with 51613/51612 taking me to Euston where it was a fast walk to make a connection onto the 07:13 Manchester service with a lightly loaded 390155 to take me to Stoke on Trent (just to save hanging around Euston for an extra 40 minutes for a 9-coach Pendo).
At Stoke on Trent it was a short walk over to the bay platform and onto 323205 for the speedy run to Macclesfield, departing ahead of a late running XC service and surprisingly didn’t get looped at Macclesfield for the XC to pass. I had a gentle stroll towards Macclesfield bus station via a Tesco for some supplies and waited for the Aimee run route 109 for Leek with an old Solo (YK05 CCN) on a busy service. It dropped a couple of passengers off near the football club at the southern end of the town, before following the A523 via some nice countryside and I left the bus in the village of Rushton Spencer where my walk began.
323205 at Stoke on Trent Station by Kite, on FlickrThe first section was along Station Lane to reach the old station (now a private house) and onto a section of old railway heading north west which is part of the Staffordshire Way. The railway path ended at a road bridge close to the River Dane (the route continued but was heavily overgrown and is a dead-end since the railway bridge over the river is long gone). I doubled back towards Rushton station, passing a pub and small car park to re-join the route of the old railway. The car park had evidence of an old platform but it was overgrown and had vehicles parked so I couldn't get a decent photo nor investigate.
The second section of today's walk was leaving Rushton Spencer behind on a path which had a reasonable quality surface, not one to do during winter months as I suspect it would get muddy in places. It was very woody, and soon I reached the northern edge of Rudyard Lake, a large body of water built to supply the Caldon Canal. The path in this area was now mostly tarmac and quite busy with other visitors to this large lake, where the water level looked to be low due to exposed dried mud at the edge, the lake being hidden from view by trees but it was a delight to see it with gaps in the trees.
Rudyard Lake by Kite, on FlickrMy walk continued heading towards the southern edge of the lake, and I reached Hunthouse Wood Station on the narrow-gauge Rudyard Lake Steam Railway, a railway line which ran alongside the path towards the Dam at the southern edge of the lake. Leaving the lakeside behind I soon reached Rudyard Station complete with a very busy steam service ready to depart and was soon back in the beautiful countryside. The path took me towards the town of Leek, ending in the Westwood area of the town (the railway itself used to continue via a tunnel which has since been filled in). The last section of the walk was via the suburbs to reach the town centre and the bus station.
The first available bus towards Hanley was the First run Route 18 service which follows the A53 via Endon & Stockton Brook to reach Stoke on Trent and Hanley Bus Station. I had a gentle stroll towards Stoke on Trent station, relaxing before 390148 rolled in to take me to Euston with a trip on the Northern line with 51647 & 51648 to Waterloo where I managed to make a connection with a Salisbury service for 158890 & 159105 to take me back to Grateley to end a short-day trip to Staffordshire. A walk worth doing for the scenery and a little steam train.
Rudyard Station on the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway by Kite, on Flickr16th August – Kenilworth Greenway
Another day where I changed my mind as originally, I was considering heading towards Wakefield to walk the Aire and Calder Navigation towards Castleford, but I decided to put that on ice (and a good thing I did considering the ECML fell over in the afternoon!) I decided to change my plan for a short walk along the Kenilworth Greenway. A walk where I was in two minds about doing due to the last couple of miles being a temporary route due to HS2 construction however even when the original route of the greenway gets put back, it won’t be the same as it used to be, for it will Never Be the Same Again (as Mel C once sang).
The day began with 159020 & 159016 to take me to Andover, stepping back onto 159006 on the Reading train. At Reading I popped out of the station to grab some supplies for breakfast before taking a seat on a lightly loaded 221130 & 221125 on a rare 10 coach XC formation to Leamington Spa, where I made a fast walk to the bus stop for the Stagecoach run X17 service to take me to Kenilworth, as I didn’t noticed that the inbound for the next Nuneaton train had departed late from Coventry.
