Day 1: Standing Stones
Day 2: Cotswold Way
6/26 Saturday
After the quite strenuous hike of the day before, we wanted a destination the next day that would involve less walking. So we headed off to the Severn Valley Railway, a steam tourist railway which that day was running their 1940s nostalgia weekend. People came in costume, antique car buffs brought cars of an appropriate age. Visitors were issued an identity card (courteously stamped for us by the 'Home Guard'). Antique military aircraft did flyovers, and the stations were fully kitted out in World War Two livery.
The trains run up and down the Severn River Valley with four stops, and they were running a bunch of extra trains to handle the crowds, all steam. At one of the stops they had a rail museum with a cafe on the second story overlooking the tracks where you could watch the trains go by. JT was enthralled, eating with one eye on the train schedule and periodically jumping up to take photos.
They also had the Gordon (of Thomas the Tank Engine fame) and we were sure to take photos for our young nephews. This section of track was where they also staged a battle between the various re-enactor groups, Germans vs. British, American and French Resistance, complete with simulated mortar fire.
We eventually tore ourselves away and took the train to Bridgnorth, at the end of the line. A pretty village built on the side of the hill, and we walked around and ate strawberries from the farmer's street market. On the way back we stopped for a quick walk around Bewdley, known for its lovely Georgian buildings--
--and then returned to the station at Kidderminster and thence to Birmingham.
Slideshow of more Severn Valley photos: (You can click on the show to see it with larger photos.)
It's all so pretty! It's like you went into Masterpiece Theater for two weeks!
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