 Hello, thank you for joining me. I'm out for a walk on Greenham Common in Berkshire today We're going to a new miniature railway or a newly open miniature railway Which is in the village of Greenham not far from Newbury But first of all come for a walk on this very vast common which used to be RAF Greenham Airfield and here Is the old control tower so before we go to miniature railway I thought we'd go and have a look at this because it seems you know seeing as it's next door Why not and then I'm going to walk across the very vast common along the old runway To find this miniature railway, so it's a cafe on the ground floor and There's a bit of a museum on the upper floors, so let's go have a look so here. We are look welcome to Greenham Common USA Airforce station, so it was an American base as well as being an RAF place. So as we go in here They come into here On the ground floor there they have a cafe so I'm pretty going to get coffee in there But before we go up here, this is where it gets the sites got all these stairs So this is quite exciting Do those these big old buildings here in this military? There's something about them big thick walls So this will come up here. Now there's some model aeroplanes Now I Like aeroplanes. I don't know too much about them I think some some of these here. They're definitely American which is United States Air Force on it So yeah, I like aeroplanes More of a railway person Artifacts Greenham is fairly well known for the protests that used to take place here in the 1980s The women of Greenham basically they and so called the whole well get better view when we get there I understand they formed a 14 mile chain. So as I said that we're in this building We're currently in these rooms here. We're going to go up to the actual control tower itself Because that's where we should get some interesting views I'll be able to show you more of the old airfield from a height I have to show you where we're heading for so as we come up here Into the control tower itself Pretty good view Because our way we're going to his At least two miles long Very impressive on over there is one of the old hangars. So this is the view from up in the control tower I'm gonna do now I'll go downstairs and we'll start walking towards the miniature No So Admittedly, I don't have too much information on the airfield itself But you know you hear about the Greenham protests and that I had heard of them I'm more kind of them quite struck just how vast this airfield is it would I'm not saying it should happen, but it'd be a good place for another London airport That's the kind of size it is. It's probably nearly as big as he from Airport. It's a very very vast place or If you look at it on the map from above and you look at Newbury Racecourse, which is nearby If you look at Newbury Racecourse on The map and look at this on the map. You think Newbury Racecourse is probably pretty big It looks tiny compared to this. It is Just incredibly vast I'd like to actually I could probably spend a day here just walking around the common It's all it's all a common now. There'll be cattle grazing on it I could see some when I was up at the control tower. We might see some as we walk So we're gonna leave the control tower behind so we were up there in that glass room a moment ago Cherry tree there when I walk out across the common Towards the Smith's Rally and you might be able to see just how vast this place is all look There's some of the cattle which are grazing so it's incredibly vast this common. It's Really huge. I don't think it's going to be very hard to convey Just how big it is These cows they have a very very big Area which they can graze So when we come out to here Now we're heading over the control tower behind us there. We're heading out onto the old runway I was expecting there to be a really strong wind out here. So I'm very happy It's not too windy. But look at it. It's just so so vast I just just yeah hard to You know take it in how big it is so control tower there heading this way Out towards this miniature railway. It's it's incredibly vast Perhaps as I was saying comparing it looking on the map It probably stretches from one end to the other would be like if you think Heading that way, of course, you've got the railway the Barks and Hunter railway You got the a4, you know the bath road if you were to Compare it to the railway probably from that end Of the old airfield to that end. It's pretty about the same distance from Newbury race core station to Fashom station Maybe even longer. I drove past Fashom station on the way here I didn't come by train. I didn't think about coming by train could have come from Newbury And I could have walked up to here because I wanted to come here first I drove now you may Very hard to pick up but just over there is The bunkers where they actually used to keep nuclear missiles. So that's another I don't know quite all the ins and outs But another reason why there are various nuclear protests here nuclear missiles were kept here. There was a plane that crashed here Which supposedly was carrying a nuclear bomb and although the bomb didn't go off it burned through so they what they reckon There possibly was some radiation leaks and Sadly there was some cases it became a bit of a leukemia hotspot, but um They've done various tests and it's never really been quite proven that there was a link there But thankfully all that in the past now it is just a very Vast place you can come and walk. It's run by the Barks here in Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Yeah, do do come in do have a look But I'm going to continue my walk that way to Greenham church and that's where we're going to find this miniature railway So after walking across the very vast Greenham common former RAF airfield. It's a water tower there. That was part of the complex I'm now in the housing estate In Greenham, which is where the miniature railway we're going to is it's called the Greenham paddock miniature railway It's the first time they've held a public open day running over their full length So I'm led to believe there's effectively two lines. There's like a branch line and a main line So I'm very interested to see that haven't been to this railway before So it's always exciting when you