Normal service has been resumed today as I went to play trains.
I haven’t actually been into Llangollen since we arrived by boat around 30 years ago so it was a primary aim of this trip. Having noticed the availability of a bus service (just, it shuts down a week on Saturday) I decided it wasn’t worth driving in to the town. There was nearly a problem as the bus doesn’t take contactless (it’s EasyCoach who operate the service, owned by one of the pioneers of internet based travel!) I thought I’d only got a £20 note which the driver reckoned he couldn’t change, fortunately I managed to find the £5 fare in change.
First order of the day was a coffee, I was fairly early as the bus only runs every couple of hours, but one of the cafes was open. I resisted the temptation of a sausage sandwich having had bacon butties in the ‘van before I left. I took the opportunity of the early morning sunshine to take some photos of the River and had a bit of a wander before having another coffee at the station. The line is definitely more scenic than some I’ve been on recently as it follows the Dee up the valley. They’re gradually extending things and don’t yet have a passing loop beyond Carrog so the train has to reverse completely back from the end of the line. I’m not sure how they reconcile this with H&S as I know other lines have had issues doing this with longish trains. We stopped for about 20 minutes at Carrog for the engine to run around which gave us a chance to get off. The LNER Teak coach that was shown on telly being restored is there and you can go inside. It does look good!
The train was crowded on the way back as a lot of people had joined (including a tour party) but I grabbed a few more pics. It was lunchtime when we got back but inevitably the station tearooms were packed so I walked back into the town. I’d noticed the Oggie (pasty) Shop already and decided to try a minted lamb one. I finished it but it nearly defeated me! It was huge! In hindsight something a bit smaller might have been a better bet. I again fell fowl of the infrequent bus service as I didn’t want to leave immediately so then had a couple of hours to fill. The local museum took up a bit of time, it’s OK but very disjointed. I also popped in to an outdoor equipment shop primarily to drool over the Granfors Bruks axes, they are superb bits of workmanship but eye wateringly expensive. Strolling down by the river led me to a small Christian books and crafts shop. I didn’t buy anything but it filled a few minutes and I had a brief chat with one of the ladies manning it. I also found a spot to get a last photo of the railway.
The bus back took a much more scenic route than on the way there, once the driver had got his cup of tea! He arrived but then locked up the bus while he went to fill his mug. I wonder why they’ve timetabled a stop at Fron Community Centre which is barely 50 yards from the stop on the main road and which entails the bus backing in to a narrow entrance where people are walking about. A couple of the other stops seemed almost as pointless. Back at the ‘van it was time to relax before having dinner (sausage, potato and shallot all fried up together). After washing up I did have a sort out and tidy ready to move to a hotel in Llanberis. That included emptying the toilet as frankly it’s a lot easier using the site facilities than it is at home.
Thursday 30 August 2018
Wednesday 29 August 2018
I Must be Mad!
Why else would I spend the best part of the day walking several miles in the footsteps of a fictional monk around a town that has few buildings from that time left?
I was reading the Cadfael stories long before the TV series (which I didn’t watch due to the dreadful casting) made them popular. I’ve got the full set of books and do reread them occasionally. Having made an eatlyish start I walked down to the station and got the train in to Shrewsbury. As there isn’t even a ticket machine at Chirk I used the Trainline app to buy an e-ticket. I have to say it worked very smoothly. It’s only a 20 minute journey, my first aim on arrival being breakfast. I have two go-to options in towns, either Wetherspoons or the local market cafe, this time it was the latter where £4 procured a respectable meal including toast and coffee. I then stopped off at the Tourist Information to get the walks guide (I’d already sussed this out from the ‘net). I was already spotting a lot of recognisable place and street names.
The 3 walks all start at the Abbey, of course, so that’s where I headed next. Sadly the bulk of the buildings, including much of the church itself, were destroyed in the Refomation and any ruins were lost with subsequent road building and development. The town part of the church was retained, and the remainder was later partly rebuilt in Victorian times. The first walk is basically just around the Abbey itself, inside and outside. The second is up the Abbey Foregate to St Giles which was a Leper Hospital. Again, the church survives although it’s largely Victorian incorporating parts of the original walls.
