Severn Valley Railway, Stafford and Derby
Tuesday, 26th December, 1989
e went today to Bridgnorth by train - The Severn Valley Railway - a restructured steam railway. They are very well organised. The train leaves from the specially constructed new old station at Kidderminster and runs to Bridgnorth and back. The "Mince Pie Special" ticket cost includes hot punch and a mince pie.
Severn Valley Railway Guide cover
e didn't have enough time in Bridgnorth, (one of my favourite places) but we had a festive lunch (turkey again) and then came home. A good day. Mac loves the old steam trains and the route to Bridgnorth is the one he used to take when he came to the weekender at Northwood Halt. It doesn't run officially any more - only the Severn Valley Railway makes use of the old track. The line was disused for some time until the Steam Society decided to rebuild it.
he trip was quite comfortable except that the rising waters of the Severn had made one gradient impassable and we had to leave the train and change into another at Bewdley. However, for a volunteer organisation they are very well equipped and organised.
Wednesday, 27th December, 1989
Stafford Castle ruins
oday we went to Stafford and Derby. Staffordshire was quite a surprise, rural and green. I had thought it was very highly industrialised. The county town of Stafford itself is quite attractive, some very old buildings. St.Chad's and the Collegiate Church of St.Mary - very old and beautiful although the stone is blackened. There were old gravestones lining the precinct and so I looked for Eldershaws, but I didn't see any.
e then went to Stafford Castle, a Norman ruin which was interesting; we walked up to it and around it, you couldn't go in, it was boarded up for safety.
hen we went to Derby, via Uttoxeter. We passed a couple of ruined castles on the way, left to rot casually by the roadside - this is an incredible country! Derby was not as interesting as I expected so we went through, had a greasy lunch at Belper which was a strange little town with a very peculiar river system full of sluices and weirs. Home via Nuneaton and motorways. I quite like motorways, surprisingly.
