The Cheddar Valley Lost Railway -

[@pwhitewick]

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[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

You are a very cute couple.

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

@@HarryCoal lol You're missing out 🥰

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

@Euro Wars I read heir at first, I thought you meant the f***ed up royals! Lol

[@christopherrosindale3175]

There is one other piece of Axbridge station which survives. In the station yard stood a short wooden canopy, which was used to shelter boxes of strawberries as they waited for shipment by train. Luckily for us, it was rescued by the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh, who dismantled it piece-by-piece, moved it to South Devon, and then re-erected it on the platform at their new-build Totnes (Littlehempston) station, next to their line's junction with the South Devon Main line to Plymouth and Cornwall. It stands there today, sheltering passengers instead of strawberries now....

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Thank you for this fascinating titbit from times past. Imagine trying to get that past the pen pushers/button bashers in the accounts department of today!

[@DjAlLindsay]

Great to see my local station on the chanel! Let me know if you're covering the line to Clevedon as the trackbed passed right through what is now my garden

[@LordoftheBadgers]

Allegedly David Shepherd was offered the whole line but decided no one wanted a line that long in preservation. I live by the clevedon branch route.

[@chrishines6048]

Being someone who is very local to the area and been up and down the line hundred times ( even cycling the full line from Yatton to Cheddar ) it was great to watch this video. Thank you for making this happen! you two rock!

[@alistairmaclaurin5078]

When I was at school at Sidcot near Windscombe from 61 to 68. We used to arrive by train from Yatton to Winscombe and walk up to the school. The train was called The Cheddar Slug. Great memories.

[@geoffbarry9540]

I could end up making several comments tonight as I explored this line - at least the western part - when on holiday in England in 1978 during the course of one Wednesday afternoon (probably May 20). Sanford seems to have come on in leaps and bounds since then. There was none of the current heritage paraphernalia then. It was a commercial property which the operators happily let visitors lie me in to squint at.

[@cbcdesign001]

Its Clevedon, not Cleveland and Congresbury is pronounced congsbury locally. Its a shame the line no longer exists, it ran through some pretty countryside. Sadly in the 60's we lost a lot of these smaller branch lines. Heritage railways show that these old lines could have survived as tourist attractions, it ran to Cheddar after all, a popular place to visit. I have some images in a book showing how Yatton station looked when the Clevedon and Strawberry branch lines were still present, it was quite something.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

The best thing about England is the countryside. And one of the best ways to experience it is in walking disused railway lines. I've been doing it since the 1960s.

[@worldtraveler930]

Run Lola Run!!!! 😃🇩🇪

[@user-yq5sy4jx9x]

I'm really torn. On the one hand we have all these amazing routes to walk/cycle along the old lines, but on the other it seems like you could get to pretty much anywhere by train once upon a time, and it's such a shame to have lost those links.

[@pwhitewick]

I think I'd go with the rails still to be down. Maybe it'd help with the reliance on the car. Just imagine the journeys you could have

[@xr6lad]

I look at it this way. Cycling excludes certain groups for various reasons. Trains don’t. You can be any age, any size group, any ability whether sight impaired, walking, aged etc and get about by train. In all weathers. And use them to go further.

[@hairyairey]

Lincolnshire is an example of a county that had nearly all its railway lines removed (note to Paul and Rebecca - you're welcome to stay with us for Lincolnshire exploration!). Appalling bad traffic issues now.

[@leplessis8179]

You could still use this railway line, but each ticket would cost you £250 - it never did pay it's way, consistently lost money because of overstaffing, and the service was terrible. Why stop at Witham rather than at Frome? - never did make any sense.

[@MattF340]

Indeed, the Beeching report was wholesale vandalism and saved a pittance in the scheme of things.

[@a11csc]

lovely part of the country

[@nilo70]

Thank you for making this happen ! You guys ROCK !

[@robertansell4538]

So true 👍 olin

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

Cheddar and Strawberry -- sounds delicious!!!

[@robertansell4538]

Outstanding video 📹 like allways make smile 😃 very interesting 😀

[@davidpalin1790]

Very interesting 👌

[@ejustin37]

I like watching the video. I always learn some thing. Have good or night. Live over here in the states.

