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Written by Wayland Smith - 07 Apr 2004
last update by David Wood - 08 Feb 2017
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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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

Googly map
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



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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.


General views - All photographs © Wayland Smith unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north west


Fig 1 - Looking north west


Fig 2 - Looking south east


Fig 2 - Looking south east


Fig 3 - The location


Fig 3 - The location

New high sides on the bridge parapets.

Fig 4 - Looking north west


Fig 4 - Looking north west

The former view, no longer available

Fig 5 - Looking south east



Fig 5 - Looking south east

The former view, no longer available

Location Video


Video by Anthony Kay

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