Exploring picturesque Wiltshire by rail

20 June 2018

Guest blogger Ava Mae Robinson explores the delights of Wiltshire by rail.

My sister, Ciara and I love exploring, especially if it means we can travel by train. Today's adventure took us only an hour out of London, passing through busy Reading and out into the picturesque rolling countryside. We arrived in Swindon mid-morning and jumped straight onto our next train. This was the start of the TransWilts line.

Our little train, with just three carriages, was very different from the high speed Great Western train we had got on in London. However, I liked this more!

Trowbridge
Trowbridge Station

We decided to hop off the train at Trowbridge.

We walked only five minutes away from the station to find a quaint little bridge known as Town Bridge alongside information boards that provided us with the history of the area.

After a quick coffee stop we headed back to the railway station, ready for our next destination.

Our next stop was the quaint village of Westbury.

At the entrance to the station we spotted a town map that included interesting places to visit and, as we had a couple of hours to wait until our next train, we decided to venture into the centre and explore a few of these historic buildings for ourselves.

The town itself is about a twenty-minute walk from the station but we were ready to stretch our legs.

On our way back to the station, we stopped for lunch at a quaint local pub called The Railway Inn, perfectly located five minutes from the station.

Westbury
Westbury Station
Melksham town sign
Melksham

Back on the train our next stop was Melksham.

We arrived at a small station, with only one platform and a sheltered waiting area it was a different world to what we were used to in London.

A short 15-minute walk took us into the heart of the town, a real hidden gem just waiting to be explored. And that's exactly what we did!

What a gorgeous sunny afternoon we chose for an adventure.

Sunshine, blue sky, not a cloud to be seen – it was perfect!

Our first stop was Melksham Tourist Information Centre, where a couple of lovely volunteers supplied us with plenty of maps and ideas of things to do.

Melksham tourist information centre
Melksham Tourist Information Centre
Melksham heritage
One of Melksham's historic buildings

As it was such a beautiful day we decided to try out the self-led heritage trail around the town.

Ciara loved finding out about the history of each building, there was so much to learn about this picturesque Wiltshire town. I was just happy to be spending quality time with my sister, anything else was a bonus.

Soon it was time to head home. We decided to take a taxi back to the station and five minutes later we were back at the station waiting for our train to take us back to Swindon and then home to London.

Our adventure was over for now, but not before we caught a glimpse of the famous White Horse painted onto the Wiltshire hills, I didn’t expect to be able to see that from the train!

What a wealth of history the TransWilts line has! Both Ciara and I were surprised at how much we learnt.

There’s still lots to discover and it’s so easy to explore by rail so I expect we will be making a return visit sooner rather than later!

Click here to discover more and plan your own journey along the TransWilts line...

Travelling along the TransWilts line
Travelling home after an exciting day along the TransWilts line.
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