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Day trip or overnight by rail - thoughts on these (Alton, Bradford-on-Avon, Frome)

Hi all,
I'll have a few days before/after in London while on a trip to Yorkshire and the Lake District with friends in June. I've traveled to England several times and had relatives who lived there at one point, so I've been to a few of the "typical" long day trip or overnight destinations (Bath, Oxford, Cambridge, Salisbury, Winchester, Cotswolds, Windsor).

I'm looking for a town I have not yet seen that's possible for a long day trip or potentially an overnight by rail. Not sure yet whether it will be weekday or weekend. I have not been to Alton/Chawton, thought about Frome because I'm a Sanditon and Poldark fan (filming location for both), and just read about Bradford-on-Avon. Also thought about Chepstow, but that may be more of an overnight destination than day trip.

For those who know Hampshire, Somerset, and Wiltshire, any places you'd recommend? Interested in history, walking around town, spot to eat, and a little shopping. Thank you!

Posted by
1306 posts

I'm a Wiltshire girl originally and have also lived in Somerset. Frome is a good shout. Lovely little town with plenty of independent shops and places to eat. Well worth an overnight stop and a mooch around the shops. Here's the local town website. Bradford on Avon is also pretty, although a bit less going on there than Frome. Here's their town website
Have you thought about Wells? It's got a fabulous cathedral, lots of independent shops and is simply lovely. There is a reasonably frequent bus service from Bristol Temple Meads railway station to Wells. Details here.

Posted by
1451 posts

Wells is nice but it doesn’t have a train station which makes it a bit trickier to get to.

Frome or Bradford on Avon would be good. Not sure either has enough for the whole day. I don’t know if you can do both in one day?

Posted by
920 posts

Thanks, Skyegirl and Helen!
I've heard and read good things about Wells, but yes, at least for this trip, train access is a plus. I hope to see Wells on a future trip.

I'll look at the map and schedules to see if possibly visiting both Frome and Bradford-on-Avon would work. It may require an overnight to take them both in, but that would be okay.

Posted by
8131 posts

Frome to Bradford on Avon is only 22 minutes by direct train, every 2 hours or so.

You could leave Waterloo at 0750 by direct train to Frome, arrive 1005, leave Frome at 1252 or 1452 to Bradford,

Then an hourly train back to Paddington taking around 2 hours with the last back being as late as 2225- you don't want that long a day, just showing what is possible.

There are also hourly trains back from Bradford to Waterloo, changing at Westbury.

Posted by
5471 posts

Presumably Alton/Chawton is on your list because you would visit Jane Austen's house and museum? I think it took me less than an hour to go through it. I lived a short drive from there and I don't remember much else in Alton. Besides a little laundrette I used on weekends.

Posted by
2599 posts

If you are in the north already, why not consider somewhere else northern rather than go back to London & then out SW? You could, for example head to Chester or even Conwy on north Wales.

Posted by
920 posts

Thanks for the idea of Sherborne. I would not have thought of that so appreciate it. The more I look, I suppose Arundel is an option to consider as well. I did think about Chester...may add that back on the list of possibilities.

Thanks all for the suggestions!

Posted by
8131 posts

Arundel station is not that far from the town. Station to Cathedral (about as far as you can get) is 0.8 miles.-
https://www.theaa.com/route-planner/route?from=Arundel%20Cathedral%20of%20Our%20Lady%20%26%20St%20Philip%20Howard,%20London%20Road,%20Arundel,%20UK&to=Arundel%20Railway%20Station,%20The%20Causeway,%20Arundel,%20UK

We actually have a forum member - @cwsocial- staying there in 6 weeks time, and travelling by train.

If you are unable to do the 10 to 15 minute walk use a taxi (who are based at the station)- https://www.castlecarsltd.co.uk/

Use street view and you can see that there is a pavement (sidewalk) all the way.

Posted by
920 posts

Reporting back -
Thank you to all who contributed ideas and information for my question from April. I traveled to Frome and Bradford-on-Avon last Saturday, catching a direct train from Waterloo to Frome, doing a midday transfer to Bradford-on-Avon, and catching an evening return train to Paddington. Easy to do thanks to the suggestions here. I could not get the Great Western website and app to work for me, so I booked through Trainline.

Frome was bustling on a pleasant Saturday with shoppers, diners, and folks just strolling about. Definitely a market town. I've never seen so many charity shops in one place! Numerous independent shops and cafes. I went in part because I'm a Sanditon and Poldark fan, but the town is definitely more than one or two filming streets. Cheap Street with its leat and medieval character was a surprise--very enjoyable. Had a sandwich at Cafe La Strada. Good coffee shop fare and great people watching.

Bradford-on-Avon is smaller as noted. I went to the Tithe Barn and walked a bit of the canal path. A lot of sunbathers and locals playing tennis and cricket. Town seems to be a regional gathering spot. Interesting Georgian architecture and bridge. My two cents: they need one or two more pedestrian crossings! I had a map but still found the canal paths disorienting and knew I had a train to catch, so I did not make it as far as the Avoncliff Aqueduct. With more time or weekend visit, a canoe rental would be fun on a warm day. Bought a sandwich and drink at the Co-op for the train back so can't speak to the restaurants or pubs.

That's a very brief trip report. Thanks again!

Posted by
4894 posts

Sounds like a lovely day! Thanks for circling back around. I had no help, but was very interested in all the suggestions you received.

I will add, for any future readers, that while the train station in Arundel is not in town, it’s a fairly easy walk (except maybe in the rain).

Posted by
2599 posts

Avoncliff actually has a train station - served by only the occasional stopping train.

Posted by
8131 posts

Avoncliff has an hourly train in each direction to Bath and Bristol in one direction, Westbury and sometimes points beyond in the other direction.

It is now a mandatory stop but for may years was a request stop (a flag stop in US parlance) where you put your hand out to stop the train to board, or asked the guard to stop the train to get off.

For anyone who wants to walk a bit further you can switch to walking along the river at Avoncliff and go about 1 1/2 miles further to the village of Freshford which has it's own station with the same hourly stopping service.

All the houses in Freshford have names rather than numbers, and the village featured in the 1953 Ealing Comedy movie The Titfield Thunderbolt.

It is also the confluence of the Somerset River Frome (there is another one in Hampshire) with the River Avon

Pleased your trip went well.