Adventures by train – station to station walks

With over 2,000 mainline train stations, it’s easy enough to find walks from UK train stations but finding achievable station to station walking routes in beautiful locations isn’t quite as simple. With endless options and plenty of opportunity to take a wrong turn or end up somewhere not so lovely, enjoyable station to station walking can be a question of getting the right advice.

Which is why we’re here.

At Fi Darby Freelance we love trains and we love walking so we spend a lot of time combining the two. And we’ve decided it’s about time we started sharing our favourite station to station walking routes with you.

So you can give them a go yourself.

Of course, you could always plan your own walking routes using the fabulous OS Maps app but if you’re worried about missing your train or can’t think of any ideas, take a look at our growing collection of station to station walking routes below.

Station to station walking routes in Devon

1. Teignmouth station to Newton Abbot station

You’ll need a watch for this riverside walk because you can only complete it around low tide. Visit the constantly moving world of the River Teign foreshore and discover a beautiful thatched Devon hamlet as well as a rather well-placed riverside pub.

Instructions and gpx file for Teignmouth to Newton Abbot

2. Torquay station to Paignton station

Why walk along a busy seafront road when you can wander through thatched villages and leafy woods? With countryside delights, seaside landscapes and all the fun of the pier, this walking route is Devon in miniature.

Instructions and gpx file for Torquay to Paignton

3. Teignmouth station to Dawlish Warren station

Seaside train walks don’t get any better than this. Both Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren stations are right on the seafront and whether you choose the beach or the sea wall (remember to wave at the train) you’ll be spoilt for choice on the walk. There’s one steep section that diverts around a tunnel so be prepared.

Instructions and gpx file for Teignmouth to Dawlish Warren

4. Marsh Barton station to Starcross station

Marsh Barton station is one of Devon’s newest stations and well placed for anyone who enjoys a canal walk. You can head into the city centre from here but we chose to walk south until we could smell the fresh salty air of the Exe Estuary. With a river, a canal and some fascinating ferries, this walking route will make you feel like you’re on holiday even if you live just around the corner.

Instructions and GPX file for Marsh Barton to Starcross

5. Topsham station to Exmouth station

You won’t want to leave Topsham and it’s independent riverside vibe but follow this walking route along the Exe Estuary and you’ll discover pretty village pubs, waterside views and some of the smallest train stations you’ve ever seen.

Instructions and GPX file for Topsham to Exmouth

6. Bodmin Parkway to Lostwithiel station

This train walk has the added bonus of possible river swims. I say possible because rivers are changeable creatures and this one can move quite fast. Even without a swim though, this is a lovely walk through woodland and along lanes, with the optional possibilities of steam train rides and a visit to the National Trust’s beautiful Lanhydrock House.

Instructions and gpx file for Bodmin Parkway to Lostwithiel

Station to station walking routes in Somerset

1. Yeovil Junction station to Yeovil Pen Mill station

Arrive at Yeovil Junction station and you’ll feel as though you’ve travelled back in time. With its own traditional cafe and steam trains just across the track, it’s a great place to stop and stare for a while.

But don’t linger for too long. Yeovil is surprisingly ripe for exploration and there’s a sticky sounding folly as well as a green tunnel for you to find on your (relatively short) way to Yeovil Pen Mill station.

Instructions and GPX file for Yeovil Junction to Yeovil Pen Mill

Station to station walking in the UK

Station to station walking routes are satisfying for many reasons. For a start they allow you to enjoy the usual benefits of a circular route (i.e. no repetition) without walking twice the distance. On top of that, there are few things more satisfying than whizzing back along a train line and spotting places you have just walked through.

‘I’ve been there!’ Is one of my favourite (and possibly most annoying) post-walk phrases.

1. Birmingham New Street station to Worcester Shrub Hill station

Canal walks in the UK are often easy to link with train stations because, when they came along and replaced the canals, our train lines often used the same routes across the countryside.

There’s something very special about leaving one city to walk into the countryside and then enter another. You really can’t beat the sense of journey a canal walk gives you, and this Birmingham to Worcester one is a perfect example.

Instructions and gpx file for Birmingham NS to Worcester SH

2. Severn Tunnel Junction station to Chepstow station

The Wales Coast Path as you’ve never imagined it. This walk up the Welsh side of the tidal Severn Estuary takes you underneath both the M4 and the M48 Severn Bridges and past the pumping station for the Severn Tunnel.

It’s an amazing experience to walk somewhere you can only usually gaze upon. This one’s for anyone who likes something a bit unusual, has every wondered what is ‘down there’ and fancies trying their hand at ‘underbridging’.

Instructions and gpx file for Severn Tunnel Junction station to Chepstow station

The UK’s longest station to station walk

If you wanted to complete the UK’s longest station to station walk, you could always get off the train at Penzance station and walk all the way to Thurso station on the north coast of Scotland (less LEJOG, more PENTHO). I understand this would take you around 70 – 80 days but as I have no intention of finding out, you had better give it a go yourself if you really want to know.

The UK’s shortest station to station walk

One way to save those aching legs is to opt for a much shorter station to station walking route. We’ve looked around for you and can suggest three of the UK’s shortest mainline station to mainline station walks.

1. Ryde Esplanade station to Ryde Pier Head station (Isle of Wight) – 681 metres – train ticket back £1.50.
2. Clapham Junction station to Wandsworth Town station (London) -1,310 metres – train ticket back £3.10.
3. Stourbridge Junction station to Stourbridge Town station – 1,005 metres – train ticket back £1.40.

If you’re looking for scenery, I’d suggest the Isle of Wight but the Monarch’s Way walking route goes through Stourbridge and you can always divert to walk a section of the Thames Path if you’re in London.

Wherever you choose, we hope you enjoy your station to station walking routes. Travelling by train is far more sustainable (and we think enjoyable) than arriving by car. Have fun, and don’t forget to let us know how you get on.

More Rail Walks

If you don’t find the train adventure you’re looking for on these pages (we are always adding new ones) you might like to take a look at the Railwalks website, which has links to a collection of great walks-by-train all across the UK.