go to a miniature railway for the first time So it sort of appears I'm back in the countryside, but this is just a bit of woodland in the middle of a housing estate In Greenham. So Greenham effectively is the suburban Newbury, but possibly it's a village also in its own right So we're not too far from Newbury now. So as we come to here here Across the road. So I mean we are in a housing estate and then we go up this gravel drive here Towards st. Mary's church. So this is the Drive to the church. You can just see the church in front of us. And I'm led to believe this railway the Greenham paddock miniature railway is uh, yeah, I can just see some tracks. So Look at that ice cream trans part. We'll go let's just go Through behind these cars so we should get our first look at the miniature railway. There we are. There it is And there's a train coming. So let's watch the train go past and we're going to have a ride So as the train goes past it looks as though the passengers are enjoying their ride I'm going to go and enjoy my ride. So this is the main track Which so this is its first open day today this this bit of track, but there is um A branch line as well. So what we'll do I'll show you that the branch line's quite short probably um On par with Ashford miniature railway possibly for claiming to be one of the shortest Railways in the country if I put my head through the fence here, you can see That's the end of the branch line. There's a main line down there and the little branch line train Is literally just up there. So what we're going to do now We're going to go to the station and we're going to ride both miniature railways here at Greenham paddock Riding the railways here at Greenham paddock miniature railway both the main line And the little branch line just here what we're going to do now though Is we're going to go and have a look in the church because that is um the fate that's taking place It's the church's sunday. So railway is there Church is just down this little hill. So we're going to have a look in the church and then my plan is to walk down to Newbury and um end the video Down in Newbury the town centre because I've passed from Newbury on a train numerous times But I've never actually had a look around the town centre and I've been told it's a rather pleasant town So as we come down here There's the church all the way. There's refreshments. I'm going to have a cup of tea afterwards And then this is the church in front of us now. I don't know too much, but I do know a few little facts about this church One is that the um parish At the time this church was built grew quite quickly. So what they did The old church would have been in the middle So they built the new church around the old church and they demolished the old church From inside just another beautiful church What's quite interesting about this church is in the windows and the paintings around the bible is told and I've been Understand it's only one of about two churches to do this the other being No, it's cathedral because quite a lot of the parish were illiterate at the time So the idea is if um the bible's told in pictures Then they can um, you know Understand the bible So let's just go up here and have a look. This is really beautiful. There's the charts on everything Nice to hear the organ playing too. The outside of the church. And then as I said, we're going to go down to Newbury And um see the town centre see the river kennett and the canal etc. So we Leave behind the beautiful interior of this church. I have one last look down the nave Go outside So as we go back out here It's time to leave the miniature railway which I've had a great time riding Um, so, you know, if you're out this way do come visit the miniature railway. Let's just have a look at the outside of church I'm going to go down there soon and Go to the nice path to newbury newbury race course is only just there The other side of those oak trees down there. So newbury race courses so There you go. There's the exterior of the church And now what we're going to do is we're going to go out through this lich gate over here And follow the path down to newbury town centre So green and it's basically a suburb of newbury. It's a village just on the edge of newbury Um, I did think about coming here by train and walking up here. It certainly would be possible Um, especially for people like me who like walking but Today I chose to not do so. I'm going to walk off down here Towards newbury And I've just come down the hill from greenham. I'm now walking through the newbury race course complex There's the stables there. So that's where the stables or where the horses are stabled And they were come out of here through these gates And off down there and you can just see the main stand in the distance of newbury race course now never Been to sea racing But I have been to the newbury race course station quite a few times because if I've been on a charter train They sometimes stop there to take on water because it's a convenient place away. You can basically put in a loop Yes, they even put a train off the main line out the way. No horses, but it's a cat So, um, don't get any racecats So the row lines here the main one Barks and hans as it's known which runs from Reading down to Taunton It's funny It's called the barks and hans because it doesn't go through Hampshire at all pretty about the nearest it gets It's probably just up the line at Fatcham. It's probably a couple of miles away from fashion stations So it's funny. It's called barks and hans. It should really be called the barks wilson sunset But anyway, so the station's down there. There's the race course We're gonna go through here these gates are only here to stop you driving through you can walk through It's probably for the bus There's a green gauge tree here and there's a ripe It's a green gauge It's if it's ripe Yeah, that's a bit sour I won't need the rest of that Anyway, so we are crossing the main line now You might be able to see the station Not a lot happening. I've checked. There's no freight or anything due Very close distance between the two stations because Newbury station Is just up there I'm going to continue my walk now and have a look around Newbury This was slightly unplanned But I looked on real-time trains