7 – 10th August Trips (Lancs Canal, Worcs & Staffordshire Canal, South Wales)

 7 – 10th August Trips

I had managed to use up some annual leave days to bridge the gap between two long weekends on the roster to give myself 12 days off, time which I needed after a crazy week at the start of August.  The 6th August was spent with a day trip to Thanet in Kent to ride the open top route 69 tourist bus route with my good friend Dan to give myself a quieter day before all the walking!

7th August – Lancaster Canal in rural Lancashire.

Making use of the no peak fares from London on Fridays meant I could have a day trip to Lancashire to walk part of the canal between Preston & Lancaster, parts I’ve already covered on previous trips.  The day started with the 05:22 service from Grateley to Waterloo with 159107 & 159016 followed with a stroll to Euston to grab a seat on a busy 390103 on the 07:30 Glasgow train for some high-speed Pendo travel to Preston.  The start point of the canal walk would be near the junction with the Ribble Link in the Ingol area of the city, around 2 and a half miles away from the station.  I decided to be a bit lazy and catch the route 44 Preston Bus service for Cottam alighting on Barry Avenue in a residential area of Ingol, crossing the canal on Cottam Mill Bridge and onto the towpath close to the junction.

The first section of the canal was a solid tarmac towpath as it forms a cycle route towards the sports area of a university (on the left-hand side) with housing on the right-hand side.  The canal itself was green.  The cycle path ended near the end of the housing in Cottam with countryside appearing on both sides of the canal, the towpath still being quite reasonable at this point.  I headed underneath the A582 bridge and soon the sound of traffic reduced heading west towards Salwick (giving some views of the railway line at times).  The limited served station of Salwick isn't that far from the canal towpath which turns to head north into a woodland cutting.

A Northern 331 heading towards Liverpool from the Lancaster Canal near Salwick

Now in Salwick village centre (if you could call it that), passing a pub, the towpath changed from a solid surface to a more rural surface (which to be honest I was expecting to see a lot sooner), a mix of grass & sand-like dirt with the sound of traffic increasing as I headed underneath the M55.  The canal did another turn, this time heading east, passing a few moored boats (I only saw one boat actually moving on this walk).  I was now in the Blackleach rural area, still with fields to both sides with the sound of traffic from the right.  In the Swillbrook area the canal turned from heading east to heading more north-east, along a peaceful towpath.

I paused for lunch at a handy bench seat near Moorside Lane before carrying on, now heading more north, crossing the New Mill Brook on Hollowforth Aqueduct.  Still with some beautiful countryside on both sides (I do like my rural canal walks for the sense of isolation), I headed towards the village of Bilsborrow where I needed to decide as I could have easily kept going for the next 4 (or so) miles to reach the southern area (Bonds) of Garstang but I had one eye on trains heading back south as there was a couple of cancellations to the fast services to be wary off.

Lancaster Canal in the Salwick area

In the end I decided to stick with my original split point for this canal, passing through Bilsborrow, crossing over the River Brock and heading towards the large Barton Grange Garden Centre, crossing underneath the A6 with the canal swinging through another 90-degree bend with the WCML appearing, the walk ending with a fast stroll alongside the A6 as a bus was due shortly (one of those walks where I kept on turning back for any sight of the bus).  I reached the bus stop before the next Stagecoach route 41 service rolled in with a nice double decker to take me back towards Preston.  Sadly, this bus did get caught up with some heavy traffic in the Fulwood area, but Moor Park looked like a nice place to explore.

Arriving into the bus station gave me options for trains, as I made my way to the railway station, the next London via the West Midlands service was cancelled at Preston with the following fast service from Glasgow being formed of 9 coaches and was at the time half an hour late.  A Lumo was running nearly an hour late, so not wanting to hang in Preston for 90 minutes I managed to jump on 195118 for a fast run towards Manchester Piccadilly, where I made a nice connection onto 221115 on a Bournemouth service, as there was issues on SWR.  Coach B on this voyager getting busy at Stoke on Trent, emptying out at Wolverhampton, surprisingly departed Birmingham New Street with at least a dozen empty seats that I could see, filling up again at the Airport, and slowly emptied out along the way.  The voyager lost time around Kenilworth due to a late running Manchester bound service.

Lancaster Canal between Woodplumpton & Bilsborrow 

Annoyingly the train I was hoping to connect into at Basingstoke was running on time, with the following service running late, so I headed out of the station for some fresh air before boarding a busy 158885 for the short run back to Grateley to end the day trip.  An enjoyable trip to the Lancaster canal, deciding that when I do the section from Barton Grange Garden Centre (Brock) towards Galgate, it would be better to stay overnight in the general area, just to save the hassle of a late finish.

8th August – Kidderminster to Stourbridge by Canal

Today I decided to head towards Worcestershire to finish both the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal and the Stourbridge Canal.  The day began with the 05:59 service from Grateley with 158883 & 159010 to Basingstoke, changing onto 220034 & 221128 with the front 4 coaches locked out of use (I have no clue if they came into use at any point, I made my usual bee-line to coach B on the 221 which was at the rear of the train).  Arriving into Birmingham New Street near enough on time, gave me the chance to grab some breakfast from Tim Hortons before making my way to Moor Street to board 172003 & 172340 on a Kidderminster terminator (I’ll be back!)

At Kidderminster my walk began, passing the steam railway station (reminds me that one of these days I will take a train from there towards Bridgnorth).  Heading via the town centre, going via Tesco to grab lunch items and some more water as it was a bit warmer today compared to Friday.  I joined the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal alongside the Tesco superstore car park, heading north going underneath a tunnel formed with the St Marys Ringway road, the towpath swapping sides at the lock (giving some nice views of the church).  This section of towpath was reasonably busy with other users and a nice solid surface as I headed via the suburbs before heading into the countryside, the towpath being quite changeable going forward.

I continued my walk in the countryside, reaching Wolverley, the canal being a bit curvy at times heading towards Cookley and a short tunnel.  After leaving Cookley I returned to the rural area, the sound of traffic from the A449 not being too far away, heading north to the Kinver area, the canal skirting both Kinver & Dunsley, curving east via another short tunnel before curving north towards Stourton, reaching the junction with the Stourbridge Canal.  An enjoyable walk with some nice countryside.

Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal between Kidderminster & Wolverley

Turning right onto the Stourbridge Canal, it was a short walk within Stourton before that headed into the countryside, with some nice woodland at times, heading towards Stourbridge itself and the junction with the Town Arm.  Another canal onto the completed list, as I made my way along the town arm towards Wollaston Road, before following the roads towards Stourbridge Town station and onto 139001 for the spin up the hill to Stourbridge Junction.

