2004 North West Rover

Warehouse at Wigan Pier

Lancaster Castle

Cruise on Windermere

Dent Head Viaduct on the Settle to Carlisle Line

The River Nith, Dumfries

Port of Liverpool building

DAY ONE (Saturday 26th June):

This morning's journey shall start from Cosham station, to the north of Portsmouth, from where I shall travel initially to Basingstoke, then Birmingham New Street, where I need to board a third train to reach my destination of Wigan North Western. Not the most glamorous place in Britain to spend a week certainly, but it has been chosen for its central position, being served by both the West Coast Main Line and the Liverpool to Bolton Line. My base shall be The Brocket Arms hotel and pub. There will be plenty of choice for places to go, should I wish to start exploring elsewhere today.

DAY TWO (Sunday 27th June)

This morning it is hoped (weather permitting) to catch a train north along the West Coast Main Line to Oxenholme, where I shall be able to change onto the Windermere branch, taking me into the Lake District National Park. From Windermere it is about a mile's walk to the attractive town of Bowness-on-Windermere, where cruises along the lake are available and there's a good choice of pubs for food and ale. Back near the station, if I'm feeling energetic, I may take the walk to the viewpoint of Orrest Head, which gives excellent vistas of the lake and across the fells to the Langdale Pikes.

DAY THREE (Monday 28th June)

This morning I hope to head off on the scenic Furness and Cumbrian Coast Lines from Lancaster via Barrow-in-Furness and on to Carlisle, a route of around 120 miles. The return trip will take me either via the WCML or the Settle to Carlisle Line. A day that promises lots of photo opportunities.

DAY FOUR (Tuesday 29th June)

Another circular route is hoped to be on the cards today, taking me via Bolton and Blackburn and on through the attractive dales scenery around Clitheroe, Hellifield and Clapham, and on to one of Britain's most famous railway stations, Carnforth, location for the classic film'Brief Encounter'.

DAY FIVE (Wednesday 30th June)

This morning the plan is to make the long trip up the West Coast Main Line to embark on a quick border raid to the Scottish towns of Dumfries and Lockerbie. It is hoped to spend some time in the former, in order to explore this important border town.

DAY SIX (Thursday 1st July)

Today shall probably be spent exploring the Metropolitan County of Merseyside and travelling across the lines to Southport, Kirkby and, of course, Liverpool, where a long overdue visit to the city's Dale Street pubs shall be in order!

DAY SEVEN (Friday 2nd July)

I shall probably choose to stay within the 'local' area today, maybe concentrating on the many branch lines that run through the Pennines, linking the various population centres
of Lancashire and Gtr Manchester. There should be plenty of choice of routes and I may take time to stop off in Manchester to revisit the superb 'Marble Arch' brewpub, or head off to Huddersfield to the 'Rat & Ratchet'.

DAY EIGHT (Saturday 3rd July)

This morning it shall be time to check-out of my hotel for the long journey back to the South Coast, courtesy of Virgin Trains. By the time I arrive home I would estimate that I would have covered at least 1500 rail miles aboard roughly 30 trains operated by about 7 different companies!

The map below details the rail network across Northern England.
My base for the week is underlined in green and the locations I plan to visit are underlined in red.

TOUR DIARY
Saturday 26th June
The day started on a rather damp note as I headed for Cosham station, to the north of Portsmouth, in the rain to catch the 09.09 train to Basingstoke. Here I picked up the 10.44 Virgin CrossCountry service which took me north on the long zig-zag diversionary route to my destination of Wigan North Western. To my surprise the rain kept off for much of the trip and I arrived in Wigan at 3.20pm. Luckily I was able to walk from the station to my hotel (a distance of around one mile) in the dry, although it was quite obvious that heavy showers had passed through shortly before my arrival. My hotel is situated in a typical 1950s style premises - very angular and so common of post war architecture. My room overlooks a typical Lancastrian terraced street - so familiar to those who watch the British soap opera Coronation Street! After checking in and unpacking, it was time head to the bar to be fed and watered. Later this afternoon I took a walk back into the town centre and along to the famous Wigan Pier, located on the Liverpool Leeds Canal. Little remains of the 'pier' in question - a railhead from where coal from the local colliery was loaded onto barges for transportation to the surrounding industrial sites. The area is now a tourist attraction, with museums, bars and restaurants. I paid a visit to the Orwell pub, then headed back towards the town centre in order to sample a selection of Wigan's other Good Beer Guide listed hostelries, such as the Anvil, and the excellent Swan & Railway. I later returned to the hotel, where I stayed for the remainder of the evening.
Today's Rail Mileage:	271 Miles

