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Location notes
A rural footbridge on the Great Western Mainline approximately 3/4 mile North of Cholsey Station.
As with a lot of Great Western vantage points this bridge is being rebuilt and the view will change. Updated images of both the shot and of the bridge itself would be welcomed to update the page.
As with a lot of Great Western vantage points this bridge is being rebuilt and the view will change. Updated images of both the shot and of the bridge itself would be welcomed to update the page.
Railway type and traffic
Frequent Great Western HSTs, Thames Class 165/166 and Virgin Voyagers.
Also Freightliner container traffic out of Southampton operated by 66/5s. Various other DB Schenker flows including engineers traffic to Hinksey Yard and covered car trains between Southampton and Crewe.
Also Freightliner container traffic out of Southampton operated by 66/5s. Various other DB Schenker flows including engineers traffic to Hinksey Yard and covered car trains between Southampton and Crewe.
Link to Real Time Trains
RTT Link Cholsey, Manor Farm
This link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
This link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
Environment
A rural footbridge in pleasant scenery, with very little noise and only local traffic to and from the nearby farmhouse.
Road directions
Leave the A329 Reading to Wallingford road adjacent to Fair Mile Hospital and head towards Cholsey railway station. Take the third right into Honey Lane and continue into the village centre. where the road forks, bear left down Church Road towards the distinctive hump of the bridge over the Cholsey and Wallingford preserved railway and stop adjacent to the church a little way beyond it on the left.
From here follow the foot driections in the public transport notes.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Cholsey, Manor Farm map co-ordinates
From here follow the foot driections in the public transport notes.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Cholsey, Manor Farm map co-ordinates
Parking
Park by the church just North of the bridge over the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway.
DO NOT be tempted to park on any of the farmers land or drive to the location. The farmer does not like this.
DO NOT be tempted to park on any of the farmers land or drive to the location. The farmer does not like this.
Public transport
Cholsey station has a 1/2 hourly weekday stopping service on the London - Oxford route.
From the station entrance walk directly ahead along the main road towards the village centre. Pass through the village centre and bear left at the fork in the road down Church Road towards the bridge over Cholsey and Wallingford line. A little way on there is the church.
Walk around the church building to the left, towards the stile at the bottom of the graveyard. Follow the footpath right into the fields and then left so that you are heading directly away from the church and the bridge is a few hundred yards down the track. It is also possible to walk through between the farm buildings (avoiding the graveyard) but this is not strictly a public right of way.
Because of the awkward geography, the walk is about 1 mile and will take between 20 and 35 minutes.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
From the station entrance walk directly ahead along the main road towards the village centre. Pass through the village centre and bear left at the fork in the road down Church Road towards the bridge over Cholsey and Wallingford line. A little way on there is the church.
Walk around the church building to the left, towards the stile at the bottom of the graveyard. Follow the footpath right into the fields and then left so that you are heading directly away from the church and the bridge is a few hundred yards down the track. It is also possible to walk through between the farm buildings (avoiding the graveyard) but this is not strictly a public right of way.
Because of the awkward geography, the walk is about 1 mile and will take between 20 and 35 minutes.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Cholsey, Manor Farm
Streetmap links
Cholsey, Manor Farm general view map
Cholsey, Manor Farm close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Cholsey, Manor Farm
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Cholsey, Manor Farm
Googly map
Cholsey, Manor Farm general view map
Cholsey, Manor Farm close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Cholsey, Manor Farm
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Photographic notes
The line here runs roughly South South East, with the freight / slow lines running to the East of the fasts. There are morning views out over the fields, but the best time to visit is mid afternoon, where shots can be had from the bridge of all four angles, the widest possible being of the freight / slow lines where most of the interesting workings run. Because of the frequent 125 mph Voyagers and HSTs, even 95 mph charter traffic will tend to use the slow lines.
The location is very quiet with occasional motor traffic to the farmhouse and one or two walkers.
The location is very quiet with occasional motor traffic to the farmhouse and one or two walkers.
General views - All photographs © Wayland Smith unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north west
Fig 2 - Looking south east
Fig 3 - The location
New high sides on the bridge parapets.
Fig 4 - Looking north west
The former view, no longer available
Fig 5 - Looking south east
The former view, no longer available
Location Video
Video by Anthony Kay
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
