Waterloo to Exeter

N and a friend M wanted to watch the two rugby matches this afternoon ( Wales v Ireland and England v Scotland) but I was fortunate enough to be able to drag N away for a while and drive me to a different place for my daily walk! This springlike day could not be missed!

We walked along a country lane lined with oak trees and grass growing in the middle of the tarmac to the railway bridge that crosses over the Waterloo to Exeter railway line. This section from Yeovil to Exeter was built in 1860 and here it disappears from view down a cutting to emerge the other side above ground level. In years gone by there have been occasions where sparks from the steam engines have set fire to the straw lying in fields at harvest. The remains of the odd beef animal which has escaped onto the line have been found and when this happens the railway staff contact the farmers with the eartag number so it can be identified. The trains run once an hour to Exeter.

The Paddington to Exeter line is the superior line to the South West.