More parks and sites of interest accessible by rail

One addition to Anthony Lambert’s fascinating article on rail access to our national parks ( RAIL 902).

Hadrians Wall, the most linear of all national park attractions, is well served by the seasonal AD122 bus from both Hexham and Haltwhistle railway stations.

Having said that, there is a wonderful opportunity to avoid the bus completely 500 metres north of Greenhead, where the Newcastle-Carlisle line crosses both Hadrians Wall and the Pennine Way with adjacent road access.

Two short platforms and a layby are all that’s needed, and passengers could embark along the most scenic stretch of Hadrians Wall or England’s most famous long-distance footpath DIRECTLY from the platform.

Too obvious?

Tom Lloyd, Amble Morpeth

Further to Anthony Lambert’s informative article on national parks ( RAIL 902), may I add another location which is very well-served by rail?

Although not formally a National Park, Epping Forest has many of the characteristics of one. Formerly a Royal Forest, it is steeped in history and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is curated by the City of London Corporation.

The Forest stretches over 12 miles from East London to Epping in Essex. Its southern extremity (Wanstead Flats) is skirted both by the southern end of the Gospel Oak-Barking Line (with one station, Wanstead Park, nearby and named after part of it) and by the Liverpool Street-Shenfield line (Manor Park station is literally across the road from the southern-most point).

The whole Forest is within easy reach of all stations on the Central Line’s Leytonstone-WoodfordEpping branch. Chingford station, on the line from Liverpool Street, is also across the road from Chingford Plain (another part of the Forest), on the edge of which is Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting

Lodge.

None of these places is more than about a half hour’s ride from central London.

And for those interested in heritage railways, the Epping Ongar Heritage Railway (although not directly associated with the Forest) is not far away.

Ian Buckmaster, Romford