[@miketherefurbisher8000]

Fantastic Guys!! Thank You

[@manmeetsinghmahajan6183]

Amazing one.

[@bobly]

Rebecca munching on a strawberry, Paul catching her on the act and our Rebecca looking guilty another brill video

[@pwhitewick]

Rude huh

[@nielsdebakker3283]

And the strawberry matching Rebecca's hair...

[@rodmarr6586]

@@nielsdebakker3283 no, no ,no, the strawberry was nowhere near as bright as the hair!

[@donsharpe5786]

You are right the other direction did go to Clevedon. I went on that line in 1963 before taking the line from Yatton to Wells. Tunnel, brick? It looked like stone to me. If the tunnel is cut through limestone, they may not have needed to use cut stone. Did you know that Wookey and Hole both mean cave. So Wookey hole caves means cave cave caves.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

07:11 there’s clear marks showing individual stones so it’s lined there…perhaps it’s a change in topography on one end that caused the need for reinforcement?

[@vsvnrg3263]

cave cave caves! aha! i well remember stephen fry on qi asking about torpenhow hill. avon river is another one, for those who didnt know.

[@davidcollins9512]

@@vsvnrg3263 Almost as bad as on the Underground - Battersea Power Station station.

[@cbcdesign001]

Its the same with the River Avon. The word Avon means river so its river river.

[@geoffbarry9540]

Oh chagrin! The three places I thought you'd have most fun at you had to pass by almost surreptitiously! I spent an hour at Axbridge exploring the station and working out where the actual tracks went (along the current Axbridge bypass road!). The area around the station building was completely open - I think it was a youth activities centre of some kind then (and the village is really beautiful). At Cheddar in 1998 the Wells Cathedral Stone Masonry Co was in residence and not only showed me around but gave me a copy of a photo of the station in its heyday that they had on the office wall. The goods shed had been converted into residential properties which I peeked into the entry foyer of - and, of course, there was then still a road overbridge spanning the trackbed at the Yatton end of the area. And Draycot station building in 1998 was a holiday cottage. Guess where we were staying? Yup, right there, complete with platform section and the gorgeous Strawberry Special pub across the road. We saw it from our planning base in Australia and couldn't resist it for that week of our holiday...

[@masterblaster20006]

Strawberry line, quite apt given the colour of Rebecca's hair 😅😅😁😁

[@markthompson3577]

this video has made my day .......i loved it !!!!

[@pwhitewick]

😊

[@Sim0nTrains]

Back on track with a Every Disused Station video. Honestly really do love these. Been to Yatton Station a few times myself and enjoy the station of Winscombe, that looked amazing.

[@briancjohnson]

Bet you're looking back at this temperature going "IF WE HAD BUT KNOWN!" :D

[@pwhitewick]

Oh my goodness me yes

[@waverleyrocker]

Off to Cleveland! Quite the transatlantic railway!

[@stephendavies6949]

Great to see another railway video! Thanks

[@Jimyjames73]

Oh I do really like Strawberries - A very good old disused Railway line & Video - Well done - look forward to your next Vid!!! 🙂 🚂🚂🚂

[@BarneyLeith]

I travelled on a train from Axbridge to Bristol Temple Meads in the 1950s. I was going with my mum and dad from our home in Minehead to visit family near Liverpool. This was long before motorways, so no M5. We had to drive through the Mendip Hills. The car broke down, so we left it in a garage in Axbridge and took the branch line train to Bristol and then caught an express from Bristol to Birkenhead Woodside. What I remember about the train on the Cheddar Line was that it started in a series of jerks as the engine got going.

[@paulinehedges5088]

Another entertaining Sunday evening and back with the disused stations! Yay! You managed quite a few in one video....well done. As always ..THANK YOU

[@railwaychristina3192]

Ah this is lovely, 😊 thanks

[@pwhitewick]

Our pleasure.

[@painterman235]

Enjoyed that! Thank you.

[@HoxieDan5369]

You two are absolutely fabulous! Enjoyed thank you keep it up!

