Trains, Boats and Planes

Trains...  

ASHTON COURT MINIATURE STEAM RAILWAY
Ashton Court Estate, Bristol, near the golf course car park. Zone A. In steam on BHMs and on some (but not all) Sundays in 2009 from Apr-Oct – see website for full timetable. Trains run from 12noon-5.15pm, weather permitting, tickets 60p for one circuit of the track, £5 for 10 tickets. Ffi: www.bristolmodelengineers.co.uk • Great fun – sit astride a little carriage as the man hunches at the throttle of a miniature steam or diesel loco and hauls you over a few hundred yards of oversized train-set, courtesy of the enthusiasts of the Bristol Society of Model & Experimental Engineers. A delight for kids, and quite a few adults as well.

AVON VALLEY RAILWAY
Bitton Station, nr Keynsham BS30 6HD. Zone A. £5.50 adult/£4.50 over-60s/£4 ages 3-16/£15 family, all tickets provide unlimited travel on day of issue; note that prices for special events may vary. Ffi: 0117 932 7296/932 5538, www.avonvalleyrailway.org • Small and friendly local steam (and diesel) railway, lovingly preserved and run by enthusiasts. You get a five-mile ride along an old Midland Railway line, with lots of former mainline and industrial steam and diesel locos and rolling stock to be seen at the station. Also a busy programme of special events, including days with Thomas the Tank Engine and the annual bus rally where vintage buses, including some of those beautiful old green Bristol buses, turn up (9 Aug 2009), plus murder mystery trips and – dad’s birthday present alert! – learn-to-drive-a-loco sessions. For train times and details of special events, call the 24hr talking timetable on 0117 932 7296 or see website.

BRISTOL HARBOUR RAILWAY
Bristol Harbour. Zone A. Fares £3 return/£2 single, under 6s free, ss Great Britain ticket holders get £1 reduction. Ffi: www.bristol.gov.uk/museums • The steam trains that used to run from outside the old Industrial Museum (currently closed for turning into the new Museum of Bristol) and along the docks to the ss Great Britain will be running on various days over the summer season, only it’ll be from Brunel’s Buttery this summer while the building work is going on at the old place. Trains are due to run on: April 11,12, 13; May 2, 3, 4, 23, 24, 25; June 6, 7, 20, 21; July 11, 12; Aug 1, 2, 29, 30, 31; Sept 12, 13; Oct 3, 4, 25, 26, 31; Nov 1.

DEAN FOREST RAILWAY
Norchard, nr Lydney, Glos GL15 6HD. Zone C. Usual fare for unlimited train travel on day of issue £9 adult/£8 senior/£5 child/£26 family, prices may vary for special events. Ffi: 01594 843423 (24hr info line), www.deanforestrailway.co.uk • If you’re exploring the Forest of Dean, do not on any account miss this magical little preserved steam railway, especially if you have children in tow. The restored line runs from the HQ at Norchard to Lydney Junction – get out at the end and have a wander round Lydney if you like. There are quite a few working engines (and a massive-looking graveyard of locos and rolling stock undergoing restoration) and the usual range of special events, including learning to drive a loco, Thomas the Tank Engine, a popular 1940s weekend, murder mysteries and more. Also does particularly good Santa specials for the young ’uns in the run-up to Christmas. Excellent souvenir shop and museum.

