Family Fun at Arley Arboretum We have plenty of fun and adventures for the whole family to enjoy! Maze Every journey ends with a memory Find your way to the centre of our twisty, turny maze to find the castle! Kid’s Woodland Trails FROM Collect your free activity sheets, follow the clues, answer the questions and THE WINDOW Take a step back in time and watch the Severn Valley claim a prize!* N Railway trains steam across the hill from one of our DelMar Play Trail W OW magnificent signposted walks. Arley Arboretum & Gardens IT Our outdoor adventure H I provide an idyllic escape into nature and history for PAG SPY trail consists of 9 play ES you and your family to learn, laugh and play. FOR areas linked together by THE Wander through our 30 acres of natural beauty, with a 40m-long trail! CHI LDR specialist trees and gardens that will captivate all seasons! Garden Tea Room EN Selection of freshly Opening Times prepared hot and cold Open Weds - Sun food, handmade cakes 11am - 5pm and a range of beverages. Plus bank holidays & some school holidays Just a 10 Minute Walk From Arley Station Forestry Adventure Club (2-12yrs) Weddings Licensed for marriages and From Bug Hunts to Story Arley Arboretum & gardens Telling, Campfire Songs civil partnerships. From small & intimate to grand & decadent, and Cooking! On select Arley bespoke weddings to fulfil Cut through Church days during school the Church your dreams. grounds holidays. Discounts to Arley Arboretum available for siblings. Check our website and Mini Adventurers Club (Under 5’s) Facebook page for news Arley of seasonal activities, Village Every Thursday during R events & adventures iver S term time £4 per session evern www.arleyarboretum.co.uk Children’s Birthday Parties Available R.D. Turner Charitable Trust. Reg. No. 1154467 See website for details www.svr.co.uk E&OE *Subject to availability Arley Station Please note: Improvement works are planned to take place at the station OVER THE SUMMIT during 2016. 1 to Please see the ‘News Page’ of our website for the latest information as some Eardington Halt facilities may be closed or (disused) USING temporarily moved.

LANDSLIP THE MAPS 2 Eardington Halt to Hampton Loade Each main map covers just over two miles of the line allowing for 1 overlap as shown, and points of interest are marked by captions. References to the direction of travel and of the ‘left hand’ or ‘right hand’ side of the train have 2 been avoided wherever possible. This will help you to follow the BRIDGNORTH journey more easily, regardless of Our terminus at the northern end of the line, Bridgnorth is a popular starting point for visitors from the north and west. The station building is largely original, dating which station you start from, in from the opening of the line in 1862 although there have been many changes over which direction you are travelling, the years. Our locomotive works is situated here with viewing of the locomotive WYRE and whether you are facing or yard possible from the station footbridge. Casual access to the Works is NOT FOREST 3 3 have your back to the engine. permitted except on special days which are advertised on our website. COALFIELD Hampton Loade to Highley STATION FACTFILE Parking YES - pay & display. Refreshment room YES TWO COUNTIES Additional free parking is also available on busy days Sales Gift-shop. Stalls selling mainly second-hand 4 Highley to Arley during the summer months. Please look out for books, magazines and railway items. 4 direction signs. Access information Take the footbridge from the ACROSS THE SEVERN Toilets YES station main entrance for 1 5-minute walk into 5 Disabled - friendly toilets YES – key available from the the town. You will encounter some significant Arley to Northwood Halt gift-shop. slopes and steps as Bridgnorth is split into a ‘high’ Wheelchair access to the train - platform 1 YES and ‘low’ town separated by a sandstone cliff. GEORGIAN RIVER PORT Wheelchair access to the train - platform 2 YES A cliff railway is in operation (additional charge). 6 Northwood Halt to with staff assistance. Bewdley and Rifle Range 5 Halt (Site of) THINGS TO SEE & DO Castle Grounds The Castle Grounds are famous for the castle that Cromwell’s forces didn’t CARPETS AND CANAL quite manage to blow up! The Grounds are located in front of you as you 7 Rifle Range to leave the footbridge. This is a great place for a picnic on a sunny day, 7 offering stunning views across the Severn Valley. From the Castle Grounds Kidderminster Town 6 you can take the cliff-top pathway past the ‘top station’ of the Cliff Railway ending in the centre of High Town. Bridgnorth Cliff Railway No visit to Bridgnorth is complete without a trip on the Cliff Railway which is the steepest inland funicular railway in . If you have a fear of heights don’t look down when you are in one of the cars! This is probably the easiest way to access Low Town and the riverside. , Visit http://www.bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk / to find out more. Official Site or Shopping A good mix of independent retailers and smaller shops belonging to Severn Valley Railway Families national chains. There are also a number of gift-shops. Markets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Follow us Visit http://www.visitbridgnorth.co.uk/shopping/bridgnorth-shops- @svrofficialsite markets.php to find out more. Eateries Food to suit every taste and pocket is available in Bridgnorth. Severn Valley Railway, Number One, Comberton Place, Kidderminster, DY10 1QR Most cuisines available. Tel: 01562 757900 BRIDGNORTH TO EARDINGTON HALT (DISUSED )

BRIDGNORTH CASTLE LOCOMOTIVE WORKS The castle site was first fortified in the 11th century and again in the Four large buildings beyond the 19th century. The stone keep and strong high town walls were built station platforms house the later. Bridgnorth was a Royalist stronghold during the Civil War and Locomotive Works. At the north was besieged for 4 weeks before the King’s men surrendered. end is a purpose-built Boiler The walls were then pulled down and an attempt made to blow Shop completed in 1989. Next to up the keep. All that remains today is the leaning tower, locally it, the former goods shed of 1863 famous as it leans more than its better -known rival at Pisa. now houses the Machine Shop. At the south end, the large BRIDGNORTH FOOTBRIDGE locomotive shed doubles as the A hundred years ago, the Borough Council built a bridge so that Erecting Shop and Running railway passengers and townspeople could get to and from the Depot. We regret that for your station more easily. In 1988 a footbridge trust was formed to safety, unrestricted access to this raise funds for a new bridge, completed in 1994. So once again, fascinating complex is not railway passengers can get to the town with ease. possible.

