A Weekend Break in Bideford, Devon (cycling the Tarka trail from Bideford to Meeth, and back)

As mentioned a few posts ago, I have a wealth of material from earlier in the year which I didn't have time (at the time) to process and post, but with a few days on my hands before going back to work, and still trying to fight off the man-flu, it's about time I put that right. The first of these retrospective posts will focus on a weekend break we had in Devon, Bideford to be precise, and the first of the Bideford posts will focus on a cycle ride we did along the magnificent Tarka Trail, a former railway now converted into a quite wonderful cycle path.

I must however first start with a small apology. We actually did two rides along the Tarka Trail from Bideford. The first was south from Bideford, which is covered by the majority of the photos, but we also cycled north which for some reason only seems to have a few photos where I'm sure I took more. The apology is that I fear I may have mixed some of these up and am not sure of the location of all of them - I think these are all from the ride between Bideford and Meeth. I'm very clear on the first one however, this is the old bridge carrying the former railway into Bideford station.

Former railway bridge, now home to the Tarka Trail cycle path, Bideford, Devon 

Tarka Trail cycle path, Bideford, Devon

Tarka Trail cycle path, Bideford, Devon

This next picture shows one of Bideford's two former railway stations. Although not very far from the main station, the Royal Hotel had its own station allowing guests easy access. Both platforms remain and are in reasonable condition, although the one opposite the hotel is a little overgrown.

The former Royal Hotel Station, Bideford, Devon 

The former Royal Hotel Station, Bideford, Devon

This is Bideford station proper, parts of which have now been restored (see pictures further down in this post).

The former railway station, Bideford, Devon

Where parts of the railway has been preserved, there is some wonderful railwayana (is that a word). This is a restored but disused signal just south of Bideford. You can also just see some re-laid tracks in the foreground, but these peter-out before long and I think are only there to allow the carriages which house the museum and tea rooms to have somewhere to sit.

Restored but disused signal, Bideford, Devon

This is where things begin to get a bit blurred. This is definitely on the route south from Bideford to Meeth, but not sure exactly where. Still, it's another fine example of a disused platform.

Disused railway platform, Tarka Trail, somewhere south of Bideford

Along the side of the former track bed there were some wonderful Gaudi-like sculptures, depicting animals from Tarka the Otter.

Sculpture along the Tarka Trail, somewhere south of Bideford

Sculpture along the Tarka Trail, somewhere south of Bideford

Cycling the Tarka Trail, somewhere south of Bideford

Disused railway platform, Tarka Trail, somewhere south of Bideford

I'm pretty sure this is just outside Meeth, which was as far as we cycled south along the Tarka Trail.

Cycling the Tarka Trail, former railway platform just outside Meeth, Devon

There's no mistaking this one though. This is the truly wonderful Puffing Billy café, situated at the former Great Torrington station. It was so good that we stopped for a bacon sandwich on the outward ride in the morning, and again for a cream tea on the return leg. Good for railwayana fans and cream tea connoisseurs alike.

Cycling the Tarka Trail, Puffing Billy Trading Station, Great Torrington, Devon

Of all the picture I took during our 40 mile round trip, this one is probably my favourite. Ok, so it's a bit staged with the milk churns there for historical purposes only, but I felt it captured the essence of a branch line railway quite well. Nice sky too.

Cycling the Tarka Trail, milk churns at the former Bideford station

I managed to take a picture of the restored signal box on the same evening.

Cycling the Tarka Trail, restored signal box, Bideford, Devon

I think these final two pictures must have been taken on a different day as the weather and light are both quite different. They both however show the restored railway carriages sitting on some re-laid track in the former Bideford station. Inside the carriages are a museum and tea-room.

Cycling the Tarka Trail, Bideford station, Devon

Cycling the Tarka Trail, Bideford station, Devon

 I do have some more pictures of Bideford off the Tarka Trail so to speak, so I may get around to sharing those in the next few days.,

Once again, thanks for taking the time to read my post, I hope you enjoyed it. As usual, comments are always welcome and appreciated.

A rural bike ride near Long Parish and Whitchurch, Hampshire

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to find time to make the most of the dry but cold weather, and took the opportunity for a bike ride down to Whitchurch in Hampshire. I've cycled this route, or more accurately a slightly off road version of it, before but as always each visit reveals new things. The first revelation was a little sad, and that was of yet another closed pub. A couple of summers ago I stopped here mid bike ride for lunch and a pint at the Hurstbourne Inn, in Hurstbourne Priors, but alas those days would now seem to be gone. I also noticed that The Coronation Arms in St. Marybourne had also closed.

The Hurstbourne Inn, Hurstbourne Priors, Hampshire

As my ride continued, I came across more relics of a bygone ear, although these buttresses which supported the bridge carrying the railway line south from Whitchurch towards Winchester would have been closed to business several decades earlier than the pub above.

