doncaster to weymouth day trip

[goatie]

hi folks thinking about a flying visit to weymouth this week, last time I went though Weymouth was for the ferry it was the week Elvis died that's how long ago, we got the night ferry at Waterloo we had a drink in the station bar and tommy Cooper was in there drinking the porter came in "Mr Cooper your trains ready to go"
thats by the by, whats the best route Donny-KX Waterloo-Weymouth seems like a long route
we are only going for a daytrip, normally go to Torbay but thought we could try somewhere else this time
going on staff priv ticket so not costing a bean

 

[30907]

hi folks thinking about a flying visit to weymouth this week, last time I went though Weymouth was for the ferry it was the week Elvis died that's how long ago, we got the night ferry at Waterloo we had a drink in the station bar and tommy Cooper was in there drinking the porter came in "Mr Cooper your trains ready to go"
thats by the by, whats the best route Donny-KX Waterloo-Weymouth seems like a long route

It's not far short of 300 miles.
The alternative is via Bristol which would be slower.

 

[goatie]

thanks, only been from southern region couple of times 40+ yrs ago so not sure of thier routes, if we go will be via waterloo then

 

[randyrippley]

Can you actually do that return in a day?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Can you actually do that return in a day?

Long day but do-able. Ballpark two hours each way from Doncaster to London Kings Cross, three hours from Waterloo to Weymouth, plus the cross London transfer.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Tales a bit longer, but changing at Stockport (walk through subway) and Southampton Airport Parkway (same platform) minimizes hassle in changing trains. Or possibly changing at Peterborough/Stevenage, London Bridge and Waterloo East to Main.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

...going on staff priv ticket so not costing a bean

Be a tad expensive otherwise. Are you eligible to travel in 1st class?

 

[richard17smith]

it can be done in a day.

 

[jfollows]

It could be done in the past too: 07:22 Macclesfield-Euston 09:34, 09:54 Waterloo-Weymouth Quay, time for some fish and chips and an ice cream and then back the way I came. Probably a year or two after goatie first made the trip.

 

[duffield]

Quickest journey I can find seems to be Doncaster (0714)->Kings Cross->Paddington->Castle Cary (or Westbury)->Weymouth

Planner - Results - FastJP

www.fastjp.com

I make it about half an hour faster than going via Waterloo.

 

[goatie]

Be a tad expensive otherwise. Are you eligible to travel in 1st class?

sadly not the joy of first class for me

 

[goatie]

Can you actually do that return in a day?

we do paignton & Torquay for flying visit, nice to see the sea and get back yesteryear holiday memeries
6:30 donny Paignton 1240, rtn 1616 donny around 9;50
whatelse to do when retired

 

[paul1609]

hi folks thinking about a flying visit to weymouth this week, last time I went though Weymouth was for the ferry it was the week Elvis died that's how long ago, we got the night ferry at Waterloo we had a drink in the station bar and tommy Cooper was in there drinking the porter came in "Mr Cooper your trains ready to go"
thats by the by, whats the best route Donny-KX Waterloo-Weymouth seems like a long route
we are only going for a daytrip, normally go to Torbay but thought we could try somewhere else this time
going on staff priv ticket so not costing a bean

Why Weymouth? Its a nice enough place but an awful long tedious rail journey even just from London. If you want to go on the Southwestern, Poole, Bournemouth and Pompey have more of interest. Thameslink just accross the road from Kings Cross take you to Brighton, Southeastern next door will wisk you to Folkestone, Margate or Whitstable all again with more interest than Weymouth.

 

[30907]

Quickest journey I can find seems to be Doncaster (0714)->Kings Cross->Paddington->Castle Cary (or Westbury)->Weymouth

Planner - Results - FastJP

www.fastjp.com

I make it about half an hour faster than going via Waterloo.

Not thought of that option! And it's a pleasant trip from about Newbury onwards.

 

[Alfonso]

Why Weymouth? Its a nice enough place but an awful long tedious rail journey even just from London. If you want to go on the Southwestern, Poole, Bournemouth and Pompey have more of interest. Thameslink just accross the road from Kings Cross take you to Brighton, Southeastern next door will wisk you to Folkestone, Margate or Whitstable all again with more interest than Weymouth.

Speaking as a Man of Kent, while they all have their charms, Weymouth bay is quite spectacular and very different to the Thames Estuary at Whitstable or the channel at Folkestone or Margate. Unfortunately it started raining in the Southwest around October and hasn't stopped yet. I'd yiu dint have to book far in advance I'd look at both the weather and where the wind is coming from and go wherever looks sunniest/most sheltered from the wind.

 

[paul1609]

Speaking as a Man of Kent, while they all have their charms, Weymouth bay is quite spectacular and very different to the Thames Estuary at Whitstable or the channel at Folkestone or Margate. Unfortunately it started raining in the Southwest around October and hasn't stopped yet. I'd yiu dint have to book far in advance I'd look at both the weather and where the wind is coming from and go wherever looks sunniest/most sheltered from the wind.

If you were going for a weekend with the chance to walk along the coast Id tend to agree with you but if its a day trip with a couple of hours at the destination, I suggest any of the locations I suggest have better facilities. A three hour outer suburban dawdle on to a single track branch line to see some tramway rails imbedded in the roadway and a closed ferry terminal is just too long imho. Weymouth is just not the place it was 30 years ago.