I made a tight connection onto 172332 & 172215 to take me towards Birmingham Snow Hill, where I had time to go via the Co-Op to grab some supplies for dinner before making my way to Birmingham New Street and onto a late running 221116 which had lost time around Stafford.  I managed to grab a reasonable seat in coach B and relaxed as the train emptied out at Coventry, losing more time in Kenilworth loop for the Nuneaton service to pass on the single-track line.  Thankfully it departed Reading before a GWR stopper to reach Basingstoke around 20 minutes late, being thankful I grabbed food earlier in the afternoon in Birmingham as I waited for 158886 & 159002 to roll in from London.  An early finish, but I didn’t fancy hanging around Birmingham as the city centre was just chaotic.

Ozzy the Bull at Birmingham New Street

9th August – Return to South Wales

I had a hotel booked in Cardiff (Travelodge on Queen Street) with a lot of potential ideas for walks, some went back on the pile due to engineering works north of Radyr.  The day started with 159015 & 159106 for the short hop to Andover, followed with 159013 to Reading (with an extended pause at Reading Green Park waiting for an engineering works block to get lifted, allowing time for a photo).  After grabbing some breakfast related items, it was onto a late running 800036, which I suspect might have been running on diesel as it kept on losing time towards Swindon where it turned left at Wootton Bassett Junction to go nonstop via Chippenham & Bath Spa towards Bristol (the London bound train it passed at Bath looked very busy!)  The unit took Dr Days curve onto Filton bank to Bristol Parkway where it crashed into 800010 to become 10 coaches.

Reversing at Bristol Parkway, now running 50-odd minutes late, it headed into Wales and I alighted at Newport with a nice connection into a very busy 197026 on a Chester train to take me to Pontypool & New Inn, a station I could swear used to have a much better Sunday service than the 2 hourly it sees these days.  Spend countless millions on a brand-new car park with access from the A4042 dual carriageway and lifts to access said car park but not to exit the station by foot but still have a rubbish frequency.  Anyhow like all the others who alighted from the train, I left the station via the original stairs onto the roads, crossing the dual carriageway and reaching the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.

197026 departs Pontypool & New Inn Station

The first of today's walks was along this canal towards Cwmbran, meeting up with a walk I did back in October 2024 (long time ago!)  As expected, as part of a cycle route, the towpath was decent quality as I crossed over the Afon Lwyd passing Pontymoile basin (which at one point used to have another part of the canal branching off).  Going underneath the A472 & an old railway viaduct (the former GWR route towards   Blaenavon, this canal was quite urban with the towpath being busy (dog walkers, joggers, cyclists). I continued mostly south via Griffithstown & Sebastopol reaching the limit of navigation, and the Cwmbran tunnel where annoyingly the canal towpath was blocked due to housing developments.

A reasonably signposted diversional route was followed via the modern housing development (says something about how new it is, when it doesn't even show on Google Maps!), joining the route of the canal on Five Locks Road, dropping down the remains of the locks towards the Cwmbran area, putting a bit of a fast pace along the road to reach the station as I was a bit short on time, making to make it in time for 197002 & 197011 to take me to Cardiff Central, where after popping out of the station to grab a late lunch (and more liquids) I met up with my good friend Jules who was down in Cardiff picking up his bike from getting serviced.

Cwmbran Tunnel Portal on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Cwmbran

We jumped onto 197011 to take us to Tondu to start my second walk of the warm day.  After grabbing a photograph of the 197 heading into the hills with the Tondu signal box, we followed the road to pick up the route of cycle route 4 leading towards the large Parc Slip nature reserve (on the site of a former colliery).  This was very rural & beautiful, passing a memorial to those who lost their lives in an explosion in 1892, certainly an area we could easily return to again for a bigger explore.  We continued as the cycle path ran alongside the mothballed Tondu - Margam freight line (massively overgrown in a couple of places with foot crossings & a level crossing over a minor road).  This path took us towards Bedford Park and onto the route of the former Llynvi and Ogmore Railway route towards Porthcawl.  This was another beautiful area heading towards Kenfig Hill, the path ending near a small park.

197011 heading towards Maesteg after getting the token from Tondu Signal Box

We headed via the roads (and a little Premier shop for cold drinks) to reach Pyle station, a station which doesn't have much in the way of seats and onto winner 197041 on a Manchester bound service, amazingly for a 2-coach TfW special we managed to get seats for the trip to Cardiff Central.  Dinner was at the Great Western Spoons before we said farewell with Jules heading back towards Hereford with his bike and I decided to have another walk (because I was crazy!)

Remains of Margam - Tondu freight line from a foot crossing between Parc Slip & Bedford Park (Bridgend)

I headed along the Taff Embankment, thinking about how long before the east side of the river is full of high-rise accommodation blocks, crossing the river on Clarence Road bridge and into Hamadryad Park.  This led me towards the Cardiff Bay Wetlands with some beautiful views of the bay from a little jetty.  I followed the path towards some old docks, passing the Mount Stuart Spoons into the busy Mermaid Quay area (lots of eateries).  After doing a loop in this area I followed the Canal Park path within Butetown with the option of heading to Cardiff Bay station but the timings didn't work out (this was the time of night where service levels dropped to every 30 minutes so if I headed to the station, I would have had a 25-minute wait) so headed back towards the city centre via Dumballs Road.

Cardiff Bay from Wetlands View Platform

This road took me back towards the Cardiff Central area (passing a handy looking Co-Op) as I headed via the city centre to locate the Travelodge near Queen Street (located on The Friary), a pedestrian area as I got given a warm room on the front of the hotel on the 4th floor, a noisy room from a nearby nightclub.  A hotel where I suspect outside noise depends which side of the building you get a room, similar to the Travelodge nearest Cardiff Central.  Anyhow I did manage to get some sleep once the nightclub closed up, but beforehand I was trying to decide on what to do on the Monday, not wanting too late of a finish.  An enjoyable day with 3 different walks.

10th August – (David) Tennant Canal in Swansea

In the end I decided to head towards Swansea to walk the path alongside the disused Tennant Canal towards Neath.  After checking out of the hotel I made my way towards Queen Street station (it seems that Tim Hortons has closed) and onto 231004 for the short junction to Cardiff Central, making an easy connection onto 800312 for the speedy trip to Swansea where my walk began.  I headed out of the station towards the city centre, passing the remains of Swansea Castle, dropping down a hill to head towards the Parc Tawe Retail Park to get some more water from the Food Warehouse.  After getting water I headed towards the River Tawe, crossing over the river on the Sail Bridge.

I followed signs for cycle route 4 for a path alongside the Fabian Way Road leading towards a busway along the route of the disused Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, crossing over Fabian Way on a bridge (with the busway heading towards a park & ride site).  This took me towards the Port Tennant area of the city before the urban area gave way to woodland with the occasional glimpse of where the canal would have been (mainly a ditch).

