Good morning Ron. Good to see you out and about. Blimey that was a difficult one. That good shed had some extensions added through time looking at the brickwork, Nice to see it still being used so will hopefully be around for any years to come.

I'm thinking that the 'ice cream van' was more likely to have been the hot dog/sandwich van delivering welcome brunch to the trading estate ☺

Hi Ron. Many thanks for today's video; I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next episodes! The line from Ashchurch to Barnt Green was known as the "Gloucester & Birmingham Loop". It gave an alternative route from the Midland's Bristol to Birmingham main line, to cater, principally, for the settlements of Evesham, Alcester and Redditch and, significantly, to avoid the notorious Lickey Incline just north of Bromsgrove. The line between Ashchurch and Barnt green was built in stages between 1859 and 1868. In the early days a number of different railway companies owned various sections of the line, but ultimately it was operated by the Midland railway throughout. Ashchurch station (opened 1840) has a very obscure original feature which has survived the closure and later modernisation throughout the years. That is, the tall evergreen (pine?) tree on the down side of the station. It is difficult to say how long it has been there, but it was certainly very well established in pictures of the station from the 1940's. The station closed in November 1971 and lay derelict for many years before being cleared. However, this was not the end as the current station was opened on the site on 30th May 1997. For a brief period of time in 1962, an attempt was made to set up a preservation centre at the station by the Dowty Railway Preservation Society. Various items of stock were assembled, including a 2' gauge operational line within the company's site and the locomotive "Princes Elizabeth", built as no 6201 at Crewe works in 1933. Beckford station was opened on the 1st October 1864 and closed completely on 1st July 1963. An 1880’s map of the station layout shows a weighing machine to the far (main line) side of the goods shed, so I think the area of infill in the road must have been in connection with something else, as I believe it was on the side of the goods shed nearest the road in the video? The goods shed at Beckford is still in outstanding condition and it is good to see it being put to good use. The track from the main line is shown as terminating in the shed on the 1880’s map, but later maps show the track going through the goods shed and terminating on the other side at the cattle pens. One of the important features of Beckford station is that it retains a nice section of typical Midland railway “Pale & Space” fencing in their traditional “slanting” style. The MR used this style all over their system, except for a few instances where the pales were vertical rather than sloping; Ashchurch had the vertical and sloping type at various times of its existence. Ashton Under Hill station was also opened on 1st October 1864 and closed on 17th June 1963. The main building is now part of a very nice private residence with swimming pool etc! The station was on the south west side of Station Road (also known as “The Groaten”) and the land on the north east side of the road, previously unused by the railway, except for the siting of the down home signal, is now a small industrial area. The footpath that you found there Ron doesn’t utilise the old track bed. There are footpaths that cross the railway, and run parallel to it, but none that actually use the course of the line. Hinton station, or to give it it’s proper name of Hinton On The Green, also opened and closed on the same dates as Ashton Under Hill. Like Ashton it was crossed by Station Road (of course!) with the station itself being on the north east side of the road. The station was a pretty small affair with a small goods area, including a weighing machine, and some sidings. Interestingly, the lamp room at the end of the station buildings was a triangulation/reference point for Ordnance Survey mapping. Well that’s about it from me except for a couple of things. Firstly, the aircraft flying about while you were at Beckford station was not me, but I’ll find out who it was and get them banned next time Parkinsons Walks ventures out. Secondly, should those DOWMAC sleepers be re-named SUMAC in recognition of our OVM? Best wishes Ron, Trev.

Some enjoyable detective work, teasing out hidden clues along the way. Some interesting former station buildings, but no bridges to speak of, which seems unusual (to my untutored eye), for what appear to be minor roads (heavy farm and other vehicles?). What a pity. Very interesting footage, nonetheless. Thank you and looking forward to the next instalment. .

Another nice one Ron! That books by r j essery who was into all things midland, and the slanted fencing is pure midland railway

Hi Ron. You have definitely found an interesting route to investigate and your "detective's eye" has never been better. It's nice to see one of your videos again, OVM tells me that she counted eight points in that one where I either cracked a wide grin or outright chuckled at one of your on-target witticisms...add to that a chance to be out in the English countryside and all is right with the world again. Thanks Ron, take care. James

Good Morning, Ron. Well done for picking out the ‘ gems’ on this abandoned railway. One wonders why they deemed it necessary to fill in all the bridges, since any remaining structures look to be in good condition. Nice to see the remaining station buildings, and that goods shed still in use. A very enjoyable adventure and looking forward to part 2. Take care, Ron

Hello Ron - greetings from Poland I really enjoyed this video very much. What a shame any remnants of the railway and it's infrastructure have been obliterated. The photographs of days gone by were fascinating. Shows what a busy area this all used to be. Now it's nothing! A blank barren canvas. I do hope that future videos throw up some relics etc. See you again next week. Stay safe please

Hello again Ron. Lovely piece of nostalgia there. I really enjoyed that film. You found quite a number of relics tucked away here and there. Some of the station buildings were easily recognisable too. Takes a lot of work to completely lose a railway. They survive remarkably well if you know where to look and what to look for. Great piece of detective work Ron.

