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.
23rd August 2023 brought the arrival of the Railway Touring Company's Essex Avon Express (Shoeburyness - Bristol) to Bath. This train ran down the main line through Swindon and Chippenham and was originally scheduled to be pulled by Stanier Pacific Duchess of Sutherland. As it was running half-an-hour late, it was handy that I decided to take photographs from the terrace of Ludo Sports Bar (formerly Graze) adjacent to the station - a gin & tonic tempered the wait.
Leander 'letting off steam' whilst awaiting the right away
Leander awaits the 'right away', the terraces of the Widcombe Hill area and Bathampton Down beyond
Leander's footplate crew wave to the throng at the western end of the station
Leander departs for Bristol with the former Anglican parish church of St Mark beyond. St Mark's was (incredibly) declared redundant in 1973 and reopened as a community centre in 1975.
This was my viewpoint of choice - on the terrace of Ludo Sports Bar
The following day, a Saphos Trains excursion The Golden Hind was scheduled from Slough to Plymouth. Whilst waiting at Bathampton Junction, this southbound freight passed in the charge of an EWS (Deutsche Bahn of course) type 66.
The freight heads south whilst the engine (type 47 diesel) of The Golden Hind appears into view; Bathford Hill beyond
Thar she blows - Saphos Trains 'The Golden Hind' leaves the Limpley Stoke Valley heading for Bathampton Junction and, eventually, Plymouth. At Taunton, the diesel will be replaced by steam - A4 Pacific 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley.
Meanwhile, we see some early-morning calm (it's 9 o'clock) in Bathampton Meadows (Bathford and Farleigh Down beyond)
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