Steam Train ride to Minehead

There are some wonderful days out that I can think of for the warmer and longer days...such as visiting National Trust Houses, and visits to beautiful gardens...but we are a few months away from that that type of activity and sometimes it is nice to find something different to do when we are around the short, cold darker days of mid-winter.  Most people know that Mr S loves trains, the real ones or model ones, and down in our new County, there is plenty to keep him happy.  There seems to be model exhibitions on most weekends, with wonderfully executed layouts such as this one, which we went down to view one then went on to spend a couple hours and have lunch in Sherbourne, last Saturday.

I made Mr S happy when I accepted to spend a day with him at the Steam Festival on the West Somerset Railway.  After driving down to Bishops Lydeard across beautiful countryside, we sat in a carriage compartment, and started our journey which took us down to the coast to Watchet,  past Blue Anchor Bay, then with Dunster Castle on its rock to the right, we arrived at the station in Minehead.  We happened to share the carriage with a two nice fellow travelers, one of whom had just recently moved down from Coventry!

At Minehead we chose to explore a little by walking westwards towards the harbour, and beyond, along the West Somerset Coast Path, until it became a muddy tract more suited for serious walkers with walking boots.

There was an interesting statue at the start of The West Somerset Coast Path, which was worth looking at...

The thatched cottages leading to the harbour added to the beauty of this stretch of promenade.  Most of the coaches were packed with mainly 'grown-ups'...it was rather a nice way of spending a day off between Christmas and the New Year.

This was a nice day out, interesting locomotives to keep hubby happy, a walk by the sea, and beautiful landscapes.