RAIL TRAVEL, FROM RAILS TO TRAILS Part 2
RAIL TRAVEL, FROM RAILS TO TRAILS, RAIL TRAVEL has had a bad press of
late, but there remain plenty of branch lines offering excellent
services to those who like to access the hills by train. These are
especially useful for planning linear walks where a car can become an
encumbrance, and so on the following pages we offer you a varied menu of
six stationto- station walks across England, Scotland and Wales. The
planning is part of the fun – start searching train company websites and
you’ll come across some surprising options, especially in the summer
when the growing network of heritage rail lines can be used. Whether
you’re in Sussex, Cornwall, mid Wales, the North York Moors or the
Highlands, there are options to explore. Check out our suggestions in
this feature, and then you can start investigating the options on your
doorstep or in the areas you'll be visiting this summer. All aboard!
1. A Peak District classic
HOPE VALLEY LINE
START: Hathersage station
FINISH: Hope station
Despite a fairly packed fi eld when it comes to ‘most evocative train line names’, the Hope Valley line has to win. This trans-Pennine line, completed in 1894, linked the industrial powerhouses of Manchester and Sheffi eld, cutting and tunnelling through some of the most exquisite scenery of the Peak District. More than connecting the two cities, however, it also opened up large swathes of the Peak District to workers. Today, the many stops in the Hope Valley offer access to the greatest hits of the Peak District, including Mam Tor and Kinder Scout (see p12).
This satisfying 18km route starts from Hathersage train station and passes through the centre of the village before heading up Dale Bottom to the car park at SK245828 where it cuts across to the base of Stanage Edge. Find a gentle place to climb up and then walk along the edge north-west wondering at one of the best views in the Peaks. Follow the edge over High Nab and to SK229874, then take the path back down south-west across Bamford Moor to New Road and into Bamford. From here you can cut it short and head to Bamford station. For a longer walk, head to Bamford Mills and cut across the lovely weir and the path to Thornhill. From Thornhill head south-west and cross the trail line to Hope Road and west into Hope itself and to the train station
2. Shropshire and beyond
HEART OF WALES LINE
START: Bucknell station
FINISH: Knighton station
The Heart of Wales railway line weaves 121 miles between Shrewsbury and Swansea, south-west through the borderlands of the English Marches, through Radnor Forest, Mynydd Eppynt near Llanwrtyd Wells and along the Loughor Estuary. If you’ve been to this part of the country on a sunny day, you’ll remember the long views over the mountains of England and Wales, the red kites circling in the sky and the sense of quiet that pervades this area. The railway line itself is celebrating 150 years of operation. It was established to transport coal from the Welsh valleys to the northern cities. It later avoided Beeching’s cuts and today Stroll the Downs EAST COASTWAY LINE START: Berwick station FINISH: Lewes station There are dozens of options for fantastic walking between railway stations in the South Downs National Park, especially at its eastern end. Between Lewes and Eastbourne alone three stations sit close to the South Downs Way. Lewes, the fi nal point of this walk, is just 1hr 10min from London Victoria and 20 minutes from Brighton. Our pick of the routes starts at Berwick station and jumps on the Vanguard Way south towards the very quaint village of Alfriston before rising onto the crest of the Downs and one of the prettiest sections of the whole South Downs Way. As you ascend onto the ridge, views open up towards the English Channel to the south and offers a lifeline for local businesses, but it has also become a tourist attraction and, more and more, a magnet for walkers. It’s an aspect of the line not missed by the Heart of Wales Line Development Company, an independent steering group working hard on developing a new walking trail along the length of the line. Eventually, walkers can jump off, walk one of the trails, and jump back on at the next station.
The Shropshire section of the trail between Craven Arms and Knighton opened in October 2017. Our pick is the diverse and hilly 14km stretch between Bucknell railway station and Knighton that also joins Offa’s Dyke Path for some of its route. At its height, it offers views over Caer Caradoc hill fort and the more famous Caer Caradoc above Church Stretton. Southern sections of the trail are also open between Ammanford and Llanelli, and the Carmarthenshire section of the trail opened on June 26. For route descriptions and timetables visit heart-of-wales.co.uk
3. Stroll the Downs
EAST COASTWAY LINE
START: Berwick station
FINISH: Lewes station
There are dozens of options for fantastic walking between railway stations in the South Downs National Park, especially at its eastern end. Between Lewes and Eastbourne alone three stations sit close to the South Downs Way. Lewes, the fi nal point of this walk, is just 1hr 10min from London Victoria and 20 minutes from Brighton. Our pick of the routes starts at Berwick station and jumps on the Vanguard Way south towards the very quaint village of Alfriston before rising onto the crest of the Downs and one of the prettiest sections of the whole South Downs Way. As you ascend onto the ridge, views open up towards the English Channel to the south and offers a lifeline for local businesses, but it has also become a tourist attraction and, more and more, a magnet for walkers. It’s an aspect of the line not missed by the Heart of Wales Line Development Company, an independent steering group working hard on developing a new walking trail along the length of the line. Eventually, walkers can jump off, walk one of the trails, and jump back on at the next station. The Shropshire section of the trail between Craven Arms and Knighton opened in October 2017. Our pick is the diverse and hilly 14km stretch between Bucknell railway station and Knighton that also joins Offa’s Dyke Path for some of its route. At its height, it offers views over Caer Caradoc hill fort and the more famous Caer Caradoc above Church Stretton. Southern sections of the trail are also open between Ammanford and Llanelli, and the Carmarthenshire section of the trail opened on June 26. For route descriptions and timetables visit heart-of-wales.co.uk the vast, fl at Weald to the north. Tumuli – ancient burial grounds – dot ground every half mile or so. If you see an unnatural-looking mound about the size of a car, that’s one; they are marked on Ordnance Survey maps. The high point of the walk is Firle Beacon at 217 metres; by now, the destination of Lewes should come into focus.
Continue along the South Downs Way just over Beddingham Hill to the junction at TQ455059, and make the steep descent towards Glynde (taking great care crossing the A27). There’s a station at Glynde that will whisk you back to London, but that would be to miss Mount Caburn with the remains of an Iron Age hill fort on it and tremendous views over the Ouse Valley. From there, it’s a short hop into Lewes with some excellent pubs and a busy train station serving London and Brighton.
sources: The Great Outdoors, July 2018
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