Category: Shropshire hills

Under a clear blue sky

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

… around Clive and Grinshill. Once again, the sunshine is very pleasant, but there’s a hard frost in the shade. A very interesting walk through woodlands and around old quarry workings, which present themselves as impossibly clean-cut rock faces in amongst the trees. Back at the start, an unusually inquisitive robin insists on checking inside the car for any spare crumbs. It nearly came home with us!

The route shown below depicts our somewhat erratic wanderings – it’s not a recommendation…

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The weighbridge

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways..., Shropshire hillsLeave a comment

A visit to the museum of the Bishop’s Castle Railway Society.

The Bishop’s Castle Railway was a failure. The line that opened (unofficially) in 1865 and (officially) in 1866 was only half of the originally planned through route. By the end of 1866 it was in the hands of the receivers, who tried unsuccessfully to sell it while continuing to run services. Remarkably, they did so until 1935, by which time it was utterly decrepit. Within two years the line had been lifted and its rolling stock had all gone for scrap metal.

Today, much of the trackbed remains, as do a couple of the stations, but at Bishop’s Castle all that exists is the weighbridge building. Only a few years ago it was derelict and in danger of being lost forever, but it has been lovingly restored and is now the home of the BCRS museum, a collection of small exhibits and – star attraction – one of the nameplates of the BCR’s locomotive Carlisle. The building also serves as a café (home-made cakes!), while in the yard is the body of a former BR banana van, full of very reasonably priced second-hand railway books.

Bishop’s Castle Railway Society

The long way to Jackfield

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

It seems we need to visit an art and craft fair in Jackfield village hall. It’s a fine dry afternoon (but still very cold) – we’ll walk, and we’ll go the long way, down Pound Lane and along the old railway track to  the Coalport bridge. There, we’ll cross the river and wander along past the old china works, before recrossing and heading for Jackfield. We leave the village hall several pounds (£) lighter, but we can’t carry everything we like the look of. I expect we’ll need to return tomorrow…

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