Saturday 18 November ‘23 - DH, PCL, AC, TO, DL, JB, CH, Sully & Albus
The forecast for today was anything but good walking weather and with plenty of standing water around already, the predicted overnight rain was only going to make matters worse. Bearing all this in mind I opted for a walk only around 10 metres above sea level, and where for years any excess water has been allowed by design to flood the nearby fields. The route around the Langport levels was certainly going to be wet and muddy in places, but hopefully not underwater anywhere. Sully has not been on a Saturday morning walk since the day he had to be rescued mid walk, and so with a short and level one today, we decided it was time for him to make his reappearance. I had decided to meet at the industrial area at the far end of town this week and as we pulled in the car from Bruton & Cary was just unloading it’s three passengers, so with a quick toot of the horn we pulled in next to them and unloaded our four adults and two dogs, which having been cuddled up together in the boot for the thirty minute journey, were raring and ready to go.
Sully was quickly out of the car and pleased to see his old mates again, although after a quick unsuccessful search for Scrumpy had to accept she was not with us this week. A heron was stood in the fields behind us but thankfully the rain had not materialised and with some carrying waterproofs just in case we headed off in an anti clockwise loop on a route we have always completed in a clockwise direction previously. The path at the bottom of the road led through to the Huish Drove which we crossed before passing through a gate and onto part of the old railway line which previously connected Taunton To Yeovil.
The following is a brief summary of the history of this part of the line for those who aren’t aware of it.
The railway history in the area came to an end when the last passenger trains ran between Taunton and Yeovil on July 6, 1964. The Taunton to Yeovil line was the second of Taunton’s four branch lines to succumb, 110 years after the Bristol and Exeter Railway built it. The Chard line’s closure preceded it and the Barnstaple route closed two years later. BR trains to Minehead ended in January 1971 but that line is alive and well, of course, as the West Somerset Railway.
Trains heading from Taunton to Yeovil left the main line to Bristol at Durston (North East of Taunton) and ran via Langport, Thorney and Kingsbury, Martock and Montacute, (along what is now the Cartgate link road). The first earthworks were built between Yeovil and Martock between 1847-49 but work was then suspended until 1852. Heavy rain and flooding delayed construction of the line across the Levels but the line finally opened in October 1853.
Some 53 years later a major change occurred. The Great Western Railway – which had taken over the B&E wanted to provide a faster route from London to the South-West than its established line via Bristol and lose its “Great Way Round” nickname in the process. As a result, a new section of line was built between Castle Cary and past Langport at a spot which became Curry Rivel Junction. The original Langport station became Langport West (in the area where we parked today) and a station on the new main line was Langport East. Montacute had acquired its station in 1882 while Thorney and Kingsbury came along in 1927 which was part of GWR’s policy to open more small stations along its branch lines as bus competition grew.
The most complicated arrangements were at Yeovil. The original station was at Hendford, then described as being on the edge of the town, although the site was no more than half a mile from the main street. But when the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth constructed its line from Castle Cary to the Dorset coast and built Pen Mill station then the trains from Taunton terminated there to give better connections. Eventually, between Hendford and Yeovil there was Yeovil Town station at the end of a London and South Western Railway branch line from Yeovil Junction. More convenient for the town than either of the other two it was great shame that Town Station was another closure in the 1960s. Today the site of the station and adjacent locomotive shed is a retail park and cinema complex.
By the 1930s the writing on the wall was becoming increasingly visible for rural lines such as the Taunton to Yeovil. The rural bus was becoming reliable and comfortable and went though the villages and towns – noticeable at Langport where both stations were on the edge of town – East may have technically been in Huish Episcopi. Smaller loads were being lost to road transport, which could go door to door without transhipment, and the railways were slow to adapt. The steam trains trundled across the landscape, often with the same engines that had been doing the job for three decades, and stopped at fully staffed stations along the way. Local residents assumed it would always be like this even if they had not used the trains for years.
When the Reshaping of British Railways Report – better known after its author Dr Richard Beeching – appeared communities were suddenly put face to face with the planned closure of their local line and station. Many protests were made but the spirit of the age was against rail travel and so the last trains ran with wreaths on the front, the local brass band playing and often packed to bursting point with a mixture of railway enthusiasts looking to make the journey before it was too late and nostalgic locals.
Fifty years on the route of the former line has vanished almost completely, apart from the part still very much in use through Athelney and past the site of Curry Rivel Junction. Langport West was by the Parrett and was prone to floodingand the former site at Martock is in industrial use. The former platform from Montacute does still exist and is in railway use but has moved to the West Somerset Railway to become part of Doniford Halt. Otherwise, the only remnants are the photographs and memories of older people in our area.
