We are lucky to have so many talented photographers in our group. This selection, which starts from the beginning of 2023*, is added to on a regular basis. Thank you, ramblers, for sharing these with us and please get in touch if you have any that you wish us to include. As not all ramblers like to be featured in social media, we tend not to publish pictures which can obviously identify anyone. However, if you have permission from people featured in your photos then these can be used in the gallery. We respect the copyright of the images shown, so should any be required for commercial purposes then please email info@railrambles.org for permission to use them. This is also the best email to use if you have any images which you think would be suitable, along with a short description about where they were taken.
*Older photographs can be found in a separate page.
Many thanks to Steve, Shirley, Bob K, Clare, Diane, Richard, Bob O, Liz, Pam S., John, Clive, Tamara, Mark, Martin, Doreen, Chris and Linda for their contributions to our galleries.
It’s been said that Spring has come early this year and this appears to be the case as far as bluebells go. They were already out in their full glory on our walk from Bucknell to Knighton. Hopefully we will see more on our next few walks.
Craven Arms always delivers on views and is a very popular area with our walkers. You can tell by the smiles on faces of the 28 who had a great day out.
A circular walk around Newtown on a bright but blustery (and nippy) day offered extensive views. It was the weekend the clocks went forward, so hopefully the weather will soon warm up!
Our outing to Liverpool, sadly, had to be cancelled due to political demonstrations in the city centre. The leaders very kindly substituted a walk around Lyth Hill instead, which is an area that we don’t visit very often. It made a very welcome change.
More sunshine on offer for our walk around Llangollen. Hats and sunscreen at the ready!
This was a repeat of a walk that we had done last autumn, in atrocious weather, from Broome to Craven Arms. As we knew it was such scenic route, part of the Shropshire Way, it was definitely worth doing again and this time around it was a different story. Perfect.
A very watery ramble around Ellesmere took in 3 meres and part of the Shropshire Union Canal. And one of the photos shows, sometimes we were walking between them. We do encounter all sorts of wildlife on our days out but coming across a boat full of pirates was a first!
The last day of February showing that hopefully Spring is here. Machynlleth spoilted us once again with its seemingly endless scenery. (Spot the new recruit!)
We sometime venture further afield and thanks to Pam we enjoyed a circular walk from Leamington Spa, taking in Warwick and its amazing castle along with lovely stretches of canal.
In between days of rain and sleet, our walk around Craven Arms coincided with one day of wonderful sunshine. Sadly, the recent terrible weather put paid to our visit to Brandhill Gutter, where we had hoped to see a carpet of snowdrops. The views, however, offered plenty of compensation.
After a pull up Townbrook Hollow, we were rewarded with views for miles. At our coffee stop word had gone out to the ponies that there were home made cookies on offer! While we had lunch in luxury, the mist that had come in passed over and we had more excellent views on our descent into Little Stretton.
A walk from Telford to Ironbridge showcased the amazing number of footpaths in the area. And so many trees! With problems caused by all the recent bad weather we were very impressed to see how much clearing up had been done by both the council and volunteers.
A short ramble around Welshpool was followed by a post Christmas lunch. We were just so lucky with the weather, unlike the previous weekend! There were nearly 40 of us on the walk itself with more people joining us later for the lunch. More photos can be found on our Social Page.
A local walk around Shrewsbury took us through the old river bed and across the beaver board walk, with us eventually ending up at Alkmund Pool. And of course there was mud!!!
Our annual Mince Pie walk in Ludlow didn’t give us the views we have had on previous walks there. However the mist made it so atmospheric that we didn’t mind at all.
Slightly different photos for our gallery this week, from Pat’s birthday tea after our walk around Shrewsbury. It’s rude to ask a lady’s age but the cake is a sort of giveaway!! A wonderful celebration, which we all enjoyed, that had been organised by Judith.
It seems that when we go to Caersws we seldom meet other walkers. That’s a bit of a puzzle really because the views are just wonderful.
A walk along the coastal path from Blaenplwyf to Aberystwyth gave us a more unusual view of the town. The descent was tricky but we all took it slowly, which paid off.
Occasionally we will travel by bus as well as train, and this led us to a walk from Broseley to Much Wenlock which took us through the picturesque town of Ironbridge.
It was definitely 3rd time lucky for our joint walk with the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. (Fallen trees and strikes had stymied us on previous occasions.) They very kindly gave us a choice or two rambles that started in Chester – one was 7 miles and linear while the other was 11 miles and circular. The weather was kind to us, as you can see from the final photo. The autumn colours are looking very promising, they will soon be in their full glory.
We headed to Church Stretton for a walk on the Bank Holiday weekend. At the start, there seemed to be many more people with the same idea. However, we walked north on the Long Mynd and soon found that there were less people and more ponies. Autumnal colours very striking in August.
Sunscreen needed yet again on our ramble from Hopton Heath to Bucknell, using the Heart of Wales Line Trail. We met very few other walkers, people don’t know what they are missing!
Always handy to have a vet on hand to deal with frisky young horses! (Just to say, we rarely come across them.) Another day of glorious weather accompanied us from Craven Arms to Church Stretton.