BRIDGNORTH STATION The station here dates back to 1861 and is now a listed building. PAN PUDDING HILL Oldbury One feature is the refreshment room, today enlarged as the The large grass -covered hill overlook - Cutting Railwayman’s Arms and believed to be unique as the station ing the station is Pan Pudding Hill, and Daniel’s refreshment room that never closed, even when the line was was built as a siege castle by Henry I in Mill disused. 1101. From there, he bombarded Bridgnorth Castle using large catapults Oldbury BRIDGNORTH BY-PASS called Trebuchet, in order to subdue a Viaduct Opened in 1985, this much-needed road took heavy traffic away troublesome Baron. Later in 1646 from the town’s medieval streets. Sweeping over the Severn and during the Civil War, the hill was used under the railway, the bypass was a costly headache to the railway as a gun platform by Parliamentarian company, as it had to bear 30% of the cost of the railway bridge. forces, to fire on the Royalist castle. Then only a week after it opened, part of the southern approach embankment slipped just after a train had passed over it! Knowlesands Tunnel KNOWLESANDS BRICKWORKS DANIEL’S MILL The last and largest brickworks in this As the train crosses Oldbury Viaduct, Daniel’s Mill area was once connected to the railway. can be seen below on the riverside of the line. Today, the site is a busy industrial estate. Milling has been carried on here for over 900 years Eardington and the 38ft water wheel powering the present Summit Victorian mill is the largest of its type in England. The owner, who is also a founder member of the EARDINGTON SUMMIT Severn Valley Railway, welcomes visitors at certain The summit of the line at 210 feet is marked by a board on times. the riverside of a long cutting which partially obscures the view. From near this point, a line to Wolverhampton was Crossing CROSSING COTTAGE planned but never built. This is why Oldbury Viaduct and Cottage The engine whistles for Crossing Knowlesands Tunnel were built wide enough for two tracks. Cottage, built in 1859 where a private crosses the line. The keeper who looked after the crossing gates also worked at Eardington and he used to EARDINGTON HALT cycle along the railway to get to work. Eardington Halt is a long way from the village of the same name and The cottage is now the home of two situated in an apparently remote location. It was sited to serve two working members of the Severn Valley ironworks: Upper Forge situated behind the halt and Lower Forge Railway who enjoy the railway hidden out of sight on the riverbank. These ironworks were the last in equivalent of ‘living over the shop’. England to produce cannons for the British Army, the last delivery went to South Africa during the Boer War. Under private ownership, Eardington was a busy intermediate stop and watering place for locomotives when services began, but is now disused and used principally as a track maintenance depot.

Eardington COME AGAIN! For anyone interested in history, Bridgnorth has much Bridge to offer and is well worth a return trip by train. The town grew up around its castle and later became a river port on the Severn. It is divided dramatically into Low Town, where in 1808 Richard Trevithick built Britain’s first steam locomotive specially designed for hauling passengers, and High Town on a sandstone bluff above, with steps, winding alleys and the Cliff Railway interconnecting them. The Tourist Information Centre in Listley Street supplies an excellent town trail 1 leaflet; the trail itself can be joined in the castle grounds by crossing the footbridge and climbing Cannon Steps. OVER THE SUMMIT EARDINGTON HALT (DISUSED ) TO HAMPTON LOADE

EARDINGTON BANK Hard work for northbound trains. Listen to the exhaust beat of the engine increase as it moves off from Sterns. The gradient is easy for a car, but is quite a climb for a locomotive pulling a Eardington heavy train. On the climb the train enters a long cutting and Halt (Closed) then passes the now -disused Eardington Halt.

STERNS LANDSLIP The Concrete ‘Path’ The brakes come on and the train slows Between Sterns Cottage and the track, you will to 15mph at Sterns, infamous in Severn see what appears to be a short concrete path. Valley Railway history as the location of Hay This is actually the cap of the piling done here in Bridge a landslip which has led to a speed 2007 as part of the flood repair ! restriction at this point from the day Mor the line was built. Brook

Sterns THE LONG COVERT The stretch of woodland across the river is the Long Covert, through which a footpath from Hampton Loade to Dudmaston passes.

THE POLE THAT MOVES! Severe floods in early 1995 severely eroded the river bank and led to a major landslip that moved the track out of alignment. So 3000 tonnes of large stones were laid along the bank at the water’s edge to minimize land movement. Look carefully for a telegraph pole about 20 yards from the line and almost hidden in the trees. It originally stood next to the track and over the years the slip has moved it to its present position.

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE WATER COMPANY Little The blue arches of the river bridge are in fact large water pipes, part of the system Rock between reservoir and treatment plant. This company supplies water to the Severn Cutting Trent system. Decking suspended from the pipe arches carries a private road, which also crosses the railway at the gated Waterworks Crossing.

Waterworks Crossing

COME AGAIN! The ideal venue to say I do. Your journey of a lifetime starts here! Get married with us and celebrate in heritage railway style on your special day with friends and family.

Our fleet of historic dining carriages and our restaurant facilities at Kidderminster can provide the backdrop to your very special day. Alternatively, you and your guests may want to enjoy a wedding breakfast in one of our luxurious observation saloons as you travel by steam train Hampton along the beautiful Severn Valley. Loade Station The Engine House, our Visitor Centre, is licenced for Civil Marriage Cere - monies which can be conducted in a variety of railway themed locations. 2 So, what are you waiting for, the train now departing is reserved for you! LANDSLIP ! ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY ?

