Great Western Coffee Shop

Finn stopped and looked. He didn't listen though, what with being Mutt n' Jeff.

(https://i.postimg.cc/fRvz1rFR/IMG-20250515-151212.jpg)

Bonus point for the exact name of the crossing.

For myself, I haven’t got a Scooby. But my son Robin thinks it’s in Cornwall…

Typical! , This one doesn't appear to be in my copy of "I-Spy Railway Foot Crossings".

Too far west...

Okay, I guess it's a tough one.

Clue: There's a river behind the IET.

Let's see now.  Is it one of those rivers that goes by the name of Avon?

Not a River Avon.

It's a river with a different style or timbre.

The invisible river is the Tone.
So Somerset in or about the Taunton area.

Yes. Finn wasn't far from his new home in Taunton.

Now. Where is the crossing and what is it called?

Taunton 5and13 Cheddon Fitzpaine ?...

Ding ding ding. We have a winner!

Quite why it's called 'Taunton 5 and 13' I've no idea. Also listed as 'Taunton 5/13'. I thought maybe it was a distance from a certain point, perhaps the station. But 5 chains and 13 yards is only 369ft. The station is about 3000ft away.

5 Furlongs and 13 yards would be 3339 ft.  5 furlongs and 13 chains would be 4158 ft. 

Ah yes.  I saw what you did there but I clearly was in halfwit mode and the Tone didn't click!

Don't feel too bad about it, Johnneyw.  I missed the reference as well - and I should have been alert to it, knowing how JayMac enjoys catching me out on Taunton.

Just seems to be the local authority code for the footpath, their definitive map shows loads of footpath lengths with a similar format, the other side of the river is T5/13B.  Here’s a link to the map, although such links often fail for a subsequent attempt:
https://roam.somerset.gov.uk/roam/map

Thank you for that Paul. I thought it might be a footpath code when I initially investigated here (https://www.railwaydata.co.uk/levelcrossings/) while out and about. Poor mobile Internet so I didn't investigate further. Then the thought fluttered away.

Didn't you ask Finn?

Doggie footpaths don't tend to follow the same routes that our ones do - they often involve charging across whatever is in the way and then circling around and weaving all over the place - and no doubt have their own coding system.  ;)

Is there doggie sign language for the hard of canine hearing?

He has the basics. Raised index finger means sit. Pointing downward means lay down. Outstretched hand palm up means "paw". Hand held above head followed by a downward point means recall.

He obviously has to be looking at me for these to work. We haven't got as far as signing, "Why is this crossing called '5/13 Taunton', Finn?"