Britain From The Rails

Hangers Way (photo: Abridgeover)

1 Kennet Valley, Berkshire, where canal, river, railway and country lane run parallel. Access from London Paddington or Reading to Bedwyn. Walk down the valley to picturesque Little Bedwyn and up it to Crofton pump house, using lane or canal towpath (needs stout footwear). Goods pubs near the station (Great Bedwyn) and weird stone museum. No maps needed.

2 Hangers Way, Hampshire (serious ups and downs, but deeply beautiful day walk of around 17 miles). Start from Petersfield station (Waterloo 1hr 10mins) and follow well-marked route to Alton station (Waterloo 1hr, just buy a single ticket to Woking and then onwards use your return from Petersfield). Selborne – halfway – has a shop, pubs and buses to either end, and more good pubs at Hawkley and Worldham. The Hangers are the seriously beautiful wooded slopes at the western end of the great Weald valley, not people in said pubs who think the law is too soft. Leaflet from local libraries. Features many writers including, at Steep, First World War poet Edward Thomas, and at Selborne Gilbert White, the father of natural history.

New Forest (photo: ChalkieCircles)

3 New Forest. Ashurst station to Beaulieu Road station (Waterloo to Weymouth line). You’ll need stout boots for boggy bits, or a mountain bike. Set off from Platform 2 beside the railway heading away from London and ideally use Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure Map 22 to travel the three miles. Pubs at both ends, choice of routes (basically following railway), takes about three hours there and back. Note there are mountain bikes for hire at Brockenhurst further down this line.

4 Kennet & Avon Canal near Bath. The twisting deep Limpley Stoke valley carries the canal, the river Avon (joined by the Frome en route), and the railway from Bath to the south. The section to Bradford-on-Avon is ten miles by good walking towpath. Lots of canal interest including two impressive aqueducts at Brassknocker Basin and a Visitor Centre. Bath to Bradford-on-Avon is ten miles but there are two charming stations en route (Avoncliff, very easy access but steps, and Freshford). Boat and bike hire. No maps needed.

5 North Berwick, East Lothian. Absolutely recommended. About half an hour from Edinburgh Waverley on its own short branch line from the East Coast Main Line. Walk down to the beach and harbour, learn about witches and seabirds (see my book Eccentric Edinburgh) then head up Law Road to Berwick Law for stupendous views. Then back to station. More in Britain From the Rails.

6 Millom to Green Road, Cumbria. Fine countryside and an easy walk from one station to the next along the edge of the Duddon estuary and with views of Black Combe. You will, however, want a map as you can walk on paths either side of the line. Although paths are marked, the ones west of the line (inland, bizarrely) are complex. Do not try to cross Duddon Sands, if tempted, without a good local guide.

The Camel Trail (photo: Ennor)

7 The Camel Trail, Cornwall. This perhaps shouldn’t be listed here if you’re travelling by rail, but is a fantastically scenic walk or cycle ride from Wadebridge to Padstow on the track bed of the old Atlantic Coast Express. Cycle hire is available in each town. You could in fact reach Wadebridge from Bodmin Parkway by steam train. The Camel is a river, not the local mode of transport (unless global warming has gone further than expected).

8 The Oxfordshire Way. On the Cotswold Line, this long-distance trail unusually splits at Charlbury with one branch running north of the railway and the other south of it. The two branches rejoin at Ascott-under-Wychwood so you can enjoy a circular walk from either station, with the option of stopping halfway, as well as walks in either direction away from this loop. The river the railway is following here is the Evenlode. Beware of the small number of trains calling at Ascott; Charlbury has far more and would make a better base.

9 Kyle of Lochalsh to Plockton, Scottish Highlands. If you’re stuck at Kyle for a few hours and have had enough of gift shops, you could do a lot worse than walk back along the coast road to picturesque Plockton – well worth a visit. You’ll possibly get tired or fear running out of time after four miles and head instead for Duirinish Halt, across the field to the left as you come down a hill, in which case a tip is to turn left at Drumbuie village, then right in front of the first house on the right, across the field (which may be boggy), through the gate (close it again) and make for the stile. From there go up onto the rock and you’re at the station a whole lot quicker than going round by road. Facilities: two light bulbs, a timetable, a shelter and a phone to train inquiries. And the world’s best view for waiting for a train (to which you should wave clearly). There won’t be anyone else. Two hours should be enough from Kyle to here if you’re a steady walker. Lovely Plockton village, with its own station, is two miles further on. Make time for it if you can, or stay overnight there.

Hayling Billy old railway line (photo: Amanda Rudkin)

10 Emsworth to Havant, Hampshire. An easy five-mile walk on the level with picturesque harbour and great pubs. From Emsworth station strike south (that is, not under the railway again but the other way) noting the completely wrong train on the pub sign opposite, down the main street, across the old main coast road at the roundabout and into the nicer old town. Where the road widens out into a large triangle, turn right down to the water (pubs on right, Coal Exchange recommended, tea shop down by water). Go past the mill and onto the wall which keeps the mill pond up when the sea on your left recedes leaving a muddy creek. Picturesque pond to the right. Go past Emsworth Sailing Club and along beach, then go straight on when you reach woodland, leaving the sea for a while, across a lane and through a graveyard near a church across more fields to regain the shore, which you follow along to Langstone village (note great old mill, and how people who live here and the cottages can only get their cars out according to the tides). Follow the shore round for two great pubs, the second of which, the Ship, offers good lunches and outside seating. There’s a great long view back to Emsworth, at low tide looking across a medieval wadeway from Langstone to Hayling Island (a ridge through the mud). On the right of your view is the passage down to the open sea, and to the extreme right is the bridge to Hayling Island. Worth a stroll towards because of the views across Langstone Harbour to Portsmouth (note stumps of old Hayling Billy railway bridge in foreground and Spinnaker Tower in distance). Go the other way up the road (north, right out of the Ship Inn) towards Havant, and watch out on the right for the old Hayling Billy trail which takes you directly to Havant station in a much better way than the main road. Junction offers trains to London, Brighton, Southampton and Portsmouth – or back to Emsworth.

Don’t forget the terrific walks associated with the Settle & Carlisle Line, and the West Highland Way close to the West Highland Line (obtain details locally), particularly from Crianlarich to Bridge of Orchy (12 miles). All mountain area walks should be taken with full preparation for changes in weather, decent maps, informing people and other usual precautions.