The third, and longest, walk is around the town. By this stage I decided on lunch and found a nice cafe where I managed to knock everything off an adjacent table! The only damage was the glass being used as a sugar basin and the two ladies serving were very nice about it. The food was good too! I’ll leave the full description of the walk until the photos go up on the website but suffice it to say there’s very little flat involved! It was up from the English Bridge, down to the Town Gate and back up again then down to the Welsh Bridge and back up. It’s more about the places than any buildings, apart from the Abbey, a watchtower and a few places with early parts incorporated in them everything has gone. However it’s a tribute to Ellis Peters’ research and accuracy that you can visit the locations from the stories at all. I did a little bit of shopping on the way round, finding myself outside M&S I popped in for a couple of packs of underwear!
I wanted some pics of Shrewsbury Station however there was a bit of an incident going on so I had to be careful. Nothing major but as far as I could make out an itinerant (for want of a better word as I’m not sure if he was homeless, begging, or what) and his dog had been intimidating passengers, whether deliberately or not, and had then been abusive to station staff. The police in attendance were really just suggesting he move on, which he was reluctant to do. He was then starting to be abusive again, and the Police were genuinely trying to keep it calm from what I heard and saw. I don’t know how it ended up as I’d gone into the station and then come out again as Platform 3 has a separate entrance!
Having a little bit of provisions shopping to do I went into Chirk itself when the train got in to visit the butchers (breakfasts) and the grocers (beer and bread). I also had a pint at the Hand Hotel before walking back up the hill to the site. Overall a long and tiring day but well worthwhile. I’ve now got a much better sense of perspective on where the places in the books actually are but it also makes you realise how small places actually were back then. Even St Giles, which as a Leper Hospital was well away from the town, is less than a mile from the Abbey.
I was reading the Cadfael stories long before the TV series (which I didn’t watch due to the dreadful casting) made them popular. I’ve got the full set of books and do reread them occasionally. Having made an eatlyish start I walked down to the station and got the train in to Shrewsbury. As there isn’t even a ticket machine at Chirk I used the Trainline app to buy an e-ticket. I have to say it worked very smoothly. It’s only a 20 minute journey, my first aim on arrival being breakfast. I have two go-to options in towns, either Wetherspoons or the local market cafe, this time it was the latter where £4 procured a respectable meal including toast and coffee. I then stopped off at the Tourist Information to get the walks guide (I’d already sussed this out from the ‘net). I was already spotting a lot of recognisable place and street names.
The 3 walks all start at the Abbey, of course, so that’s where I headed next. Sadly the bulk of the buildings, including much of the church itself, were destroyed in the Refomation and any ruins were lost with subsequent road building and development. The town part of the church was retained, and the remainder was later partly rebuilt in Victorian times. The first walk is basically just around the Abbey itself, inside and outside. The second is up the Abbey Foregate to St Giles which was a Leper Hospital. Again, the church survives although it’s largely Victorian incorporating parts of the original walls.
The third, and longest, walk is around the town. By this stage I decided on lunch and found a nice cafe where I managed to knock everything off an adjacent table! The only damage was the glass being used as a sugar basin and the two ladies serving were very nice about it. The food was good too! I’ll leave the full description of the walk until the photos go up on the website but suffice it to say there’s very little flat involved! It was up from the English Bridge, down to the Town Gate and back up again then down to the Welsh Bridge and back up. It’s more about the places than any buildings, apart from the Abbey, a watchtower and a few places with early parts incorporated in them everything has gone. However it’s a tribute to Ellis Peters’ research and accuracy that you can visit the locations from the stories at all. I did a little bit of shopping on the way round, finding myself outside M&S I popped in for a couple of packs of underwear!
I wanted some pics of Shrewsbury Station however there was a bit of an incident going on so I had to be careful. Nothing major but as far as I could make out an itinerant (for want of a better word as I’m not sure if he was homeless, begging, or what) and his dog had been intimidating passengers, whether deliberately or not, and had then been abusive to station staff. The police in attendance were really just suggesting he move on, which he was reluctant to do. He was then starting to be abusive again, and the Police were genuinely trying to keep it calm from what I heard and saw. I don’t know how it ended up as I’d gone into the station and then come out again as Platform 3 has a separate entrance!