EAST SOMERSET RAILWAY
Cranmore Station, nr Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 4QP. Zone B. Day Rover tickets £7.50 adult/£6.50 senior/£5.50 ages 3-16/£22 family, note that fares are higher for certain special events, including Thomas the Tank Engine Days. Ffi and timetable details: 01749 880417, www.eastsomersetrailway.com • It used to be called the ‘Strawberry Line’ – two-and-a-half miles (five-mile round trip) through some pleasant Mendip scenery, with some steep gradients. The place has a rather romantic history, having been rescued by artist and conservationist David Shepherd, who bought the site and the first steam engine in the 1960s when British Rail were scrapping them on the proceeds of a sell-out exhibition of elephant paintings in New York. There’s a loco shed (and a very impressive collection of steam locos), museum, shop, restaurant, model shop and play area. Call or see website for ticket prices and timetable, and details of special summer events. One of the most popular attractions are the ‘driver for a fiver’ days where overgrown boys of all sizes get to drive a steam loco up and down a siding.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE WARWICKSHIRE RAILWAY
Toddington, Gloucestershire, GL54 5DT. Zone D. Round trip tickets valid for unlimited travel on day of purchase unless otherwise stated: £11 adult/£9.50 senior/£6.50 age 5-15/£30 (2 adults + 3 children)/£1 dog. Ffi & timetable details: 01242 621405, www.gwsr.com • With stations at Toddington, Winchcombe and Cheltenham racecourse, and celebrating 25 years in business in 2009, GWSR is one of the most impressive preserved railways round these parts, and has ambitious long-term expansion plans to link to Broadway in Worcestershire and Cheltenham Spa stations. There’s currently ten miles of track and a number of both steam and ‘heritage diesel’ locos pulling vintage rolling stock. There’s the usual busy timetable, including Fireman Sam and Postman Pat specials for the kids, through to its famous ‘Cheltenham Fryers’ (you get to eat fish & chips on a steam train) and of course it’s busy on Cheltenham race days.

HEART OF WESSEX LINE
Ffi: www.heartofwessex.org.uk • This is the fancy name given by First Great Western and a number of local authority partners to the line that runs from Bristol to Weymouth through some of the nicest countryside in the West Country. It’s worth the journey all on its own (if you have the time), but also through the summer there’s a programme of guided walks from various of the towns and villages along the route. If you don’t fancy that, the website also has a number of downloadable trails you can follow for yourself.

PAST TIME RAIL
Ffi: 01543 411971, www.past-timerail.co.uk • Firm running a range of specialist excursions around the country throughout the year. Many go from or stop at Bristol and Bath’s stations, and many are steam-hauled. Lots of West Country excursions, including the popular ‘Eden Flyer’, several trips to the Lost Gardens of Heligan and, on most Saturdays and/or Sundays in July and August, the hugely popular steam-hauled Torbay Express, from Bristol to the English Riviera. There isn’t enough room here to rave about how much you ought to take the Torbay Express; it’s a fabulous experience that feels like spending a day back in some 1930s or 50s never-never land of lost innocence and seaside holidays. These outings are not especially cheap – an adult ticket for the Torbay Express is £55, and a child ticket is only £5 cheaper – so maybe you can do it as a special birthday treat or something. Trips usually feature the option to travel ‘Premier Dining Class’ where you get very well fed while you watch the countryside go by.

THE RAILWAY TOURING COMPANY
Zone A. Ffi: 01553 661500, www.railwaytouring.co.uk • See above again… Another firm offering steam-hauled rail excursions all over the UK. These range from scenic breaks in the Scottish Highlands to shorter day-long adventures, some of them to West Country destinations from Bristol’s Parkway, Bath Spa and/or Temple Meads, and some of them steam-hauled. Phone or check website for brochure.

THE SEVERN BEACH LINE
Ffi: tinyurl.com/severnbeach • This is the First Great Western scheduled service that runs from Bristol Temple Meads out to Avonmouth via Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Montpelier, Redland, Clifton Down, Sea Mills, Shirehampton and Severn Beach. Not only is it useful for commuters, it’s also cheap, pretty reliable and a wonderful way of seeing Bristol from a new angle. To go all the way from Temple Meads to Severn Beach takes about three-quarters of an hour and (as we went to press) only costs £3 for an adult return all the way. Severn Beach isn’t a fraction as nice as the name suggests, being for the most part a forlorn and windblown commuter bedroom with a rubbish-strewn mud and shingle shoreline, but there are a couple of cafes, and an interesting path along the coast, which goes under the massive Second Severn Crossing. A good half-day adventure, specially if you have kids.