The Severn Valley Railway is home to one of Britain’s largest heritage carriage collections with over sixty working vehicles, the youngest being at least fifty years old and the oldest in excess of one hundred. HAMPTON LOADE Many of these carriages arrived in terrible condition following years of ‘secondary’ use as sheds, Hampton Loade is a little gem of a station! On most days trains pass each other hen houses or even as restaurant annexes to hotels or public houses. Their loving restoration to here bringing ‘noise and bustle’ to this otherwise sleepy hamlet. Once the trains original condition has been undertaken by enthusiastic people, often working out-doors and have gone you can literally hear the butterflies flapping their wings! The River independently raising the necessary funds. Staggeringly, a single coach can cost up to £185,000 to restore. Your fares on our trains do not cover this cost. Severn is a short walk down the lane but, sadly, the last current - operated foot ferry in England has now ceased operation. You may like to try your hand at identifying the carriages that you are travelling in either from the outside, probably the easiest, or from where you are sitting now. STATION FACTFILE Ex - GREAT WESTERN: Usually, but not always, chocolate and cream in colour. Look out for the Parking LIMITED and not recommended. Refreshment kiosk YES, usually at weekends only. GWR monogram on the coach sides and the raised panelling and lining. Some of these carriages The lanes to the station are ‘single track’ in parts. Sales Coach selling mainly second-hand books, have small ‘top light’ windows above the main windows. These are our oldest vehicles. Toilets YES magazines and railway items. Disabled - friendly toilets NO Ex - LONDON MIDLAND & SCOTTISH: Built pre & post World War II, we uniquely have a Wheelchair access to the train - platform 1 &2YES - complete working train of LMS carriages. Shorter in length than other members of the fleet, they with staff assistance. carry the functional railway maroon livery which looks particularly smart when freshly varnished. Ex - LONDON & NORTH EASTERN: Dating from the mid-1930’s, the SVR is proud to run THINGS TO SEE & DO Britain’s longest restored LNER teak train. They are the only carriages on the line to have a varnished teak panelled exterior. Some of these vehicles are high-capacity sixty-four seaters, but Model Railway Next to the line, this ‘live steam’ model railway operates every Sunday when the train service is in operation and on other days when certain special also look out for other carriages configured into snug compartments with upholstered bench events are taking place. seating on one or both sides. Picnics There is a fenced picnic area located right next to the line and benches on both platforms. Developed after Nationalisation in 1948, these new designs were EX - BRITISH RAILWAYS: Riverside walks The river is only a short walk down the lane from the station. Route 45 based on the best design practice of the pre-nationalisation railway companies. We have cycleway passes close to the station and provides an easy safe walk examples from the 1950s and 1960s, some in early carmine and cream livery known affectionately along the side of the line. as ‘blood & custard’ others in the later maroon. Eateries There is a pub and campsite adjacent to the station.

A FINAL THOUGHT ... When using our trains, please respect their painstaking and costly conservation; these carriages really are museum pieces. Please keep shoes and animals off the seats and do not allow children to stand on the tables or seats. Pushchairs and buggies should be carried in the guards van or where indicated by our staff. HAMPTON LOADE TO HIGHLEY

HAMPTON LOADE STATION THE UNICORN When train services from Bridgnorth Hampton Loade village is actually on the other side restarted under private ownership in 1970, of the river. This small settlement also had an iron they ran only to Hampton Loade which thus furnace and brass foundry, and on hot summer days became the first ‘country station’ to open on Hampton the workers were paid partly in beer. On the railway the present line. Today trains pass here, but Loade side, the station is in Hampton and the nearby road access is difficult and because of this, Station Unicorn Inn is also located here. the station often exemplifies the country railway as it once was; long periods of calm with seemingly no-one around except the MILE POSTS signalman, alternating with brief periods of Most railways provided distance markers at quarter mile intense activity with two trains in the station intervals along the line. Here, they are on the river side and at once. give the distance from London Paddington via Oxford and Worcester (the original route worked by the Great Western Railway). Marker 144/II (144.5 miles) at this point evokes NATIONAL CYCLE ROUTE 45 sentimental memories for long -serving Severn Valley This section of the route runs parallel to Railway members as it was also the boundary of the first the line from Hampton Loade station section of line bought from British Railways in 1970. to near Country Park Halt.

COAL WASHING PLANT SEVERN VALLEY COUNTRY PARK Picnic tables now occupy the site of a washing plant where For over 500 years, this area was exploited for coal from the mine was screened. It was then loaded into quarrying stone and mining coal. After the last mine rail wagons waiting in the adjacent Alveley sidings. at Alveley closed in 1969, large tracts of derelict land Considerable coal traffic was worked from here, and much remained and scarred an otherwise beautiful of it went 10 miles south to Stourport power station. landscape. These have now been reclaimed as the Visitors can enjoy this area by alighting at Country Park Halt Severn Valley Country Park. which was built as a request stop in 1996.

OLD MINERS’ BRIDGE THE MINERS’ TRACK Miners crossed the Severn by a concrete bridge built in Across the river, Alveley mine worked from 1939 to 1937 which still exists and today gives walkers access to 1969 and was the largest in South . Many the country park. It also used to support an aerial of the miners lived in Highley on this side of the river ropeway which brought the coal from the mine back and the footpath which crosses the line here was the across the river to the washing plant. miners’ track along which they walked to work.

Country ALVELEY HALT Park Halt Miners from further afield travelled to work by train, alighting at Alveley Halt, built where the Alveley miners’ track crosses the line. The halt, which was Halt (site of) opened in 1939, was no more than a short platform with a primitive shelter. No trace of it remains today.