Having a little bit of provisions shopping to do I went into Chirk itself when the train got in to visit the butchers (breakfasts) and the grocers (beer and bread). I also had a pint at the Hand Hotel before walking back up the hill to the site. Overall a long and tiring day but well worthwhile. I’ve now got a much better sense of perspective on where the places in the books actually are but it also makes you realise how small places actually were back then. Even St Giles, which as a Leper Hospital was well away from the town, is less than a mile from the Abbey.
Tuesday 28 August 2018
I Got It Wrong!
When I planned this trip I’d got Ironbridge and Llangollen in mind and was just looking for something to do on the journey in between. The Severn Valley Railway fitted the bill but I now realise that it deserves more than being just a quick stop between sites.
I got away on schedule* and managed to find the car park at Bridgnorth Station (it wasn’t just me, as I was paying a couple asked if they were in the right place). The station itself is being redeveloped at the moment so the facilities are a bit limited. I’d timed it about right for the first train to Kidderminster. It was a fairly unremarkable journey, hauled by a 1930’s pannier tank. I was sat just behind the engine and there did seem a bit of concern before we set off about whether there was enough boiler pressure - we made it but the loco struggled with a long, fairly full train.
We had just under an hour at Kidderminster, long enough to have a look round the small, but good, railway museum. I was also able to watch them load a permanent way engine onto a low loader whilst waiting for the train to depart. I got quite a few photos on the way back so I was fairly happy. What I missed out on was stopping at some of the intermediate stations, in particular I’d have liked to stop at Highley where they’ve built an engine shed and visitor centre. I definitely think another visit is needed.
The drive along the A5 to Chirk was slow in places, just weight of traffic, but I got on site and booked in at a reasonable time. I was debating what to do, and feeling a bit “bleugh” for no real reason, but settled on a walk down to the village, about a mile. There’s not much to see really! There isn’t a pub as such, only the Hand Hotel, so I walked down the hill to the Bridge Inn, thus passing back into England! They only do a limited menu early in the week but the burger I had was passable. I might not have stopped for food but I got talking to a couple from the site who are on their way home from Shrewsbury Folk Festival, we had a good chat and then walked back to the site the scenic route, up to the canal, over the aquaduct and through the edge of the estate. They were a lovely couple and talking to them really cheered me up.
I’m still in two minds tomorrow. Plan A is to get the train to Shrewsbury, I haven’t decided yet if there’s a plan B!
*It was only when I pitched at Chirk that I realised I’d left my pitch sign at the previous site. Not a major issue but I’ve had to buy a new one and fix it with gaffer tape for the moment.
I got away on schedule* and managed to find the car park at Bridgnorth Station (it wasn’t just me, as I was paying a couple asked if they were in the right place). The station itself is being redeveloped at the moment so the facilities are a bit limited. I’d timed it about right for the first train to Kidderminster. It was a fairly unremarkable journey, hauled by a 1930’s pannier tank. I was sat just behind the engine and there did seem a bit of concern before we set off about whether there was enough boiler pressure - we made it but the loco struggled with a long, fairly full train.
We had just under an hour at Kidderminster, long enough to have a look round the small, but good, railway museum. I was also able to watch them load a permanent way engine onto a low loader whilst waiting for the train to depart. I got quite a few photos on the way back so I was fairly happy. What I missed out on was stopping at some of the intermediate stations, in particular I’d have liked to stop at Highley where they’ve built an engine shed and visitor centre. I definitely think another visit is needed.
The drive along the A5 to Chirk was slow in places, just weight of traffic, but I got on site and booked in at a reasonable time. I was debating what to do, and feeling a bit “bleugh” for no real reason, but settled on a walk down to the village, about a mile. There’s not much to see really! There isn’t a pub as such, only the Hand Hotel, so I walked down the hill to the Bridge Inn, thus passing back into England! They only do a limited menu early in the week but the burger I had was passable. I might not have stopped for food but I got talking to a couple from the site who are on their way home from Shrewsbury Folk Festival, we had a good chat and then walked back to the site the scenic route, up to the canal, over the aquaduct and through the edge of the estate. They were a lovely couple and talking to them really cheered me up.
