Two hundred years ago this summer, the world’s first public railway opened in County Durham. Mark the anniversary in sustainable style with walks from stations across Britain. From circular strolls to linear coastal hikes, these routes take in iconic sights such as the Forth Bridge, estuaries teeming with birdlife and butterfly-rich broads   

 

[H3] Great coastal railway walks 

 

Barmouth, Gwynedd  

The Cambrian Coast Railway is one of the UK’s most spectacular. It runs from the market town of Machynlleth along the Dyfi Valley and up the coast to Pwllheli on the lovely Llyn Peninsula. In between, it passes mountains, castles, saltmarsh and sand dunes. The Wales Coast Path runs near the railway, so there’s a great choice of station-to-station walks.  

WALK IT Ramblers Cymru has partnered with Transport for Wales to create 20 Welsh walks that start and end at stations. The short walk from Barmouth station crosses the longest wooden viaduct in Wales. Recently reopened after a four-year restoration, Barmouth Bridge has spectacular views of the estuary, where seabirds forage in the mudflats and wooded hills are mirrored in the bay. From the far side of the bridge, you can ride the steam-powered Fairbourne Railway and catch a ferry back to Barmouth.  
Download a routecard for the Barmouth railway walk 

 

North Queensferry to Aberdour, Fife  

The famous Forth Bridge, carrying the Edinburgh-Dundee railway, opened in 1890 and you can find out more about it in the Victorian station building at North Queensferry. In September 2015, the local Heritage Trust will open an exhibition called Steaming Forth. North of the bridge, the Fife coastal railway branches off past waterside towns and sandy beaches, with a chance to spot seals and seabirds from the windows.  

WALK IT The Fife Coastal Path is rich in sea views, golden gorse and pretty harbour towns. The mostly waterside 13km/8-mile walk around Inverkeithing Bay includes views of the Forth Bridge and islands like Incholm in the Firth of Forth. The medieval castle at Aberdour is one of Scotland’s oldest and offers 25% off for train travellers. 

Explore this and all sections of the Fife Coastal Path   

 

Margate to Broadstairs, Kent  

Ninety minutes by train from King’s Cross, through rolling downs and sloping vineyards, sandy Margate Beach is right next to the station. This quirky town has more than just seaside. There’s a glinting shell-covered underground grotto, the vintage Dreamland amusement park and the cutting-edge Turner Gallery. Look out for Antony Gormley’s cast-iron figure from his Another Time series, visible at low tide, as you set off along the seafront.  

WALK IT The 10km/6-mile coastal walk from Margate station to Broadstairs could follow the kelp-strewn sands, when the tide allows, or the flower-topped white cliffs – or a combination of the two. There are beach cafés, rockpools and a towering chalk archway. Broadstairs, a favourite town of novelist Charles Dickens, is a great place for tea before catching the train back.  

Get the Ramblers Routes instructions and GPX directions for the coastal walk from Margate to Broadstairs 

 

[H4] Rail to trail in the countryside 

 

Padley Gorge, Derbyshire  

A ramble in Padley Gorge is one of many great trails from the wooded Hope Valley Line -   the perfect train route for lovers of Peak District railway walks. Streams cascade under gnarled and mossy trees, and rocky paths climb up to spectacular open moorland through ferny woods, where red deer are hiding and warblers sing. The railway from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield runs right through the Peak District, past gritstone cliffs and reservoirs.  

WALK IT Known for its excellent café, Grindleford station is a hub for walks in ancient woods, the rhododendron-decked Longshaw Estate, and the wilder moors above. After an energetic climb past rugged Owler Tor, ringed by purple heather, and a trek back down the steep valley, enjoy chunky chip butties and legendary pints of tea.  

Get a walk map, instructions and video for the Padley Gorge Walk 

 

 

Wivenhoe to Alresford, Essex  

What could be better for a station-to-station summer walk than a railway called the Sunshine Coast Line? Carrying passengers from Colchester, Britain’s oldest town, towards Clacton and Walton-on-the-Naze, this little railway stops in cobbled Wivenhoe, where the wide River Colne is a treat for birdwatchers. Ducks and waterbirds gather on the mudflats; warblers and buntings sing in sunlit reeds.  

WALK IT Accompanying the tidal estuary eastwards, past riverside pubs and saltmarshes, this route then follows Alresford Creek. You can see the sculptural remains of an old pier, once used to load gravel on to sailing boats bound for London, and the atmospheric ruins of St Peter’s Church, with terracotta Roman bricks embedded in its old flint walls.  

