Cotswold and Exmoor Explorer

Name: Cotswold and Exmoor Explorer
Start: 2026-07-18T07:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-07-18T22:30:00+01:00
Location: 6th Floor, Derwent House, 150 Arundel Gate, S1 2FN Sheffield, United Kingdom

Schedule

Sat Jul 18 2026 at 07:00 am to 10:30 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

6th Floor, Derwent House, 150 Arundel Gate, S1 2FN Sheffield, United Kingdom | Sheffield, EN

Remember May 2026 when we took a Hastings DEMU to Scotland? Well, we are doing it again! But this time we are going West, to the glorious coastal town of Minehead.
With thanks to GBRf and Hastings Diesels Limited (HDL), we are pleased to present this exciting opportunity to join the Hastings 6-coach unit on an exploration from the Southern extremities of Hastings, all the way West to Minehead, and back again! For those of you on board any of the previous Hastings Unit trips, you will know that this will be another special trip with fond memories made along the way.
And in true BLS Style, we will be covering a number of loops and rare track items of interest, which we are sure will be a draw.
The Hastings DEMUs are from a class of 23 diesel-electric trains built in the late 1950s to replace steam-hauled stock operating between London and Hastings via Tunbridge Wells. The six-coach units, incorporating diesel generators at each end, were unique in having especially narrow bodies which enabled them to pass through the unusually narrow tunnels on the Hastings line. We are very lucky to still be able to travel on one of these beautifully maintained units, after they were finally withdrawn in 1986.
With a number of easy boarding locations including Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Redhill, Reading, Oxford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Honeybourne and Worcester, you are sure to be able to join us for this fantastic day out to the seaside.
After our trip over the Cotswold Line, we head South towards Bristol and onwards to Taunton, before covering the rare and much sought after connection to the West Somerset Railway.
Twenty miles of heritage railway through stunning Somerset countryside and coast. The railway, a true country branch line of the old Great Western Railway, is full of fascination whether you are looking for a nostalgic ride back in time through lovely countryside or to study the railway and industrial heritage which our line preserves. You can find out more at their website: https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk
A Set Down and short break at Bishops Lydeard will allow you to take some treasured photos of the train, plus look at the depot and station environment there. We continue directly up to Minehead, arriving at the station literally opposite the beach, just before 15.00. After a short break here for fish and chips, some clear crisp sea air or to visit Butlins for some World Class entertainment, we return to Bishops Lydeard before covering the connection back into Taunton.
Onwards back through Bristol, Cheltenham and Worcester, before returning again over the Cotswold Line and back to Oxford, Reading and ultimately Hastings, arriving sometime around 22:00. A truly epic day and the Thumper will be doing its best to drown out all other noise around it throughout the day!
For those with their highlighters ready, we have a multitude of track offerings for you, including Down Reading Spur, Cheltenham Landsdown DGL, Bristol Parkway DGL, Bristol Temple Meads Down and Up Through, Taunton D&U Relief, West Somerset Railway heritage connection, Highbridge & Burnham Goods, Cheltenham High Street UGL and Reading Low Level.
We are working in partnership with the fantastic team at HDL, who will provide their famous buffet service and souvenir sales stand. There will be a charity raffle supporting the Cotswold Line Promotion Group.
All times and routing are indicative until confirmed by Network Rail. Final routing and timings are usually confirmed by Network Rail five days before travel and will be enclosed with your e-ticket.

Hastings (PU 07:02) - St Leonards Warrior Square - West St Leonards - Crowhurst - Battle - Etchingham - Tunbridge Wells (PU 08:00) - Tonbridge (PU 08:12) - Redhill P0 (08:40 PU/RM) - Guildford - Down Reading Spur - Reading (PU 09:45) - Didcot Parkway P5 - Oxford P3 (PU 10:10) - Charlbury - Moreton-in-Marsh (PU 10:30) - Honeybourne (PU 10:40) - Evesham - Worcester Shrub Hill P2 (PU 11:00 / RM) - Abbotswood Jn - Cheltenham Landsdown DGL - Barnwood Jn - Cam & Dursley - Yate - Bristol Parkway DGL - Bristol Temple Meads Down Through - Yatton - Taunton - Taunton D&U Relief - Bishops Lydeard (SD 13:30) - Minehead (SD 14:50)
Minehead (PU 15:50) - Bishops Lydeard (PU 16:45) - Taunton - Highbridge & Burnham Goods - Yatton - Bristol Temple Meads Up Through - Bristol Parkway UPL - Yate - Cam & Dursley - Harfield UGL - Barnwood Jn - Cheltenham High Street UGL - Worcester Shrub Hill P1 (SD 19:30/RM) - Evesham - Honeybourne (SD 19:50) - Moreton-in-Marsh (SD 20:00) - Charlbury - Wolvercote Jn South Up Oxford Relief - Oxford (SD 20:20) - Up Didcot Avoider - Reading (SD 20:45) - Reading Low Level - Guildford - Redhill P0 (SD 21:25 / RM) - Tonbridge (SD 21:45) - Tunbridge Wells (SD 22:00) - Etchingham - Battle - Crowhurst - West St Leonards - St Leonards Warrior Square - Hastings (SD 22:30)
The Buffet car will be open throughout for the sale of hot and cold food & drink at reasonable prices.
Standard Plus guarantees a seat in a DMBS vehicle, so you are in prime position to hear the English Electric engine working hard!
And for those of you that love a good table, convenient for your maps, snacks and well-earned refreshing drinks, we will be delighted to confirm that table seating will be allocated strictly on a first-come, first-served basis - with priority to early bookers.
Motor coach bookings and requests for seats with a full table are expected to be extremely popular. In addition, if you specifically wish to request seating in the standard width 4-CEP and 4-BIG trailer coaches, please state in your booking notes and we will do our very best to accommodate your preferences strictly on a first come, first served basis.