I’m still in two minds tomorrow. Plan A is to get the train to Shrewsbury, I haven’t decided yet if there’s a plan B!
*It was only when I pitched at Chirk that I realised I’d left my pitch sign at the previous site. Not a major issue but I’ve had to buy a new one and fix it with gaffer tape for the moment.
Monday 27 August 2018
No Railways!
It’s fairly rare that I manage a whole day away with no railway connection at all but I just about managed it today.
I started off at the Museum of Iron, interesting enough and fairly quiet. Some of the castings are incredible although of course the bulk of the output was routine products; Abraham Darby’s first venture into ironwork was with a patent for sand casting cooking pots more cheaply than with other processes and materials. On the same site is the Old Furnace which has been hailed as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. You can stand on the spot where, in 1709, they first charged a furnace with coke instead of charcoal thus enabling the production of the iron needed for the machines, etc. Sadly I suspect most visitors ignore it in favour of the more spectacular attractions. Just up the road are the two Darby houses which were the family homes for many years. Not entirely my sort of thing but I walked round the main house (the smaller one relies on volunteers and wasn’t open). The brief introduction from one of the guides was interesting and informative and many of the artefacts were worth seeing. The kitchen, inevitably, has the most spectacular range I’ve ever seen!
I decided to leave my car in the museum car park and walk down to Ironbridge itself, there is parking in the town but it’s expensive and I needed the exercise. It started drizzling heavily so I stopped at the ‘van and swapped my fleece for my anorak, of course I’d only gone a short way before it stopped again! The first stop down by the river was the Museum of the Gorge where I met yesterday’s guide from the Pipe Museum again - they do tend to move them around the attractions apparently. A lot of what’s there is told at the other museums but it ties things together and really gives a sense of the scale of the industry in the area.
By this stage I was thinking of a sit down and some lunch so found a fish and chip shop with cafe. Cod, chips and a can of coke were duly consumed before I visited the Bridge itself. You can’t see very much of it at the moment though, it’s covered in scaffolding and plastic. There’s a narrow section open on one side for people to cross but that’s it. You can, however, get a close view of the work as they’ve also installed a walkway alongside the bridge with viewing windows. As friends know I’m not generally good with heights but I was ok, and had a chat with a very knowledgeable gentleman from English Heritage. Basically due to the river banks subsiding and spreading large cracks, about 20mm wide, have formed right across the ironwork at each side and the deck is also lifting clear of the supports.
The first stage of the fix was to install a concrete invert in the river to stabilise everything and they’re now sandblasting, repairing and repainting the ironwork. Surprisingly it’s being painted in red, not black. This is on the basis of a contemporary painting and also analysis of the paint layers. What they can’t be sure is that the red wasn’t a primer and it was always black over the top but in the absence of an invoice for “20 gallons of red undercoat and 20 gallons of black topcoat” turning up they’re going with it. At the far end of the bridge the Tollhouse has been made into another small museum so that was the final punching of my passport. I visited 6 of the 10 attractions so I reckon I did OK. I missed out the China Museum and Tar Tunnel*, the Tile Museum and Enginuity (an interactive display aimed at kids). The pottery side doesn’t interest me all that much otherwise I’d have done those tomorrow.
After a wander along the river and a quick look round the local antiques warehouse** I walked back up the hill to the ‘van. It’s not a long way but like a lot of the valley it’s quite steep. I had a brief chat with the car park attendant who was just going off shift, I’m guessing he was another volunteer, as he’d noticed that I’d been there first thing. Like a lot of the people I’ve met he seemed a genuinely nice person so I’ll complement the museums on that. I’m glad that’s my penultimate drive over the roads to the site, they’re pretty dreadful in places and I hate to think what would happen if two caravans met on them as there are long stretches of single track. It’s not a site I’d bother to come back to unless there was a really pressing reason.
*The Tar Tunnel was originally started for an underground canal as part of trying to move materials more cheaply to the river however they struck a seam of bitumen and decided it was more valuable to mine that, hence the Hay Incline was built instead.
