Nature on the Line
Nature look-out - what to see down the line.
Heritage railways are a haven for wildlife as they are often undisturbed for long periods of time. Planting and managing hedgerows can create corridors along which wildlife can travel between what otherwise might be fragmented communities that may be too small to survive. This is what might be seen along our line between Wallingford and Cholsey during the Summer months.
Towards the end of June numerous Pyramidal Orchids flower just to the Wallingford side of the crossing. Mostly they are dark pink in bud and lighter pink when the flowers open but there are also one or two white flowered stems and crosses between the two produce a range of pale pink flowers. The white flowered stems seem to have fewer flowers and are generally weaker.
The Ox-eye daisies are at their best along the embankments during the Summer and the leaves of several walnut trees along the line become fully expanded, like beech trees they are the last trees to come into leaf. In June there are numerous flowering Verbascums (V. nigra) in the banks either side of the tracks, these often hybridise with garden Verbascums so the colour and flower size can be variable.
Hog Roast and Real Ale
Hog Roast Saturday 5th July
Join us on Saturday 5th July for an evening aboard our 1950’s diesel-hauled train for Hog Roast and Local Real Ales.
Another plant that becomes all too obvious are the horsetails which are abundant along Sewer Straight. These plants are hard to control, although anecdotally less abundant than they used to be, when they first emerge through the ballast they look finger-like, pink with a darker tip, but by late June they are green and photosynthetic. These are close relatives of the plants that thrived at the time of the dinosaurs.
The gravel pit lakes in the Grundon workings are vibrant habitats for various species of aquatic birds including Great Crested and Little Grebe, Tufted Ducks and Mallards, Coots, Moorhens and Grey Herons. Along with the large local population of Red Kite, a Fox is often seen crossing the railway line between the level crossing and the station, Roe Deer and Muntjacs can be seen in the adjacent fields, a Barn Owl is often hunting in the early evenings, and the indicator lights for the crossing continue to be a favourite perching spot for a Buzzard.
Hard to spot is Marble White Butterfly, there often seems to be a small number of these on a summer's day either side of the main level crossing.
Start your heritage railway journey today and book your tickets to travel through the countryside on "The Bunk"
Wallingford Railway200 Week
Wallingford Railway200 Week
Come and celebrate 200 years of Britain's railways with us - 19th to 22nd June
Hog Roast and Real Ale
Hog Roast Saturday 5th July
Join us on Saturday 5th July for an evening aboard our 1950’s diesel-hauled train for Hog Roast and Local Real Ales.
Sorry! There are currently no events available.
Start your heritage railway journey today and book your tickets to travel through the countryside on "The Bunk"
Running Days 2025
June 2025
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
Sunday 1 | ||||||
Monday 2 | Tuesday 3 | Wednesday 4 | Thursday 5 | Friday 6 | Saturday 7 | Sunday 8 |
Monday 9 | Tuesday 10 | Wednesday 11 | Thursday 12 | Friday 13 | Saturday 14 | Sunday 15
|
Monday 16 | Tuesday 17 | Wednesday 18 | Thursday 19
| Friday 20
| Saturday 21
| Sunday 22
|
Monday 23 | Tuesday 24 | Wednesday 25 | Thursday 26 | Friday 27 | Saturday 28 | Sunday 29 |
Monday 30 |
July 2025
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
Thursday 1 | Thursday 2 | Thursday 3 | Thursday 4 | Thursday 5
| Thursday 6 | |
Thursday 7 | Thursday 8 | Thursday 9 | Thursday 10 | Thursday 11 | Thursday 12 | Thursday 13 |
Thursday 14 | Thursday 15 | Thursday 16 | Thursday 17 | Thursday 18
| Thursday 19 | Thursday 20
|
Thursday 21 | Thursday 22 | Thursday 23 | Thursday 24
| Thursday 25 | Thursday 26 | Thursday 27 |
Thursday 28 | Thursday 29 | Thursday 30 | Thursday 31
|
August 2025
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
Thursday 1 | Thursday 2 | Thursday 3
| ||||
Thursday 4 | Thursday 5 | Thursday 6 | Thursday 7
| Thursday 8 | Thursday 9
| Thursday 10
|
Thursday 11 | Thursday 12 | Thursday 13 | Thursday 14
| Thursday 15 | Thursday 16 | Thursday 17 |
Thursday 18 | Thursday 19 | Thursday 20 | Thursday 21 | Thursday 22 | Thursday 23 | Thursday 24
|
Thursday 25
| Thursday 26 | Thursday 27 | Thursday 28 | Thursday 29
| Thursday 30
| Thursday 31
|
© 2025 Cholsey & Wallingford Railway. All rights reserved. Website design by MAW Digital Marketing
Follow us on Social Media
Plan your visit
Discover
Contact
Cholsey & Wallingford Railway
Wallingford Station, 5 Hithercroft Road, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 9GQ