National Trust, English Heritage, museums etc.
8 May 2005: The Shropshire Union Canal meets the Manchester Ship Canal at Ellesmere Port, where there’s a wonderful museum of boats and associated paraphernalia in the old canal docks. It had been a “must go there one day” destination for some time. Must go there again one day!
National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port
6 May 2006: the Abbey Pumping Station is in Leicester, a local authority museum based around a Victorian steam-powered sewage-pumping facility. They’ve constructed a 2′ gauge railway around the grounds, and Leonard, a little Bagnall dating from 1919, would be in operation on this occasion (for a full report on Leonard’s activities, visit “Leonard at Leicester” on Geoff’s Rail Diaries). There were other exhibits, including couple of old buses which seemed to be operated by, and for, some rather large bears. Next door, there’s a spaceship (really!). All good fun, and interesting too. Must go again one day…
30 April 2006: a spring visit to the National Trust property south of Bridgnorth
30 April 2012: a short walk from the Carding Mill valley, up past the waterfall to the plateau, and back down Mott’s Road. I think it was the first dry day after several very wet ones – the streams were full and overflowing
Dudmaston NT; Carding Mill Valley NT
26 April 2009: a visit to the museum of buildings near Bromsgrove, which is much more interesting than it sounds! One of those places we’d intended to go to for several years.
Afterwards, we appear to have driven on to Evesham, where five years and a day after the visit posted yesterday, we had another brief look at the railway. The locomotive in use on this occasion was “John”, built in 1921 for the Rhyl Miniature Railway
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings
25 April 2010: It’s a popular National Trust property just the other side of Bridgnorth, and it was looking good on this showery spring day ten years ago. There are all the usual trimmings – quirky clock tower at the entrance, stable block, modern art statuary, rhododendrons and azaleas, lake, dingle… What more could one ask? Ice creams?
Little in common, apart from their dates – 18 April, and they all involve buildings:
2003 – the splendid market hall at Questembert, Brittany
2004 – John Jacques’ wonderful little museum at Shackerstone station (Battlefield line)
2010 – Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire (NT)
2007: A day trip to north Wales. We thought we ought to visit Llandudno, for a trip on the cable-hauled Great Orme tramway (taking the tram up, then walking back down again). While we were up, so to speak, we thought we could go down the mine – the remarkable bronze-age copper mine, all the more noteworthy for being open to the public. We finished our day with a brief visit to Penrhyn Castle, where we just had time to look at the wonderful collection of ancient industrial steam locomotives.
2009: Another great Skye day, with an outing to the coral beach beyond Dunvegan. Later in the day, a clear sunny evening was perfect for a walk along the road to enjoy the warm light and the sunset behind the Western Isles.
On 10 April 2011, we visited the “Victorian Town” at Blists Hill – another little outing that never made it to the blog. As well as the usual attractions, there was a visiting troupe of red-coated soldiers, who seemed far to ancient to be much military use.
Reality is on the blink again, as Douglas Adams once said. The trees in the snowdrop woods are wearing scarves, and what we thought was the bothy, beside the walled garden, is now Badger’s house. Meanwhile, the deer in the park have gathered just about as far from all this fun as possible. Are we surprised?
Busy days!
Saturday 16 November: off to Edinburgh, on the train from Crewe.
Sunday: an ice-cold start on the Forth’s shore at Newhaven and Leith, then up Leith Walk (on foot, of course) for a brief spot of tourism in Edinburgh’s old town.
Monday: another frosty morning. This time we’ll use the old railway track to Scotland Street, and we’ll visit Calton Hill and the National Museum of Scotland. A full day wouldn’t have done justice to the museum, and we’ve only got a couple of hours before our train for home.
Tuesday: a day off, and an hour or so of fresh air down by the Severn, where the bridge is looking good in the late-afternoon light.
Wednesday: away at the crack of dawn for a rail exploration of parts of Lancashire, which doesn’t quite go according to plan. We miss a train in unexpected fashion in Wigan, before finding ourselves (briefly) in Blackburn and Clitheroe.
(further photographic exploration to follow)