Sunday 27th June
This morning I awoke to a very pleasant sunny day - certainly not what I had expected after hearing last night's weather forecast. At 08.41 I headed north initially to Preston, where I had an hour to kill until I could catch my connecting train. I took the opportunity to walk into the city centre and found that there were a number of impressive civic buildings to be seen. After photographing the parish church, I headed back to the station for the 10.05 service to Windermere, which proved to be an emotional return to the Lake District for me, after a seven year absence. After passing through inceasingly impressive landscapes, an hour later the train pulled into the small terminus station which serves as the rail network's gateway to Lakeland. My priority was to head directly for Orrest Head, the well-known viewpoint above Windermere which provides wonderful views across much of the Lake District from its small summit. The zig-zag ascent took around fifteen minutes and the temperature was just right for walking - T-shirt weather in fact. The view from the summit provides plenty of photo opportunities, along the whole length of Windermere's ten mile stretch. The familiar outline of the famous Langdale Pikes were evident in the haze to the north west of the lake - it was great to see these much-loved views again after so long. The only times I tend to see Lakeland fells these days is from an aircraft whilst en route to Scotland, so it was nice to be able to appreciate them at closer quarters after so long. After descending from Orrest Head I noticed that the local bus services are a lot more frequent than in years gone by. I had to take this opportinity to get further into the Central Lakes area, as after such a long absence I was dying to make something of this visit. I therefore boarded a service to take me into Grasmere, situated among some of Lakeland's most photogenic scenery. This was an emotional time for me...as I passed the head of Windermere en route to Ambleside, the views of the Langdale Pikes brought back so many wonderful memories to me, of climbing so many of these glorious fells. I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes - it felt as if I was embarking on a long-overdue pilgrimage back to the land that I love so much. I decided there and then that there was no way I was leaving this place without summiting a fell for old times' sake. To anyone who is familiar with this part of the Lake District, they may well know that between the villages of Grasmere and Rydal stands the fell of Loughrigg. Although by no means a giant at just 1101ft, it provides marvellous views from its summit and would provide just the sort of challenge for someone, like myself, who is seriously out of practise when it comes to fell walking. I therefore embarked on a walk which took me along the southern shore of Grasmere before starting the ascent of Loughrigg, where masses of ferns on the fellside are punctuated with foxgloves. As the route gains height, the views become more and more impressive, as you look down upon Grasmere and north towards Dunmail Raise and the Northern Fells. The fine weather had brought many walkers out for the afternoon, though this didn't detract from the wonderful feeling I get of being alone on the fells. The steep ascent made me realise how much my fitness had declined since my regular trips to the District in the mid nineties. I found myself having to pause at regular intervals, whereas years ago I wouldn't have thought twice about summitting one of the larger peaks with hardly a pause for breath! Reaching the summit of Loughrigg was fantastic for me. To have managed the climb without serious hardship made me feel elated. I was back! Why had I left this so long? One of my true loves in this world and I'd neglected it for seven years. I decided to descend down towards Rydal Water, in order to prevent retracing my steps back to Grasmere. Unfortunately I ended up having to work my way down the fell via a watercourse, rather than a recognized path! The reward for this however was that I came across a large cave that I never knew existed. Presumably a disused slate quarry, but very fascinating all the same. My walk ended up taking me back to Ambleside, by which time I was in serious need of refreshment! This meant that a long overdue visit to The Golden Rule on Smithy Brow was in order - one of Lakeland's best traditional ale houses. I ordered two pints, as the first only lasted a matter of moments! It felt strange being back at this place, without actually being 'on holiday', so to speak. As I caught the bus back to Windermere station, I decided that, fitness and weather permitting, I shall change my plans later this week in order to revisit this beautiful landscape, as I have decided to embark on a repeat traverse of the Langdale Pikes. All I need is a new map and I shall be equipped. My return trip back to Wigan saw me stop off in Lancaster, where I took a few photos and had a pub meal before heading back to base, arriving mid-evening. A fantastic day out!
Today's Rail Mileage:	130 Miles
Cumulative Rail Mileage:	401 Miles