STEAM: MUSEUM OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY
Kemble Drive, Great Western Way, Swindon SN2 2TA. Zone D. Open daily 10am-5pm, admission £6.20 adult/£4.10 senior, student, ages 5-16/£16.50 2 adults + 2 children/£19.60 2 adults + 3 children. Ffi: 01793 466646, www.swindon.gov.uk/steam • Well, if you want the biggest possible dose of steam nostalgia you need the National Railway Museum in York, but this place is considerably closer and runs it a pretty good second. Swindon basically owes its very existence – allegedly a result of a random decision by Isambard Kingdom Brunel – to the Great Western Railway, where it became home to the company’s carriage and locomotive factories. STEAM – housed in part of the original complex – tells the story of one of the most famous railways in the world and the men and women who worked on it. Get up close with a load of famous GWR locomotives, explore hands-on displays and discover more about Brunel and his world-beating railway system. There’s a big programme of fun/educational events and activities through the summer. Easy enough to visit from Bristol/Bath area as you can always, er, go by train – the museum’s about a 10-15min walk from Swindon station. If you buy your STEAM ticket at the same time as you get your First Great Western Railway ticket, you get a 20% discount.

WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY
Zone D. Fares vary according to journey; Day Rover giving a day’s unlimited travel is £14 adult/£12.80 senior/£7 child/£35.20 family. Ffi: 01643 704996, www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk • For serious steam railway lovers, this is the absolute business. One of the biggest and best-preserved railways in Britain running for 20 miles, through some fabulous countryside and along the Somerset coast, complete with ten restored stations and bags of golden-age-of-steam atmosphere. So, unlike a lot of preserved lines that only run for a few miles, a trip from one end of this to the other actually feels like a proper train journey. Well, almost. It goes from Bishops Lydeard (TA4 3BX) near Taunton to Minehead (TA24 5BG) and, given all the rural and coastal stops along the way, can easily make half-a-dozen days out all by itself. The former fishing port of Watchet is well worth stopping to look around, and Minehead is a nice old seaside town with loads of character (and home to the vast Butlins complex). The Minehead station also has a small railway museum. The stop before Minehead is Dunster, a quaint village overlooked by the imposing National Trust-run castle (see Houses, Gardens & Castles section). Like all these railways, the West Somerset has an elaborate timetable and fare structure and loads of regular and one-off special events (the train-borne fish suppers and murder mystery evenings are especially popular), so phone or see website for details.

And boats…

BATH BOATING STATION
Forester Rd, Bathwick, Bath BA2 6QE. Zone A. Open daily from Easter-30 Sept 10am-6pm. Ffi: 01225 312900, www.bathboating.co.uk • You know how in old stories, old movies or at posh universities, folks spend lazy sun-dappled afternoons messing about in boats, possibly wooing or being wooed? This is the only place round these parts you can do that sort of thing, and wonderful it is, too. Lovely old Victorian boat-house where you can hire yourself a small vessel (traditional wooden punts, skiffs and canoes) by the hour (£7 per adult for the first hour, £3 per hour extra, £15 all day; cheaper prices for children; concessions for seniors and students on day-long hire only) or day, and explore the river. Choose a fine day, pack the rug and hamper, and picnic in style. If you’re taking a punt, make sure you do their brief tuition session first; if you’ve never punted before, you really, really, really do need a lesson. Trust us on this one.

BRISTOL CHANNEL CRUISES
Zone A. Ffi: 0845 130 4647 (office hours), www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk • Balmoral is a former Scottish loch steamer, while the Waverley, built in 1947 to replace a previous ship lost at Dunkirk, is the last sea-going paddle-steamer in the world, restored to her original 1940s appearance inside and out a few years ago. Through the summer season they sail regularly to and from Bristol, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Minehead, Ilfracombe and Penarth, and occasionally other Bristol Channel ports as well, and they put on some of the best summer Days Out ever, ever, ever. Cruises vary in length from a whole day (to visit the fascinating, amazing, astonishing (etc) Lundy Island, for instance) to a few hours, so you can pick whichever duration will best suit. Both ships have restaurants and bars, and plenty of room to sit down and enjoy the view. Couple of handy hints: if you’re averse to excited children, go on a term-time weekday. If you’re averse to excited drunks, don’t go on any trip that will be stopping to pick up passengers anywhere on a Friday or Saturday evening. Full timetable (and tickets) available online or via the number above.