Buttresses of a former bridge carrying the railway south from Whitchurch

Buttresses of a former bridge carrying the railway south from Whitchurch

Buttresses of a former bridge carrying the railway south from Whitchurch

Buttresses of a former bridge carrying the railway south from Whitchurch

Whitchurch itself is probably about two thirds, or 20 miles, of the way around this particular loop and I'm always pleased to arrive and treat myself to a coffee, and sometimes a cake, at H's. The next two pictures are of the White Hart which I'm pleased to say is still open and sits proudly opposite H's, as I sat on the bench outside the café, sipping my takeaway Americano.

The White Hart, Whitchurch, Hampshire

The White Hart, Whitchurch, Hampshire

    

Cycling close to the former Sprat and Winkle railway line, Hampshire

Whilst trying to make the most of the summer, I've been out and about in the countryside cycling of late, and not doing much urban wandering. For the past few weekends I have ventured south towards Whitchurch and beyond. A few weeks ago I posted about the Whitchurch Town station and disused railway, but my latest two trips have taken me beyond Whitchurch to Long Parish and Wherwell, where the former Sprat and Winkle line used to run.

Much of this part of the line is now private and inaccessible, so I had to make do with cycling along the road beside it. Where the line used to run through Stockbridge through is now a foot-cum-cycling path, but going that far was pushing the limits of my cycling ability, and today's route was 50 miles as it was, so maybe that's one for a day when I take the car out. Here's a link to a good brochure about the Sprat and Winkle line.

All the pictures below are taken between Wherwell and Long Parish. The first four are just the bridge supports, but the last two are of one of the few bridges still intact.

Remnants of bridge along the former Sprat and Winkle railway line, Hampshire

Remnants of bridge along the former Sprat and Winkle railway line, Hampshire 

 Remnants of bridge along the former Sprat and Winkle railway line, Hampshire

 Remnants of bridge along the former Sprat and Winkle railway line, Hampshire

Bridge along the former Sprat and Winkle railway line, Hampshire

Bridge along the former Sprat and Winkle railway line, Hampshire

    

I'm not sure where my next venture will take me. I'm up in London a few times again next week, so maybe there'll be some more Urban Wandering taking place again, but for now I'm slightly obsessed with me sprats and winkles.

A Rural Wander along the Hockley Viaduct, Winchester, Hampshire

Having spent the day down near Hamble, and wanting to avoid the M27 and M3 on the way home, we ended up on the outskirts of Winchester and came across this former railway viaduct, the Hockley Viaduct, that I'd often seen from the M3 but never been up close to before. This magnificent viaduct is to the north of Winchester and used to carry the line south from Newbury, past Burghclere and Highclere, which I have blogged about previously. The weather was decidedly gray on arrival, but fortunately brightened up towards the end of our wander. 

Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Probably my favourite picture in this batch. I have fond memories of telegraph poles from my childhood where my Gran used to live alongside a railway, in a road called Telegraph Road which was, of course, lined with telegraph poles.

Telegraph Pole on the Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Such a shame it's no longer an operating railway and that you can instead hear the roar of the M3 running close by, but at least it's still accessible and is now a cycle path, affording wonderful views like this.

View from the Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Signal on the Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

We weren't quite there on the 70th anniversary of D-Day, but pretty close. Hard to believe that 16,000 trains used this route in the 12 months leading up to D-Day.

D-Day memorial plaque on the Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

A final view of the viaduct as we made our way back home.

Hockley Railway Viaduct, near Winchester, Hampshire

    

Rural Wandering: a cycle along the old Newbury to Winchester railway

With just a short period of time on my hands before I had to drive off to a family birthday party yesterday, I decided to take myself off on a more modest bike ride than my 57 mile epic of last week, and head out to the disused Newbury to Winchester railway for both some cycling and some rural wandering. Closed to passengers and then freight in the 1960's, much of this old railway has now been used to for the Newbury bypass, but there are some sections remaining which have been converted into footpaths and cycle paths, and fortunately some of these sections are close to where I live. This set of photos comes from the section of the line between Burghclere and Old Burghclere.

 

Approaching Old Burghclere station from the north

Platform at Old Burghclere station

 Looking north through Old Burghclere station

In this shot the platforms can still both be clearly seen, and the station building itself, now converted into a house. As I cycled past I caught a glimpse of people, presumably the owners, sitting at a table on what once was the platform, having a coffee.

Old Burghclere station

Just to the south of Old Burghclere station is an abandoned signal box. When I've cycled along here previously, the signal box has largely been obscured by bags of some sort of farm produce, but today these had been cleared away, giving a near perfect view. This signal box would presumably have been used to ensure safe movement of trains through the station and also into and out of the goods yard.

Abandoned signal box just south of Old Burghclere station

Abandoned signal box just south of Old Burghclere station

I even managed to sneak inside briefly.

Abandoned signal box just south of Old Burghclere station

This next picture is again of Old Burghclere station itself, but this time from the front.

The front of Old Burghclere station

 

And further along the bike ride, we have the somewhat confusingly named Highclere station, which is actually in Burghclere. This is also a private residence now and only the front can be seen from the road. A great place to live I should imagine.

The front of Highclere station