After detouring via a large Sainsburys to make use of the toilet, I headed towards the Castle Farm Leisure Centre to follow a path alongside the Finham Brook towards Abbey Fields. Crossing Abbey Fields I detoured via the remains of the Abbey & the church before picking up the cycle path alongside the brook once more taking me to Kenilworth Common. An area on my list to revisit on another trip (as part of an explore of the route towards Coventry via the University campus. I reached the starting point of the greenway path, running alongside the railway near Kenilworth loop before branching away in a north western direction.
Kenilworth Greenway within Kenilworth Common (2) by Kite, on FlickrThe first section was a bit urban, but once away from the housing the path soon opened out with countryside mixed with woodland. A very busy path with cyclists, dog walkers, joggers for a sunny Sunday. The old railway line path ends in Burton Green where the start of the HS2 related diverted temporary path, a path which has a decent surface and well-constructed fences as it weaves its way across some fields towards Balsall Common where Berkswell Station is located. Not much in the way of viewing of HS2 itself (I think this section it is mostly going to be underground). I made it to Berkswell station with plenty of time before the next London train. One thing I will say is where the Birmingham bound platform has quite a lot of bench seats along the length of the platform, the Coventry bound platform has a couple small shelters but nothing else.
It was onto a reasonably busy 350407 & 350405 to take me to Rugby where I made a tight connection onto a late running Crewe service which was a quite busy winner 730227 & dud 730222 to take me to Nuneaton (a connection I wouldn’t have otherwise made had it not been running 5 minutes late, another 730 into my little book). On seeing how busy that northbound service was I decided to turn down the next southbound LNR service (owing to the previous train running fast due to late running) and head towards Asda for a little potter. I returned to the station to relax, turning down a Pendo from Manchester for 222601 from Stirling for my first taste of Lumo’s West Coast operation.
2220601 at Nuneaton by Kite, on FlickrI ended up (completely by chance) in the former 1st class coach which has been reseated with similar seats to the refurbished voyagers, managed to get a seat (reservation screens not working) with a ticket check soon after departure. Arriving into Euston near enough on time, I saw the other coaches looked very busy judging by the numbers alighting from them, as I headed across to board 710378 on the next Watford service to take me to Willesden Junction where I made a swift connection onto 378231 on the next Clapham Junction take, even getting a seat near the back of the train. All was going well until it terminated at Shepherd’s Bush for some unknown reason, making the platform very busy. An already busy 377703 rolled in from Watford (complete with drunken kickball fans) soaking up some of the crowd (but even that left folk behind). At Clapham Junction, it took a few minutes for the crowd to head down the stairs on P17 as I made my way to jump on the first available Waterloo train (better than hanging around Clapham Junction for longer than required), this turned out to be winner 701015.
At Waterloo, I made my slow way towards the 17:45 service formed of 159016, 159020 & 159011 to take me to Grateley to end the day trip to Warwickshire. An enjoyable former railway line walk. The Monday was a little restful red pen day scoring a trio of 701s & getting 701002 over ten miles after a visit to the dentist. A quieter day to end the time away from work, allowing myself to catch up with admin & the many photos. Those photos can be found on my Flickr *here*, thanks for reading, my final trip of August is planning to be an overnight trip to the North West.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
As always, excellent reading good sir 
I completely agree, Sunderland could do with better signage. I nearly missed a Metro when I was last there due to being in the wrong place.
Good to hear the Kenilworth Greenway is mostly decent, when I did part of it at the western end it was very ballast-y but I might have been unlucky. I might well have to return and do the rest of it some time
I completely agree, Sunderland could do with better signage. I nearly missed a Metro when I was last there due to being in the wrong place.
Good to hear the Kenilworth Greenway is mostly decent, when I did part of it at the western end it was very ballast-y but I might have been unlucky. I might well have to return and do the rest of it some time
Kite159
Veteran Member
All to easy to miss the small platform number signs at Sunderland in the poor light at platform level. Something in the style (similar to the West London line stations) like 'Metro Trains don't stop here, move along the platform' with an arrow.As always, excellent reading good sir
I completely agree, Sunderland could do with better signage. I nearly missed a Metro when I was last there due to being in the wrong place.
Good to hear the Kenilworth Greenway is mostly decent, when I did part of it at the western end it was very ballast-y but I might have been unlucky. I might well have to return and do the rest of it some time