Sail Bridge over the River Tawe in Swansea City Centre

The path quality was reasonable at this point however it changed from a smooth tarmac path to something more bumpy & rough when the canal appeared with water (certainly suitable for a Mountain Bike, not for a road bike).  I reached Jersey Marine with the towpath flipping sides with the canal being on my right-hand side, although at times you couldn't see it due to being blocked with vegetation.  This section was very rural, certainly not one to do during winter, it was also very quiet and pretty.  I headed underneath the (mothballed?) railway line which heads towards Swansea Kings docks, the landscape turning more industrial and traffic noise picking up with the arrival of the M4.

I headed underneath another railway bridge, carrying one of the curves towards the Swansea District Line, underneath the M4 with the unexpected sound of a passing train on the line towards Neath Riverside (looked yellow so maybe that Network Rail 950 unit).  The path quality in this part was reasonable, not the best but nothing impassable.  After going underneath, the main Swansea District Line (all the railway bridges!), the towpath flipped sides onto a particularly bad section of towpath (bit overgrown).  Thankfully it did improve once underneath the A465 skirting the edge of Skewen and reaching the delightful Neath Abbey, a worthwhile detour for the ruins.

Neath Abbey

I returned to the canal, the towpath flipping sides once more with the landscape changing into more countryside before going underneath various bridges with the A465 and slip roads with the River Neath making an appearance on my right-hand side.  I was in two minds about continuing towards Aberdulais where the Tennant Canal meets with the Neath canal but decided that could wait for another day and made my way towards Neath station via Morrisons for food.

At Neath station and it was onto a busy short formed 800014 (5 coaches instead of 10) to take me to Cardiff Central and onto a warm 166214 which got caught up with a farce of a 197 on a Holyhead bound service being late departing, eventually the 166 departed around 20 minutes late, increasing the lateness with a slow run towards Newport where it got overtaken by a sloth.  Eventually it picked up speed after Newport and headed towards Bristol before following a stopping service after Bath Spa with no hope of making a connection at Salisbury I bailed at Westbury into the fresh air and onto a cool 158884.

Swansea District Railway Bridge over the Tennant Canal between the M4 Bridge (Skewen) & Neath

This took me to Salisbury where I relaxed before boarding 158888 & 159005 on the 16:47 service to take me to Grateley to complete the trip.  I got home to sort out my rucksack ready for my Tyneside Adventures, which feels a suitable place to finish this blog.  As always thanks for reading, more photos (including from a trip along the Avon Valley footpath at the start of the month & from the Thanet trip) can be found on my Flickr *Here*.  Have a good evening.

Day Trips 28th & 29th July (Macclesfield Canal & Thames Path)

 Day Trips 28th & 29th July (Macclesfield Canal & Thames Path)

28th July – Macclesfield Canal Part 3

Having walked from Congleton towards Marple (via Macclesfield) over 2 trips in May, I decided it would be a good day to finish the canal with the section from Congleton towards Kidsgrove.  Due to a reasonable finish time for my week of late shifts, I decided to make use of a tactic I used last September to avoid the potential of overcrowding on the first off-peak Manchester train (since Avanti are not running the 09:33 service from London, the first off-peak train is the 09:53).  The day started with the 06:19 service from Grateley, with 159010 & 159106, getting quite busy after Andover as the previous service broke down. It was also quite lucky I did this service rather than my more usual 06:57 service as that didn’t call at Grateley due to signalling issues at Tisbury, the next departure was a delayed 07:27 which didn’t get into London until after 9am.

Anyhow in London, I had my usual stroll to Euston, dodging the cyclists on hire bikes who think red lights are optional, and onto the 08:46 London Northwestern service for my first pair of 730/2s for a few months with 730225 & 730208 for the speedy journey to Rugby.  My fester at Rugby was extended due to the Manchester train being delayed as a mostly empty 390121 rolled in for the nonstop run to Stoke on Trent (coach U had 5 other passengers on this ‘peak time’ service from London).  After visiting the toilets at Stoke station, I boarded 323236 on the local stopping service to Congleton, delayed by a couple of minutes due to another late running Manchester bound Pendo.  At Congleton my walk began.

323236 at Stoke On Trent Station

Unlike in May I joined the canal via the access from the opposite side of the railway (rather than a path & steep stairs near a pub), heading underneath the railway and west towards a Roving bridge over the canal (designed to allow a horse to cross over the towpath without the need to be unhooked).  The towpath was quite reasonable quality along this section, a bit narrow in places but nothing that major.  I crossed over Canal road on a nice looking aqueduct, passing the remains of Congleton Wharf, swapping sides of the canal once more near Lamberts Lane as the urban area started to give way to countryside (on the right hand side at least).  The towpath changed from a solid smooth surface to something a bit more rougher, still solid but something you wouldn't want to take a road bike along.

Leaving Congleton behind, passing the Astbury Golf Club before heading into peaceful Cheshire countryside with the occasional sound of a train on the nearby railway, the towpath now being more rural in nature (certainly one not to do during the winter months, unless you like mud).  I continued passing an old hall (Ramsdell Hall) heading towards Scholar Green with the sound of traffic returning from the A34.  The canal skirted round the edge of Scholar Green (the settlement being on my right hand side with the railway reasonably close on the left hand side), the towpath returning to more solid ground as I reached the Hall Green Stop Lock where the Macclesfield Canal ends and the Hall Green branch of the Trent & Mersey begins (something I only found out when researching this walk, as I had assumed it was the Macclesfield Canal all the way to the junction at Kidsgrove.

Hall Green Stop Lock between the Macclesfield & Trent and Mersey Canals

I continued along the canal towpath reaching Red Bull, gaining wings with a crossing of the Liverpool Road (via an aqueduct) and crossing the main Trent & Mersey canal.  The towpath swapped sides once more with a sharp 90-degree bend.  This section was a bit overgrown in places (I suspect most people will drop down onto the main canal at the aqueduct).  I soon reached another sharp bend where the Hall Green branch ran into the main Trent & Mersey canal, the last section taking me underneath the railway towards Kidsgrove station where I had a couple of options, either head to Stoke or head to Crewe.  Due to the timetable for this line being a bit unbalanced (yes, that's the word) I had just missed a LNR service to Crewe so had a short wait (which was made longer due to running late) with 170516 to Crewe (at least the late running meant it didn’t have to sit at the junction protecting the single line for 7 minutes).

