Well, today started with a short trek up to Bewdley Station, which is part of the vintage Severn Valley Railway. Now, you're probably wondering why I'm thinking of catching a steam train to Bridgnorth when I should be walking! Here's my justification, I just hope you all agree with it!

When I've been walking all these trails during this long end2end, I have to catch trains to and from where I stop in order to return home. Some of the trail connections are a mile or two from the train station, so I thought in order to make up for this, I'd catch the steam train to cover the first fifteen miles of today's trek to Ironbridge. Call it a well deserved reward if you will after the last few days of hard walking!

GWR 4900 Class 4936 Kinlet Hall

The little station is a delight with various items and buildings harking back to the golden age of steam! The train pulls in, lovely British Rail green and steam billowing out! (GWR 4900-Class 4936 Kinlet Hall). I board the train and sink into the lovely, plush cushions, feeling like Harry Potter onboard the Hogwarts Express!

The line follows the Severn Way closely all the way to Bridgnorth and some of the scenery from above is very pretty. And my god, the steam whistle is DEAFENING!

Ticket

We soon arrive at Bridgnorth where there was a whole host of trainspotters waiting! I heartily recommend a visit to the Severn Valley Railway! (http://www.svr.co.uk) Bridgnorth is a very strange town, consisting of a high town on the cliffs and a low town down below straddling the river. A funicular railway connects the two, along with lots of hidden steps and alleys! After a brief look around, it's ever onwards towards our destination for the night.

Argh! What can I tell you?! First we have to go through a golf course, which is always a ruiner of a good walk and then through some of the toughest terrain I've walked on so far on this end2end. Half of the Severn Way trail was on farmland where the farmer hasn't maintained/respected the track/public right of way, letting it become overgrown, ploughed over, or simply removed stiles and left fences/gates instead. The other half was bog, landslips and water! The trail has just been slowly eroded by the winter rains and obviously the high Severn waters.

So it is slow going and agony on my feet, ankles and knees, due to the uneven ground, slipping on mud and the constant change in hard/soft surfaces. But we gradually make our way through, passing places such as Apley Forge with its white bridge, various coppices and Telford's bridge near Coalport.

Golf course

This was one of the better fields...

Bridge at Apley Forge

No stile and tied to oblivion

path gone...

Coalport bridge

Mercian Way marker

From Coalport, we are diverted onto the Severn Valley Way, through some blasted landscapes (a victim of the rains?) and finally we arrive in Ironbridge, a place I've visited before. I'm staying at the same hotel I stayed at with my grandfather and Dad 25 years previously! It brings back a few memories for sure, and I have my supper by the bridge! A hard day's walking beckons tomorrow with some old friends to see!