HIGHLEY BANK To the north of Highley trains have to negotiate the steepest gradients and SEVERN VALLEY COUNTRY PARK the sharpest curves on the line. Originally a direct line in a cutting was to VISITOR CENTRE have been built, but due to the unstable nature of the ground, the builders Some of the finest scenery can had to go around the problem. In autumn the line here is slippery with rain be viewed from here. The and leaves, and a driver needs all his skills to control a heavy train. Centre was built on the former spoil heap of Alveley mine GRADIENT POSTS which closed in 1969, now land - Where the gradient of the line changes, railways provided markers to scaped and planted over. The inform the train crews. There are two examples at Highley, the one at Centre houses a number of the north end shows that the line is level through the station, and that displays, which tell the story of it rises at 1 in 100 from the platform end. Highley past mining activity in the valley Station and provide details of flora and fauna that can be seen from waymarked footpaths.

COME AGAIN! Dining on a train is a delight. For a Saturday evening with a difference, enjoy a wine and dine murder mystery theme evening to experience the magical atmosphere of a steam railway at night. Lunch in 3 style on Sunday, joining one of our two dining car trains. Break your return journey for an afternoon stroll or visit The Engine House, and forget about WYRE FOREST driving, cooking and washing up! COALFIELD BRIDGNORTH TOWN EVENTS Bridgnorth Town Events brings community events all year round. Featuring:

Speciality Markets:- Spring, Summer & Autumn Easter Egg Hunt - Easter Sunday St. George’s Day Market & Parade - 23rd April Proms in the Pews - June Bridgnorth Town Carnival - Last weekend in June Teddy Bears’ Picnic - July Christmas Lighting Up Night - Late November

During your time in Bridgnorth why College House, St Leonard’s Close, Bridgnorth, Shropshire not visit the beautiful Castle Grounds, WV16 4EJ the historic Town Hall and the Tel: 01746 762231 Northgate Museum. Email: [email protected] Town Clerk: Anne Wilson BA Hons AIH MIPM More information can be found on our website: www.bridgnorthtowncouncil.gov.uk HIGHLEY & T HE ENGINE HOUSE For further information on dates, times and locations of these events plus many more organised events throughout the year, please visit You are now in Shropshire. Highley is one of our smallest stations but it can be one of the busiest as it is also the location of The Engine House, our Visitor & Education www.bridgnorthtownevents.org Centre which is just a short walk from the station. The station has one platform but its three tracks are a legacy from the days when Highley was a busy coal mining area. Despite its industrial past, Highley is a pretty station in the middle of the Severn Valley Country Park.

TM STATION FACTFILE Parking YES but very limited at the station and Refreshment kiosk YES - usually at weekends only. at the Visitor Centre. Sales No. Toilets YES, at the station and Visitor Centre but Access information The Visitor Centre is a 15 0-yard access to the Visitor Centre is by ticket only. walk from the station along a smooth and fairly level Disabled - friendly toilets YES, at the Visitor Centre path. Highley village is a significant walk from the but access to the Visitor Centre is by ticket only. station and is not recommended. Wheelchair access to the train YE S- with staff assistance.

THINGS TO SEE & DO The Engine House This is a must for a visit with its display of locomotives, carriages and other railway artefacts. Other facilities include a children’s play area, restaurant and gift-shop. Full access for the less able. Severn Valley Country Park Highley station is in the middle of the Country Park with lots of Opening times Summer - Mon to Sat 8.00am to 8.00pm - Sun 12.00pm to 8.00pm. opportunities for walks from the station. By taking the ‘Miners’ footbridge Opening times Winter - Mon to Sat 8.00am to 6.30pm - Sun 12.00pm to 6.30pm. across the it is possible to visit the Country Park Visitor Centre. Visit http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/severn-valley-country-park / to find out more. TICKETS £1.60 RETURN. CHILDREN UNDER 6 FREE. Route 45 Cycleway This cycleway passes close to the station. Cycles are carried free of charge on Discounts for parties of 15 or more. our trains (large groups of cyclists MUST make prior arrangements before travel). 6A Castle Terrace, Bridgnorth, Shropshire,WV16 4AH Station Tel: 01746 762052 Eateries In addition to the Visitor Centre, there is a local pub with restaurant which Office Tel and Fax: 01746 762124 is a short steep walk from the station. www.bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk HIGHLEY TO ARLEY HIGHLEY STATION Situated almost a mile from the centre of Highley, this area is HIGHLEY MINE actually called Stanley. The station is a delight, beautifully re - At the south end of the station, a siding can be stored with meticulous attention to period detail and a well -de - seen passing through a white gate and across served winner of the annual Best Preserved Station award. Look the lane. This led to sidings and an incline to Highley Mine, which was worked from 1874 to for the cattle dock once used for handling livestock and the 1940. The site of the sidings, which was known water tower still used to replenish locomotives. By the signal box as ‘The Landsale Yard’, is now occupied by The is a loading gauge, which enabled staff to check that loaded wagons leaving the goods yard would pass safely under bridges. Engine House. Highley A gate from the platform gives access to the river and the Ship Station Inn and the 2009 built footbridge starts the short walk to The Engine House.