Monday 28th June
This morning I awoke to another sunny day with scattered, fair weather cloud. My train out of town was the 09.47 to Lancaster, where I joined a connecting service to take me on the three and a half hour trek along the Cumbrian Coast Line - one of England's more picturesque rural routes. From Carnforth station (location for the classic film Brief Encounter) the train winds its way slowly through the coastal settlements bordering Morecambe Bay, and over the Kent and Leven viaducts en route to Barrow-in-Furness. From Barrow the line deviates north and follows the Irish Sea coast via Ravenglass, Sellafield (where everything glows in the dark!!), Whitehaven and Workington. The Cumbrian Mountains are in evidence for much of the route, and the Irish Sea looked very inviting as the blue waters broke on the sandy beaches. Eventually the line heads inland via Aspatria as it nears its end in Carlisle. On arrival at Carlisle we were fifteen minutes late, and I therefore had only ten minutes or so before my next train departed. I'd decided to do a huge circular loop around Cumbria, so my next journey was to take me over the Settle to Carlisle line - in reverse. Last time I covered this route, it was part of my North East Rover week last Autumn, at a time when the weather could have been better. Today I had no such worries - the sun shone and the landscape looked fantastic. Details of the S&C route are well chronicled on the North East Rover pages so all I shall say now is that I'd never seen the landscape look as wonderful as it did today. I left the train at Leeds, which is the most easterly I shall be travelling this week. I headed off to get a much needed meal and then sought out a couple of Good Beer Guide pubs. The first, The Wrens, was an attractive house with three bar rooms, comfortable furnishings and a pleasant, homely atmosphere. The Black Sheep Special was a great pint. Next I sought out Whitelocks, an early 18th Century rustic pub tucked down a small alley off Briggate. This was a great find! I'd never realised that Leeds had so many historic buildings. This was one of a number of hostelries that could be found hidden in narrow closes off the main drag. These places contrast well with the modern external appearence of 21st Century Leeds. The city certainly gives the visitor an impression that it's prospering, with large residential and business developments under construction, and I think I'm well qualified enough to claim that Leeds station is possibly the best in Britain. On leaving Leeds it was time to head back west on the TransPennine route that took me via Bradford, Halifax, Burnley and Blackburn to Preston. This route wound it's way along a number of picturesque dales and through a multitude of tunnels as it climbed ever higher to reach Copy Pit Summit, at 749ft above sea level. This was certainly a far more impressive route than I had imagined. On reaching Preston I found that I had 45 minutes before my connection back down to Wigan, so I headed into town briefly in order to buy some food before returning to the station for the 21.41 train back to base. A long though enjoyable day out, with plenty of fine scenery to take in.
Today's Rail Mileage:	354 Miles
Cumulative Rail Mileage:	755 Miles

Tuesday 29th June
This morning my journey began at around 09.15 from Wigan Wallgate Station, across the road from Wigan North Western, which I had been using until today. I boarded a service to take me to Huddersfield, though I changed my plans en route and left the train at Salford Central. Salford stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Manchester on the banks of the River Orwell. Both cities are currently undergoing much redevelopment and now boast some impressive buildings. I took a walk around the city centre and visited Manchester Cathedral - one of England's smaller cathedral churches, having been elevated to its current status many years after construction. From Manchester I continued on to Huddersfield, which I visited during my North East Rover tour last autumn. Like the last time I was there, it began to rain! The journey takes you through some attractive dales scenery and through the 3 mile long Standedge Tunnel. Huddersfield has a certain grandeur about it - much of the town's architecture is very imposing and gives the impression that it was built up through prosperity during the Victorian era. I stopped in town for lunch and also made the point of visiting a couple of pubs which I missed out on last time around. Huddersfield is unique in having two Good Beer Guide listed pubs on its station concourse. Both are excellent bars and are housed in the station's Grade I listed building. From here it was time to head off up the line to Halifax, where I changed trains for a service to Rochdale. These lines wind their was along a number of picturesque dales, most of which are heavily wooded and are home to many towns and villages, all of which seem to have a Victorian mill at their centre, with a canal running through the valley. Eventually the line descends as it crosses into Greater Manchester and arrives in Rochdale. My reason for stopping here was to visit the Thomas McGuinness brewpub, the Cask & Feather, where I relaxed with a couple of pints whilst watching the tennis on TV. After about an hour and a half it was time to head back to Manchester Victoria where I'd planned to board a connection to Bolton. Rather confusingly, I managed to get the wrong train due to a platform alteration, so ended up returning to Wigan instead. This wasn't a bad thing, as it would be nice to spend an evening at the hotel. I was hoping for an early night and needed to do plenty of planning for tomorrow, as I'll be heading back into the Lake District and travelling into Great Langdale, which is a very exciting prospect.
Today's Rail Mileage:	110 Miles
Cumulative Rail Mileage:	865 Miles