Find this walk and more in this PDF booklet of Essex and South Suffolk Railway walks or follow the route in OS Maps  

 

Dorchester to Weymouth, Dorset  

The Heart of Wessex railway rolls past Georgian terraces and under the Avoncliff aqueduct on its journey from dockside Bristol to Weymouth. The Wessex Wanderers is a Ramblers flexigroup with a great programme of summer walks from stations along the line. These can vary from a pub crawl around Bristol to a hilly hike past deer parks and bluebell woods.  

WALK IT Maiden Castle, visible from the train window, is one of Europe’s biggest Iron Age hillforts. Get close up on a 19km/12-mile station-to-station ramble from Dorchester, passing tumuli-dotted downs, reedy lagoons and, eventually, the cafés and beach huts along Weymouth seafront. For a shorter walk, start or finish at Upwey, where the flowery Wishing Well gardens make an excellent tea stop.  

Get OS Maps instructions for the Dorchester to Weymouth walk 

 

Salhouse Broad, Norfolk  

Running from Norwich up to Cromer and Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast, the Bittern Line is named for the shy striped herons that stand camouflaged in reedbeds. It’s one of several scenic train rides through the Norfolk Broads and intersects with the steam-powered Bure Valley Railway. The local community rail partnerships have created station gardens and waymarked walks from stops along the line.  

WALK IT Butterflies flicker through waterside flowers near Salhouse Broad, a peaceful lake ringed by woods and reedbeds. It’s 3.2km/2 miles’ stroll from Salhouse station, which is one stop north of Norwich. Boardwalks and shady paths lead to grassy banks with summer boat hire and local ice creams. Along the way are a thatched church and cottages, and the village sign for Salhouse, which shows a bittern and two men cutting reeds for thatch.  

Norfolk Council has compiled a booklet of 10 Bittern Line railway walks 

 

St Ives to Penzance, Cornwall  

Past beaches and estuaries, valleys and viaducts, red sandstone arches and boat-bobbing harbours, the Great Western Railway to Penzance is one of the UK’s most beautiful train rides. Cornwall also has some intimate branch lines, like the clifftop railway to arty St Ives. The town’s cobbled lanes and palm-dotted proms are home to several galleries.  

WALK IT An ancient pilgrimage route, St Michael’s Way, links the coast near St Ives with Penzance, crossing the tip of the Cornish peninsula. This scallop-shell-waymarked walk is a British section of the Camino de Santiago. The challenging hike’s highest point is Trencrom Hill, topped with an Iron Age fort. The views from here include St Michael’s Mount, the pilgrimage’s ultimate destination, reached from Penzance by a coastal walkway with a new sculpture trail.  

Explore the St Michael’s Way pilgrimage trail 

 

Seaton Delaval, Northumberland  

Celebrating British railways is also about looking to the future. The newly reopened Northumberland Line from Newcastle stops at Seaton Delaval near a baroque stately home. More stations will open this summer in coastal Blyth and heritage-rich Ashington. The railway offers varied walks and summer pub crawls, like this circuit along wooded valleys and clifftop pathways.  

WALK IT Around 3km/2 miles south from Seaton Delaval station, the Old Fat Ox or Milbourne Arms are both good for a pie and pint. At the far end of leafy Holywell Dene is the fabulous Delaval Arms, with views nearby of St Mary’s Island. Following the coast past Seaton Sluice, turn inland to reach the National Trust gardens at Seaton Delaval Hall. The station is a couple of miles along or bus X7 runs there regularly.  
Get OS Maps instructions for the Seaton Delaval walk  

 

[H5] City walking tour by train 

 

Carlisle, Cumbria  

From the train window, there are views across Cumbrian fells and fields dotted with whitewashed farms and Herdwick sheep. The Avanti West Coast line speeds from London, through the Lake District, to Glasgow and stops in Carlisle, the elegant meeting point of several epic railways, including the famously scenic Settle-Carlisle Railway.  

WALK IT Hadrian’s Wall Path crosses the leafy park beyond Carlisle Castle as it heads towards its western end, 22.5km/ 14 miles away on the gorse-fringed, sunset-facing Solway Firth. For a shorter walk, this circuit of the city follows the wall through waterside meadows. On the way, the sandstone castle offers 20% off to train travellers and Tullie museum showcases Roman statues, Viking jewellery and a Jacobean stairway. 

Get OS Maps instructions for the Carlisle city walk or browse a selection of Settle-Carlisle Railway walks 

 

[FLASH] 
AVANTI WEST COAST TRAINS OFFER Visit avantiwestcoast.co.uk/the-ramblers for special discounted fares for Ramblers members – such as London to Carlisle for £28 one way, plus many more. T&Cs apply.