Looking for railway walks by active lines

[ianlei]

My wife likes walks, I like trains, so.....

I am looking for nice scenic walks by active railway lines and wondered if anyone has any suggestions? Whenever I search for railway walks I can only ever find walks along paths where railway lines once were but want to find active ones e.g Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth where you are close to the railway for most of the way.

Even just stopping points of pubs or restaurants with a good view of the line would be good!

I live in Hampshire but any good UK locations would be great to know for when we travel.

Thanks! Ian

[Robert Shrives]

Hi  Not to far from you perhaps is the Avon Valley line at Bitton  - West of Bath .  Sydney Gardens in Bath a good stopping place.

 

Futher afield I can recommend Barmouth for its Bridge and surrounding scenery. Equally The Ffestiniog at Portmadog and the Welsh Highland at Caernarfon - to Dinas parallel on the Afon wen route.

 

The North Wales coast main line has from Conwy to almost Rhyl a coastal route with sea edge footpaths.- not unlike Dawlish but with less problems !!   

 

Never done it but walks from Settle and Carlisle are said to be good but not sure how many trackside. 

 

Hope others give you ideas but these are mine at 07.30 before a snowy hike to work

Robert 

[rockershovel]

I looked into the Settle and Carlisle line, as we have a caravan in the area. There are certainly walks FROM it, alighting at various points, but I don’t take that to be the question?

 

The same can be said of the NYMR.

 

The Nene Valley Railway has a footpath along, or parallel to most of its length. I believe the Bure Valley Railway in Norfolk is also provided with a footpath and cycleway

[Nick Holliday]

Have you thought of the Watercress Line? They publish details of walks around their area, and apparently once a year you can actually have a sponsored walk along the track bed, next one is November 2018.

[eastglosmog]

If you take the Oxfordshire Way from Charlbury to Kingham and the Diamond Way from there to Moreton-in-Marsh, (or vice-versa) there are many stretches close to the Cotswold Line (otherwise the Old Worse and Worse).  You can even use the train to go to or come back to any of the three stations.  I have done it many times!  Best train spotting bit is between Ascott under Wychwood and Shipton.  At Addlestrop, you can indulge in some poetry as well, Edward Thomas' famous poem being inscribed on the bus shelter (although difficult to see trains at this point).

[cnw6847]

I looked into the Settle and Carlisle line, as we have a caravan in the area. There are certainly walks FROM it, alighting at various points, but I don’t take that to be the question?

 

The same can be said of the NYMR.

 

The Nene Valley Railway has a footpath along, or parallel to most of its length. I believe the Bure Valley Railway in Norfolk is also provided with a footpath and cycleway

 

Yes, the Bure Valley Railway has a footpath beside the line for the length of the railway, except for the tunnel.

[Kris]

You could walk along the Kennet and Avon canal in various places. If you look near Kintbury it's very close to the GWR mainline. 

[eastwestdivide]

You could walk along the Kennet and Avon canal in various places. If you look near Kintbury it's very close to the GWR mainline. 

Yes, canals are a good bet in general, as you often get both canal and railway in the valley bottom, following the line of least resistance.

Also, handy hint, the Bing maps site allows you to switch to Ordnance Survey view, so you can see where the rights of way are - not always as obvious on other online mapping.

[cal.n]

The walk between Ribblehead and Dent on the S+C is a long day but well worth it. You walk next to the railway for most of the walk and whenever you don't, you get doo views of Ribblehead and Ais Gill viducts. There is a bit of climb up and over Blea Moor (when the railway goes into a tunnel) but you can peer into the tunnel vents. Pub at Ribblehead for the end.

 

If you are prepared to climb mountains, the 'Llanberis path' up Snowdon follows the Railway almost perfectly all the way to the top, which always gives you option to get the train one way. The 'Miners path' up snowdon is also a relatively easy route and you will come across lots of abandoned narrow gauge tracks and mining equipment.

[eastglosmog]

If you want to see steam trains, there are footpaths adjacent to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Rly from Toddington to Gotherington.  Persuade your wife you need day rover tickets so you can hop on and off the trains to take you to various bits (great pubs at Winchcome).

[The Pilotman]

You could walk along the Kennet and Avon canal in various places. If you look near Kintbury it's very close to the GWR mainline.

 

And going further west, the canal and railway are more or less side by side almost all the way to Pewsey. The stretch from Great Bedwyn up and over Savernake summit is very nice.

[Shadow]

Between Arundel and Amberley is good.

 

Amberley Museum one end, Arundel Castle the other. Pubs as well!

 

 

 

I use this site for online OS maps

 

https://www.fonant.com/osmap.html

[kernowtim]

Not sure it counts as an active line but there is a footpath from Okehampton station to meldon that runs (mostly)next to the line, west is a lovely walk or cycle across meldon viaduct and the edge of Dartmoor but you are about 50 years too late to see trains on that section!!

Edited December 10, 2017 by kernowtim

[Shadow]

Closer to Hampshire, heading north from Rowlands Castle to Buriton, there's a series of paths that you can take that follow the tracks.

