West Somerset Railway

Another birthday and another family day out, a good one this time on the West Somerset Railway. Starting inland at Bishops Lydeard near Taunton and ending at Minehead on the coast. The journey takes about an hour, we chose the steam train for our trip and lots of others did too. Plenty of time to view the engines before the off and lots of room on the train with the buffet car providing back up! We had a lady driver that day and the whole trip was enjoyed by all. There are some good stopping points along the way, the station at Watchet (home of the Ancient Mariner) is good for a harbour and town walk, Blue Anchor is good for a bracing beach and coast walk and then there's Dunster, with either a beach or town and castle walk. We were heading for Minehead (where the CC site is only a twenty minute walk from the sea front.) We watched the train being turned by hand on the turntable at Minehead for the return journey before setting off for the sea front. The beach was empty but plenty of pebbles for our grandson to collect, little bits of quartz and alabaster can be found. The Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world so the sea goes out a long way and then returns swiftly.

We headed off for old Minehead, an attractive area of old cottages and buildings, passing the start of the southwest coastal path, a further 630 miles to Poole for the energetic! The Old Ship Aground pub on the harbour beckoned and afterwards a tour of the lifeboat shed, Minehead has two plus a special tractor for the long approach over the pebbles, sand and mud. Then back to the station, a coffee and icecream and homewards on the train.