Washford Station | West Somerset Railway

Washford is well-placed in the village it serves. It is beside the main A39 road between Williton and Minehead, but there is no car park and limited nearby street parking, and its single platform is accessed by steps from below. The station was for many years occupied by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust, who used the main building to house a museum and the yard to store rolling stock. The station has been closed while the Trust vacated the site but reopened after some refurbishment. There is a booking office, but facilities are limited, and further improvements are planned. The platform has an extensive grassy area, which is a pleasant place to watch and listen to the trains as they approach the station up steep gradients from both the Minehead and Bishops Lydeard directions.

Stephen Edge

What to see and do nearby

Next to Washford Station is The Old Mineral Line, a level walk to Watchet, where walkers can catch another train.

A sign-posted walk from Washford station brings you to Cleeve Abbey, a Cistercian Abbey now administered by English Heritage and open during the season from April through October. Show your West Somerset Railway ticket to get entry at a discount. Although the main abbey church is no more, the remaining outbuildings give a fascinating insight into monastic life. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing and encourages visitors to linger.

Further on from the abbey takes you past The White Horse pub, which serves food and has a good garden and play area. Nearby is Torre Cider Farm, where you can learn how Somerset cider is made and even sample some of the produce. Torre Cider farm also has animals, an outdoor play area and serves good food.

Tropiquaria Zoo is 3 bus stops (5 minutes) from the station and has a wide range of animals, both inside and outside, as well as indoor and outdoor play areas and a cafe.

Washford is on bus route 28, which links Taunton and Minehead, as well as many of our other stations.

The station opened in 1874 on the extension of the railway from Watchet to Minehead and has a neat, stone main building. The small wooden building next to it is the original signal box. Opposite the platform was a goods yard and goods shed which were removed in the 1960s. The buildings in the yard were erected by the S&DRT as workshops and for storage but will now be used by the WSR.