Great Western Coffee Shop

Don't like weekends at the moment - too much time on my hands as still trying to get used to solo living

Thinking of doing something on saturday - maybe a train circuit loopy thing like the HOW/Marches but with something interesting to stop at half way around

Don't know the south west very well so (1) will give me something to do and (2) help me get to know it


Only requirement is that all trains must have some form of table unless a short hop - say for example to temple meads etc

Weymouth? Take the 0909 from Bristol Temple Meads, this should be loco hauled coaching stock, so plenty of tables.

But also likely to be plenty of those little 'uns you so adore! Particularly if the weather's nice.

If you decide on a day out along the Welsh Marches line then buy a day return Bristol to Worcester, valid via Newport and Hereford. You can then do a loop returning from Worcester via Cheltenham. Lots of choices for places to stop for a wander. Abergavenny is quite nice, as is lunch next to the river in Hereford.

done the marches HOW several times and as I've only just moved from Ludlow - don't really want to go that way - too many memories

Weymouth sounds promising - just wondering if it can be made into a loop

Return via Soton and Salisbury.

Beat me to it by seconds Btline! Weymouth's lovely and Salisbury would also be a great place to break your journey and have a look around if you haven't visited before.

If returning via Southampton and Salisbury you'll need to buy the BRI-WEY* route: SALISBURY SVR fare or excess the route: YEOVIL fare at Weymouth prior to beginning your return journey.

Oh and Dorchester is a nice little town to have a wander round.

*Cheaper to split at Bristol if you are starting from Nailsea, just buy a day return NLS-BRI

Other thoughts that have just popped into my head as places to consider for this/future trips: Isle of Wight is great, either via Portsmouth then connecting at Ryde onto the Island Line, or via Lymington and Fishbourne. Through rail ticketing available in both cases I believe. Or you could just head to Lymington for the day, it's a pretty little town with nice places to walk as well.

Or there are other options like a jolly on the odd Cornish branchline or two (e.g. the Gunnislake or Looe branches) which should be achievable as a day trip.

I know lymington - the mother in law lives in the new forest

lymington is their nearest town - really bad italian restaurant in lymington I seem to remember

Thanks all - I'll see what the weathers like and decide later in the week

One think I was thinking is of going to cardiff and going up each of the valley lines in turn but they don't have tables and I need to get some studying done

Couple of options for Cornwall.

There's an 0915 HST from Temple Meads (Weekend First?) that will take you to Liskeard for the Looe Branch. Half hour wait at Liskeard for Train to Looe though.

Or on to Truro for Falmouth or St Erth for St Ives.

Earlier start. 0844 XC Bristol to Exeter, then 0953 FGW HST to Newquay.

if you Fancie a quiet one Calstock and Gunnislake is a nice day out if your up for abit of walking anyway

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Hi FA,

If you are going to do the Valleys on the weekend then a Valley Rover is good value at 8.60

http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/ValleyLinesExplorer/

You should get Tables on 150 and with rover you can decide which train from Cardiff
only this weekend there is the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale on 31 July - 7 August so Ebbw Vale line will be busy and they are puttting on extra trains which will no doubt be 150

Basset

Maybe consider Nailsea & Backwell - Taunton - Exeter St Davids - Sailsbury - Bristol Temple Meads - Nailsea & Backwell

SWT offer Weekend First for ^5 between Exeter St Davids - Salisbury. They also have power sockets that work on 90% of their trains... Catering normally on board, but I hope you don't mind it warm :D

Also if you wanted to spend a good few hours on trains is this one:

Nailsea & Backwell - Bristol Temple Meads - Southampton Central - Brighton - Clapham Junction - Reading - Bristol Temple Meads - Nailsea & Backwell

I sort of did the above when I went to Brighton, but started out in Westbury and came back via Reading to Castle Cary... Got some fab photos I took on route of all the snow we had back in February ;D ;)

If you do go that route, seriously consider taking a Class 442 from Brighton - Clapham Junction, my favourite train ;D and has large tables in First Class too... This train also holds the record for the fastest run on 3rd Rail i'm lead to believe ;D But only complimentaries Southern offer on board to 1st Pax that you'll be interested in is a small mineral water... :o

I didn't know Class 442's are used on the Brighton-London services on Saturdays.   I know they're used on some weekday services, but they're at inconvenient times for me based in Bristol.   So if they're being used on Saturdays, it would be handy to know which exact services they're being used on so I can plan a trip there soon.  Do you happen to know?  Cheers.

There are plenty of fabulous days out by rail.

Get to Totnes and take the South Devon Steam to Buckfast and visit the Abbey.
http://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/what-to-see-and-do
Totnes again but walk into the town and down to Steamer Quay for a river cruise to Dartmouth..once at Dartmouth you can go to Agatha Christie's estate or take the P&D steam train to Paignton for the Zoo, Torquay for the Living Coasts & Kent's Cavern.
Return by rail to Newton Abbot for the main line.
 http://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/

I often go to Newton Abbot or Exeter to get a local stopper to Dawlish Warren and walk down by the railway line to Dawlish (Brunel's seaside line that used to be air powered) stopping at the Red Rock cafe for a 'hungry man' sandwich and the best ice-cream in the World at Gays bakery in Dawlish - the Black Swans, Muscovies, Mallard Hybrids & weird Geese will be looking at you enviously.
Dawlish also has sea cruises of between 1/2 to 2 hours.

Exmouth is a lovely 142 ride and Stuart Line do a fabulous cruise up the Jurassic coast - very likely to see Dolphin and ocean Sunfish.
 http://www.stuartlinecruises.co.uk/

As mentioned the Gunnislake line is nice - get off at Calstock where that nice viaduct is and walk up to Cotehele House.

I live in St Ives and the branch line is spectacular - trip to Seal Island is nice with a chance of Dolphins but it's hellish busy down here.

(that why I'm generally in Devon)
 
 

An oxymoron, surely?  ;D

Or you could get the open top bus from Totnes direct to outside the Zoo; far easier than the very long journey round via Kingswear.

However I do recommend the river cruise, however its much nicer on a summers evening!