Wednesday 30th June
I guess it had to happen sooner or later - and this morning it did...I woke up to rain! A heavy drizzle fell as I walked to the station to catch the 09.09 Virgin Trains service to Oxenholme, where I picked up a connection to take me back to Windermere. What a difference a few days can make - it was lashing down as I left the station. Within five minutes or so the bus arrived to take me on to Ambleside. Here I had 30 minutes to wait until the service to Great Langdale arrived, so I sought sanctuary in the Unicorn, one of the town's more rustic pubs which thankfully doesn't tend to get invaded by tourists like so many of the others. By the time I boarded the bus to take me into Great Langdale the rain had eased, though hadn't stopped altogether. The half hour journey to the terminus at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel is a journey that I'd made countless times in the past when we'd journey into Langdale to climb the fells. Although seven years had passed since my last visit, it all came flooding back and it seemed that I could remember virtually every bend in the road! As the journey nears its destination, the scenery becomes dominated by the fells. Unfortunately, due to the wet weather, visibility was at times very poor which meant many of the larger peaks surrounding the dale were virtually lost in the mist. On leaving the bus I headed straight to the Hikers Bar at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel where I stayed until the weather improved. This basic bar room is a classic. A bare minimum of furnishings, hooks for wet clothing and a large range for use during the colder months - and that's about it...apart from the excellent ales of course! As I sat in the bar and wrote a postcard, I noticed that the sun was breaking through, so I decided to head off along the dale towards Stool End Farm. I knew full well that there was no way I'd be able to get onto the fells, but at least a walk along Mickleden would be pleasant enough. However, no sooner had I began to walk when the rain returned! The Langdale Pikes, which dominate the dale, were regularly disappearing from view as the cloud came down. The heads of both dales, Mickleden and Oxendale, appeared rather threatening and vertical lines of rain could be seen being blown in my direction. The rain lashed down and I sought shelter under one of very few trees that can be found in the vicinity. I made it as far as the farm before giving up and heading back to the Old Dungeon Ghyll as quickly as possible. There were certainly more drinkers in the bar that when I'd left, presumably also seeking shelter from the elements! I hung up my drenched coat and sat around for thirty minutes until the next bus was due. Ironically, as I chatted with the driver before we headed back towards Ambleside, the rain stopped and the sun came through again! I asked the driver to drop me off at the picturesque village of Elterwater, where I was able to achieve something that I'd never managed during all my visits to this neck of the woods in previous years - a visit to the wonderful Britannia Inn situated opposite the village green. I sat outside in the sunshine and laid out my coat and sweatshirt on the tables to dry. I'd ninety minutes to kill, so once my things were dry I took a walk along the beck towards Elterwater (the lake after which the village is named). Before long it was time to journey back to Windermere via Ambleside, to catch the train back south. I broke my journey at Lancaster in order to get a meal before returning to Wigan, where I arrived at around 8pm. All in all, not a bad day, though it was a great shame that the weather prevented me from getting back up onto the fells.
Today's Rail Mileage:	130 Miles
Cumulative Rail Mileage:	995 Miles

Thursday 1st July
Thankfully this morning proved to be much better weatherwise that it was yesterday. I caught the same service out of town at 09.09, this time staying aboard until reaching the border city of Carlisle. The stretch of the route between Oxenholme and Penrith was uncharted territory for me, and it's also the most secenic part of the West Coast Main Line south of the border. The line threads it's way through some fine landscapes as its climbs up to Shap summit, 916ft above sea level. On arrival at Carlisle I switched trains in order to cross the national boundary and head up to Dumfries - the northernmost extremity of my Rail Rover's validity. Dumfries is a large market town with plenty of interesting buildings. Robert Burns' mausoleum can also be found here as well as a museum dedicated to the Bard of Ayrshire. I took a walk around, had lunch in a converted church(!) and visited a couple of the town's decent real ale pubs. The return journey took me back to Carlisle, where I considered taking a second ride over the Settle to Carlisle, but I changed my mind for a couple of reasons. There were an awful lot of people waiting to board the service, which was formed of a two-car Class 156 sprinter. I didn't want to endure a long journey, however scenic, in cramped conditions. Had the train been Class 37 locomotive hauled, with more coaching stock, I would certainly have gone for it. Instead I opted to catch the Virgin Pendolino service back down to Wigan. Sadly this too was crowded and claustrophobic, though at least I managed to get a few photographs as we headed south on the descent of Shap. The train arrived back at Wigan at around 18.30, giving me plenty of time to catch up on this website and solve the problem which led to a lack of update last night (sorry folks!). So just one day left of the tour...which should see a short trip to Bolton first thing, with the remainder of the day concentrated around Merseyside, covering as many 'new' lines as possible.
Today's Rail Mileage:	278 Miles
Cumulative Rail Mileage:	1273 Miles