 

[Alfonso]

If you were going for a weekend with the chance to walk along the coast Id tend to agree with you but if its a day trip with a couple of hours at the destination, I suggest any of the locations I suggest have better facilities. A three hour outer suburban dawdle on to a single track branch line to see some tramway rails imbedded in the roadway and a closed ferry terminal is just too long imho. Weymouth is just not the place it was 30 years ago.

The tramway rails and most of the ferry terminal are long gone!

 

[paul1609]

The tramway rails and most of the ferry terminal are long gone!

Google maps must be out of date then. Must admit I havent been there for a couple of years.

 

[goatie]

Thanks for all the messages folks

did think about Bournemouth for day out, think its going to be back to paignton this time,
but will look going at Pompey and Poole in near future to use up last years passes

 

[hermit]

Weymouth station is very near the seafront and beach; Bournemouth station isn’t.

 

[75A]

Brighton station isn't that far from the sea but it a bit of a hill on the way back up.
Used to do it every day when I was much younger.

 

[goatie]

Want a sandy beach, from memory Brighton is stones
Looks like its Paignton tomorrow (familiar and I like familiar)

whats it like at Poole ? again just a flying day trip (times look like 1130-1630)

 

[30907]

whats it like at Poole ? again just a flying day trip (times look like 1130-1630)

It's a small port, the functional bits are IIRC on the Hamworthy side but the town side isn't bad. Might get a ferry to Brownsea Island, and there is/was a miniature railway in Poole Park. No beach AFAIK.

 

[paul1609]

Weymouth station is very near the seafront and beach; Bournemouth station isn’t.

Bournemouth Interchange is 1.2 miles from the sea front. Theres loads of buses etc. To walk is 27 mins on google maps. Weymouth Station is an extra hour on the train then a 10 min walk to the beach.

 

[hermit]

Weymouth Station is an extra hour on the train then a 10 min walk to the beach.

3 minutes to the Queen Victoria Clock by the beach.

 

[Grecian 1998]

I wouldn't advise travelling via Castle Cary if time is tight - the Exeter stoppers and Weymouth trains are both 2 hourly and connections are often sub-optimal. If you do miss a connection, the town's some way off and there's not much around the station.

Weymouth has plenty of nice spots even if the area around the station is sufficiently grim it's led to the permanent closure of the station toilets. The beachfront along the Esplanade is very nice and has fine views over towards Ringstead Bay and Lulworth Cove (although not into the Cove). Brewer's Quay is very pleasant, as is the Nothe Gardens overlooking Portland. There's also the Rodwell Trail on the old railway route to Portland which has some fine views south of Sandsfoot Castle over Weymouth Bay. Admittedly none of these are very close to the station and if you aren't a keen walker, may not be doable without a taxi.

Poole does have a very long beachfront - but it's so far off it makes Bournemouth station look close to the beach. It's about an hour's walk from Poole or Parkstone stations to Sandbanks / Shore Road beach, and about 45 minutes at a brisk pace from Branksome to Branksome beach. Bournemouth is the best of a poor bunch - Pokesdown and Christchurch aren't much better. New Milton is about a brisk 40 minute walk from the beach at Barton on Sea.

All beaches mentioned are sandy if that helps.

The London - Weymouth route is quite nice - the only place you can have a 100mph run these days on the third rail as far as Winchester IIRC. Rolling chalk hills through Hampshire, impressive views of the Itchen and Test at Southampton, a pleasant run through the New Forest, views of Poole Harbour either side of Poole, a run beside the Frome over the Dorset heathland, then finally a climb past Maiden Castle south of Dorchester before dropping down into Weymouth as the sea comes into view. Granted it isn't the West Highland but it's quite varied and largely rural.

Still a very long day out though, particularly once the sun goes down!

That was an advert on behalf of the South Dorset Tourist Board...

 

[AlbertBeale]

Want a sandy beach, from memory Brighton is stones
Looks like its Paignton tomorrow (familiar and I like familiar)

whats it like at Poole ? again just a flying day trip (times look like 1130-1630)

When the tide's out there are odd bits of sand to be found around Brighton ... but not so many. Essentially, it's a "sunbathing [assuming the weather...] on pebbles scenario (though I've always managed to snooze on them perfectly comfortably).

 

[goatie]

thanks again for the tourist info,
Grecjan what a write up, thanks indeed
we are going to sit on beach (hiding the chips from the seagulls) a little paddle, walk up the shops to pick up food for the rtn trip
Don't want to be walking miles so maybe we are staying going to Torbay stations for our summer (Priv) days out

 

[goatie]

just update, we went to Paignton,
looked a bit run down to me, but easy to get around
as someone said earlier, looks like the rain tap been turned on all winter
from Reading to Exeter the rivers and dikes look very high, fields that should be full of oilseed rape have a few odd bits and lots of mud, grass fields with cows or sheep in look wet and damp
looks like food prices up again this year

 

[duffield]

just update, we went to Paignton,
looked a bit run down to me, but easy to get around
as someone said earlier, looks like the rain tap been turned on all winter
from Reading to Exeter the rivers and dikes look very high, fields that should be full of oilseed rape have a few odd bits and lots of mud, grass fields with cows or sheep in look wet and damp
looks like food prices up again this year

Paignton looked "a bit run down" fifty years ago when my parents took me there on holiday! Its main attraction for me nowadays is that it has a steam train service to Dartmouth.