THE ENGINE HOUSE VISITOR CENTRE THE BARGE THAT SANK Sitting on the hillside just south of Highley During the construction of the railway in the late 1850’s, Station is our Visitor & Education Centre. large blocks of red sandstone were quarried from the You may like to break your journey here for hillside above the opposite side of the river, and horses a tour of the exhibition and to see, at close hauled them down the grassy track which can still be seen. quarters, our reserve collection of steam They were then loaded onto waiting barges and taken locomotives and other railway vehicles. The downstream. Unfortunately, one of the barges sank, and Some of the exhibits you can go inside and Engine blocks in the water below those that can still be seen on the one of the locomotives has ramped access right House bank have been there ever since. up to the footplate. This modern building has been very much designed with you, the visitor, in mind. The balcony views across BORLE VIADUCT the Severn Valley are stunning, especially if you are lucky One of five viaducts on the Severn Valley Railway, Borle has enough to see a steam train pass by during your visit. Stanley suffered from mining subsidence over the years. The track A camera is a must here! Cutting has been re-ballasted so many times to keep it level, that the line is now above the parapet walls. In 1795 an early There is a very popular licensed café restaurant called horse-drawn wooden railway, that started at Billingsley ‘The Flag & Whistle Food Stop’ where you can enjoy anything nearly five miles away, terminated at the riverside here. from a coffee to a full meal. There is an attractive gift-shop; Up to 50 tons of coal a day was once unloaded into children’s play area and a picnic area. awaiting barges, but the venture went bankrupt in 1820. All that remains here is the large restored mine manager’s Visitors holding ‘Freedom of the Line’, Kidderminster house and his clerk’s cottage nearby. to Bridgnorth return tickets are admitted free of charge. For other ticket holders, and visitors by road, there is an admission Borle Brook charge payable at the door. SEVERN VALLEY We suggest that you allow at least two hours 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age, a vast for your visit to The Engine House especially amount of water flowed for hundreds of years carving out if you intend to have a bite to eat. what is now the beautiful Severn Valley. Near Borle viaduct one of the longest and most scenic reaches can be seen curving gently away downstream.

KINLET SIDINGS (SITE OF) The line formation widens here at the site of extensive sidings BROOKSMOUTH BRIDGE built in 1880 for the Billingsley and later Kinlet coal mines up the Before the railway was built, the river was a valley of the Borle Brook. The mineral branch and sidings were major traffic route with barges called Severn dismantled in 1941 but, although very much overgrown, remains Trows carrying goods and raw materials. of the track formation may just be seen through the trees. When travelling upstream, men called bow hauliers were employed to pull the trows against the river’s flow. By 1828, when the iron Brooksmouth Bridge cast at Coalbrookdale COUNTY BOUNDARY was completed, bow hauliers had largely Keep a lookout for a small bridge in a field between the river and been replaced by horses. railway near this point. It marks the Worcester-Shropshire bound - ary. For about a mile upstream from here to Highley, the river Sev - ern forms the county boundary with the opposite bank in BROMLEY FARM WINDPUMP Worcestershire. Mixed farming has been carried on here for over a thousand years and Bromley farm on the skyline across the valley is one of several WYRE FOREST COALFIELD farms along the line. The disused windpump Notice where the river shallows and divides either side of a small islet. below once lifted water from a spring up to This marks the southern limit of the Highley and Alveley coal mines the farm buildings. nearly two miles away. The eastern limit was five miles away across the river over the hills and into Staffordshire. Incredibly, underground workings extended to these points.

COME AGAIN! Our Footplate Experiences are a fantastic opportunity to drive a steam engine on a journey of adventure that you will never forget! Arley Station We offer the thrill of firing and driving a full-sized steam or diesel locomotive on one of Britain’s premier preserved railways. Whether it’s to realise a lifelong ambition, or as that very special railway gift, driving a 4 railway locomotive is an amazing adventure. TWO COUNTIES A gr eat gif i t dea!

WHY NOT JOIN US? SAVE MONEY - AND HELP US AT THE SAME TIME ! Join as a member of our supporting We have a membership of around 12,000, and organisation, and benefit from:- several hundred of our members are active volunteers, helping in the task of running the • substantial travel benefits on most SVR – indeed, without this voluntary help the operating days. SVR would simply not survive! • a quarterly full colour members’ magazine So if you would like to join, save money on keeping you up-to-date with activities on future visits and possibly help us in the running ARLEY the Railway. of this wonderful Railway along the beautiful You are out in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside now. Arley is a peaceful • the opportunity to help as a volunteer and valley of the River Severn, please complete the place where you can leave the train and enjoy the quiet of the countryside. The application form below. meet new friends with similar interests (full village is 400 yards from the station down the country lane. A footbridge over the training given where necessary). Our membership rates offer excellent value and River Severn leads you into the village. • the knowledge that you will be helping to also make a perfect Birthday, or Christmas Gift for any railway enthusiast. Your support will be preserve an important part of our heritage STATION FACTFILE for future generations to enjoy. much appreciated. Further information about the Severn Valley Railway Co Ltd can be found at Parking LIMITED and not recommended. Refreshment kiosk YES - usually at weekends only. our website. Toilets YES Sales Small kiosk selling mainly second-hand ¢ Disabled - friendly toilets NO items weekends only. Wheelchair access to the train - platform 1 YES Access information The village is a 10 minute walk Severn Valley Railway Company Limited Membership Application Form Wheelchair access to the train - platform 2 YES- from the station down a country lane. A footbridge with staff assistance. takes you over the River Severn and into the village. I/We wish to apply for membership of the Severn I wish to pay by:- direct debit I cheque I The return walk to the station is uphill in parts. Valley Railway Co. Ltd, and will comply with the Memorandum and Articles of Association, by-laws (If you choose direct debit, a mandate form will be and other regulations thereof. sent to you for completion) THINGS TO SEE & DO 1 year 3 years Picnics The station has a number of places where you can enjoy a picnic whilst you watch the trains go by. Over the road bridge to platform 2 provides the best Ordinary £21.00 I £58.00 I Full Name Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms ...... option with benches located along the platform. A fenced picnic area with Joint £31.00 I £88.00 I Partner’s Name ...... picnic tables is situated at the northern end of platform 2. Senior Citizen £16.00 I £43.00 I Arley Arboretum Arley Arboretum is well worth a visit (separate charge applies). Once over Joint Senior Citizen £24.00 I £67.00 I Address ...... the River Severn turn left through the village and look out for the local Family £36.00 I £103.00 I ...... signs. A visit to Arley Arboretum will take a minimum of two hours (includes children under 14) including the walk from and to the station. There is a café in the ...... Postcode ...... grounds. Visit www.arleyarboretum.co.uk to find out more. Junior (14-16) £10.00 I N/A I Riverside walks Upstream in the direction of Highley and downstream to Bewdley. Strong Student £15.00 I N/A I Daytime tel. no ...... shoes or walking boots are recommended particularly after periods of heavy (or in full time education) Date ...... rainfall. I Life Membership £420.00 If you wish to pay by Credit or Debit Card, you can join Eateries Pub grub is available from ‘The Harbour Inn’ which is just 200 yards down Joint Life Membership £620.00 I easily by telephone. Simply call our Membership the lane from the station. ‘The Harbour’ also has a beer garden which is (Please tick the appropriate box) Secretary on 01562 757930 (9.30am to 1.30pm, popular on sunny days. There is also a café and a shop in the village. Mondays to Fridays) with your card details I/We enclose the membership fee of £ ...... Please send the completed form to:- (plus an optional donation of £ ...... ), payable The Membership Secretary, Severn Valley Railway Co. Ltd., to “Severn Valley Railway Co. Ltd. (Subscriptions Number One, Comberton Place, Kidderminster, DY10 1QR include VAT.) Membership rates valid until 31/10/16. FTW16. ARLEY TO NORTHWOOD HALT