On our route from Tal-y-bont to Barmouth we were treated to such panoramic views that cannot easily be captured in photographs. But take our word for it, they were amazing.
We caught the bus from Chester to Churton and then walked back, along an interesting mix of countryside and small villages.
On a very hot day in early July we headed to Welshpool for a short (thankfully!) walk before having lunch at The Raven. (More photos on our Social Page.)
More views, we are just so spoiled! This time we headed up from Trevor in the direction of Llangollen, before returning back on a lower route.
The weather held good for our trip to Aberdovey at the end of May. There was a refreshing breeze that helped when climbing, with views that made the effort so worthwhile.
A planned walk around Caersws could not take place, due to blocked paths and other issues. Instead, walkers headed to Aberystwyth for another coastal walk which finished in Borth. With more sunshine and such beautiful views, it’s doubtful there were any complaints about the change!
The weather for our long trip to Criccieth could not have been more perfect. We walked the coastal path to Porthmadog, taking in the 2 mile long stretch of Black Rock Sands. The scenery just took our breath away.
The first bank holiday in May took us to Craven Arms for a circular walk. Hopesay Common gave us wonderful views for our lunch stop and our return took us through the very pretty Sibdon Carwood.
During the outbreak of foot and mouth, back in 2001, we had to walk in more urban areas. Nowadays, we occasionally like to offer one of these rambles as a contrast to our usual outings. Birmingham has a long industrial heritage and has buildings to reflect this, alongside those which are a tad more modern.
On a walk from Knucklas to Knighton, a favourite of ours, our group expanded somewhat!
The spring sunshine continued into March, for our Nantwich ramble. This route took in two canals, the Llangollen and the Shropshire Union.
Sunshine was the order of the day when we headed to Church Stretton. Our walk up Hope Bowdler and over to Cardington gave us great views, with the added treat of a faint rainbow in the distance.
Our annual snowdrop walk took us to Stanton Lacy, where the church grounds offered a wonderful display.
On a sunny day at the beginning of February, 30 of us enjoyed an easy 6 mile ramble around Welshpool. We had the added bonus of lunch with a view over a small nature reserve.
A calm between storms gave us a beautiful sunny walk around Craven Arms. The snowdrops were a bonus, a sure sign of better things to come (we hope!).
Sadly, our post Christmas lunch in Chirk was cancelled due to the hotel closing unexpectedly. However, it was great to see so many out on such a social walk – 30 in total, The walk did prove to be tricky in parts, a result of the many storms we’ve had this winter.
The cold snap got worse, with snow lying on the ground on our Wrexham walk. That didn’t stop a few hardy, well wrapped up, walkers!
We had a cold start to 2025, as you can see from the colour of the ground on our Caersws walk. Lots of layers needed!
On the Saturday before Christmas we did a short walk around Welshpool, with some walkers popping into Powys Castle to see the beautiful decorations.
The pesky storms did for us again – this time, Storm Darragh. Some brave souls did venture out to do a Whitchurch Circular and it’s great to see them with smiles on their faces.
With weak winter sunshine, the colours on our walk around Machynlleth put on a show for us. The views went on for miles too.
Storm Bert managed to de-rail our plans to join the Lancashire Rail Ramblers for a ramble from Chester to Aldford. So Instead we walked around the city, taking in the walls and racecourse. And check out the ‘Nowhere’ house, there is a story attached to it which may, or may not, be an urban myth!
Happy faces and glorious autumn colours on our ramble from Dolau to Llandrindod.
A mid November walk around Craven Arms in the sunshine. It’s a great area for walks, with some hidden gems.
For a change, we rambled around Liverpool and it seems that there was a bit of a theme going on. A great, and interesting, contrast to our normal days out.
A misty start to our walk in Church Stretton but it soon cleared and we were treated to miles of views in beautiful sunshine.
Another coastal walk, this time from Borth to Aberystwyth. Train delays meant we ended up with two groups, as some walked from Bow Street instead. It was great that both groups met up at Clarach Bay, couldn’t have planned it better! And look at the weather, just perfect.
Starting in Llwyngwril, this ramble took us along the Welsh Coast path to Tywyn – with just a slight diversion at the end to avoid some road walking. It was a day of mixed weather which led to dramatic skies at the end.
Blue skies greeted our first walk in October, a circular ramble around Cilmeri with an unexpected bus ride to LLandrindod Wells at the end for refreshments. One local also looked a bit surprised.
The great thing about walking groups is the co-operation between them and these are from a walk we did in conjunction with the Shropshire Way Walking Festival. Our route took us around Whitchurch, which incorporates the very start of the trail.
An 8 mile walk taking in a section of the Monarch’s Way, from Bilbrook to Codsall. From a bridge that appeared to be taken over by nature, we waved to a passing train driver and he rewarded us with a toot. We felt like the Railway Children!
It was a day of mixed weather when we did a circular walk around Delamere. However, we ended up in sunshine, with all the rain forgotten.
Llandrindod Wells offers such glorious walking, always a popular destination for our ramblers – and you can see why!
A circular walk around Yorton on a sunny July day, with a variety of scenery.