**People keep telling me that we don’t make anything in this country, which I find surprising given that I’ve spent the last 30 years working for manufacturing companies! The antiques shop is part of the Merrythought Village complex where they’ve been making high quality teddy bears since 1930. At the back of where Enginuity is the building is still a casting works. The gates may say Coalbrookdale Co but the sign says Aga Rayburn, they make cast metalwork for the ranges there.
I started off at the Museum of Iron, interesting enough and fairly quiet. Some of the castings are incredible although of course the bulk of the output was routine products; Abraham Darby’s first venture into ironwork was with a patent for sand casting cooking pots more cheaply than with other processes and materials. On the same site is the Old Furnace which has been hailed as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. You can stand on the spot where, in 1709, they first charged a furnace with coke instead of charcoal thus enabling the production of the iron needed for the machines, etc. Sadly I suspect most visitors ignore it in favour of the more spectacular attractions. Just up the road are the two Darby houses which were the family homes for many years. Not entirely my sort of thing but I walked round the main house (the smaller one relies on volunteers and wasn’t open). The brief introduction from one of the guides was interesting and informative and many of the artefacts were worth seeing. The kitchen, inevitably, has the most spectacular range I’ve ever seen!
I decided to leave my car in the museum car park and walk down to Ironbridge itself, there is parking in the town but it’s expensive and I needed the exercise. It started drizzling heavily so I stopped at the ‘van and swapped my fleece for my anorak, of course I’d only gone a short way before it stopped again! The first stop down by the river was the Museum of the Gorge where I met yesterday’s guide from the Pipe Museum again - they do tend to move them around the attractions apparently. A lot of what’s there is told at the other museums but it ties things together and really gives a sense of the scale of the industry in the area.
By this stage I was thinking of a sit down and some lunch so found a fish and chip shop with cafe. Cod, chips and a can of coke were duly consumed before I visited the Bridge itself. You can’t see very much of it at the moment though, it’s covered in scaffolding and plastic. There’s a narrow section open on one side for people to cross but that’s it. You can, however, get a close view of the work as they’ve also installed a walkway alongside the bridge with viewing windows. As friends know I’m not generally good with heights but I was ok, and had a chat with a very knowledgeable gentleman from English Heritage. Basically due to the river banks subsiding and spreading large cracks, about 20mm wide, have formed right across the ironwork at each side and the deck is also lifting clear of the supports.
The first stage of the fix was to install a concrete invert in the river to stabilise everything and they’re now sandblasting, repairing and repainting the ironwork. Surprisingly it’s being painted in red, not black. This is on the basis of a contemporary painting and also analysis of the paint layers. What they can’t be sure is that the red wasn’t a primer and it was always black over the top but in the absence of an invoice for “20 gallons of red undercoat and 20 gallons of black topcoat” turning up they’re going with it. At the far end of the bridge the Tollhouse has been made into another small museum so that was the final punching of my passport. I visited 6 of the 10 attractions so I reckon I did OK. I missed out the China Museum and Tar Tunnel*, the Tile Museum and Enginuity (an interactive display aimed at kids). The pottery side doesn’t interest me all that much otherwise I’d have done those tomorrow.
After a wander along the river and a quick look round the local antiques warehouse** I walked back up the hill to the ‘van. It’s not a long way but like a lot of the valley it’s quite steep. I had a brief chat with the car park attendant who was just going off shift, I’m guessing he was another volunteer, as he’d noticed that I’d been there first thing. Like a lot of the people I’ve met he seemed a genuinely nice person so I’ll complement the museums on that. I’m glad that’s my penultimate drive over the roads to the site, they’re pretty dreadful in places and I hate to think what would happen if two caravans met on them as there are long stretches of single track. It’s not a site I’d bother to come back to unless there was a really pressing reason.
*The Tar Tunnel was originally started for an underground canal as part of trying to move materials more cheaply to the river however they struck a seam of bitumen and decided it was more valuable to mine that, hence the Hay Incline was built instead.
**People keep telling me that we don’t make anything in this country, which I find surprising given that I’ve spent the last 30 years working for manufacturing companies! The antiques shop is part of the Merrythought Village complex where they’ve been making high quality teddy bears since 1930. At the back of where Enginuity is the building is still a casting works. The gates may say Coalbrookdale Co but the sign says Aga Rayburn, they make cast metalwork for the ranges there.
