Today I walked in the Savernake area and went through Kingstones Farm, then passing through the gap in the former MSWJR line (where there used be a bridge). Previously I'd visited most of the remaining features of the two Marlborough-Savernake lines, but some 500 metres after the MSWJR line I turned left and for the first time passed under a remaining bridge on the former
GWR▸ route. It looked in quite good shape, apart from one big crack. (
BTW▸ the footpath leading to it was just about discernable through a field of young crops. I suspect that later in the year it may be less easy to walk along - previously in summer I've found several rights of ways in this locality to have been blocked by crops.)
Where the two lines all but converged near Hat Gate I noticed that steps (supported by decking planks) and a handrail had been quite recently erected up the embankment, with a path crossing both the trackbeds and leading into a field. A turning off the path led along one trackbed for a short distance and down another set of steps; I'm unsure as to the purpose of this.
At the location of Savernake Low Level Station, the central part of the crossover had been removed and the rails left alongside the main lines, though the moveable bits remained in place. (Though I see from
this 2018 photo that it's been like that for some time.)
I peeked over the wall at Savernake High Level Station, where some of the trackbed has been turned into an ornamental pond - or swimming pool?
Heading towards Bedwyn, I noticed that one right of way over the main line had a sign up warning that the crossing was monitored by
CCTV▸ .