ARLEY VILLAGE Roman remains found nearby show that a settlement existed here long before the Domesday book was written. For over 600 years a succession of ferries operated across the Severn at Arley, until the footbridge was built in 1972. Much of the village is privately owned and it once boasted six pubs to cater for the river trade. Today only The Harbour remains open. A short walk through the village will take you to the Arboretum.

Arley Station ARLEY STATION An old photograph in the station waiting room shows Arley abandoned and near derelict in 1971, before it was restored by volunteers. Many visitors break their The Great Cutting journey to watch the trains, picnic or enjoy the view. A man in red with a long white beard can be seen around the station at Christmas!

ARLEY CHURCH THE WORCESTERSHIRE WAY The red sandstone The Worcestershire Way runs for 36 miles from Kingsford Country Park to the tower of St. Peter’s Malvern Hills. Part of it follows the west bank of the Severn from Arley to Church, Upper Arley Bewdley, crossing under the line at Victoria Bridge, and the Way’s descriptive can be seen on the leaflet suggests that tired walkers take a break and use the train for this section. hill across the river. Victoria Bridge The woodlands surrounding it were Eymore VICTORIA BRIDGE once the grounds of Bridge The train slows to cross Victoria Bridge high above the Arley castle, now Severn. This is the largest engineering structure on the line demolished, but and its single span of 200 feet was the longest in the world now form part of Eymore when built in 1861. After extensive repairs in 1994, nearly Arley Arboretum. Cutting 700 gallons of paint were used to restore it to its original colour. The bridge has been used as a location for filming, including sequences for the 1979 film ‘The 39 Steps’.

TRIMPLEY RESERVOIRS ‘SW’ BOARDS Water abstracted from the River Severn Many notice boards bearing the legend at a regulated rate is stored in these reservoirs ‘SW’ or ‘WHISTLE’ can be seen along the and, at times of peak demand, fed into the Elan line. These were provided to remind drivers Aqueduct via the pumping station on the other at locations where a warning whistle had to side of the line. The larger reservoir is a popular be sounded. Here it is to signal the train’s venue for dinghy racing and their brightly approach to a gated crossing where a public coloured sails on the water with a backdrop of footpath crosses the line; this leads up the Wyre Forest make an attractive picture. through Eyemore Woods to a hilltop which gives one of the best views of the Severn Valley in Worcestershire. FOLLY POINT Narrowest part of the valley along our route. The bends and rapids of the river 40 feet below can be seen best in early Spring before the trees are in leaf. This can be a troublesome section of the line to maintain; the formation was almost completely rebuilt following a landslip in 1980. Northwood Halt ELAN AQUEDUCT Concerned Victorian industrialists in Birmingham raised capital and built the Elan reservoir in . Hill Farm Level Crossing From there, water travels 80 miles to the city. The pipeline crosses the river on the substantial bridge, and then passes under the railway.

THE WOODEN BUNGALOWS The riverside bungalows here were built before World War II, probably at about the time Northwood Halt opened, as holiday homes and weekend retreats for fishermen. Many special trains for fishermen were once run along the Severn Valley line, including the last train operated by British Railways before the line closed on 8 September 1963. 5 ACROSS THE SEVERN HELP PRESERVE MEMORIES If you’ve enjoyed your day, please Give now – a one-off cash donation The Heritage Lottery Fund is, for a short period, pledge your support to ensure the matching donations £ for £. Add in Gift Aid, and SVR can continue to give joy to a £50 donation becomes £125. families and enthusiasts for Give regularly – a monthly gift Regular gifts help us plan ahead to make best use generations to come. of funds for the Railway and may also be Whilst the day-to-day income received from eligible for Gift Aid. passenger fares, shops and catering covers the Give later – a gift in your will cost of running and maintaining the Railway, it If you are unable to donate at this time, have you does not generate enough income to invest in considered supporting the Railway in your will? improving or developing it for future If you wish to make a gift, please complete the generations. form below. To find out more about the work of That’s why donations to the SVR Charitable Trust BEWDLEY the Trust, please visit our website are a vital source of income for the Railway and www.svrtrust.org.uk or call 01562 757940 or Formerly a junction station and one of our largest stations with its three platforms, there are a number of different ways you can email: [email protected] Bewdley station is a great place to watch the trains go by. Leave the train here contribute: for a leisurely walk down to the River Severn and the town. Once over the river ¢ bridge this lovely Georgian town is in front of you with lots of places to explore. The Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust raises funds to support the work of the Severn Valley Railway STATION FACTFILE I would like to become an SVR Patron and make a Parking YES - Pay & display Refreshment room YES monthly donation of Toilets YES Sales Coaches selling mainly second-hand books, Disabled - friendly toilets NO magazines and railway items £10 £20 £50 Other £ To: (Your Bank): Wheelchair access to the train - platform 1 YES Access information 10 minute walk into the town Wheelchair access to the train - platforms 2 & 3 with some uphill slopes on the return I would like to make a one-off donation of £ Sort Code: YE S- with staff assistance I would like information on leaving a legacy o f Address: Name: THINGS TO SEE & DO Address: Postcode: Bewdley Town Museum Local craft demonstrations and changing exhibitions are a feature of this free museum which also has a café. Situated in Load Street. Please debit my account No: Visit www.bewdleymuseum.co.uk to find out more.

