New Mobile Site
We have just launched a new mobile version of this site - m.trainspots. This page will use your smart device's GPS to loctate you and guide you to locations that are close to your present location.
Location notes
Update March 2007:
The location has now been 'upgraded' with Palisade fencing along the width of the bridge, See Fig 7. This has effectively rendered the location unusable, unless your lens will fit through the gaps in the fence.
On the Great Western Main Line between Maidenhead and Reading.
The location has now been 'upgraded' with Palisade fencing along the width of the bridge, See Fig 7. This has effectively rendered the location unusable, unless your lens will fit through the gaps in the fence.
On the Great Western Main Line between Maidenhead and Reading.
Railway type and traffic
Frequent FGW services operated by HSTs and Class 165/166 Turbos.
Generally light freight traffic but a bit busier around lunchtime and early afternoon, mostly Mendip Rail stone trains, various DBS, Freightliner stone/cement and the GBRF scrap sleeper train.
Generally light freight traffic but a bit busier around lunchtime and early afternoon, mostly Mendip Rail stone trains, various DBS, Freightliner stone/cement and the GBRF scrap sleeper train.
Environment
A road bridge that is restricted for footpath users only.
To the south is White Waltham Airfield, to the north a small office park, the rest is open fields. The path is quite busy with people, horses, bicycles and the odd motorbike.
To the south is White Waltham Airfield, to the north a small office park, the rest is open fields. The path is quite busy with people, horses, bicycles and the odd motorbike.
Road directions
Best to approach this location from the north, from the Thicket Roundabout (where the A4 and the A404(M) meet), head south along Cannon Lane towards Cox Green, pass under the motorway bridge and continue along the road under the railway line at the traffic lighted bridge. Look out for the row of terraced houses on the right after which turn immediately right into Breadcroft Lane (Leading to Breadcroft Road) - this is a narrow road so be careful. Follow the road up, going straight on at the junction, here the road becomes an overgrown track. Park here (see below) and walk up the track to the bridge (out of sight until you come right to it).
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane map co-ordinates
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane map co-ordinates
Parking
Once past the junction and where the road becomes an overgrown track there is a space you can pull into on the right, failing this turn around and park on the pavement in Breadcroft Road.
You can drive right up to the bridge but please DO NOT as you will block the road, if really necessary you can pull into the right half way up the overgrown track but be warned it is very muddy and you may get stuck!
You can drive right up to the bridge but please DO NOT as you will block the road, if really necessary you can pull into the right half way up the overgrown track but be warned it is very muddy and you may get stuck!
Public transport
From Maidenhead (FGWLink, four trains each way an hour, 2 to/from Reading, 2 to/from Oxford) town centre or Railway Station catch the bus (Courtney) number 7a or 7b to Woodlands Park or Sawyers Crescent (every 15 minutes). Get off at the stop outside the Methodist Church (does not look like 'a church'!) opposite the garage. Walk towards the roundabout and turn right into Cannon Lane by the Woodlands Dental Practice. Follow the road along and round the slight bend, Breadcroft Lane is on the left hand side after the post box, there is a footpath sign and a Cycleway Route 4 and 52 sign pointing up it.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
If you go back towards Woodlands Park (turn right out of Breadcroft Lane) there is a small newsagents by the garage. If you go back towards the under bridge (turn left out of Breadcroft Lane) and back up the hill the 'Thatched Cottage' pub can be found on the left. Or from here you can turn right into Highfield Lane go over the railway bridge, past the school and turn left into Wessex Way (after St Chad's Road) where you will find a small shopping parade with Newsagent, supermarket called 'Country store' and Chinese Takeaway and 'Cox Green Autos'.
Accommodation
Holiday Inn and Fredericks Hotel can be found nearby on Shoppenhangers Road (go left at the garage in Woodlands park and follow the road up the hill, across the roundabout and all the way over the motorway bridge and past the Esso Station. Both are on the right hand side.
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.
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane
Streetmap links
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane general view map
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane
Googly map
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane general view map
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Maidenhead, Breadcroft Lane
Who likes this location on facebook
Railway Gen Group
Photographic notes
January 2018 Appeal:
The Great Western Electrification continues expanding towards the south-west making most of the GWML shots west of Ealing on the site currently out of date. Please send in your new images of the old locations with the overhead mast and wires in place so people can see how the locations have changed.
Update March 2007:
The location has now been 'upgraded' with Palisade fencing along the width of the bridge, See Fig 7. This has effectively rendered the location unusable, unless your lens will fit through the gaps in the fence.
The light is good from 0900 - until the sun crosses the line at around 1600. Then it becomes problematic. Up and down relief good for all types of photography. Up line need telephoto lens due adjacent signal gantry. Standing on the large concrete blocks can prove very useful. The down main is not too bad but the up main is a problem due to vegetation in the cutting. In late autumn, winter and early spring shots of up trains can be difficult due to the shadows in the (relatively) deep cutting and from the warehouse to the south of the line. On the south of the shot of down trains there is a works access so sometimes machinery can be parked there.
Would be good for video due to the straight track for a good way in each direction. There is a local airfield at White Waltham so can get noisy with regular light aircraft and helicopters coming and going.
The Great Western Electrification continues expanding towards the south-west making most of the GWML shots west of Ealing on the site currently out of date. Please send in your new images of the old locations with the overhead mast and wires in place so people can see how the locations have changed.
Update March 2007:
The location has now been 'upgraded' with Palisade fencing along the width of the bridge, See Fig 7. This has effectively rendered the location unusable, unless your lens will fit through the gaps in the fence.
The light is good from 0900 - until the sun crosses the line at around 1600. Then it becomes problematic. Up and down relief good for all types of photography. Up line need telephoto lens due adjacent signal gantry. Standing on the large concrete blocks can prove very useful. The down main is not too bad but the up main is a problem due to vegetation in the cutting. In late autumn, winter and early spring shots of up trains can be difficult due to the shadows in the (relatively) deep cutting and from the warehouse to the south of the line. On the south of the shot of down trains there is a works access so sometimes machinery can be parked there.
Would be good for video due to the straight track for a good way in each direction. There is a local airfield at White Waltham so can get noisy with regular light aircraft and helicopters coming and going.
General views - All photographs © Kevin Lee unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking west
Up relief
Fig 2 - Looking east
Down relief
Fig 3 - Looking west
Up main
Fig 4 - Looking west
Down main
Fig 5 - Looking east
Wrong side shot of down lines
Fig 6 - Looking west
Wrong side shot of up lines
Fig 7 - Location Overview
General view of the location and the concrete blocks on which to stand
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.
