written 22nd March 2026 ...

As the crow flies, it's about 1km from Mendip Vale station to the main road at Shepton Mallet.  As the bus rider coming to yesterday's diesel heritage day by public transport, it was a 4km yomp.  There IS a bus that runs part of the way - the 162, every 4 hours, Monday to Friday, which isn't much use for a transport attraction that's open on Saturdays, Sundays, and only occasionally during the week.



I set out on the 07:15 bus from home ... change at Bath onto the 08:10 service on route 174 to Shepton Mallet, there just before half past nine, and grabbed a coffee and breakfast in a cafe. And set out to walk.  Signage for the walk is virtually non-existent, or I am blind - any directions apart from immediate town centres seemed set up for motorists; as a pedestrian I blithely turn right on "No right turn"s and walk to the end of cul-de-sacs, often finding paths going through.

I got to the main cross roads on the outskirts of town, wishing I was a crow, and puzzled by a brown heritage sign looking to turn me right when I felt I should be going straight. Looked at a map on my phone which gave me no clue as to whether or not there was a shorter route, and a local gentleman came up and asked me if I was lost.  I explained where I was headed, and he didn't know about access to Mendip Vale either ... but he did advise that the road to the main station at Cranmore - perhaps a 7km journey - had no footpath beyond Doulting and was dangerous on foot; I re-assured him I did not plan to use the main road. Thanked him, and set off.

The age of chivalry lives.  A big THANK YOU should he read this to Jonathon, who picked up his car, drove along the start of the road, pulled over and offered me a lift - which I accepted - to Cranmore Station itself.  Like me, he's retired and wasn't in any particular rush for the day - beyond that, I know nothing of him other that he's a gent, a good driver, a car a darned sight cleaner than ours, and that he was amazed at the full car park at Cranmore Station where he dropped me off.  10:28 - I got onto the platform just in time to see the 10:30 leaving, and perfectly happy with that - I had not intended to catch it, it looked rammed, and I wanted a look around anyway.

[Story of the day would go here - 11:30 train (dmu) to Mendip Vale, 11:45 train back to Cranmore though is said "Bath Spa" on the front, 12:30 GWR railbus back to Mendip Vale taking - literally - the last seat]

Mendip Vale Station is set in a delightful wooded cutting.  It is ever so slightly more accessible than Manulla Junction, the totally isolated junction for Ballina in western Ireland. There is a "permissive path" along the edge of the railway land from the station back beside the boundary fence to the byway that crossed the railway about 800 metres to the east - the only way to go west to Shepton is to go east along this path.

The word "path" is perhaps generous. Someone (official I am sure) has cut steps up the cutting from the platform to the top of the bank, and along the way there are various signs pointing out holes to be avoided. The path provides all the features you might expect of an adventure walk - ups and downs, trees to dodge, slippery bits alongside barbed wire you don't want to fall into, awkward steps and rises and it shares the way with a little stream at one point.  From the top of the cutting at Mendip Vale, it falls away to a valley that the railway spans on an embankment and bridge, and rises again as the railway runs into the next cutting to emerge between trees and bushes on the little road that crosses that cutting, now not 1km but 2km from Shepton Mallet.

A lovely walk, yes, I enjoyed it, but as a recommended day out for this summer's timetable / public transport brochure, no.  I think of my online friends who I have met up with at the Coffee Shop and even here I could not realistically recommend it. 

The warmest day of the year yet ... and I haven't changed out of my winter coat - the one that Lisa took so long to get me using last autumn because it is so warm. By the time I got to Shepton Mallet (and found the bus stop - another lack of waymarking) - 30 seconds before the bus arrived - my shirt and the coat were soaking with sweat.

12:44 from the platform, 13:10 at the road bridge, 13:48 bus. Got off in Radstock for a much needed pot of tea in the mining museum - but that's another story.

The East Somerset Railway is a wonderful attraction. Don't try to go by public transport.  But great to meet up with rail enthusiast friends there, some of whom I know "both ways" and others who know me from the publicity I encourage in public transport advocacy work and I vaguely recognise, but I am (apology due - I know my limitations) unable to put a name to the face.  A really good day - in terms of providing public transport, the heritage bus and train businesses rarely do anything, but then they don't pretend to. What they DO do is to provide an excellent and interesting day out, an excuse to see places and to travel, a learning experience, exercise, and a friendly social interaction where we all look out for each other in our sometimes maverick ways.

 
I should add that the East Somerset Railway is NOT unique in being hard to reach by public transport. There's an irony in attraction about old public transport celebrations being only randomly accessible by public transport.  The Swindon and Cricklade railway is another interesting one ... as it the West Somerset - astonishing that as it should be providing a public transport rail service from all over the UK to Butlins and Minehead.  And I have yet to reach Gartell and Stafold Barn ...

 
Gartell - two hourly service  Mondays to Fridays from either Pen Mill or Templecombe stations, passes Common Lane (58 service Yeovil to Wincanton)

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/api/timetables/pdf?opco=41&service=58&day=mf&print=pdf

Last year the Gartell ran services on two Thursdays in August, a Bank Holiday Monday, and two Sundays