Fascinating stuff! I've spent many a cold morning on that Ashcurch (or 'The Church' as the guard on the train amusingly referred to it) platform waiting for the 7:24 to Bristol. Looking forward to seeing more on the line towards Evesham. Incidentally, I notice you pronounce 'Evesham' as many locals do, including my late mother who lived in Cheltenham.

Morning Ron looking forward to part 2.l am sure back in the day ashchurch had a flat cross over the main line.

Ron, some great finds there and then bits where it's all sadly gone. The greatest find I think was the sunshine! They do say it shines on the righteous which would explain why I have a cloud over my head right now......but surely where you live webbed feet might prove useful this time of year. Saw some amazing drone shots of Tewkesbury recently with the Abbey somewhat stranded but still high and dry. I wonder how those houses are doing that got built on the flood plain down my end of the main road?

I very much enjoy your "ghost" hunts for the past railways, but at the same time I feel sadness which is strongest when you are able to show the pctures taken at the times when the rails were still operational. I can't help but feel like civilization has slid backwards a bit due to the losses. Those past pictures show a clean, well maintained, and bustling era. Now we see overgrown and bucolic country lanes and pastures. Just a little meloncoly over what we appear to have lost.

Hi Ron, loved the film so far. Looking forward to seeing the next one. I live near Barnt Green and have explored the line to Evesham many times over the past 50 year's seeing modernisation north of Redditch and abandonment and destruction south of it. If you have not filmed this part of the line yet, you will be in for a treat when you see Studley Station - all that's missing from a scene of Victorian tranquility is the track and a train. Best regards Maurice Johnson

I see at your age that your still able to chat-up the birds...! Sorry meant to say bird..! Does your misses know what you get up to in the Gloucestershire countryside..! Nice video, keep up the excellent work..!

I find the 'Gloucester Loop' a fascinating line, and similar to the Cheltenham to Stratford line, it would still make a good diversionary route, if it was open today. It is a shame that the lovely Roman town of Alcester no longer has any railways. I saw the railway bridge remains there in Alcester last year when it was uncovered by builders on Birmingham Road. Now sadly all demolished. There is a lot of development going on in Ashchurch at the moment. Developers are building a huge Cotswold Retail Outlet centre in Ashchurch to rival that at the one at Bicester Village in Bicester, Oxfordshire. I think that they need to give some TLC to Ashchurch Station before they open it, because the one at Bicester, also rail served (right off the platform and into the shopping centre!) attracts some very high end shoppers, and has been enormously improved. This was a super tour of all the remains at the southern end of the loop. I look forward to the next installment! Have a great week Ron, take care, Paul.

So glad Ashchurch was reopened! Is the church near Ash trees? ( original name "Asschirche') p s instead of DMUs you found EMUs..!

Mornin' Ron, well the railway gods werent too kind on you on this one but at least their colleagues on the next cloud gave you a perfect day to go out!! Interesting to see the start of the Tewkesbury Malvern branch line as it was from this line that the bridge was provided for the Bluebell Railways planned extension (according to wikipedia anyway). Lots of missing masonary, abutments, parapits and no sign whatsoever of any coping stones, I wonder .................... Good to see the engine shed being used; shame about the adjacent loading dock. I wonder what the water tower is used for, it looks in good condition. I had a look on railpmaps online Its quite some branchline maybe you will have better luck further north. It seemed strange to see an Ostrich so I did a quick search and found the British Domesticated Ostrich Association, it says Ostrich Meat is a red meat with the characteristics of poultry meat and low in fat. I had visions of you poaching one, it would keep you in sandwiches for the rest of the year! Snow is forecast for us next week right down to 500 metres we are about 1000 metres so maybe will will get a sprinkling. Good luck from Spain!!

Hi Ron , when you get to Evesham large parts of the railway are accesible , including part which is now the access road to the sewage works which finishes where the river bridge stood, the lovely stone abutments still standing and worth a look ; the far side accesible through a footpath through the park which then follows the existing gwr line past the old goods yards to the station; which still standing and is the opposite side of the car park to the gwr one , then it goes under the old road bridge , which can be seen via back new housing estate and brickwork still existing to one side of the high street ; it then veers to the north where it went over the gwr line and can be walked now as a foot path for a long way up to the back of twyford country park ,

There was a Dow Mac "concrete" factory south of Gloucester by the main railway line to Bristol at Nass Lane, Quedgeley. Honestly!

I’ve been to ashchurch a few times and I saw the old track disappearing to the right which made me think that this was the line connecting redditch to ashchurch Ron

The "engine shed" is in fact the station goods shed.

Shame to see what Ashchurch became, just a bog standard 1990s station, at least theres the old water tower and station sign to show that the station did exist in a form before its current form. At least the only reminant of the Ashchurch - Barnt Green line south of Redditch is still intact to show it was a rail junction as well pre beeching - Just a shame it will never reopen in spite of the alignment being rather intact for Ashchurch - Evesham.