Train to Bridgnorth

Bridgnorth 17thC Town Hall

Arrival at Kidderminster

The morning gave us rain again - as forecast so it didn't upset our plans. First job was a quick visit to Sainsburys, 2 minutes walk down the towpath, to stock up for the next few days. After that we separately went into Kidderminster town centre for a bit of shopping.

After lunch we could have moved on to Stourport but we decided to leave the boat at Sainsburys and to take the hour train ride on the Severn Valley Railway from its main terminus at Kidderminster up the Severn to the attractive old town of Bridgnorth.

The Severn Valley Railway was set up as an enthusiasts line running steam trains, but is now clearly highly professional. We left on time at 2:20 behind a 2-6-2 tank engine and arrived an hour later at Bridgnorth. There is much to see on the journey, amongst the sights is the bridge over the Severn which at 200 foot was the longest single span in the world when it was built in the 1860s. We could have returned after half an hour but decided to spend a while exploring Bridgnorth.

Its a really interesting town with many old buildings, one half at the top of a hill close to the castle and the other by a bridge over the Severn. We walked down to the lower town from the railway station and then took the cliff railway up the cliff to the upper town where we spent a good hour looking at the shops, buying some rare cheeses from a deli and having a coffee.

Unfortunately the Bridgnorth station buffet (bar) was closed when we returned to catch the train back, but we recuperated once we reached Kidderminster where the station bar there is in the Good Beer Guide.

Once back on the boat we cooked our evening meal. Of course I do this most evenings, but I mention the meal to recommend the wine we had with it - Vavasour, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It was absolutely delicious, one of the best white wines I have tasted for a long time.