Sunday 26 August 2018
Wet, wet, wet!
I’m not referring to the band but the weather.
It was tempting to stay on site today with the rain being very heavy but I did go out. Plans for the day were flexible as they depended on whether I wanted to go back to Blists Hill. As I didn’t I started off at the Telford Railway. I felt sorry for them when I got there, they were supposed to be doing a 40’s weekend but it was a wash out for the day. The journey isn’t hugely long, and is a bit confusing as you go up the line from one station, back down a different line then back to the top and return to the start. Having retrieved the waterproof camera from the ‘van I got a few photos, I just didn’t dare get the good camera out it was so wet. As well as the main line they also have a small tramway running in a loop around part of the site. The trip round included a stop at the engine shed and a chance to look round in there. Overall a worthwhile visit but I wouldn’t mind going again on a sunny day.
The second attraction for the day was the Broseley Pipe Works (that’s pipe as in smoking not drain!) It’s one of the Ironbridge museums that I’d never been to before. It was the last of many clay pipe factories in the area but closed in 1957 when the owner died and sat untouched until the Trust bought the site. We nearly didn’t get to go round as there was a problem with the lighting on the ground floor but the guide, having sought and not received any guidance, decided to go ahead anyway. He was a young chap from the village but did an excellent job. There is still a pipe maker who has a small workshop there, his products have appeared in the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean series.
That was about it for the day, I really didn’t feel like going anywhere else so headed back to site to relax.
PS (added later as I forgot about it). After the tram ride the driver plugged in the airline, I’m guessing it’s for the brakes as the engine probably doesn’t have a compressor. Unfortunately he then forgot to unplug it before setting off again! It was a good job somebody else noticed.
It was tempting to stay on site today with the rain being very heavy but I did go out. Plans for the day were flexible as they depended on whether I wanted to go back to Blists Hill. As I didn’t I started off at the Telford Railway. I felt sorry for them when I got there, they were supposed to be doing a 40’s weekend but it was a wash out for the day. The journey isn’t hugely long, and is a bit confusing as you go up the line from one station, back down a different line then back to the top and return to the start. Having retrieved the waterproof camera from the ‘van I got a few photos, I just didn’t dare get the good camera out it was so wet. As well as the main line they also have a small tramway running in a loop around part of the site. The trip round included a stop at the engine shed and a chance to look round in there. Overall a worthwhile visit but I wouldn’t mind going again on a sunny day.
The second attraction for the day was the Broseley Pipe Works (that’s pipe as in smoking not drain!) It’s one of the Ironbridge museums that I’d never been to before. It was the last of many clay pipe factories in the area but closed in 1957 when the owner died and sat untouched until the Trust bought the site. We nearly didn’t get to go round as there was a problem with the lighting on the ground floor but the guide, having sought and not received any guidance, decided to go ahead anyway. He was a young chap from the village but did an excellent job. There is still a pipe maker who has a small workshop there, his products have appeared in the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean series.
That was about it for the day, I really didn’t feel like going anywhere else so headed back to site to relax.
PS (added later as I forgot about it). After the tram ride the driver plugged in the airline, I’m guessing it’s for the brakes as the engine probably doesn’t have a compressor. Unfortunately he then forgot to unplug it before setting off again! It was a good job somebody else noticed.
Saturday 25 August 2018
A Victorian Experience
I’ve been a bit remiss in updating recently even though I’ve been doing some work on the ‘van, mainly related to carrying the bike. As I’ve not actually quite finished and have left the bike at home I’ll come back to that another time. I apologise there are no photos. There’s no site WiFi here and I’m not sure the mobile signal is up to it.
It’s been over 20 years since I last visited Ironbridge and the various museums in the group so I decided that another visit was well overdue. I made an early start from home, aiming to be at Blists Hill Victorian Town at around opening time. I would have been somewhat early if I hadn’t got five miles down the road and realised I’d left the cool box behind! I could have managed, of course, but it had the beer in.
