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Author Topic: Going t'other way from Reading  (Read 9486 times)
grahame
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« on: March 27, 2019, 15:32:15 »

London to Reading - but NOT London to Reading!

If you were a (regular) user / commuter from Reading to London (perhaps you are  Grin ), where might you be tempted to travel west of Reading for a leisure trip - a day out or a holiday, for example.   

Background - putting together a display table (and I'll be looking to get leaflets too) for Community Rail in the City in May.  Looking for 'sensible' trips from Reading by train - days out, not through London.  Great (but not mandatory) to use Community Rail lines / services as the community is everywhere, great to also include connecting buses.  But really looking for places not individual single attractions.

I have a list of ideas - indeed if I lived in Reading I could probably find a different destination for every weekend day from now until Christmas - but I would love your ideas.
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JayMac
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« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2019, 16:30:39 »

Well, for the commuter who's also a rail enthusiast, then...

Didcot Railway Centre
Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
STEAM, Swindon.
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« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2019, 16:53:09 »

Lands End or St.Ives.
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« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2019, 17:16:07 »

Bath is a good day trip
Bristol and Cardiff
Gloucester
Oxford
NEC» (National Exhibition Centre - about)
Birmingham ...........

The list goes on
 

There are so many place
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« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2019, 18:22:16 »

Bournemouth is quite popular from here, for days out or holidays

Day trips to Oxford and Basingstoke as well.

Newbury races.

For holidays you could add Gatwick and for days out you could include Windsor or Ascot. (But they are east  Smiley)
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« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2019, 18:26:02 »

Bath is always a favourite. Not a personal fan of Oxford but I know others like it (in fact too many do which is part of the problem).

Bradford upon Avon looks interesting although I don't know if there's enough to do for a day.

Chichester is somewhere I go to fairly often as well.

If you don;t mind bus or taxi as part of the journey there's a lot of interesting places within reach of Evesham or any of the Cotswold stops.
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grahame
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« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2019, 19:01:06 »

Looking good and keep 'em rolling ... a couple of 'duh - of course' ones.

Yes - there is plenty to do in and around Bradford-on-Avon; you probably want to be good on your feet.
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« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2019, 19:02:45 »

Having lived in Reading or the immediate neighbourhood for the best part of 30 years I can remember making trips to Clifton by way of the Severn Beach line.  Days out in Weston super Mare, Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cardiff.  

As you say so many to choose from.  Possibly link in with Great Way West tickets now we think we know where they are valid!
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paul7575
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« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2019, 19:37:02 »

Bournemouth is quite popular from here, for days out or holidays

Day trips to Oxford and Basingstoke as well.

Newbury races.

For holidays you could add Gatwick and for days out you could include Windsor or Ascot. (But they are east  Smiley)

Basingstoke  Shocked Shocked

Paul
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« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2019, 19:48:04 »

Taunton...... Roll Eyes Grin

Seriously though, I suggested St.Ives as it can easily be reached by a day trip from Reading in reasonable hours and is probably one place most people SHOULD visit once at least.

Lands End is a bit more difficult, and you would probably only have an hour there after travelling some 7.5 hours in each direction.....but lots of other scenery to see on the way.
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grahame
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« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2019, 19:53:21 »

Taunton...... Roll Eyes Grin

Seriously though, I suggested St.Ives as it can easily be reached for a day trip from Reading in reasonable hours and is probably one place most people SHOULD visit once at least.

Is the price reasonable though?

But remember I'm looking for weekend and long breaks too, so St Ives becomes more centre stage.
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rogerw
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« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2019, 20:08:35 »

Not forgetting Weymouth and the Jurassic coast
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« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2019, 20:08:54 »

Taunton...... Roll Eyes Grin

Seriously though, I suggested St.Ives as it can easily be reached for a day trip from Reading in reasonable hours and is probably one place most people SHOULD visit once at least.

Is the price reasonable though?

But remember I'm looking for weekend and long breaks too, so St Ives becomes more centre stage.

£191.50 Day Return (according to GWR (Great Western Railway).com).  I'm sure BNM would be able to do it much cheaper  Wink
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grahame
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« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2019, 20:17:02 »

Not forgetting Weymouth and the Jurassic coast

The bus to Portland Bill is pencilled on my list - a particularly good trip.  Sadly, ticketing (especially if you want to go out via Pewsey and back via Micheldever) looks quite complex and can be costly.    The sort of thing we really should be promoting to help our friends at Heart of Wessex.
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Reading General
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« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2019, 20:27:40 »

Blenheim Palace and Woodstock by using the bus from outside Oxford station.
Bicester village if people like that sort of stuff.
Leamington Spa and Warwick.
Portsmouth historic dockyard and Gunwharf Quays. Change at Basingstoke or Winchester, or go via Guildford and change.
Winchester.
Stratford upon Avon. Not sure how easy this is anymore, we used to have a direct train.
Some of these only use a GWR (Great Western Railway) train part of the way, but there is the adventure.
Oh and don't forget, we might be bigger than most cities in this country and look like a modern one but we're still a town and proud of it (some of us). Provincial town number 1! Smiley

And personally rarely do I travel from Reading (General) towards the big london, always more likely to go anywhere but.

Cheers
« Last Edit: March 27, 2019, 20:45:35 by Reading General » Logged
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