Great Western Coffee Shop

A new series begins on Channel 5 tomorrow (21 September). Rob Bell explores some of Britain's closed railway routes.

http://www.channel5.com/show/walking-britains-lost-railways/

Of interest in 'our' area:

Episode 3 on 5th October - Dartmoor
Episode 5 on 19th October - Somerset & Dorset.

The full list of episodes:

1 Scotland – Friday 21st September
2 Sheffield – Friday 28th September
3 Dartmoor – Friday 5th October
4 Lake District – Friday 12th October
5 Somerset & Dorset – Friday 19th October
6 Wales – Friday 26th October

Tonight should be really good.  My mother came from a village on the Moray Coast line and we used to spend family holidays in Cullen, in a caravan park pretty much under one of the village's railway viaducts.  Too late for trains unfortunately but, as will seen tonight, a good part of the route from Portgordon through Buckie and out to Cullen is now a very pretty walking and cycle route and I have walked it a couple of times.  You can walk over Cullen's viaducts and the views along much of the walk are great. It's a lovely part of the country and that would have been quite some train trip.

You can see for yourself what the train trip on the Moray Coast Line would have been like towards the end in 1968 here. (https://youtu.be/KoCPCB2D4LI)

I'll be looking forward to the Dartmoor episode. In the late 1990s I was an assistant team leader with the Prince's Trust. On three seperate occasions, with different volunteer groups, we bunked on Dartmoor and part of the week away included walks and activities along both the South Devon & Tavistock Railway and the Princetown Railway. Clue hunting orienteering style walks included me hiding in a recess in Shaugh Tunnel wearing a glow in the dark skeleton mask, waiting to be found by volunteers. Some said I didn't need the mask to scare people!

Then there was the abseiling from Ham Green Viaduct, just north of the site of Bickleigh Station. I'd already done a rock face abseil at Dewerstone Rock, but this was very different. Once you were at the top of the viaduct arch it was freeseiling from there onward. Two choices. Belay yourself down slowly against the brickwork between spans. Or brace against the middle of an arch top, bend the knees, push off and rapidly descend around 100ft while swinging between the arch. I chose the latter. One of the biggest thrills of my life. Yes, there was a secondary safety rope and brakesman in case anyone forgot to slow themselves! As I descended, swinging, I shouted John McClane's well known phrase from the 'Die Hard' films!

From the line of last night's program - a page of the 1967 timetable

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/moray67_1.jpg)

These are some of the lines I regret not travelling over when I had the opportunity as I was in that area in September 1967