Although you can buy single visit tickets if you’re going to more than one museum it’s best to buy the annual passport. This gives unlimited visits for a year to all 10 museums and if you miss some in that year you can still have a single free entry. Having dealt with that, and the gift aid of course, it was coffee and cake time. I was absolutely gasping for a drink by then (and the pub wasn’t yet open).
One thing with Blists Hill is that a lot of the shops sell stuff, you can buy pennies at the bank* or pay with modern currency. I didn’t actually want anything but it’s a good idea for the children. I wandered round some of the town then, inevitably, found a railway. They were running a replica of Trevithick’s Coalbrookdale Loco, almost certainly the first ever railway engine. This predated George Stephenson’s first attempt by some years. He followed that up with the Penydarren engine which did run commercially for a while although it may have been built primarily to win a bet! The trouble was these engines ran on iron plateways which couldn’t take the weight and forces so tended to fracture.
I walked along the canal** to the top of the Hay Inclined Plain. These canals were for tub-boats which were literally lifted out of the water on railway bogies and lowered down the valley sides to Severn***. Last time we were there we did things the wrong way round and had to walk up, although I didn’t use it there is now a modern plane lift part way along the route to avoid the climb. Having walked back towards the town I visited the Telford Toll House and a miner’s cottage. There’s a bit of a contrast particularly when according to the census returns the former originally housed just a man and a boy in a few large rooms while the latter, in two small rooms plus a store, once had 9 people living there. I decided it was refreshment time so left the rest of that end of the town for later and went to the pub. Unfortunately I didn’t have 9 1/2d on me so had to hand over £3.80 instead! It was a decent pint of Thwaites’ Cumberland Ale, not exactly local but the alternative was Banks’s which I really don’t enjoy.
The afternoon started with a train ride (inevitably). I’ve been down coal mines, a lead mine and a copper mine, here it was a clay mine, albeit just a replica tunnel. I hadn’t realised that the red clay was mined as rock, not clay as we think of it. Visiting the rest of the town I chatted with a few of the attendants about the exhibits, including the chap running a 60hp oil engine. I must admit the slow speed and lovely noise was mesmerising. Part of the discussion was about the fact they shouldn’t be called Diesel engines as he pinched the idea, similarly the Davey Lamp as it’s often known may have been preceded by the Geordie Lamp (back to our friend Mr Stephenson mentioned above). By mid-afternoon I’d really seen pretty much everything so headed to the caravan site. It really is in the middle of nowhere and took a bit of finding as the post code takes you some way away. It’s peaceful enough though. Being a no facility site I’m on my own resources. I can manage well enough for a few days.
Dinner had come from home anyway, I prepared a lamb casserole last night but didn’t cook it. Five minutes simmer this morning then into a wide-mouth Thermos flask for the day. It was just about still hot enough 10+ hours later but I boiled it up for a couple of minutes anyway so it was piping hot. I’d made a bit too much and overfilled the flask but it was lovely and tender whilst the potato wasn’t overdone. Tomorrow I’ll go to the Telford Railway but I’m not sure what else I’ll do. I’d left time in the programme for a second visit to Blists Hill if needed. I’m planning to visit the other museums I particularly want to see on Monday so I’ll have a look at the road atlas in a minute and see if I can play Brown Sign Bingo.
There were two things I saw at Blists Hill that I found disappointing. One I knew about already, the Spry, probably the last Severn Trow (traditional cargo boat) was rebuilt some years back. After a brief time in the water at Gloucester Docks it’s now stuck on dry land in a shed that’s been built around it. You can’t even really see it properly there’s so little space. A good few years ago on TV they helped restore a steam crane for the museum. That’s now sat outside with no protection and the boiler is rusting so will need replacing again.
*I wonder if I’m the only visitor who expects Pike to be behind the counter and Mainwaring saying, “You stupid boy!” It’s that sort of bank.
**The canal could do with serious attention from my friends in the waterway recovery group!
***Strictly it should always be referred to as just Severn, never The Severn or River Severn.
It’s been over 20 years since I last visited Ironbridge and the various museums in the group so I decided that another visit was well overdue. I made an early start from home, aiming to be at Blists Hill Victorian Town at around opening time. I would have been somewhat early if I hadn’t got five miles down the road and realised I’d left the cool box behind! I could have managed, of course, but it had the beer in.