Annoyingly earlier in the day 197041 was showing as running on Crewe – Wrexham services, but when I checked when heading to Crewe, I saw it had disappeared somewhere at Chester and replaced with another 2 coach 197, so that unit escapes me once more, so with little else to do at Crewe I boarded a lightly loaded 805013 on a service from Chester for a speedy journey towards Euston, arriving near enough on time.  I had an option of going after a winner 730 on a Tring stopper, but the connections to get towards Clapham were a bit rubbish, and I didn’t fancy trying to board a short-formed sprinter at Waterloo so decided to leave that 730 for another day (not like it will be going anywhere).  I had a gentle stroll in the heat to Waterloo and onto a hot 159106, 159010 & 159019 which wasn’t that busy in coach 3 of 9, even after Clapham Junction.  This took me back to Grateley arriving near enough on time and I had a gentle stroll home.  An enjoyable day trip to Cheshire, even if I did get a bit warm at times.  Looking at the chaos out west I’m just glad I didn’t decide to change my plan to head towards Cornwall to finish the Camel Trail.

Trent & Mersey Canal in Kidsgrove

29th July – Thames Path (Part Who Knows!)

The plan for today is to do another section of the Thames Path, heading between Lechlade & Cricklade, this section being another rural section but thankfully not as long as the last section I did earlier in the month.   The day started with a drive to Salisbury, swinging via Tesco to grab some breakfast items before taking 166201 to Westbury, followed by 158766 to Swindon arriving a few minutes ahead of schedule due to other long-distance services running late.  After making use of the toilets on the station, I made my way to the “J” bus stop within the Fleming Way bus station, via Tesco for lunch items and onto the route 64 bus to Lechlade on Thames where my walk began.

Leaving the bus stop area near the church (fenced off for works so couldn't get a photo), I headed towards the River Thames at Halfpenny Bridge, dropping down the stairs used earlier in the month (when following a school group), this time turning west towards the Lechlade Riverside Park.  This area was quite scenic as I passed a few moored boats near the limit of navigation, leaving the riverside park behind for a rural stroll along the edge of a grassy area.  I reached a footbridge near to the former canal junction where the Thames & Severn Canal joined the Thames, the path heading south.  After crossing a cow filled field (moo) I reached the disused church of St John in the tiny settlement of Inglesham.

River Thames between Lechlade & Inglesham

The next section was a bit overgrown in places, but nothing that major as I soon re-joined the edge of the Thames in the countryside, the only sound being from the A361 before the river twisted and turned away from the road to head west.  I reached a point where the Thames Path moves away from following the actual river, heading alongside the edge of fields before picking up a farm track heading towards Hannington Wick.  A short section along the road before picking up another footpath, passing a couple of other walkers.  I reached the edge of the river for another short section before the Thames Path moved away to follow a minor road towards the village of Castle Eaton.

Pausing for lunch on a handy bench near the church, I resumed the walk, picking up the Thames again on the western side of the village.  Another rural section of twisting river walking along the edge of fields (some which were bumpy at times).  In hindsight maybe doing this walk on a hot day wasn't the best plan due to the very limited shade offered, but it was peaceful and quiet.  The Thames Path flipped sides of the Thames at a footbridge across some more fields, the river hiding from view from trees, before going back to the 'South' bank near Eysey.  The rural peacefulness soon ended as I headed underneath the busy A419 into Cricklade.

River Thames between Inglesham & Hannington Wick

I passed the Cricklade Millennium Green, heading towards the town centre of this North Wiltshire town.  Leaving the riverside behind for the final time I followed the roads to the High Street, detouring north to a road bridge over the river.  After this little detour I headed towards the centre, swinging via Tesco for a cold drink (and an ice-cream) making my way to the bus stop alongside Calcutt Street.  I didn't have long to wait before a Stagecoach route 51 arrived to take me towards Swindon, where after a gentle stroll in the town centre I made my way to the railway station.  It was onto 158766, which unusually was using platform 3 (rather than the more usual bay platform, which I took to Trowbridge for a same platform change onto 158959 & 158747 to take me to Salisbury to end the day.

An enjoyable day alongside the upper Thames, another section of the long Thames Path covered, leaving just the rough 13-mile section from Cricklade towards the source near Kemble (although this time of year, I would imagine it will be mostly dried out).  As always thanks for reading, I’ve got some time off work in August, with many ideas forming, a lot depends on the weather.  More photos can be found on my Flickr here.  The month started with a 158 and ends with a 158:

158766 at Swindon (using P3)

Trips 19 – 21st July, West Yorkshire & South Wales

 Trips 19 – 21st July, West Yorkshire & South Wales

19th July – Aire & Calder Navigation

I had booked a Sunday night in the Travelodge in Bradford (a lot cheaper than Leeds and has easy access to a station, which is sadly a downside of several other hotels in West Yorkshire) with the idea of doing a couple of walks.  For the Sunday I decided on the Aire & Calder Navigation between Leeds & Castleford, linking up with the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Leeds and a tiny section in Castleford I walked a couple of years ago when doing the old railway line from Garforth.  I was also tempted with the section from Wakefield to Castleford (linking up with the navigation towards Dewsbury & beyond) but decided that could be a weekday trip.

The trip began with the 07:37 service from Grateley (159005 & 159019) towards Waterloo, where I made the mistake of remaining on board after Clapham Junction as the train lost 10 minutes between Clapham & Waterloo with the Sunday morning timetable which sees the service using the Windsor Lines, just meant my stroll towards Kings Cross was a bit faster than expected.  I took my seat in a lightly loaded coach G of 801209 on a Leeds service, first time having this 801 within England as the only previous time was between Edinburgh & Glasgow Central.   Anyhow the trip to Leeds was uneventful and my walk began.  I exited the station, heading down some stairs to reach Swinegate my route towards the Aire blocked due to Leeds Pride forcing a little detour to pick up the river near Dock Street.

River Aire in Leeds (city centre)

The first part of the walk was along the Trans Pennine Trail, passing a busy Leeds Dock, heading in a gentle south eastern direction with the river on my left-hand side, partly hidden with various trees & bushes on a decent path.  I crossed underneath the A61 heading towards the Knowsthorpe area of the city, crossing to the opposite side of the river near an old flood lock.  Industrial & residential buildings gave way to woodland and a security fence protecting the freight yard at Hunslet East with a 66 at the end of the freight line with evidence of the former bridge over the river at Knostrop Weir, marking the start of the first canal section of the Aire & Calder Navigation.

I passed the lock & Stourton Stone Circle (random) with the river on my left & canal on my right.  I crossed over the canal on Thwaite Lane into another woodland section of path heading towards Skelton Grange Road, with a minor panic when I saw signs ahead saying "path closed" but thankfully all that was closed was a section underneath a bridge with a detour leading to the road on the northern side rather than the southern side.  Crossing this bridge and down some steps (which for a cycle path was a bit unexpected) with the river once more being on my left and canal on my right, not like I could see either waterway due to the trees.