BRISTOL FERRY BOAT CO
Zone A. Ffi: 0117 927 3416, www.bristolferry.com • Now a much-loved local institution operating a waterbus service from various stops around Bristol Docks every day (and all year round) that’s popular both with tourists and commuters. Scheduled service runs from Hotwells to Temple Meads and back, with several stops along the way, including Castle Park, Welsh Back, city centre, ss Great Britain, etc. Since the council sees the ferry as one way of keeping cars off the roads, and subsidises them a wee bit, fares at commuting times can be very cheap. Outside of the rush hours, it becomes popular with sightseers. A Round Trip Ticket for a 40- or 60-minute circular tour of the docks is well worth doing, even if you’ve lived in Bristol all your life, as it gives an interesting perspective on the old place, and of course is a grand adventure for the kids. Prices from April 2009 weren’t confirmed as we went to press, but the 2008 Round Trip fare was £4.90 adult/£3.30 child/£14 family and Multi-Stop Ticket allowing you to hop on and off all day was £7 adult/£5 child/£20 family.

BRISTOL PACKET
Zone A. Ffi: 0117 926 8157, www.bristolpacket.co.uk • Scheduled tours of the docks (complete with excellent commentary) every weekend and daily during the school hols. These leave Wapping Wharf at 11, 11.45, 12.30, 2, 2.45, 3.30 and 4:15, also stopping to pick up from near Pero’s Bridge 15 mins later. Prices are £4.75 adult/£4.25 senior/£2.75 child. The firm also does river trips along the Avon Gorge, day trips to Bath and to the Chequers Inn at Hanham. It’s probably best known, though, for its wonderful excursions along the river to Beese’s Tea Gardens, a nice old-fashioned treat, provided the weather’s good. Also available for private party hire, including booze cruises – good prospect for birthday/office party. See website for full timetable.

BRUNEL’S SS GREAT BRITAIN
See Museums section.

MATTHEW CRUISES
Zone A. Ffi: 0117 927 3416, www.matthew.co.uk • In the 1990s, a replica was built in Bristol of the stout little caravel that John Cabot and his insanely brave crew of oak-hearted Bristolians sailed on their voyage of discovery in 1497. She’s now usually to be found moored next to the ss Great Britain, and you can go aboard and look her over as part of your ss Great Britain admission. The rest of the time, she’s off on various adventures, sometimes as far away as Devon, Cornwall and even France. You can go along on some of these. Over the summer she also offers cruises of Bristol’s harbour, trips to Portishead as well as various special one-offs. See website for full timetable and fares.

NATIONAL WATERWAYS MUSEUM
Llanthony Warehouse, Gloucester Docks GL1 2EH. Zone D. Due to open daily 10am-5pm (shorter hours in winter) from April, admission (inc boat trip) £6.50 adult/£5 senior/£4 child/£18 family/under-5s free. Ffi: 01452 318200, www.nwm.org.uk • It’s a big museum of canals in Gloucester docks, re-opened last year after a major refurb. It tells the story of how Britain’s canal transport system was built, how people lived and worked on the canals, plus spaces devoted to the wildlife that can be found on waterways today, with lots of interactive and fun bits. The museum also maintains a couple of boats that offer cruises along the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal as part of your admission ticket. Of course, you can always take a boat trip separately if you don’t want to visit the museum (£3.95 adult/£3.50 conc/£2.75 age 5-16/£12 family). Phone or see website for timetable details.