Although you can buy single visit tickets if you’re going to more than one museum it’s best to buy the annual passport. This gives unlimited visits for a year to all 10 museums and if you miss some in that year you can still have a single free entry. Having dealt with that, and the gift aid of course, it was coffee and cake time. I was absolutely gasping for a drink by then (and the pub wasn’t yet open).
One thing with Blists Hill is that a lot of the shops sell stuff, you can buy pennies at the bank* or pay with modern currency. I didn’t actually want anything but it’s a good idea for the children. I wandered round some of the town then, inevitably, found a railway. They were running a replica of Trevithick’s Coalbrookdale Loco, almost certainly the first ever railway engine. This predated George Stephenson’s first attempt by some years. He followed that up with the Penydarren engine which did run commercially for a while although it may have been built primarily to win a bet! The trouble was these engines ran on iron plateways which couldn’t take the weight and forces so tended to fracture.
I walked along the canal** to the top of the Hay Inclined Plain. These canals were for tub-boats which were literally lifted out of the water on railway bogies and lowered down the valley sides to Severn***. Last time we were there we did things the wrong way round and had to walk up, although I didn’t use it there is now a modern plane lift part way along the route to avoid the climb. Having walked back towards the town I visited the Telford Toll House and a miner’s cottage. There’s a bit of a contrast particularly when according to the census returns the former originally housed just a man and a boy in a few large rooms while the latter, in two small rooms plus a store, once had 9 people living there. I decided it was refreshment time so left the rest of that end of the town for later and went to the pub. Unfortunately I didn’t have 9 1/2d on me so had to hand over £3.80 instead! It was a decent pint of Thwaites’ Cumberland Ale, not exactly local but the alternative was Banks’s which I really don’t enjoy.
The afternoon started with a train ride (inevitably). I’ve been down coal mines, a lead mine and a copper mine, here it was a clay mine, albeit just a replica tunnel. I hadn’t realised that the red clay was mined as rock, not clay as we think of it. Visiting the rest of the town I chatted with a few of the attendants about the exhibits, including the chap running a 60hp oil engine. I must admit the slow speed and lovely noise was mesmerising. Part of the discussion was about the fact they shouldn’t be called Diesel engines as he pinched the idea, similarly the Davey Lamp as it’s often known may have been preceded by the Geordie Lamp (back to our friend Mr Stephenson mentioned above). By mid-afternoon I’d really seen pretty much everything so headed to the caravan site. It really is in the middle of nowhere and took a bit of finding as the post code takes you some way away. It’s peaceful enough though. Being a no facility site I’m on my own resources. I can manage well enough for a few days.
Dinner had come from home anyway, I prepared a lamb casserole last night but didn’t cook it. Five minutes simmer this morning then into a wide-mouth Thermos flask for the day. It was just about still hot enough 10+ hours later but I boiled it up for a couple of minutes anyway so it was piping hot. I’d made a bit too much and overfilled the flask but it was lovely and tender whilst the potato wasn’t overdone. Tomorrow I’ll go to the Telford Railway but I’m not sure what else I’ll do. I’d left time in the programme for a second visit to Blists Hill if needed. I’m planning to visit the other museums I particularly want to see on Monday so I’ll have a look at the road atlas in a minute and see if I can play Brown Sign Bingo.
There were two things I saw at Blists Hill that I found disappointing. One I knew about already, the Spry, probably the last Severn Trow (traditional cargo boat) was rebuilt some years back. After a brief time in the water at Gloucester Docks it’s now stuck on dry land in a shed that’s been built around it. You can’t even really see it properly there’s so little space. A good few years ago on TV they helped restore a steam crane for the museum. That’s now sat outside with no protection and the boiler is rusting so will need replacing again.
*I wonder if I’m the only visitor who expects Pike to be behind the counter and Mainwaring saying, “You stupid boy!” It’s that sort of bank.
**The canal could do with serious attention from my friends in the waterway recovery group!
***Strictly it should always be referred to as just Severn, never The Severn or River Severn.
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