A 66 at the end of the Hunslet Branch Line alongside the River Aire

However, this section was very scenic with the woodland and peaceful with occasional glimpse of the working river at Stourton.  The peace ended near the M1 with the woodland section ending for a walk alongside the Navigation, going underneath what looked to be an old railway bridge.  I saw signs of the Rothwell Country Park giving me ideas for the future as I continued alongside the water towards Woodlesford, swapping sides so the canal was on my left-hand side skirting round the edge of the village.

After Aberford Road bridge, the canal gains paths on both sides, I decided to remain with the canal on my left as I headed towards Lemonroyd marina & lock where the navigation joins back with the River Aire and where the Trans Pennine Trail heads away from the waterside near Methley.  The next section the river disappears from view as the path on the south side comes close to the railway before going into woodland, I decided to cross over to the northern bank on one of the footbridges.  This section skirted round the southern edge of the St Aidan's nature reserve giving some nice views of the various lakes from former coal workings.  The hard surface path ended near a section of path which goes a bit wavy and gets a mention in my guidebook as being muddy in the winter months.

RSPB St Aidan's from the path alongside the River Aire (3)

I returned to the river edge on a rural section heading towards Allerton Bywater having to detour away from the river on a couple of roads before resuming the walk alongside the water heading towards Castleford Junction where the River Calder flows into the Aire and another short section of Navigation begins to bypass the town centre & a large weir.  I followed this section of canal towards the road bridge, crossing over to the opposite bank to follow a path alongside the River Aire towards the Millennium Bridge.  After leaving the water’s edge for the last time I headed via a quiet town centre (it was after 4pm on a Sunday where all the shops had closed), heading to the station to end my walk.

As my hotel was in Bradford I had a couple of options, either wait for a 150 from Sheffield to take me to Leeds for something to Bradford Interchange (engineering works meant Forster Square was closed) or a 185 to Wakefield for a Grand Central service.  I opted for a very lightly loaded 185139 with the AC hitting me hard when I boarded to Wakefield Kirkgate, losing time due to signalling issues (which meant anybody on board would have missed the 2 hourly train up the hill to Westgate).  I had a short wait in the sunshine before 180102 arrived to take me towards Halifax where I decided to pop out of the station into the town centre to visit the Spoons (via a steep hill!)

180102 at Halifax

After a decent meal in a nice Spoons, I headed back down the steep hill and onto 195016 & 195011 for the near 8-mile trip to Bradford Interchange, heading to the hotel via the city centre (which has massively changed since cars & buses were pushed to the edges), getting a room on the top floor overlooking a large area of wasteland with the station in the background.  I spent the remainder of the evening relaxing after an enjoyable stroll from Leeds to Castleford in the sunshine.

20th July – Huddersfield Narrow & Broad Canals

The idea for today was to complete my walking of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Standedge Tunnel towards Huddersfield, linking up with the short Huddersfield Broad canal.  I left the hotel making my way to Forster Square and wasn’t welcomed onto the Leeds train as 333012 took me to Leeds complete with the new announcements.  After grabbing some supplies within the city centre, I boarded 185139 for the journey to Marsden, looking out of the window at the various upgrades being taken.  Unusually this service went into the loop platform at Marsden to allow a late running Liverpool service to pass.

My walk began as I joined the towpath of the canal near the station, walking the short distance within a woodland cutting towards the railway bridge, with the canal making a sharp turn to the Standedge Visitor Centre and Marsden portal of the long Standedge (canal) tunnel.  After a couple of photos I returned towards Marsden (this time using a woodland footpath alongside the canal).  After re-joining the canal at the lock near the station I headed along the decent towpath, passing many locks reaching Sparth Reservoir.  The water level within the reservoir was quite low due to the recent hot weather (to such a point where this canal was closed for traffic due to low water levels at times).

Huddersfield Narrow Canal near Standedge Tunnel (Marsden Portal)

I continued the walk in the countryside with the sound of trains from the nearby railway line heading towards Slaitwaite and towards the outskirts of Huddersfield where the countryside gave way to the more urban area of both industrial & residential buildings.  I soon reached the impressive railway viaduct carrying the line towards Barnsley over the canal and reached the short Bates tunnel forcing a detour via the roads and some steps onto a section of towpath high above the canal (which was in a deep cutting), the towpath dropping down further on.  This is the area where the Narrow canal turns into the Broad canal (however due to the width of the Wakefield Road bridge this section is effectively a narrow canal.

Another detour was required around Aspley Wharf (near a Premier Inn) and onto a section of the broad canal which has dual towpaths.  After a little detour into a large Sainsburys for some supplies I crossed over the canal on the Turnbridge Lift Bridge in this industrial area of the town with the towpath looking like it has had some money spent on improving it recently (making it wider).  This area was a lot busier with other walkers & cyclists (plus the occasional jogger) as I made my way within the Huddersfield suburbs, passing close to the building site of Deighton station and underneath a couple of old railway viaducts (Whitacre Mill Viaduct & Deighton Viaduct).

Railway Viaduct over the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Huddersfield

 

I continued the walk along the towpath of the Broad canal, passing various industrial units and locks, going underneath a modern railway bridge built for the line upgrades (making it 4 tracks rather than 2 I believe) with the final section heading towards Cooper Bridge lock where the canal flows into the River Calder (near a large weir).  Originally, I was going to end the walk at a bus stop on the bridge itself but saw there was a Tesco Express close by and with the next bus expected in 15 minutes I headed towards the Bradley area of the town to grab a late lunch.

An enjoyable walk with changing scenery, and mostly a decent towpath (the only section which could get muddy in the winter is near Bates Tunnel, but that wasn’t a cycle path due to the steps).  Anyhow I jumped onto an Arriva run route 229 service towards Huddersfield Bus Station having a short walk to the railway station, jumping on 185109 on the Manchester Piccadilly stopping service, turning down a late running Liverpool bound 802 as I wanted Manchester Piccadilly.  At Piccadilly I boarded the next London bound service with 390115 on a service going via Crewe.

Huddersfield Narrow Puddle between Slaithwaite & Huddersfield

An uneventful run towards Euston, arriving a couple of minutes early due to a train from Liverpool running late with issues near Runcorn.  As my legs were a bit sore I decided to take the Northern line to Waterloo making a decent connection onto a busy 159108 & 158890 on a short formed 17:53 service for a speedy trip to Basingstoke before heading to Grateley where my trip to West Yorkshire ended.