Friday 2nd July
This morning's walk to Wallgate station was, once again, in the rain. It seems to have been that way on alternate days. My train out of town was the 09.06 to Bolton - a town situated just a short journey from Wigan, it too being in Greater Manchester. My main reason for wanting to visit Bolton was to see the Town Hall. Those who know me will be aware that I hail from the city of Portsmouth, on the south coast of England. Portsmouth shall for ever be linked to Bolton, as the two towns once had almost identical Town Halls. These days Bolton's example is the more intact of the two, as Portsmouth's suffered badly at the hands of the Luftwaffe during World War II and was virtually rebuilt in the 1950s. The most noticeable difference is that Portsmouth's sadly lacks the upper structure of the clock tower, which was never replaced after the bomb damage. A thorough visual examination of Bolton's Town Hall revealed that there are a number of less obvious differences, though not to the untrained eye. It pains me to admit that the latter is, without doubt, the superior example of the two and the town is notable for a number of other fine municipal buildings. On departure from Bolton I retraced my route back to Wigan Wallgate, changing onto a service to take me to the Merseyside coastal town of Southport. Now this was the surprise of the week - I'd not heard or read anything about this place prior to my arrival in town. What I expected to be a third-rate northern seaside resort turned out to be a very nice town, with much fine Victorian architecture along the length of the town's main thoroughfare of Lord Street. This was obviously a very fashionable place in 19th Century England. Ornate cast-iron canopies decorate the shop fronts, the clock tower of the impressive Southport Arts Centre dominates Lord Street, with fountains and a band stand also adding to the town's appeal. I had lunch at the local Wetherspoon's pub and later checked out the Flagstaff after reading its review in the Good Beer Guide. On leaving Southport I headed south on a Merseyrail Electric service to Liverpool Central. It's been a few years since I last visited this famous city, though this time I'd decided to visit places in town that I'd not been to previously. I headed down to Albert Dock, the well-known leisure area housed in former warehouses. The city is currently celebrating its new World Heritage Site status, which recognizes Liverpool's historic waterfront, and a banner-towing aircraft circled overhead, proclaiming World Heritage City. After having a walk around the waterfront and taking some photographs, I dropped in at the Baltic Fleet brewpub a short walk along the road. The bar was very quiet when I arrived, but picked up a bit soon after. I sampled a variety of the pub's own brews, all of which were on top form. Departure from Liverpool was from Central Station. I headed north on a local service to Ormskirk, in order to travel across another 'new' line. On arrival at Ormskirk I found that I had fifty minutes until my connecting service left for Preston. My copy of the Good Beer Guide was therefore pressed into service and I sought out the Greyhound as somewhere to relax for a while before returning to the station. From here I made the short journey up to Preston, where I caught a southbound Virgin Trains service back to Wigan. Thus ends my week of rail roving across the North West of England. Thankfully, I'd arrived back at base by early evening, so had plenty of time to recouperate, catch up with the day's play at Wimbledon and update the website.
Today's Rail Mileage:	118 Miles
Cumulative Rail Mileage:	1391 Miles

Saturday 3rd July
I wish I'd been able to spend more time in bed this morning, but alas I had a train to catch at 9.35 (now there's a surprise!), but first I also had to pack up and check out of the hotel, as it was time to leave the North West and head back to the normality of day to day life. My journey took me via Crewe and then on to Birmingham New Street, where I thought I'd catch a different service from the one suggested on my rail ticket. This worked well until I reached Reading, where I managed to misread the departures board and as a consequence had a long wait and another two train changes to make before I finally arrived back at Cosham, having travelled on no less than six trains to get there! Crazy! Heavy rain greeted me back on the South Coast...not really what you'd expect in July! So there ends another succesful week-long regional railtour of the UK. This was intended to be the last of its kind, but I can't guarentee I'll be sticking to that plan! You may well be hearing all about an East Anglian Rover before too long!
Today's Rail Mileage:	249 Miles
TOTAL RAIL MILEAGE:	1640 Miles


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