and saw there was a train to Newbury in 10 minutes So I thought I'd do for just a bit of fun to come here to the station and get on the train It's only about a quarter mile. We were on that bridge just there So what I'm going to do now is I'm going to go over to the middle platform and take the train Look, it says trains to Newbury and race course. That is an old first great western sign The sign we just saw is a great western one. So it's funny. There's still a few signs in the old colors It seems this station, um, it's not great if You're in a wheelchair Um, because you can't even get onto that platform. There's steps. No lifts. So Yeah, um, no lifts, which isn't great. Anyway, another great western sign I suppose you wouldn't be convenient if you were in a wheelchair You'd have to go to Newbury if you're going to visit the Greenham Paddock Minutes Railway like we did today Another sign in First Great Western Um, if you're going to visit the Greenham Paddock Minutes Railway like we did today If you're coming by train, this station's nearer So you could come from here and what I'd suggest you do is go over the bridge Over that side. That's the platform where steam trains stop for water Go out there and up that way and then the railways basically at the top of the hill So that's what I would suggest if um, you do come to visit the Greenham Paddock Minutes Railway by train I've now got four minutes to wait for my train to Newbury Will come from that way from waiting so to wait for train to arrive now I've just arrived at Newbury now. It's quite funny. We've come on a C2C train now C2C To have the London Tilbury and South End line out on London Fencher Street So it does seem a bit funny to be getting on one here The doors are closing Uh, let's get them open. There we go Because of the problems with um, the Hitachi built trains Some of them and some Gatwick Express have been drafted into C2C Which um, they say you can mean whatever you want. It's mean commitment to customers coast to city city to coast Um, yeah, it seems funny to see C2C here at Newbury They are supplementing the Great Western class 387. So what I'm going to do now I'm going to we're going to see a class Um, it's one of the Hitachi even 800 and 802 speed through and we're going to go around town Of 800 319 on the way to Pinnif Now let's get out the station and have a look around Newbury So here we are in Newbury Town Centre. This is the marketplace What we're going to do now. I'm just going to show you the Kenneth and Avon canal I assume this is probably the town hall. So we'll finish down by the Kenneth and Avon canal So that's quite um, quite a good day Been to the Green and Paddock minute to railway had a ride on a C2C train quite away from C2C territory But that's always quite fun when things like that happen And now we're down here in Newbury Town Centre. I've never been to this town before except, um Passing through on the train. So I'm quite happy to be exploring this town Because and it's really is quite an attractive town The parish church is just there. It's not open because I did try and have a look before recording this clip But the sun's right in the way, but anyway parish church is out. I think you can see the silhouette of that There's a rather exciting bit just up here though Where we can see the Kenneth and Avon canal and that's where I intend to finish. So in this video I don't know if she's in the aeroplanes. We started with aircraft. We've had railways, less or large So let's finish with some waterways So as we get to here you can see there's a bridge here and this is called bridge street for the obvious reasons It's the main street through the middle of Newbury Town Centre This is bridge street This is a bridge over the river Kenneth stroke the Kenneth and Avon canal So if you look down there you can see some swans swimming under the bridge And that way over there Newbury Town Centre And if you look on this side You can see there's a lock just there. So let's go to that lock. It's looked quite interesting the way So if you were walking the Kenneth and Avon canal You cannot walk under this bridge. You've come out there by costa and you would come across here See as those cyclists are doing in the opposite direction. They're probably cycling the Kenneth and Avon. You go down this alleyway It looks as though it only goes to this pub But there's a bit of a little surprise here You've got the entrance to the pub This not particularly exciting looking back for the building Look down these steps And we're going under the building for a tunnel so uh We comes in the tunnel and There's the bridge we were on a moment ago. So see I mean you can't walk that way there's little swans So we're going to go now over the bridge this way. I'm sorry. I am looking very slow at it We're going to go over this bridge to the lock and that's where we will conclude our visits to Newbury There's another course of river Kenneth going off that way And um, there seems to be another course going off that way. And there's the parish church Which we couldn't see particularly well Um earlier because there's something there that's the best view of the tower at least And then coming up to here here is a lock Let's go across the lock The fund So one day and I'll say this quite a lot one day we'll do this one day we'll do that one day I'd like to walk the Kenneth and Avon canal because I think it's a fascinating waterway. Sorry again I'm looking silhouetted. Um, I think it's a fascinating waterway and um I like places that go places and of course you see quite a lot of trains if you watch it because The Barks and Hampshire railway line which we had a very very very short trip on between the two newbie stations Further up runs parallel to the Kenneth and Avon canal So I'm going to leave you here with this image of Newbury lock on the Kenneth and Avon canal. I hope you enjoyed this video Thank you very much for watching. Please do feel free to like subscribe and comment And you know if you're out this way in Newbury do Do come on the train to Newbury. It's a lovely town and if you live in Newbury Why not go for a walk up the hill to Greenham common and see the miniature railway the greenham palette miniature railway So on to go face when I was watching goodbye