Our April meeting was a trip on the Avon Valley Railway. We met in the car park of the beautifully restored Victorian station in Bitton, between Bristol and Bath. The plan was to catch the 12.15 Steam train for a 1 hour ride to return at 1.15 for lunch.
The Avon Valley railway was opened in 1869 by the Midland Railway as a through-route between Birmingham and the south coast. The line was later linked to the iconic Somerset and Dorset Railway. Closed under the Beeching Act of the 1960’s, the Avon Valley Railway was then preserved by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. Today, 40 yrs on, 3 miles of track has been re-laid, locomotives and carriages restored, and the sound of steam can once again be heard along the Avon Valley.
