Just the ticket to a fine journey

THE sandy beach at Goodrington, the fascinating coloured variety of the high rocky cliffs and coves towards Broadsands, the beautiful seascapes across Torbay to Torquay and Brixham, the rolling hills around Churston, the ridge on which Agatha Christie's Greenway estate stands, the deep wooded slopes bordering the beautiful River Dart and the olde world town of Dartmouth — what do they all have in common?

The answer, they can all be seen in a journey on a Paignton and Dartmouth steam train, one of the finest trips on a heritage railway anywhere in Europe.

Paignton is the holiday line with steam trains running for seven miles in Great Western tradition along the spectacular Torbay Coast to Churston and through the wooded slopes bordering the Dart estuary to Kingswear.

The scenery is superb. Approaching Kingswear is the beautiful River Dart, with its fascinating craft, and on the far side, the olde world town of Dartmouth and the famous Britannia Royal Navel College, Butterwalk, Bayards Cove and Dartmouth Castle.

The line is operated by Dart Valley Railway Plc, who took it over in 1973 when the nationalised British Railways proposed to close it.

Today it is a successful operation with steam trains lovingly restored and maintained by the company’s staff and is a major part of the Devon tourism scene carrying over 350,000 passengers annually between the Torbay resorts and Dartmouth.

In Dartmouth there is the opportunity to take leisurely cruises up the River Dart or along the coast, operated by the marine division of the company, which also operate the all important passenger ferry between Kingswear, the end of the line from Paignton — and Dartmouth.

Today the Dart Valley Railway operates steam trains just as in the evocative days of the past but with the bonus that locomotives are spotless.

A day excursion with Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Link. Travel on the steam railway from Paignton to Kingswear, then cross on the passenger ferry to Dartmouth where you can take a one hour cruise around the harbour.

Sit back and enjoy the trip as you pass the historic places and the unsurpassed scenery, then return on the passenger ferry to Kingswear for your return train ride to Paignton.

Round Robin is your combined ticket, entitling you to make a circular journey from Paignton to Kingswear by steam train, by ferry to Dartmouth, then a river cruise to Totnes and return by bus to Torbay.

You can break your journey at any time along the route, or if you prefer you can do the trip in reverse.