15-09-2019, 11:46 PM
1
The Strawberry Line, Sandford to Congresbury.
Having spent Sunday morning at Thatcher's cider farm open day, I headed down the road for lunch at the retirement village where my parents used to live.This was one of the locals heading home by the look of things.
The retirement village is on the site of a former railway station, which was thankfully preserved and is now a Grade 2 listed building.
An old God's Wonderful Railway boundary marker.
An old quarry engine with wagons, and coach parked alongside the station.
The station originally had a post box but it had long been removed and the hole bricked up. The preservation society decided to replace it with a genuine period Teddy 7 post box. I'm told it cost a King's ransom!
The old goods shed, now converted to a most excellent restaurant for residents and visitors.
I think using the old door as a feature was a master stroke.
Inside the main complex. The street contains a full size snooker table, bowls mat, and a giant chessboard.
A quarry wagon at the end of the station platform. The apartment immediately behind and above the wagon is where my parents used to live. Looking down on the station from the kitchen window made washing up less of a chore.
A model railway runs along half the length of the platform.
The detail on the loco is outstanding.
The original station "running in board". It was found in three pieces in a museum storage room. It took some doing to find the owner who agreed to allow it back in its original place once it was repaired. It's made of cast iron which had to be heated slowly in a furnace before being welded, then cooled even slowly-er to prevent it cracking; a very skilled and difficult process.
Inside the waiting room, looking towards the ticket office. The red device is a mechanism for issuing "block working" tokens, a method that ensures only one train can be on the single track at a time.
Inside the ticket office. *Fruity stands to attention and salutes Her Maj*
Heading along the old track bed that used to take cheese and strawberries in season all around the country. Now a footpath and cycle track, the route has once again been named The Strawberry Line.
A local out for a stroll.
Part of the old line is privately owned and no longer accessible to the public, so a diversion takes you through Thatcher's factory, suitably fenced off of course.
A thinly disguised phobile moan tower.
On through one of the orchards before joining a road that is still part of the diversion. No scrumping please.
The diversion then takes you along a road for a while.
A pair of hayburners enjoying the sun in their roadside paddock.
View from the top of an original road over rail bridge, but there is no sign of the old track now.
That is some serious pumpage going on there!
Back on track, with cyclists in the distance.
What do you mean, you can't see any cyclists?
I'm not as fit as I used to be so my progress was sloe.
A nice way to cool off on a hot day.
I was pleased with the reflections of this shot, but was disappointed I didn't get mirrors of all three birds.
A view towards the Mendips.
A stick-ball pitch. Also called Swish-Buggrit because of the two sounds often heard. The swish of the bat as the ball is sliced, and the sound the player makes immediately after.
Not a house for miles.
Come on in, the water's lovely.
I'm on my way …
Fancy a drink and a duck-weed salad?
A squadron of young beeves.
Nearing my journey's end …
All that remains of the old station at Congresbury.
Five minutes later I was being driven home by my Lovely Cousin.
I have one short northbound section left to do of this walk before the path ends at the mainline station of Yatton. Once I have done that I shall do the section from Cheddar to Shute Shelve tunnel.
I hope you enjoyed accompanying me on my walk.
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