The Bristol Railway Archive

Just been annouced in the bath chronicle (online version) that the two tunnels shared path that follows the course of the old somerset & dorset line is to open on 6/4/2013....it runs from bath to midford,about 4 miles. The second of 2 bridges is lifted in tomorrow 21/11/2012...this takes the path over dartmouth avenue,the first bridge is already in place.

Hopefully the weather will be favourable for a 4 mile walk that day.

The cycle track is already open from just beyond Tucking Mill Viaduct to the outskirts of Wellow, and again from Shoscombe into Radstock and on towards Midsomer Norton.

It might end up being more than a 4-mile walk

Perhaps we could arrange to meet up in Bath, take a bus to Midford (assuming it's on a bus route) then walk back. Of course, we might have to call in at a hostelry or two to quench our thirsts!

the green mile wrote:.....take a bus to Midford (assuming it's on a bus route)

Hope this helps. Bus service 267. <BJ>

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/bristol ... &source=sp

I walked the route from Twerton to Midford with an organised group just over a year ago and can confirm that it is a beautiful walk. We weren't able to walk through the tunnels at the time and so when the route is completed it will be interesting to see the improvements. You soon realise why trains struggled up the incline with the heavy summer excursions or goods trains. <BJ>

Thanks for the bus info. It sounds like the cycle and footpath I regularly used between Rushey Platt and Old Town when I lived in Swindon, although there were no tunnels and no Pines Express. Great views across open country towards the Marlborough Downs until they decided Swindon needed thousands more new homes.

Robin Summerhill wrote:The cycle track is already open from just beyond Tucking Mill Viaduct to the outskirts of Wellow, and again from Shoscombe into Radstock and on towards Midsomer Norton.

It might end up being more than a 4-mile walk

Doesn't time fly, after doing a quick search on here I just realised it was 6 years ago that I cycled some of the above, from Midsomer Norton to Radstock, then down and back to Great Elm. I'll have to get fit again next year and cycle Bristol to Great Elm and back, via the Bristol to Bath Railway path and the two tunnels.

The cycle track is now also open as far as Westerleigh Sidings from Mangotsfield.

More details about the (free) opening festival on april 6th on the bath chronicle website.

www.thisisbath.co.uk

A direct link to the article that chippy is referring to:

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Free-festiv ... story.html

One of the comments left by a reader has a link to Sustrans Facebook page where there is a photo showing the cycle path and lighting inside Combe Down tunnel.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

poster for the grand opening...the original is in colour...I only have a B/W printer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/byjr/8470764026/

I am looking forward to this walk but I just might avoid the opening day which may have a few too many cycles there.

I had walked Combe Down tunnel on two organised occasions in recent years and three times back in 1966/67. On the first of those early visits the track was still in situ but on the third it was just ballast. Eerie to say the least!

Also want to walk Devonshire Tunnel. I had taken my sons there in the mid to late 70s when the Lyncombe Vale end was accessible but the bath end had been bricked up.

Just wondering if access to the tunnels will be stopped during hours of darkness???

Roger wrote: Just wondering if access to the tunnels will be stopped during hours of darkness???

Why - will it be any darker in there at night ?

If you are implying that there will be a danger of vagabonds and footpads (as they used to say) then I don't really think that it would make much difference whether there was daylight outside or not. Experience elsewhere where former railway tunnels have been converted to footpaths/ cycle tracks has not shown (as far as I am aware) that there has ever been a problem - this is just one of those things that people think are a problem. A bit like the little old lady in the depths of darkest Hereforshire who is afraid of going out at night in case she gets mugged. She's probably got more chance of being struck by lightning than being mugged, but that doesn't stop her worrying about it

On a different subject, I have heard on the grapevine (reasonably reliably, but don't go down the bookies with this information ) that Sustrans have invited former employees of the S&D along for the opening bunfight. As I knew quite a few of the ex S&D footplate staff from my Bath Road days and was also a passenger on the line in its last few years (I was 14 when it closed ) I'm hoping to wangle an "honorary invite"

Robin

My comment about hours of darkness was more to do with security. The photographs of the tunnels suggest that it will be quite bright inside and a good opportunity to study the walls etc which in places are (I believe) pure rock.