Walking Britain's Lost Railways (2018)

S3E3 Cotswolds

Rob Bell embarks on a journey from the elegant Regency era of Cheltenham, traversing the Cotswolds along the 46-mile path of the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway. This line weaves past various quarries that yield the renowned Cotswold stone—some now deserted while others continue to supply materials for places like Hampton Court. Although the railway wasn't designed for speed due to the hilly terrain, it opened up this picturesque landscape to visitors for the first time. Beginning in the late 1800s, tourists flocked by train to charming villages like Bourton-on-the-Water, sparking a new local tourism industry.