21st July – Not the Heart of Wales

My original idea for today was to take mum on a trip on the Heart of Wales line, however that plan went into the bin due to a planned part cancellation of the train from Shrewsbury we were hoping to catch (it was only running as far as Llandrindod, something which changed during the day but by then it was too late to go back).  Anyhow we drove to Salisbury with the idea of catching the 07:22 service to Cardiff Central, but as the 07:03 Bristol service was heavily delayed due to a points failure we boarded 166202, which ran nonstop to Bristol Temples Meads after Westbury due to the lateness (speedy Turbo!)

As it arrived into Bristol Temples Meads near enough on time, we made a quick connection onto 802020 on a Cardiff bound service from Taunton to take us into Wales (the back-up was going to be a Voyager to Bristol Parkway as the Cardiff train I was originally aiming for was running very late).  After picking up the Valley Explorer rangers we jumped onto 231006 towards Trefforest via Radyr, connecting onto 756102 back towards Cardiff Central (via Queen Street).  After grabbing lunch, it was onto a lightly loaded 197040 to Maesteg and back to Bridgend, where we made an easy connection onto 150252 on a service via the coastal route, getting very busy along the way.

150252 departs Barry Docks Station

We took this 150 to Barry Docks to change onto 231010 to Barry Island which was very busy with families enjoying the sunshine.  After a little stroll we jumped onto 231001 for the spin to Llanbradach (for lack of a better idea), changing onto 231002 for the trip back to Cardiff Central.  The last train of this little trip was onto 158747 & 158767 on a GWR service, which was very busy to Newport & Severn Tunnel Junction (where it emptied out, I guess the previous TfW was cancelled), filling up again at Bristol Temples Meads.  There was a late running Weymouth train in front of this service at Bath which I presume would have soaked up a lot of the waiting crowds for Bradford & Trowbridge as hardly anybody boarded at Bath Spa, although that Weymouth train did cause a 5-minute delay due to the long signal sections towards Bradford on Avon.

At Salisbury, we left the station, going via the local Spoons for dinner and headed home via Tesco for some shopping for the week ahead.  An enjoyable little day trip to South Wales with mum, even if we couldn’t do the Heart of Wales trip.  Anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr *Here*.  Keep safe everybody, have a dragon:

Red Dragon outside ticket office at Cardiff Central

Trips 9th – 12th July

 Trips 9th – 12th July 

9th July – A flying visit to Glasson Dock

I had booked an overnight stay in Liverpool for the Thursday night a couple of weeks ago without making my mind up about what I wanted to do in the North West.  Thankfully the weather would be kind, sunny but not as hot as it was down south (23C) as I eventually decided to do a combined canal & disused railway walk from Lancaster to Glasson Dock.

The trip began with 158887, 159104 & 159011 to take me towards Waterloo, for a gentle stroll towards Euston and onto a busy 390138 on the first off-peak Glasgow service for a fast speedy run along the West Coast Main Line towards Lancaster where the walk began, making the decision to flip the direction as originally, I was going to do the canal first then railway second, switching the direction based on the location of shops for a post walk visit.

156404 & 156424 at Lancaster Station

I exited Lancaster station via the side gate alongside platform 1 and onto a cycle path alongside a sports field leading towards Long Marsh Lane.  After detouring via a housing estate, I reached the river near the railway viaduct, pausing for a photograph of a train crossing the viaduct (a Northern 158 was the first service).  After my photo I headed alongside the river (mix of cycle path & pavement alongside New Quay Road).  I had the decision to continue via the road which turns into a cycle path towards Aldcliffe Hall Lane or follow the Lancs Coastal Path alongside the river & estuary, deciding to do the coastal path for the potential views.

The coastal path had a reasonable surface but was a bit overgrown in places before I broke free to walk alongside the Lune before the path moved inland with a curve in the river giving views of a nature reserve on the left-hand side and the coastal marshes.  Very peaceful with sounds of wildlife, but soon I reached the car park at Aldcliffe Hall Lane which marks the start of the path along the former Glasson branch line.  This area was quite rural with the surface being decent tarmac as I headed in a generally southern direction with the river on my right-hand side, with the bushes & trees breaking free giving a lovely view of the estuary.  The path was busy with cyclists & other walkers, especially near a caravan park near Ashton Hall.

Lune Estuary from cycle route between Lancaster & Glasson Dock

I reached Conder Green area where the path turns west (and cycle path 6 heads east via roads), crossing the River Conder on a viaduct before the last section of old railway line towards Glasson Dock, not as busy as it would have been in the past with industry, but still a busy place with motorcyclists & other visitors.  After a photograph of the dock itself with the entrance lock into the Glasson branch of the Lancaster Canal heading into a busy marina (mostly sea going craft rather than inland waterways craft).  The towpath was as expected quite rural, not as rural as the Oxford or Ashby Canals (no minding the gap with bank erosion), but as soon as I left Glasson behind (and a holiday park) the countryside arrived.

This is a short branch of the main canal, which appeared to be closed for boats heading uphill towards the junction with the main Lancaster canal near Galgate.  Along the way I passed hardly anybody else on this peaceful stroll.  On reaching the junction with the main canal I turned left to head mostly north, passing quite a few moored narrowboats.  The canal skirts the edge of Galgate itself with the soundtrack of passing trains.  Some lovely countryside at times and also some nice woodland with the canal ending cuttings (allowing the removal of my hat in the shaded area to allow some of the sweat to evaporate).  After going underneath Ashton Road, the rural towpath turned tarmac with a busy cycle path, heading towards Lancaster near Aldcliffe, the canal going underneath the WCML and passing close to the hospital.  I decided to end the walk at the bridge with Penny Street, walking towards the station swinging via a Sainsburys Local & Tesco Express for some supplies.  A very enjoyable 14-odd mile walk in the sunshine but it was time to play with trains.

Lancaster Canal between Galgate & Lancaster

I boarded an Euston (via Birmingham) bound 390107 towards Crewe with the idea of making a connection onto 197041 which was working the Shrewsbury – Crewe stoppers, however due to issues earlier in the day at the southern end of the WCML this train got delayed at Preston (with zero announcements) for around 15 minutes meaning when it got to Crewe the connection was long gone, so it was onto plan B and onto winner 197040 working a Chester shuttle (cut back from Wrexham due to the hot weather).  This took me towards Chester where the signaller decided to allow a late running freight train in front causing a 5-minute delay (to both the inbound & outbound service owing to a tight turnaround), giving me 29 minutes to kill at Chester for the next Merseyrail service (for it was the time of day where Merseyrail halves their service frequency).  It was onto a very busy 777028 to end the day with a trip to James Street.

