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Title: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics Post by: grahame on May 10, 2025, 13:59:54 Part 1
Friday 9th May 2025 ... 06:32 Melksham towards Southampton, change at Westbury (06:48 arrival to 06:50 departure) onto the train towards Weymouth. The risky change works, as I understand it "usually" does from regulars. You know who they are because they position themselves for a rapid sprint though the subway! The train calls on request at Thornford (where we picked up three people), Yetminster (which we skipped) and Chetnole (where it stopped just to let me off. The city of Chetnole is situated a few hundred yards from the station, which is set in the countryside. Makes sense really, as a railway station in the city itself and no-where near the railway would not make sense. More seriously, the station is a rare survivor of the major cull around 60 years ago, said to have been because of the narrow lanes making it hard to run replacement buses. These days, it's well kept though not wheel chair accessible, and I wonder if it much more use could be made of it by extending Chetnole (OK, it's a village really) toward the station - Cranbrook and Copplestone stile - and there are a handful of others in GWR territory where it has happened or there's obvious potential. (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday09.jpg) (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday01.jpg) (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday03.jpg) (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday04.jpg) (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday06.jpg) (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday07.jpg) Title: Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics Post by: bradshaw on May 10, 2025, 14:29:07 The Chetnole Inn was a regular watering place when the evening trains were loco hauled!
Title: Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics Post by: grahame on May 10, 2025, 16:24:11 Part 2 - across the fields towards Evershot Tunnel
The school bus - and, yes, the roads are still tight for buses (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday11.jpg) And across the fields to Melbury Bubb with some keeping my company (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday13.jpg) (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday14.jpg) Beyond Melbury Bubb, the path was hard to follow - yes - through this farmyard (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday15.jpg) And I got the impression it's virtually unused (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday16.jpg) Relieved to see some way marking otherwise I would have had a clue (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday17.jpg) Heavy going though the grass. (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday18.jpg) And the locals so rarely see anyone they crowded all around me. Yes - through their field (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday19.jpg) Hit a minor road up for a final ascent to the top over the tunnel - next part Title: Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics Post by: grahame on May 10, 2025, 17:37:51 Part 3 - up to and over the tunnel, and roads down to Cattistock
(https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday20.jpg) From the road above, you can see how deep the cutting is and the work needed to keep it there (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday21.jpg) And above the tunnel all is tranquil (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday22.jpg) Until you come to the main A37 Yeovil to Dorchester Road (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday23.jpg) The tunnel mouth from the A37 ... used to be a double track main line (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday24.jpg) Speed restriction through the tunnel - relaxed to 75 once the train runs down the other side (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday25.jpg) A Disused(?) bus stop in Frome St Quentin and a phone box without a phone (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday26.jpg) There is a bus timetable starting in 2014 in the phone box - can't help thinking it's changes now? (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday29.jpg) Round here, the bird and bees - or rather the birds - have priority (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday27.jpg) And there are some very grand houses and far houses, and some very grand cars. No public transport to see. The trains run along the bottom of the valley and there's just a very occasion buzz as one passes. Masked from site, thank goodness! (https://www.wellho.info/pix/cheday28.jpg) Title: Re: Day trip to Chetnole - and a walk to Maiden Newton - report and pics Post by: Mark A on May 10, 2025, 18:13:40 Given a station just out of the town/village, it can be rewarding to look for the pavement alongside the road that eased access to it - something that holds good even for long-vanished stations. That's something from which Chetnole doesn't benefit, mind - and even the village's 30 mph limit ends at the village boundary.
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