[@gaugeonesteam]

I often wonder how modern life would be in the UK if none of the railways had been closed. I rent out a holiday flat and more and more of my guests are travelling by bus or train to get here. It must have been great to be able to get to almost anywhere by train. Lovely film as always,

[@janehigh5279]

Another great video & love the hair.

[@Richardincancale]

I was bought up in a small village in that area of Somerset - I remember the record breaking winter of 1963, but too young(!) to remember seeing the railway operating.

[@rogermorris6957]

Thanks guys interesting disused stations vlog

[@Lichfeldian--Suttonian]

Lovely video many thank again, Paul and Rebecca. My uncle used to work in the paper mill at Wookey Hole.

[@lindamccaughey6669]

Was lovely to see old stations and railway stuff. Love all you do but anything to do with trains is my fave. Thanks so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care

[@ZPHOENIX27]

Would love to have your weather right now!!!

[@StickPeopleAndPuff]

As an American, this makes me want to go to the UK and find these railways for myself Also, 11:36: KISS. KISS. KISS. 👀

[@pwhitewick]

Twas a close call wasn't it

[@StickPeopleAndPuff]

@@pwhitewick indeed. The ship will sail one day!

[@18robsmith]

Wookey station was on the same side of the road as the goods yard and more or less hidden beyond the much larger goods shed as you looked over the bridge. There was a gas works just to the west of the station. There were filter beds almost surrounding the station area, probably something to do with St Cuthbert's paper mill.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

10:48 the building on the left in on the trackbed and part of the platform, overhear on Google the rest of the location of the platform is visible. they actually didn’t notice but there’s metal posts that were for the fencing at the end if the bridge to prevent falls onto the platform

[@18robsmith]

@@bostonrailfan2427 Yes, the new "tin shed" for the garage/workshop starts more or less at the end of the old platform, and extends for much of the platform length. This explains why Paul found it impossible to see any of the old station (and then headed off along the track bed in the wrong direction towards Wells. That metal post is a boundary marker fence, not a fall-preventer - back i the day it was assumed that people had enough sense not to try to descend steep slopes so didn't bother about stopping them doing so. Interesting to note that part of the site is now a SSSI.

[@stevebarryBAZZA]

Really enjoyed that guys, great to see you back on the railways.

[@RobertSmith-zv1xo]

I find these vlogs about disused railway lines always interresting and this one did not disappoint. Always enjoy it when platforms and even station buildings are still there.

[@sbob17]

really enjoying the videos i still got a lot of old ones to work my way through 😀

[@janinapalmer8368]

Welcome back you two ...

[@pwhitewick]

Never miss a week. 😊

[@janinapalmer8368]

@@pwhitewick I'm glad you're still going ... I was getting worried for you ... I hadn't seen any postings shown for 3 weeks down here ...

[@peteryoung4957]

A lovely line to explore by bike

[@DottyscottyLD]

thanks for yet another Mcgreat video again !

[@DavidAspden]

Loved it.... great history.

[@christianmoss4603]

Sandford station is a museum which is why you’ll find a train and two wagons, if you go their on the weekends it’s quite often open and they also got a small model railway too show you how shunting works

[@hairyairey]

In my head I expect Sandford station to be a lot closer to Wells, if you know what I mean? Hint, it's all for the greater good...

[@chrisgironde6669]

Lovely seeing the area again Used to live in West Harptree and Wells and at one point my parents lived in Westbury Sub Mendip

[@wanderingwhere]

great presenters great production, love the enthusiasm, not into it all the subject not really my thing but you pulled me in felt like a tv episode, massive thumbs up 73k and climbing 😀

[@garethhiley6388]

Yay! I've missed these videos... Welcome back Every Disused Station! 😀

[@lilchris26]

Thanks very much, love railways nice to see you back on the lost station saga......Chris

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

Welcome back, abandoned Railways

[@davie941]

lmao that start , hello again Paul and Rebecca , the tunnel was so cool , well done and thank you again guys 😊

[@chrissharp5073]

As a young sprog I travelled both the Cheddar and Clevedon lines with my cousin's and sister. Glory days of childhood with loads of great memories. Pity they were shut down even today they would be of use both for commuters and holiday makers. Great video stepping back into my fond memories. Thanks for sharing.