PULTENEY CRUISERS
From Pulteney Weir, beside Pulteney Bridge, Bath. Zone A. This year’s prices not confirmed as we went to press, but last year were £7 adult/£3 under-13s. Ffi: 01225 312900, www.bathboating.com • Stately 60-minute river cruises with live commentary up the Avon to Bathampton aboard one of three boats that leave the Pulteney Bridge landing stage. Sailings at the busiest times of the summer season are every 20 minutes, with less frequent departures in spring and autumn from about 10am, with last sailing at 4pm.

STEEP HOLM
Zone B. Ffi: 01934 522125, www.steepholm.org • Steep Holm is that big island that sticks out of the Bristol Channel like an oversized whale, and it’s not easy to get onto. There are, however, trips out there from Weston-super-Mare on various dates between April and October (full timetable on website). Departure times depend on tide times and can be cancelled in the event of really bad weather, but if all goes to plan, you get between five and six hours on the island, time enough to explore. The island is a bird sanctuary – you’ll see herring gulls, black-backed gulls and cormorants – and it’s home to many rare plant species. It’s got 19th-century fortifications to look at as well (built in a long-forgotten scare when they thought the French might invade us) including massive 50-ton iron cannon, as well as bits and pieces from more recent wars, such as a WW2 anti-aircraft gun. You can also see the ruins of a medieval priory. The island is owned and managed by the Kenneth Allsop Trust, a charity that took over the island and named in memory of the broadcaster and naturalist and is basically run with a huge amount of love and hard work by a small army of mostly retired volunteers who call themselves the Steep Holm Shirkers. Among other good work, these dedicated folk have converted the old Victorian barrack building to a splendid visitor centre and cafe. Getting off the boat on the island (there’s no pier, and just a tiny pebble beach), and indeed back onto it again, is a bit hairy, so it’s not suitable for anyone with mobility problems, and under 5s aren’t allowed due to safety and lifejacket regulations. Oh, and you’re in an open boat, and the Bristol Channel can get a bit choppy, so beware if you’re prone to seasickness. Also, in spring and early summer the gulls can be quite aggressive, so wear a hat. All these caveats aside, this really is one of the very best summer adventures in the whole South West, and everyone who’s capable should try it. The trips are understandably popular, so if you fancy one, book now. Fares are £25 adult and £12.50 child.

And planes…

THE BRISTOL AERO COLLECTION
Kemble Airfield, nr Cirencester, Glos GL7 6BA. Zone D. Open 10am-3.30pm Sun & Mon only (Mon only in winter), admission £4 adult/£3 senior/£2 ages 4-12/£10 family. Ffi: 01285 771204, www.bristolaero.com • Small but growing collection of military and civil aircraft, missiles, satellites, rockets, engines, buses and other transport relics built in Bristol down the years, lovingly collected, tended and restored by enthusiasts. This place has grown from a ragbag collection of old bits of machinery a few years ago to today’s serious record of Bristol’s one-time pre-eminence in road and air travel (and the dedication and determination of these folks, many of whom once worked in the industry). One of the stars at the moment is a Bolingbroke (a Canadian version of the Bristol Blenheim), which they’re restoring. The place is a bit rough around the edges, but it’s guaranteed to send shivers down the spine of any true-blue Bristolian. FWIW, the Days Out Guide’s favourite bits aren’t any of the missiles or aircraft, but the 1979 Bristol bus (pure nostalgia!) and a genuine 1895 Bristol tram, which is being restored after spending decades as someone’s garden shed. You should also keep an eye out for a sailing dinghy built in the 1950s by the Bristol Aeroplane Plastics Division; the boat’s called Polly Esther. The Bristol Aero Collection is run by the same people as Concorde at Filton (see below) and eventually the plan is to bring everything together in a single big Bristol transport museum on a site near Cribbs Causeway.