However funding for a feasibility study into a new station to serve both the communities of Langport and Somerton was agreed in May 2021, with South Somerset District Council leading the study. The latest news as of April 2023 is that the DfT has confirmed that the study is still being evaluated more than two yeas on – meaning it could be many years before any new station is constructed.
As we continued along the old track bed the surrounding lower ground was either lush green grass and reeds or covered in flood water, probably from the storms of Agnes, Babet and Ciarán. To our left side and in the flood catchment area called Huish Level a large white bird stood proudly, with what looked like 5 or 6 youngsters around it. Our ornithological correspondent quickly confirmed it wasn’t an heron but more likely an egret with its young family. The track up the line was slow and steady with Sully & Albus ducking between trips down to the waters edge and then forging a way back through to the front of the group. It was pretty quiet all around and apart from a lone cyclist it appears that we were the only ones out and about today. Just after the mile mark the house at the end of the track came into view and we turned left along the minor road towards Muchelney and the Abbey.
A further 300 metres along we turned left before the river and onto the raised western bank of the Perret. The river was certainly well flooded and the fields between it and Mulcheney were all underwater. Sully was certainly delighted to see all the water in front of him and whilst we made our way along the muddy track, he and Albus were down by the waters edge. With the skies heavy but with a bright sun poking through in places the view across the floods reminded us how lucky we are to live in an area that offers so many different but equally delightful views each week.
Whilst there were no stiles to contend with this week, the mud in the gateways was deep and sticky and certainly slowed our progress. There was often a split decision on which route through was best which was certainly the case when Trevor decided to climb a fence rather than squelch his way through the mire. Down by the river bank, having taken a brief paddle in the swollen waters, Sully reminded us all of his Saturday morning party trick, and in an area where the previous high water had flatten the grass and left a silty deposit, he dropped his shoulder and rolled onto his back and squirmed around to ensure he left no bit of his body untouched. To add insult to injury, he then stood back up and proceeded to roll both sides of his face into the same brown mess, finally calling it a day and standing proudly for all to see.
Those who had not witnessed this sort of behaviour before were stood in shock whereas those who have previously seen him do similar were laughing loudly as he sheepishly made his way back up the bank. It was pretty obvious that this was not going to be cleaned off in and hurry and as we set off again he trotted ahead feeling very pleased with himself. Given the fact that he has not been on one of our walks for a few months, and grateful that it was just river silt and not cow muck, I wasn’t too worried, but did send a photo off to the family to show them how delighted he was to be back.
We soon made it to the last gate out of the fields and turned right along the Drove-way and onto a bridge over the Perrett just a bit downstream from the confluence with the River Yeo, where we stopped for this weeks selfie. A group of dog walkers with a beautifully clean Golden Retriever were on the far side and were pretty shocked to see the state of Sully. An attempt to get him down the boat launching slip way to try and wash at least some of the dirt off failed miserably and so there was nothing left but to admit defeat and take him on as he was. The pathway along the river has been made a lot firmer in recent times and with the addition of a few benches and wicker hides is a lovely route back into town. The child in Trevor took the opportunity to ‘hide’ in a hide, but by this stage everybody else’s minds were firmly fixed on getting to the cafe in time for our reservation at 1045. Reaching the far end of the grassy area the majority headed straight to the Kitchen on the wharf whilst I took one very filthy dog back to the car and attempted to clean him off a bit with his micro towel before joining everyone again at our table in the window. Todays walk was only just a touch over 3 miles but with a steady plod and the muddy gateways it had taken us almost 100 minutes.
As we sat and waited for our breakfasts I pointed out the writing on the wall which explains some of the history of the grade II listed building we were in and the associated journeys down stream and over the Atlantic which originated from here in the 1800s.
Other recently visited cafes could certainly take a leaf out of the books of todays pots of teas, as a large pot between two is certainly more favourable than miniature pots for one which don’t brew the tea so well and tend to dribble when poured. A variety of breakfast were taken today and across the board they were all consumed with very positive feedback. Good tasty crispy bacon, a tasty sausage, unadulterated beans and some of the best hash browns we have ever had. Sully was happy on his blanket and Albus also resting on the floor quietly. All in all a very good morning out and despite the mud at least we stayed dry.
The only thing left was to get home and get the hot water and shampoo out for Sully. Not his favourite activity but the price he is used to paying for his five minutes of fun. Hopefully he’ll be able to join us again in the next few weeks, but I have already been warned that once he is groomed ready for Christmas, there is absolutely no way he is coming out with us until the New Year. Sorry Sully, but the boss’s word is final!
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