[@alanstuart4495]

Thanks

[@mrpakworld2542]

I like train very much traveling

[@daviddunn4638]

The Sentinel Loco at Sandford originally worked at Whatley Quarry, it spent a few years in a playground in Frome, then as Gate Guardian at Hansons Tytherington Quarry

[@neiljarvis8911]

Enjoyed this and the Wells Station video.currently on holiday in motorhome with e-bikes at Easton. Cycled yesterday down Cheddar Gorge and back to Wookey ans saw Wookey loco sheds from bridge. Cycling to Shepton Mallet tomorrow ans will try to follow more of the track from Wookey Stn to Wells and pick up again at Dulcote. Take care!

[@1Polglen]

Great memories of cycling the strawberry line many years ago. Thanks

[@dhughes6710]

I love all your videos. So entertaining and interesting. Full of wonderful information.

[@thickernell]

Your videos are such a great example of a funny term used in the book "Generation X" from 1990, called "historical slumming." I love it. Probably won't take off as a hashtag today though. ;)

[@janebaker966]

This was a nice surprise. I live in Bristol but I only discovered the Strawberry Line a couple of years ago. I've walked Yatton to Congresbury and tother way round. I'd like to do from Axbridge to Cheddar,maybe next summer. I did not know it went all the way to Wells. I can only do short stretches at a time. Nice to see a glimpse of what to expect.

[@UsualmikeTelevision]

Love your videos. It makes me want to get out and about!

[@ReubenAshwell]

Nice to see another every disused station video. The fact that the line in this video is called the Strawberry line makes me hungry for strawberries lol

[@paulsengupta971]

Did you know the track bed to the west of Westbury-Sub-Mendip station was used as an airfield? I landed there a few times in the late 1990s. The station platform and canopy were still there at the end of the runway. It was a curved runway.

[@martinmarsola6477]

Thanks for the tour. Appreciate you labors in these videos. Cheer mates! 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸

[@phillunn4691]

Thanks for sharing this great video about the‘Strawberry Line’ i found it a really interesting and informative video and the area and railway is right up my street. Thanks again Paul and Rebecca 👍🏼

[@chrisg1234fly]

Boat rocked thank you guys!!!!

[@TheWoodlandhoBo]

Ahh the old cheesy gash. Ive spent days walking those hills. Awesome place. Well done guys 👍🏻

[@pwhitewick]

Well thats a new name!!

[@TheWoodlandhoBo]

@@pwhitewick 😂

[@tomlee812]

I look forward to Sunday evenings as I know (hope) you'll put out another entertaining video. Nice to see you back on the station trail and thanks for all the hard work you put into making these so good.

[@SteamCrane]

10:59 - Nice to see the profile of the old bridge rail. They made the head plenty thick to last a while.

[@Ozbert]

I suspect that they are the remains of the broad gauge rails. there used to be something similar at Starcross in Devon that remained from Brunel's Atmospheric Railway.

[@MrGreatplum]

Really enjoyable - and a lovely part of the world too! Look forward to seeing more of the disused stations :)

[@bcoldgoalie]

Railway video! Love these.😊👍

[@IainHC1]

Love these guys 🙂

[@Nif339]

Used to catch the train from Yatton to Bristol every day, never knew the strawberry line was there, and used to pass Axbridge station every day. It used to be a youth club at one time, not sure if it still is

[@therealunclevanya]

Haybridge Station was 'conveniently' half way between Wookey and Wookey Hole, so useless for both. The trains were long gone in my day (late 70's), but, the bi-hourly bus to Wedmore went past the bottom of the Blue School playing fields just as the home bell rang so we never caught it, but, always had to walk home instead. The Portway Bridge and Mount Pleasant Cutting are long gone and I remember Fran Ridewoods (now Halfords) building a new shop next to the Burcott Road Goods Shed and hump bridge, the Level Crossing Gates on the Glastonbury Road were still there as well. All completely gone now. Wells had 3 stations originally! We always called it the Strawberry Line because of all the Strawberry fields along the bottom of the Mendip escarpment. I did one Summer picking near Westbury but it was back breaking tedious work!

