Great Western Coffee Shop

Journey by Journey => Plymouth and Cornwall => Topic started by: GWR 158 on March 08, 2021, 21:44:51



Title: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: GWR 158 on March 08, 2021, 21:44:51
Hi, this is just a poll for fun to gather your opinions on what's the most scenic cornish branch line. Thank you for your vote.  :)


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: Lee on March 08, 2021, 21:56:53
Sorry, but I am afraid that I cant just plump for one.

The fact is that I would have to split between Gunnislake, Looe and St Ives, purely because my 3 favourite places in Cornwall are Calstock, Looe and St Ives, and the views arriving into all three are absolutely stunning.


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: GWR 158 on March 08, 2021, 21:58:11
Fair enough Lee, it is a hard choice!


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: Andy on March 09, 2021, 08:41:19
The most scenic for a visitor would probably be St Erth-St Ives as it's chocolate box cover pretty from end to end but all the branch lines contain something of Cornwall's DNA and all have stretches which are very scenic, in my opinion. You might also add the Fowey branch to the list of choices, even though, sadly, it's no longer open to passengers.


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: grahame on March 09, 2021, 08:55:28
Personal view - asking someone to choose their favourite amongst a group of beautiful lines really isn't positive.  Bit of fun maybe, but it reminds me of those scenarios of a burning house where the man has to decide whether to carry out to safety his wife or his child, knowing the other may perish.

Fortunately, I think all remaining Cornish branch lines are safe for the foreseeable future ... which should to stop us telling people about them and how great they are both as journeys and as ways to destinations.


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: rower40 on March 09, 2021, 09:00:08
Agreed that they all shout "Cornwall" to me.  But for me, nothing beats the memory of being behind a pair of Class 50's at full power over Goss Moor, next to a gridlocked A30 on a Summer Saturday in the early 1980's.  (So long before the dual carriageway was built from the end of the Bodmin Bypass to the Mitchell wind turbines.)

The luxury of Summer Saturday (or Friday night) HSTs from Derby to Newquay.  Unusually for a branch line, the western end doesn't follow a river valley, so the views over the middle of the duchy are superb.  Compare and contrast with road journeys in the vicinity, where the roads are usually between high hedges.

(What to take out of a burning building? The fire...) (Thanks to Terry Pratchett, "Maskerade")


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: Witham Bobby on March 09, 2021, 09:58:37
The spectacular scenery of Cornwall could be viewed much better from a trian if the vegetation was a bit more dealt with can cut back.  I'm not a regular traveller on the Cornish branches, or main line, but the unchecked growth of lineside vegetation does limit the views, spoiling what could be a scenic tour


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: Jamsdad on March 09, 2021, 10:48:15
True in places, but not universally. The St Ives branch views of the sea are largely unencumbered by vegetation, similarly the spectacular bit of the Looe branch from Sandplace down to the sea. I'm not sure I would say there is  much to see by comparison on the Falmouth or Newquay branches, vegetated or not - inland Cornwall is nice but not knock-out in my humble Cornish opinion.


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: Kernow Otter on March 10, 2021, 13:14:57
Lostwithiel to Fowey


Title: Re: Most scenic Cornish branch line
Post by: grahame on March 24, 2021, 17:21:51
Bumping this thread. It closed a couple of days ago; gentle suggestion to the poll setter to summarise (see tips at http://www.passenger.chat/24811 ) and let us know what he has learned. Is he surprised by the results, or is it what he expected, for example.



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