Before making my way to the Travelodge near James Street (first time staying here for nearly 10 years!) I headed towards the waterfront for some photos.  After getting checked in on a half reasonable room on the 7th floor (not facing the main road directly which was a bonus) I relaxed for the remainder of the evening.  (Although the shower was extremely weak in terms of water pressure so it wasn’t much of a relief to wash away the sweat).

The Beatles Statues on Liverpool Waterfront

10th July - Lancashire Union Railway

Today my plan was to do a walk I’ve been meaning to do for a while, but kept putting it off.  Although with the warmer temperatures today compared with the Thursday, I decided to cut the full length of the walk to save getting too hot.  After checking out of the hotel I made my way via the city centre to Lime Street, grabbing some breakfast along the way and onto a Hull bound 185101 & 185121 for a slow trip across to Manchester Victoria (even though it only called at Lea Green, the Chat Moss route always feels slow).  At the suburban nightmare of Manchester Victoria, it was a short wait to board a busy 156485 on a Clitheroe bound service to take me to Bolton, changing over to 331025 on the next Blackpool North service (which was busy).  This took me to Adlington where my walk began (even though I was part tempted to jump off at Horwich Parkway to walk back towards Bolton & maybe towards Walkden, but decided against that on grounds of the reduced Northern timetable).

Leaving the station at Adlington, I headed towards the Jubilee Recreation Ground following a path south before an unmarked path (unmarked on Strava) leading towards the River Douglas and the canal aqueduct.  After the river it was a steep climb towards the route of the former Lancashire Union Railway route, which for a cycle path (route 55 from memory) the path quality was a lot more rural than expected.

River Douglas near canal aqueduct, Adlington

The path was quite peaceful with some nice woodland, no evidence of it's former use as a railway other than a couple of bridges, including going underneath the Leeds & Liverpool Canal on the Arley Aqueduct.  This path came to an end alongside the former Red Rock station building (now a private house and I headed along the road to pick up the canal towpath near a closed pub.  Walking along the canal took me towards the Haigh Country Park, leaving the canal to head via Lady Mabel's Wood to Hall Lane.

This is where the former Wheeley Loop railway path began (although it looked like it did continue north but that is unmarked on my map so I had no idea what it would be like), and compared to earlier this is a path which has had some money spent on it with a smooth tarmac path in woodlands with various paths criss-crossing the main former railway route.  The rural woodland gave way to more urban as it went via New Springs & the Kirkless West Nature Reserve reaching the canal which it crossed on a lock, heading into Ince.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal between Red Rock & Haigh Country Park

I continued along the path in Ince, leaving the industrial area (complete with secure looking fences) back into woodland, crossing underneath the existing Wigan - Hindley railway route and towards the Hindley area.  The old railway route ending near Amberswood Nature Reserve which is somewhere I've noted as somewhere to explore on another day.  The smooth tarmac cycle path ended at Liverpool Road near the former Hindley South station and onto a rough path in an area of many paths (so a challenge at times to try and ensure I was heading in the right direction, as this area had a lot of old railways from the past.  At one point I was walking on old ballast!

I managed to follow the route of the Plank Lane Branch (London and North Western Railway), a path shown on my OS Map & Google Maps as a cycle route (probably suitable only for a Mountain Bike) but not shown on Strava so I was walking a bit blind, following this rural path where it randomly came to an end at Bolton House Road in a very industrial area, certainly not what I was expecting.  However, my walk was nearly at an end as I walked to the main B5237 road to await a route 609 bus for Wigan.

Route of former Whelley Loop Railway, Wigan

This was a busy double decker which called at most of the bus stops along the way into Wigan, including Coronation Street (cue the music!).  I think most of the bus alighted at the bus stop on Wallgate rather than continuing to the bus station and I swung via the little Morrisons Local between the two Wigan stations to grab a late lunch (being surprised that it was still under £4, considering the lack of competition within Wigan town centre).  Anyhow I had two options, either jumping on a Northern service to Liverpool for an 807 to London, jumping on something towards Manchester, or waiting an hour for a late running 9 coach Pendo from Glasgow (with the previous train cancelled).

I jumped onto 331018 for the run towards Liverpool Lime Street, giving me around 20 minutes to make myself comfy on 807010 on a London bound service, getting lucky as this service was given the signal ahead of a late running Birmingham stopping service, the train only getting busy at Crewe (until Crewe the standard class area of coach H only had myself in it).  This train headed to London where on a day of delays on the WCML arrived pretty much bang on time, had I waited around Wigan for the late running Pendo I would have been caught up in a massive farce around Nuneaton where it got into London something like 3 hours late!

807010 at London Euston

Anyhow I walked to Waterloo, wasn’t as bad as expecting with the warm weather, the worse section being across Waterloo Bridge due to being exposed to the sunlight, however the Weymouth train I was aiming for had been cancelled with the Portsmouth (via Basingstoke) train running late.  444011 & 444014 took me to Basingstoke where I was surprised that the Exeter train was held back 10 minutes to allow a connection, as I boarded a warm 159104, 158886 & 158882 to take me home.  After sorting my rucksack out, having a cool shower to wash away the sweat I got myself ready for an early start on the Saturday.

11th July – Marriott’s Way Part 2

I did the first part of a slightly muddy Marriott’s Way path back in February from Lenwade (near Great Witchingham) towards Aylsham with the section from Lenwade towards Norwich on my wish list to do this year.  However, with the fire at Stratford, I changed my mind when heading towards London on 159013 to instead head towards Waterbeach to walk the riverside path towards Ely.  At Waterloo, I had a gentle stroll to Blackfriars jumping on a late running 700108 to St Pancras where I managed to board an earlier Great Northern service formed of 379022 & 379005 which was meant to be heading to Ely but was only running as far as Cambridge due to a shortage of train drivers (with the following King’s Lynn service doing the same).

I took these 379s for the nonstop speedy run to the recently opened Cambridge South station, stepping back onto a Norwich bound 755412 as I had changed my mind again and was once more heading towards Norwich (considering this service wasn’t as bad I was expecting it to have been considering the lack of trains via Stratford).  This 755 took me towards Norwich (even calling at Spooner Row for a novelty!).  At Norwich after visiting the bathroom I headed towards the bus stops located at Castle Meadows (swinging via a Tesco Express to grab lunch items) and boarding a First Bus route X29 towards Lenwade.  I left the bus at the cross roads at Porter’s Lane (along with 2 other walkers who were walking back towards Norwich).

755412 at Cambridge South Station

A short walk along a footpath alongside Porter’s Lane took me to the car park near the former Lenwade station, picking up cycle route 1.  The first section towards Norwich was close to some industrial units before it headed into woodland away from the busy A1067 road.  The surface quality was reasonable, a bit dusty in places due to the recent heat (one not to do during the winter months).  Near the former Attlebridge station site the cycle path moves away from the route of the old railway as the area around the former station is now a private residence (you can see the platform from the road).  I re-joined the route of the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line heading into some beautiful Norfolk countryside & woodland.

