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.

November/December 2025 - the Bath Christmas Market steam specials started on 29th November with the 'Bath and Bristol Christmas Express' from Paddington which was routed via the West of England main line (Newbury, Westbury etc) and the Limpley Stoke Valley. I therefore stationed myself at Glasses Crossing, Bathampton which enjoys good views down the LS Valley. Unfortunately, I chose to video the train with my old Nikon D90 which isn't performing as well as it used to (a bad workman always blames his tools!) and the result was quite forgettable really - see below.

Any road up, there will be many more opportunities with six further steam specials scheduled as follows:

• 2nd December - the Bath Christmas Market Express from Rugby behind 71000 Duke of Gloucester
• 4th December - as above but this one from Dorridge (wherever that may be)
• 6th December - as above but this one from Ely
• 9th December - the 'London to Bath Christmas Market' special from Victoria
• 12th December - as per the first three above but this one from Three Bridges (West Sussex)
• 13th December - another 'Bath and Bristol Christmas Express' (as per 29th November with 35028 Eddystone) but this one from Three Bridges

2nd December 2025 - BR Pacific 71000 Duke of Gloucester charging up the Limpley Stoke Valley towards Bathampton Junction with the Bath Christmas Market Express from Rugby. Trust the passengers enjoyed the market following their seven-hour journey!

4th December 2025 - once again BR Pacific 71000 Duke of Gloucester brings an express into Bath for the Christmas Market. This one started at Dorridge at 06:05 and it is seen below passing Glasses Crossing at Bathampton at 13:15. This was a long journey for such a short stay in Bath as the train was scheduled to return at 15:57!