Is this where it all started? The Lyme branch and me.

Memories of the Lyme Regis branch line



I will start off this piece with some dates.

The Axminster to Lyme Regis branch line opened on 24th August 1903: 122 years, and one day ago, as I write this blog.

The branch closed on 29th November 1965.

I was born in September 1965, just three months before the closure. My mum had told me in the past that I had travelled over the line from Axminster to Lyme when I was a baby, and despite having no memory of this (understandably) I have always felt good about that. Mum passed away three years ago and it was only just the other day, when speaking with my dad, that the subject came up again and he confirmed, without prompting, that she wanted to have a final ride on the line before it closed and so off she went, with me. By then the service would have been operated by a diesel railcar, not steam. As you can imagine the fact that I actually travelled over the line has a special place in my heart. Growing up in Axminster allowed me to really learn about the railway, as much as I could, and it remains a favourite of mine.





The views of Cannington Viaduct from Shapwick Lane.



The infamous jack arch, supporting the Axminster end of the viaduct after the foundations sunk in the weak ground, even before opening in 1903!


Monday 4th August 2025.

Terry Guppy, probably the last surviving employee and a young fireman on the "Lyme Billy" during the late '50s and early '60s, passed away on this day. Terry was a family friend, my mum and dad knowing him and his family since their early days involvement with the cricket club, where Terry was a demon fast bowler and captain of the Second eleven team for many years. To be honest I had no real contact myself with Terry for years but in recent times had spoken to him on the phone during his time as a Trustee of the "For The Love of a Railway" group in Axminster, a group dedicated to preserve the memory of the railway. A week before Terry's passing I was able to bring my dad and Terry together at Axminster station, during the annual model railway event held there. It was a special moment, as in retrospect we would not have realised that Terry would be gone a week later.



Dad and Terry, a couple of old reprobates if ever there was! Axminster station, a week before Terry's passing.

Monday 25th August 2025.

OK, I was at a loose end, not sure what to do with myself, and as it was a scorcher of a day too good to stay in. So I jumped in the car and drove off toward Lyme, thinking that I would take a walk along the beach at Charmouth. But something unplanned happened as on my way thoughts came back about Terry and my dad reminding me of my trip on the railway, I found myself turning left at the Trinity Hill junction of the A3052 and drove to Shapwick and Cannington. In reality I'm only 10 minutes away from this location but I hardly ever visit.



Approaching Shapwick from the Combpyne direction.



The ground has been built up here in the intervening years, giving a slightly elevated view of the line as it heads for Shapwick and Cannington. You get an appreciation of the scenery as it was and still is, and also of the desperate weather conditions - dead grass everywhere!

Shapwick and Cannington Viaduct are the two locations where many of the iconic photos of the line were taken and I decided to capture some images of my own and search for some views that I might recognise. I had been here before, in the past, but never to take photos. I had a lovely hour or two exploring, finding footpaths that took me around the area and allowing me to find some of those views. The afternoon was hot and the landscape parched as you can see. After a climb up into the field adjacent to Cannington Viaduct I stopped and rested and just took in the view and the sounds. It was just so serene, the distant bleating of a sheep, the gentle breeze rustling the dry grass, and the cry of a buzzard in the wind was all that I heard. But wait, was that a feint whistle coming from the Combpyne direction? My mind was playing tricks, or was that Terry sending out a warning sound that the train was approaching as he passed under the Trinity Hill road bridge and through the shallow cutting on the way towards Shapwick? No double-headed Adams Radial tank plus five on a summer Saturday special over the viaduct today, nor ever again. But squint your eyes and let you mind drift, and maybe you can imagine the line coming back to life again.



Almost hidden! The ivy-clad bridge at Shapwick often seen in photos of the line from the steam era.

So the afternoon was not wasted after all and I am so glad that I veered off as I did. Totally unplanned.

My life-long love of all things railways had to have begun somewhere and thanks to my mother, at the age of two to three months I had my first train ride, on the "Lyme Billy". Passing through Shapwick and over the viaduct at Cannington, on the way to the seaside, the gentle swaying of the train and the clickety-clack of the wheels on the rail joints clearly left an indelible mark on my mind that has never left me. Thanks mum!

By the way, I also made a short video whilst relaxing in the field adjacent to the viaduct. You'll hear the breeze, the distant bleating of a sheep and the cry of a buzzard. But did you hear the whistle of the Lyme Billy too? Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/ROkEB2p_zzw