[@boboneleg]

I spent some time working in the goods shed at Wookey ( as you called it) about seven years ago. Your video brought back some good memories :)

[@DJCox95]

Great video - awesome to see you guys back on the hunt for disused stations!

[@compostjohn]

1:35 Clevedon, not Cleveland, which is in the northeast of England. I've cycled a substantial part of the Strawberry Line, from Sandford all the way to Cheddar. Then we had to use the road down to Wells. A good round trip beginning and ending in WSM.

[@pwhitewick]

Ooooooops

[@compostjohn]

@@pwhitewick Easy to do, slip of the tongue. Most folks won't notice. I did as it's a part of the world I know quite well, despite living in York.

[@grahamlane1313]

Hi paul and rebecca i think the tunnel is only half lined is when they they built the tunnel .the rock was stronger on half of it so no need to line it and also keeps cost down when the built the whole line

[@bostonrailfan2427]

looks like the topology supports that, one side is cut heavily into the side of a hill while the other is closer to the surface

[@shirleylynch7529]

Love the names Strawberry line and Chedder line. Great tunnel. Really enjoyed this explore. Thank you.

[@stepheneyles2198]

I've never thought about eating strawberries with Cheddar cheese; good idea!!

[@charlessear8893]

So glad you visited the cheddar valley line hope you enjoyed it. 👍

[@handiman5001]

Best video for a while, loved thr banter back and forth, made it fun

[@johnsamson-snell9558]

Back on track thank you 👍

[@rebeccamills3886]

Walked the route from Yatton to Cheddar many times as my parents lived there and I was training for a 26 mile walk and the Strawberry Line seemed a good idea at the time!

[@caffeinemonster7242]

Just as a quick note, the old branch line from Congresbury headed towards Blagdon, and itself had a short branch line near Blagdon which went to an old pumping station near Blagdon Lake. This pumping station branch was (I think), the only branch line, of a branch line, of a branch line in the UK...!

[@andyrichardsvideovlogs8835]

Absolutely fascinating video. Great to see these well-known place names with a life beyond the map. Some very impressive conservation along the whole line.

[@johnsmart964]

Thank you for bringing us this very interesting video presentation, I am glad that you focused for a while on the old fence at or near Wooky station as it was made out of old broad gauge track. Thanks again for all these fascinating things that you bring to the attention of the people.

[@Richardincancale]

10:00 I recall staying in the station at Westbury sub Mendip as a school boy probably around 1970. It was used as a field centre / hostel for geography studies for schools in Bristol.

[@bristolmod]

Westbury Sub Mendip (Lodge Hill) was leased to my school, Bristol Grammar School, in the 1960's. The station was used as a "Field Centre" for geography, and a base for the schools CCF units for Night Exercises and the like. I can still remember there were approx 2 Goods trains a day. Have no idea when the station was demolished though. Had some great times down there.

[@pt9101]

As ever a wonderful interesting video.

[@marcdebruin2425]

Nice to see a railway video! Bit strange to see you both in jumpers as I am watching this at 22:00, in the garden on my Ipad while it is still 27°, and yes I am at home in The Netehrlands.😄

[@Alan_Watkin]

good stuff, well enjoyed thanks guys

[@oliverpearcey2777]

An excellent video. The fence post made out of broad gauge bridge rail at Heighbridge (?) station yard was a really nice survival.

[@Ian1957a]

Great video. Fairly local to me, cycled from Clevedon to Cheddar a few times. Plans to extend the Strawberry Line cycle route to Clevedon and Wells

[@jonathanscott01]

Thank you so much for the previous video about this line, we went there for a couple of nights because of it, stayed in Axbridge and cycled half the line. Unfortunately we got sidetracked at the Thatchers factory and had to drive back to pick up a load of cans of cider! 🤪😂 We’ll need another visit to finish the ride.