CONCORDE AT FILTON
Filton, Bristol. Zone A. Tours Wed-Sun from Apr-Oct 9.45am, 11.30am, 1.15pm, 3pm (winter season tours are 10.15am, 12noon, 1.45pm), tickets £12.50 adult/£10 student, senior/£7 under-14s/£32.50 2 adults +2 children/£42.50 extended family (2 adult + 2 senior + 2 children). NB: children under 5 not allowed on site. Ffi and booking: 0870 3000 578, www.concordeatfilton.org.uk • Filton is the temporary home to the last Concorde to fly into Bristol back in 2003. Eventually, Concorde 216 will be the centrepiece of a much bigger museum of Bristol aviation, but for now you can come and visit, look her over and spend some time sitting in the passenger cabin where (with a bit of imagination) you can go on an almost-virtual flight thanks to the old mach meter display telling you what speed you’re travelling at, how high you are, etc. There’s also the visitor centre to tell you about the history of this marvellous aircraft, designed, engineered and made in Bristol (well, some French people were involved as well, apparently). There are all sorts of fabulous things to find out about her – how she would fly faster than a bullet and how if you saw a subsonic aircraft out of a Concorde window, it would appear to be flying backwards. The heat generated by supersonic flight could cause Concorde’s fuselage to expand by up to 30cm, opening a specially designed gap in the cockpit between the flight engineer’s instrument panel and a bulkhead which would then close up again when she slowed down. The flight engineer’s cap is now stuck firmly in the closed gap. For safety and security reasons, visits are by guided tour in groups of up to 24 only, with tours lasting about an hour and a half. They have to be booked in advance and meet at different locations on different days. Apart from the joys of seeing the big white pointy bird up close, it’s dead interesting for the minibus ride through the Filton complex just to get some idea of how utterly vast the place is.

FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM
RNAS Yeovilton, nr Ilchester, Somerset BA22 8HT. Zone D. Open daily 10am-5.30pm (last admission to Carrier exhibition 4.15pm) to end of Oct, open 10am-4.30pm Wed-Sun only in winter, 2009 admission not confirmed; last year’s prices were £10.50 adult/£8.50 senior/£7.50 ages 5-16/£32 family. Ffi: 01935 840565, www.fleetairarm.com • The Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton is home to one of the best aviation museums in the UK, if not the world. It stretches over six acres (most of it undercover), with dozens of aircraft tracing the complete history of British naval aviation, and a whole lot more. There are quite a few planes here that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. Displays take you from an excellent interactive bit showing you how aircraft actually get up in the air and stay up in the air and thence to the First and Second World Wars via Korea and the Cold War and on to the Falklands conflict. You also get to walk through Concorde 002, have a simulated helicopter flight and experience life on an aircraft carrier from the 1970s/80s era, as well as play with all sorts of simulators and interactive exhibits. Plus restaurant, cafe and picnic area, and outdoor adventure playground. A brilliant day out for anyone who’s even just a bit interested in aeroplanes. The added bonus is that it’s next door to a working airfield, and if you’re lucky you just might get to see Royal Navy helicopters doing their stuff.

THE HELICOPTER MUSEUM
Locking Moor Rd, Weston-super-Mare BS24 8PP. Zone B. Open Wed-Sun 10am-5.30pm from Apr to end Oct, open daily during school Easter & Summer hols, admission £5.50 adult/£4.50 senior, disabled, student/£3.50 ages 5-16/£15.50 family (2+2)/£17.50 family (2+3). Ffi: 01934 635227, www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk • The world’s largest dedicated collection of whirlybirds features over 60 civil and military machines from Britain, the USA and Europe, as well as several from the former Warsaw Pact countries, with more new acquisitions coming in all the time. Stars of the show include two former royal helicopters of the Queen’s Flight and an East German Mi-24 ‘Hind’ gunship, possibly the most evil-looking piece of military hardware ever dreamed up. It’s also a major centre for helicopter conservation and restoration and puts on frequent behind-the-scenes tours and events for serious enthusiasts. For regular punters there are also lots of special events through the year, including the famous ‘open cockpit days’ where you can sit at the controls of some machines. Also offers helicopter ‘air experience flights’ (posh name for a spin round Weston in a helicopter, but why not?) on certain days and educational activities for kids during the school hols. The Days Out Guide’s favourite exhibit is a bomb with a telephone number on it that you’re supposed to ring if you find it because the RAF will want it back.

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