Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.

 

Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.

 

Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!

 

Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.

 

Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/

It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.

 

Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.

rudloescene
rudloescene

11th June 2022 and a trip to Melksham in search of steam proved fruitless as I hadn't properly researched the excursion I came to photograph. The Saphos Trains English Riviera Express was pulled by a diesel as far as Taunton (from Solihull) then BR 4-6-2 Pacific Britannia was scheduled to take over for the journey on to Kingswear. The train stopped at Melksham to pick up passengers. The title photo shows a cable burning at Egg 'n' Ogg Self Storage at Shurnhold - this must have been burning all night (you can see part of the trail at left).

Egg 'n' Ogg self storage at Shurnhold. The monumental yellow-flowered plant is, according to 'plant finder', black mustard but I'm not so sure.
Looks like the Unicorn, with a buddleia growing above a first floor window, has seen better days
Unattractive (to say the least) building (presumably flats) in the old Bath Road
The maple stands between the old Bath Road (which I'm standing in) and the new road which becomes Melksham bypass
At the entrance to Melksham Station. SEMH is an acronym - Social, Emotional and Mental Health - see https://semh.co.uk/
Brush Type 47 diesel-electric waits at Melksham Station with the English Riviera Express.
Unfortunately, on this occasion, we have Saphos Diesel not Saphos Steam. 'Pullman dining' tickets started at £365 for this trip.
Another Type 47 diesel is attached to the rear of the train.
The Hub cafe at Melksham Station The Hub is a not-for-profit enterprise supported by the TransWilts Community Rail organisation which sponsors the Swindon - Westbury route. The cafe is similar, in ethos, to the now lost (sadly) Melksham Arts Cafe.
A Melksham 'Dutch gable'
Unloved semi-detached cottages on the Bath Road, a stone's throw from the town centre
Melksham Town Bridge (over the Avon). Similar the the old Chippenham Town Bridge demolished in favour of a new one which could accommodate all the heavy traffic that never materialised as a bypass was built. Planning!
Another view of the 19th-century Melksham Town Bridge and the United Dairies chimney (a third of it anyway)
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© Paul Turner