Great Western Coffee Shop

West Wilts Rail User Group - outdoors public meeting at 14:15 on Saturday 24th July 2021 as a walking talk on "The Industrial Archaeology of the Avoncliff Area" by Trevor Turpin.   Timed for arrivals off the train at 13:56, concluded for a return on the 16:15.

Probably the most enjoyable West Wilts Rail User Group meeting I have been to - in the open air at Avoncliff, being shown around by local resident and expert on the area Dr Trevor Turpin ( See here (https://www.trevorturpin.co.uk) ) , with help and co-operation from others who live there.  The history of the mills, the canal, quarries and tramway access, the railway line and later halt, Ancliff Square, the drying house and school, and ending at the house in the hillside - a private house which we could specially see courtesy of the owners. Huge "Thank You" to the committee who organised this, to the residents of Avoncliff, but more especially to Trevor and his wife Barbara for all their hard work "preps", refreshemnts and hospitality.

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Wonderful to catch up with old friends too, and to make new ones.

It is a fascinating place with all sorts of historical layers. One which stands out is the stone on the east corner of the canal as it turn to Bradford. It bears the scars of the haulage ropes of the barges rubbing on it as they passed.
We used to enjoy the walk from Bradford on Avon to the Cross Guns in years gone by. A walk my father did to school as my grandparents kept the pub some time in the 1920s

I somehow missed seeing this advertised, as otherwise I would have loved to have come along. I went through Avoncliff just a week ago and noted that the Cross Guns is said to date back to 1610, so predating the canal and railway by a couple of centuries. (I also noted on the web that it claims to be the most haunted pub in Wiltshire, with some past residents having been sighted numerous times). I assume there must have been a small settlement by the river in the middle ages, which the pub served. Was any mention made of this history at the talk?

Also, out of interest, was it actually possible to arrive by train yesterday? My partner was hoping to travel from Oldfield Park to Yatton then, so on the same line that goes through Avoncliff but in the opposite direction, and all the trains that she could have caught (5 in total) were all cancelled, due I think to both staff shortages and to signalling problems in Warminster.

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Beautiful cat!

I posted about that in a separate thread to avoid sullying a wonderful showing around with trials and tribulations of travel.

I got there from Melksham with a change at Trowbridge no more than a couple of minutes late.  And others were on the train too. On the return, trains significantly late but that ran and connected.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=25269.msg309250#msg309250

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