[colin penfold]

agree with those who have mentioned the Kennet & Avon. You can walk all the way from Newbury to Pewsey with the B&H line in view frequently throughout. Lots of lovely pubs and tea shops en route - Marsh Benham , Kintbury, Hungerford, Little Bedwyn and Great Bedwyn. Good places to stay in Hungerford if you want to make a weekend of it too.

[anroar53]

A pleasant coastal walk of 3 to 4 miles (one way) from West St. Leonards (Hastings) to Bexhill runs alongside the Coastway East line for a good distance. Passes the South Eastern Depot at West Marina, and the home of Hastings Diesels. The adjacent Depot can be busy at times with various locos coming and going (mostly weekdays 1200-1600, although Monday and Friday used to be the busiest). Parking at each end is relatively easy, and if you only fancy doing the walk one way there is a fairly frequent bus service along the A259. If you travel by train along the coast route you can alight at Bexhill, or St. Leonards Warrior Square at the other (Warrior Square will add a mile or so to your walk along the seafront as West St. Leonards is only served by the South Eastern route towards Tonbridge).

 

Andy.

Edited December 10, 2017 by anroar53

[Neil]

Ffestiniog Railway to Ddaullt then walk back along the old trackbed from Ddaullt to Blaenau Ffestiniog. For much of the way the route of the current Ffestiniog Railway is in sight and you get spectacular mountain vistas too.

 

 

 

You get a train ride as well.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Neil

[ianlei]

Thank you all so much for your replies. Sounds like some great suggestions, I will be sure to try to get to as many of those locations as possible!

Thanks again for your detailed responses, it is much appreciated!

Ian

[LNER4479]

Nice walk near us for when you're on your travels. Newton Aycliffe to Shildon. An historic piece of railway (of course) with Locomotion at Shildon at the end of the walk. Free entry and a coffee shop.

 

Bit of trek from Hampshire(!) but if you're ever on your travels to the North East eg York then an easy trip out.

 

[Tim V]

You can walk parallel to the Severn Valley from Kidderminster to Hampton Loade.

[Rivercider]

You started by mentioning Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth which me and Mrs Rivercider have walked quite a few times,

but there is also quite a nice walk the other way from Dawlish Warren to Starcross, (the Atmospheric Railway pub serves good food).

Although towards Starcross there are a few short on road sections a lot of work has been done in recent years to provide a separate cycle path, which we have walked quite a number of times. The path is in fairly close proximity to the line all the way, and at Cockwood you can sit outside the Anchor Inn and watch the trains pass by Cockwood Harbour.

South of Cockwood seen from Dawlish Warren Road, 28/10/2014

 

Cockwood Harbour seen from outside the Anchor Inn. 28/10/2014.

 

From Starcross you can catch the (summer only) ferry to Exmouth and return by train, or walk up along the

the Exe Estuary path to Lympstone or Topsham which is close to the railway much of the way, then catch the train back from there.

Between Lympstone and Exmouth 11/9/2012.

 

Or you can continue the walk up the west bank of the Exe from Starcross to the Turf Hotel

On the road north of Starcross 8/7/2014

 

Turf Hotel at the exit from the Exeter Ship Canal, 8/7/2014.

 

From the Turf Hotel you can see across to the other side of the Exe and see trains on the Exmouth branch,

in the summer there is a small passenger ferry to Topsham, so you could use that for a round trip as well. 

Topsham Turf Ferry seen at the Turf Hotel, the Exmouth Branch runs along the other side of the Exe, 7/6/2011.

 

We have enjoyed lots of walks in the area as you can see!

 

cheers

 

 

 

[Fat Controller]

A nice walk in the North-East would be:-

take the bus from the Metro Centre to Clara Vale. Leaving the bus, walk straight on across the level crossing, then turn left. There is a footpath between the golf course and the railway, which continues between the railway and the River Tyne to Wylam. Here, there is a pub called the 'the Boathouse', where you can break your journey.

Leaving the Boathouse, cross the river and bear left, following signs for a footpath to Hagg Bank and Prudhoe. You will come to a familiar structure; a bowstring steel arch, which was purportedly the prototype for the rather bigger ones in Newcastle and Sydney. This carried the railway from Newburn to West Wylam. At Hagg Bank, otherwise known as the 'Points', take a right turn and follow the river to Prudhoe, where you can get a train back to the Toon.

I should add that I never walked the bit from Hagg Bank to Prudhoe, as I normally stopped at the former to visit friends.

[TomJ]

As well as the Ffestiniog walk the classic walk in the area is the fisherman’s path through the Aberglaslyn Pass. If only walking one way you can get the train between Nantmoor and Beddgelert. Some superb scenery only enhanced by the trains running just above you

 

Also along the Welsh Highland there is now a signposted walk between Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert. It doesn’t follow the line exactly but great views of the trains and scenery. Last time I rode the WHR a lot of walkers were using the train to walk this one way

[Kris]

If you are ever down in the West of Cornwall, you can walk beside the line between Marazion and Penzance. 

[The Pilotman]

About twenty odd years ago, I walked the Kennet and Avon from Bradford-on-Avon to Reading over two days. It’s about 75 miles and although the section from Bradford to Pewsey is lacking in railway presence, it passes through some nice countryside and does have the flight of locks at Devizes.