This path was quite busy with cyclists & other walkers as it reached a section running alongside Reepham Road (the road hidden from view with the trees), before heading towards the Taverham/Thorpe Marriott area, crossing the Broadland Northway dual carriageway on a modern bridge and into the urban area.  At Drayton the path detours via the roads due to the route of the former railway being a private industrial estate (although I suspect most walkers will get away with walking via the industrial estate as its only gated for vehicles (but I didn't want to risk running into a fence at the opposite end).

Marriott's Way between Attlebridge Station & Taverham 

After re-joining the railway route at Drayton, the first impression is that the path quality has changed from a more rural setting to smooth tarmac as it followed the route of the Wensum heading towards the big bag city of Norwich with various paths branching off towards the site of the former Hellesdon station (complete with old platform).  The sun was attempting to break through the clouds as the path headed east near Sloghbottom Park & Anderson's Meadow, this section featuring a tall fence in woodland.  The Marriott's Way path officially ends near the site of the former Norwich City railway station (no evidence of it) at St Crispin's Bridge over the Wensum.

I crossed the road and switched to following the Riverside Walk, following the Wensum towards Duke Street (near a Premier Inn), where the riverside path is currently closed so I headed via the city centre (areas closed to traffic due to the Lord Mayor's Parade), swinging via Morrisons for some supplies before my walk ending at the station.  An enjoyable stroll in the countryside, on a day where my hat remained in my rucksack as I didn't need it due to the cloud cover.  Anyhow at the station and it was onto a refurbished East Midlands 158866 (very purple inside) to take me to Ely, where I switched to 170109 for the trip to Cambridge.  Part of me was tempted to carry on to Cambridge South but I decided to alight at Cambridge, walking between platform 8 to the south facing bay platforms where 387116 & 387106 were waiting on the next London fast (meant to have started at Ely).

158866 at Ely Station

I was glad I changed at Cambridge due to the large crowd waiting for these 387s, thankfully all mostly waiting at the buffer stop end so when the doors got released, I managed to get a decent seat in the front coach.  The service got delayed along the way (must have missed its path on the busy 2 track section of the ECML) arriving into a dangerous overcrowded platform at Kings Cross featuring idiots standing very close to the platform edge (the driver blasting on the horn and slowing to a crawl) who decided they didn’t want to wait to allow others off the train first before barging their way on.  Anyhow the first thing I noticed is how hotter London was compared to Cambridge, as I headed to St Pancras jumping on 700141 to Blackfriars for another gentle stroll to Waterloo, taking my time before boarding 444023 & 444032 for a speedy run to Basingstoke which was a bit chaotic due to numerous delays & cancellations (this was a day where the West of England services were getting terminated at Basingstoke, heading into Barton Mill sidings for 2 hours before coming back out, warmer than a hot thing).

I jumped onto an Exeter bound 159005 & 159012 to take me to Andover for a quieter place to wait (a nice bench in the shade outside the station) before 159011 & 158882 rolled in on the following stopper to take me back to Grateley, where I had a gentle stroll home to relax after a mostly decent day.

12th July – Burgess Park & 701 hunting

As I was going into a week of early shifts (average alarm was 4:00) I didn’t want a late finish on the Sunday to get myself ready for the week ahead.  I decided to head towards London for a little walk which had been on my London area wish-list before a few hours hunting down some of the 701s which had entered service in the last couple of months.  The day began with a drive to Andover to catch the 07:02 service to Waterloo (with 159019 & 159022), transferring to a Bakerloop bus to the bus stop on Old Kent Road opposite Burgess Park (near a large Tesco) where my walk began.

Even this time of the morning (08:45) it was already getting warm as I entered Burgess Park, following one of many paths passing a lake and dead grass (thinking to myself that it's like a tinderbox ready to go up in flames).  I reached Camberwell Road, for a short section along the road before picking up a busy path which runs although the route of the former Grand Surrey Canal leading towards the Surrey Canal Linear Park.  I turned south in the linear park, underneath some nice-looking old bridges and towards Peckham, finishing the walk at Peckham Rye where I had various options.

Surrey Linear Canal Park, Peckham, London

I was toying with heading towards Blackheath to explore Greenwich Park, but decided that could wait for another day (preferably when it wasn’t so hot!), jumping on a Clapham Junction bound 378216 to begin my 701 hunting.  10 minutes at Clapham Junction, winner 701027 rolled in on a Staines service (engineering works between Staines & Reading) to take me to Feltham, stepping back to Twickenham on 701046 for a short wait (annoyingly the little Sainsburys outside Twickenham station had no sandwiches due to the fridges breaking down).  Winner 701016 arrived on a stopping service to Waterloo, so I made myself comfortable, arriving at Waterloo to grab some lunch.  There was a winner on a Chessington South service, but I had one eye on the Woking stopping service which weren’t showing on RTT due to being short planned changed from running to Guildford via Woking to terminating at Woking.  This was winner 701055 and due to late running was running nonstop to Surbiton which was a nice bonus.

At Surbiton I boarded dud 701009 to take me to Raynes Park in an attempt to get a reasonable photo of the GBR coloured 701 with the idea of heading towards Motspur Park to intercept the 701 I turned down earlier, but that planned changed when I saw another 701 passing from Woking as I assumed it was only 4 units out on the Woking – Waterloo stoppers with a tight turnaround at Woking, but in fact there were 5 (with Woking bound services being delayed).  So, it was onto 450087 & 450401 (from either Guildford or Dorking) to Waterloo, changing over to winner 701040 with the idea of taking it all the way to Woking for a nice connection onto an Exeter train.

701006 at Raynes Park

All was going well until West Byfleet where there was news of issues around Winchester with delays heading west, forcing the 701 to wait time at West Byfleet with the next stopper failing to depart.  Eventually the 701 arrived into Woking alongside the Exeter train with a fast walk across from platform 5 to platform 2 to join a large crowd (mainly Basingstoke bound passengers as the Weymouth train was sitting on platform 3 with a Poole service cancelled) to squeeze onto a roasting hot 159010 & 159015 which departed rather busy (until Basingstoke where it emptied out).

I took these 159s to Andover, walking to the car driving to the big Tesco before it closed at 4pm to grab some dinner items and some shorts for work as the week ahead was looking warm again.  Once home I relaxed after a reasonable day in London, some more 701s into my little book as well as a visit to Burgess Park.  One of many things on my London area wish-list, anyhow as always thanks for reading, more photos can be found *here*.  Have a nice day.