The West Somerset Railway is not only Britain’s longest heritage railway, it is also one of Somerset’s longest nature trails, with a huge variety of flora and fauna happily residing in and on the earthworks alongside the passing trains.
Over the last few years, local photographer and naturalist David Bailey has been painstakingly exploring the 23 miles of the WSR and recording the plants and animals – both commonplace and rare, the seasonal visitors and those who are with us all year, the hibernators and the active throughout. He has regularly given talks entitled “Primroses Grow 173½ miles from Paddington” to local groups of naturalists, railway enthusiasts and other groups over recent years, and now he will act as ‘on train guide’ on three Wildlife Specials along the WSR in 2002.
The Trains
Details of the trains are as follows:-
| Sunday 19 May | Bishops Lydeard depart 10.45am, returning from Minehead at 2.45pm. |
| Monday 20 May | Minehead depart 6.00pm, returning to Minehead by around 9.30pm (which will give passengers a chance to see the change from diurnal to nocturnal activity along the line) |
| Sunday 22 September | Bishops Lydeard depart 10.45am, returning from Minehead 2.45pm. |
David Bailey will travel on all these trains, which will be specially fitted with public address equipment, allowing him to point out matters of wildlife interest on the journey through the Quantock Hills to the Bristol Channel coast.
All trains will be worked by one of the Railway’s heritage diesel multiple units, which offer unrivalled views of the surrounding countryside.
Tickets
The cost to travel on all three “Wildlife Specials” is just £10 per person.
Cheques for the trains on 19 May and 22 September should be made payable to the “WSR plc”, and for the train on 20 May to “Minehead Station Fund”.
How to Book
You can book Rover Tickets in advance in the following ways:-