Postcode: Jubilee Gardens Hidden behind the shops and houses, Jubilee Gardens are Bewdley’s best Email: kept secret. Find the door into the ‘secret garden’ from the South Quay Date: Date: or from the rear of the Museum gardens. Riverside walks Once over the river bridge take the north or south quays for a leisurely walk Signature: Signature: along the banks of the River Severn out into the Worcestershire countryside. Regular Payment – Bankers Order Form Gift Aid Declaration Church trail For a small town, Bewdley is very well served for churches! If a ‘church trail’ Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate. is your thing, you can visit St Anne’s (C of E), a Baptist, Methodist or Catholic Please pay until further notice £ per month to Gift Aid is reclaimed by the charity from the tax you pay for the current tax year. Your address is needed to identify you as a current UK church and even a Quaker Meeting House. All are situated close together in The Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust at taxpayer. Load Street or just around the corner in High Street. Opening times vary. In order to Gift Aid your donation you must tick the box below: HSBC Bank PLC. Special events A street market takes place 1st Sunday of the month. There is a Carnival in Please return to: [ ] I want to Gift Aid my donation of £ and any donations I June and Rowing Regatta in July. Bewdley Festival takes place in October. make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to the SVR Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust, Charitable Trust. Visit www.bewdley.org.uk to find out more. Number One, Comberton Place, I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Eateries Food to suit every taste and pocket is available in Bewdley. From fish Kidderminster, DY10 1QR Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my & chips as you walk along to full meal options in one of the many donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference. restaurants. A range of cuisines are available. or hand in to your nearest ticket office. Registered Charity No: 1092723 FTW16. NORTHWOOD HALT TO BEWDLEY AND RIFLE RANGE HALT (SITE OF )

NORTHWOOD HALT Northwood Halt opened in 1939 and is the smallest stopping place on the line, where trains call only upon request. The level crossing, protected by automatic warning lights to comply with modern safety regulations, is the only one on the line.

Northwood Halt THE WYRE FOREST This ancient and once-extensive forest, which dominates the high ground on the opposite side of the river, was heavily used in the making of charcoal up to about 100 years ago. The trees have grown back and now form a setting for many attractive woodland walks.

NORTHWOOD COTTAGE Northwood Cottage is one of several dwellings built alongside the line, originally for railway staff. It is now a private residence.

DOWLES BRIDGE (PIERS) At one time, a second line paralleled the present line north of Bewdley. An overgrown embankment can still be seen where it diverged, together with stone piers of the former Dowles Bridge which carried the rails across the Severn. The line then continued through the Wyre Forest, to Tenbury Wells and beyond.

Tenbury Line GEORGIAN BEWDLEY (Remains of) At the north end of Bewdley station, the train crosses Wribbenhall viaduct high above the rooftops. Look out for the old rope works, Thomas Telford’s river bridge of 1798, St. Anne’s Church in the middle of the main street, and the town’s Georgian waterfront - which was seen all too frequently on television during the severe floods of 2000. A portable flood defence system is now available and the town centre no longer floods.

BEWDLEY STATION With three platforms, Bewdley station is the largest on the line and LOWER PARK HOUSE still retains the atmosphere of a small town junction. In the heritage The Severn Valley Railway railway business it is one of very few places where double line was already five years old working is in operation, albeit a very short section between the two when Stanley Baldwin was 1877-built signal boxes which are the oldest on the railway. born here in 1867. He was Prime Minister three times (once during the abdication Wribbenhall of King Edward VIII) and Viaduct WEST MIDLAND SAFARI PARK later became the first Earl Several forms of wildlife are Baldwin of Bewdley. Bewdley Station usually running free behind the strong security fences of the West Midland Safari Park. It is not acces - BEWDLEY BY-PASS BRIDGE sible by rail as, for safety reasons, The bridge was actually constructed the animals can only be viewed alongside the line in the summer of 1986. from inside a closed vehicle. Only a few short weeks were available Sandbourne between summer and winter operation when Viaduct trains were not running. In that time, track was lifted and the embankment removed. The bridge was then rolled into position and the line reinstated in time for the Christmas trains. The by-pass was completed in 1987.