Another day when the weather forecasters got it wrong! We followed the Heart of Wales Trail from Llanbister Road to Knucklas with its views and friendly locals.
A typical British summer’s day for social walk in Church Stretton to celebrate our 35th year. It didn’t dampen our spirits though and we had an enjoyable post walk lunch and drink at the Yew Tree in All Stretton afterwards – see social page for more pics.
Our walk around Craven Arms took us past Flounders Folly, which is always worth a visit when it is open.
The countryside around Bucknell and Knighton is hard to beat, especially on a lovely sunny day.
With its endless views Church Stretton is one of our favourite places to walk. This time we were on the Caradoc side, which tends to be quieter.
On our walk from Fairbourne to Llwyngwril we detoured to the Blue Lake, with its remnants of industrial machinery. Sadly, due to thoughtless people littering by the side of the lake the access has been blocked up and it can now only be viewed from the top.
Welshpool, on a May Bank holiday weekend – and it wasn’t raining!
It’s always a gamble when we programme our bluebell walk four months in advance. This year, however, they did not disappoint. This was a special walk, as it was arranged jointly with Telford and East Shropshire Ramblers.
From time to time we will use buses as well as, or instead of trains, so we can get to places off the beaten track. On this occasion, it took us to Shelve and from there we walked to Stiperstones.
A walk from Churton to Chester along the river bank provided us with lots of interesting features, different to those we usually see!
Despite the grey weather our walk from Dovey Junction to Machynlleth did still give us some beautiful views.
Another day of spring sunshine on our ramble around Hanwood. There was still plenty of mud though, and we were so grateful to the Cock Inn who allowed us to hose down our boots afterwards. We took advantage of their outdoor seating to sample some liquid refreshments.
We left the rain behind in Shrewsbury and travelled to Fairbourne for a walk to Barmouth to celebrate 35 years of Rail Rambles. This ramble is one of the easier ones we offer but was a favourite of Alan Howard, a man who is responsible for our existence. With views like this, you can understand why he loved this route so much.
The River Teme at Ludlow, pretty full after all the recent rain. Apparently the walk was quite muddy!
Aberdovey always offers amazing scenery – especially on a perfect day at the start of March.
After all the rain, it was great to see the sun back out again for our walk around Cound.
Following the Heart of Wales Line Trail from Broome to Bucknell. Regular Rail Ramble walkers help keep this trail clear for all ramblers. Scenic rail journeys combined with scenic countryside and good pubs make it a worthwhile venture.
A walk around Welshpool on a beautiful spring day, with views and varied scenery enjoyed by 26 walkers.
Mud, glorious mud! There was the occasional relief from it though, on our Frodsham walk.
We managed to stay dry during a short and scenic walk around Chirk before our post Christmas Lunch. More photos of the lunch can be found on our Social Page.
Church Stretton offers spectacular views in every direction, one of our favourite places to walk.
Our first walk of 2024 was mud filled though it did offer a chance to walk off the Christmas pounds, in the woods around Wellington. Trying to blend in (but not succeeding) was this curious deer.
Blue skies and winter sunshine were in order, on our ramble around Welshpool two days before Christmas. A good turnout of walkers along with one or two interlopers!
After coffee and mince pies our annual pre Christmas walk started from the brewery in Ludlow. (Thank you to Mick for supplying the pies!) It was a great turn out, 34 all together, and the weather was so kind to us. We have to also thank the innocent bystander who was roped into taking the group photo, not sure if we all managed to fit in.
A walk following around Leominster, following part of the Herefordshire Trail. The signs give a hint of the area’s best known crop!
A walk around Wellington, with its hidden lakes and autumn colour. Ending up in a local hostelry for a well earned drink.
Even a rainy forecast and bus replacement from Mac doesn’t stop us going to the coast. The walk from Borth to Aberystwyth is one of our favourites.
And we went back to Cravens Arms again for a walk as part of the Shropshire Way festival in September 2023.
Craven Arms offers great walks, with differing landscapes.
Our circular walk in Tywyn started off very grey but soon improved, as the pictures show.
Sadly the sun doesn’t always shine on us, it was such a shame as this walk on the Long Mynd can offer such wonderful views. Another time we hope.
Walking the coastal path to Aberystwyth, such a treat for those of us who live miles from the sea!
A carpet of late blooming bluebells and a buttercup meadow from our walk in Welshpool, last weekend in May.
A touch of summer on our walk from Montford Bridge to Shrewsbury, very welcome!
Despite a cold spring, the bluebells did their best to put on a good show for us on the Wrekin and the Ercall.
A perfect scenery combination of mountains, and sea, accompanied by beautiful sunshine, was enjoyed by us all on this Alan Howard memorial walk from Fairbourne to Barmouth.
The sunshine did not let us down for our walk in Craven Arms, nor did the views.
Travelling to Knighton by train is always a pleasure, and the walks on offer there are always wonderful.
A walk along the Severn Way from Caersws to Newtown, on a glorious day.
A carpet of snowdrops in St Peter’s Churchyard in Stanton Lacy, wonderful sign of spring.