ORIGINAL SEVERN VALLEY LINE Earthworks and bridges of the original Severn Valley line can be seen from the site of Rifle Range Halt. It once continued to Stourport and Hartlebury. Today, a short siding at the south end of Sandbourne viaduct is all that remains. Hartlebury Line (Remains of) COME AGAIN! Bewdley is an ideal destination for an outing by train. Its wealth was built on river trade from the 14th century and some fine Georgian buildings along the riverside remain as evidence of this. Then the canal age arrived and nearby Stourport, which was chosen as the interchange point, flourished whilst Bewdley declined. The town centre 6 is only about five minutes walk from the station and a craft museum behind the Guildhall there tells more of the town’s story, whilst the GEORGIAN RIVER Tourist Information Centre can supply detailed town trail leaflets. PORT G REAL ALES A FAMILY- G FINE WINE OWNED INN G OPEN FIRES G FREE WIFI G FOUR STAR ACCOMMODATION G GOOD FOOD Lunch served 12.00-2.30pm Dinner 6.00-9.00pm Sunday Lunch 12.00-5.00pm Saturday & Sunday Breakfast from 9.00-11.00am Right opposite the SVR lower car park in Hollybush Road. Just turn left out of the station and walk down the ramp. Hollybush Road, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 4AX Tel: 01746 768868 E-mail: [email protected] KIDDERMINSTER www.thegorgebridgnorth.co.uk Find us on Facebook Our main station at the southern end of the line. Most passengers join the Railway here. Full of atmospher this station was built in the mid 1980’s and is modelled on the design used for Ross-On-Wye station built by the - Great Western Railway.

STATION FACTFILE LET SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY Parking YES – token - operated - Park first and obtain Restaurant – The Valley Suite YES – access from the an exit token from the machines on the car park or station concourse. from the Ticket Office when you purchase your tickets. Sales Gift-shop. Confectionery stall and station MAKE YOUR DAY ! Other car parks are available locally on busy days. fund kiosk. Toilets - YES Access information 10 minute walk into the town Disabled - friendly toilet s - YES with some uphill slopes on the return. Wheelchair access to the train - YES Public House – The King & Castle YES – access from the station concourse.

THINGS TO SEE & DO

Kidderminster Located adjacent to platform 2, this small museum is packed with railway Railway Museum artefacts of all kinds and is full of atmosphere. Admission is free. G Dining Experienceson the Train G Private Train & Restaurant Hire The museum hosts a number of exhibitions annually which take place in the G Footplate Experience G Licenced for Marriages & Civil Partnerships upstairs gallery. Visit www.krm.org.uk to find out more. G Birthday Parties, Anniversaries & Business Events Coalyard Located adjacent to platform 2, the miniature passenger - carrying railway Miniature Railway usually operates on the same dates as our train service (small additional (option 1) for more information. Call 01562 757900 charge applies).

Museum of Carpet Kidderminster was world famous for its Axminster and Wilton carpets. This Kidderminster new museum, about carpet manufacture in the town, is a ten - minute walk from the station. Turn left into Comberton Hill and walk towards the town centre. An admission charge is payable. Visit www.museumofcarpet.org to www.svr.co.uk find out more. RIFLE RANGE HALT (SITE OF ) TO KIDDERMINSTER TOWN

THE DEVIL’S SPITTLEFUL Rifle Range Halt (site of) The sandstone outcrop, now almost hidden by pine trees, is named after a legend claiming that the Devil dropped it here on his way to dam the river Severn. RIFLE RANGE HALT Rifle Range Halt was only open from 1905 to 1920 and was mainly used by BEWDLEY TUNNEL Yeomanry volunteers training on the If you are travelling towards Kidderminster, make sure the adjacent heath during World War I. window is shut! For if not, the carriage may fill with smoke Traces of the range they used still exist and steam as Bewdley Tunnel is 480 yards long and the nearby, although the Halt has now engine is working hard on a rising gradient. disappeared completely.

STAFFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERHIRE CANAL James Brindley, England’s canal genius, built the Staffordshire FORMER KIDDERMINSTER and Worcestershire canal which was completed in 1770 and SUGAR FACTORY Bewdley Tunnel opened up an important link between the Severn and the Black One reason why Severn Valley Country. It runs from Stourport on Severn to Great Haywood services were not extended to near Stafford. It is 46 miles long and has 43 locks, one of which Kidderminster until 1984 is that can sometimes be seen from the train. the sugar factory once had extensive railway sidings and provided the last THE CARRIAGE SHED traffic handled by British Rail over this The Severn Valley Railway’s Carriage Shed, which was con - section of the line. structed during 1999/2000 with the aid of Heritage Lot - This area is now being developed for tery Funding, is one of the largest buildings in light industry, housing and leisure use. Kidderminster. It can house up to 62 carriages from our historic collection.

Stourport Road THE DIESEL DEPOT Bridge Constructed in 2015, the Diesel Depot provides under - cover storage and maintenance facilities to help preserve our fleet of heritage diesel locomotives, many of which are now over 50 years old. It includes two Foley Park Halt locomotive inspection pits, lifing jacks and 10 tonne (Site of) overhead travelling crane. We regret that this facility is NOT open to the public. Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Falling Sands Viaduct KIDDERMINSTER RAILWAY MUSEUM Adjacent to the station is a former Great Western Railway warehouse, once KIDDERMINSTER used for storing wool and grain. It is STATION SIGNAL BOX now Kidderminster Railway Museum, Another seemingly ‘vintage’ River Stour which has a large collection of artifacts. structure. Kidderminster Station Admission is free. Signal Box, is also newly -built and was commissioned in 1987. It houses Worcester Road one of the largest signalling installations Bridge KIDDERMINSTER TOWN STATION in use on a heritage railway in Britain. The southern terminus of the Severn Valley Railway seems to be a vintage structure, but it is a relatively new THE GOODS SHED Hoo Road Across the car park, the large brick building was Bridge building only opened in 1986. formerly a goods shed, built to handle the transshipment The concourse canopy and the of Kidderminster’s main export - carpets. It was bought Valley Suite Restaurant were added by the Severn Valley Railway in 1985 and is now the car - in 2006. riage workshops.

Kidderminster Town Station (SVR) The Wooden Bridge

COME AGAIN! Have you ever visited the Railway on one of our Spe - Kidderminster Station cial Event Days? From Festivals of Steam to family Fun, from Christmas experiences to themed events that take you back to the 1940s, your 7 journey along the line on one of these special days has so much to offer. CARPETS AND CANAL