There's a bus service between Craven Arms and Builth Wells

I'd no idea this bus service existed until I saw it waiting for passengers on the approach to Craven Arms station the other week. The X48 starts from there and runs via Knighton and Llandrindod Wells to Builth Wells.

It's an odd service in that it more or less parallels the Heart of Wales railway line, though it you want downtown Builth Wells it's a better bet. Trains call at Builth Road, which is a couple of miles from the town.

And the difference between the train and bus fares may not be as great as you expect. If the X48 is run by a Welsh company the £3 maximum fare will not apply.

Buses from Craven Arms don't travel all the way to Builth until later in the afternoon, so if you are planning a day out you'll have to settle for Llandridnod. And that is what I shall do next time I have a holiday in Shropshire.

Why? As Mallory said of Everest, because it's there.

Later. Thanks to Jo Kibble on BlueSky for putting me on to a blog post from Bus and Train User that explains what the X48 is all about. The whole point of it is to parallel the Heart of Wales Line, as it was introduced after the service on that line was reduced. Rail tickets are valid on the bus and are actually a little cheaper than the bus fare.

Stokesay Castle and the Church of St John the Baptist, Stokesay

Stokesay Castle dates from the late 13th century, when there was no longer a fear of attacks from Wales, so it was built for show rather than defence. The half-timbered gatehouse is 17th century, as (largely) is the church, which was badly damaged in a Civil War skirmish.

I have visited and photographed Stokesay many times - here are some pictures from my latest look round the site.

It used to be possible to have tea in the castle courtyard, where birds would steal crumbs from your table. These days there is a separate cafe at Stokesay. I'm not overimpressed by it, so if you want tea and cake I recommend the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre up the road in Craven Arms.

Plan to build bungalow next to Craven Arms Fire Station rejected after inspector warns firefighters could see into windows

Not for the first time, the Shropshire Star wins our Headline of the Day Award.

I always knew that photo of Craven Arms fire station would come in handy.

The Joy of Six 1341

A Very Public Sociologist has no time for Laura Kuenssberg's 'gotcha' style of interviewing: "Every time Laura Kuenssberg interviews anyone newsworthy, her goal is to generate "controversy" rather than shed light on a topic or, heaven forfend, produce a piece of journalism that might help demystify politics."

"The rapid rise of megafarms in Norfolk raises urgent questions about the cost of cheap food. Intensive livestock farming may meet demand, but at what environmental price? From water pollution to biodiversity loss, the evidence is stacking up against these industrial-scale farms." Owen Sennitt looks at the latest campaigning and legal moves.

"Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul, was arrested early in the morning of Wednesday, 19 March, on two charges - one related to corruption and the other to terrorism. He released a video of himself shortly before the arrest, talking to the camera while nonchalantly adjusting his tie. 'Hundreds of police officers have arrived at my door,' he said. 'I entrust myself to the people.'" Helen Mackreath on Erdoğan's attempt to suppress his most dangerous rival.

Jon Stock, in his book The Sleep Room, tells the story of the psychiatrist William Sargant who, in the 1960s, used a combination of narcosis and ECT to "reprogram" troubled young women. Now his patients, including the actor Celia Imrie and the former model Linda Keith, are trying to piece together what happened. 

Sven Mikulec discusses the long rediscovery of Orson Welles's film Touch of Evil.

"The train begins by cantering over Shropshire farmland, beating out a lively jig. Eventually we reach Knighton — the station is in England, but its car park is in Wales. Beyond the border the landscape changes. Norman churches give way to Methodist chapels; cricket greens to rugby clubs." Oliver Smith takes the Heart of Wales Line from Craven Arms to Llanelli.

Vin, 92, turns his mobility scooter into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

The story soon disappears behind its paywall, but it was enough to win the Shropshire Star out Headline of the Day Award.

The judges were particularly impressed by the fact that Mr Wardman comes from Craven Arms and the video above.

The Craven Arms is falling down

On Bonfire Night last year, I blogged about plans to convert part of the Craven Arms, the hotel that gave the town its name, into flats.

I illustrated that post with a photo I took in 2017. In it, the Craven Arms didn't look too bad. I think it was nominally still open then: I recall wandering the cavernous interior looking for someone to pull me a pint and failing to find them.

Last week I photographed it again and, oh, the difference.

This time I had a drink at the Stables Inn, which is indeed open again after, landlady confirmed, being an Indian restaurant for a short time.

Halford: Across the river from Craven Arms

So I went to Halford. This was an agricultural village centuries before there was even an inn at Craven Arms. So much so that the church, St Thomas's, which was almost entirely rebuilt in the 19th century, has a Norman doorway. But I did not spot this and was not lucky enough to photograph it by chance, so I can pretend I did.

What I did appreciate was the World War I memorial lychgate, which records all the men from the village who gave their lives. It includes one who died from wounds in 1920 - a reminder that the Armistice did not bring an end to suffering for some.

There is also a plaque to William Biggs inside the church, erected by "The Officers, N.C.O.'s and Men of the 32nd Railway Operating Company, Royal Engineers." Presumably, in peacetime he had been a railwayman, working across the river in Craven Arms.

I photographed some of the impressive buildings in the village, which had a school as well as a church before Craven Arms was born in the 1850s. I think that school is shown in the final photograph here.

Livestock markets and railways: A film of Craven Arms in 1952

Craven Arms, a 19-century Shropshire town named after an inn, was known for its livestock markets and its railways.

You can see both in a 1952 film of a sheep sale there. It's striking how little traffic there is on the road and that there were fields so close to the town centre.

Click on the still above to watch the film on the BBC Rewind site.

Shropshire: It's more like it was now than it was then

As my Twitter followers may have gathered, I've made it back to Shropshire for a few days.

Of course, there have been changes. The Plough at Wistanstow has closed. You can't have tea in the courtyard at Stokesay Castle any more. The Land of Lost Content museum at Craven Arms really has gone.

But then I decided I was looking at things the wrong way. My memories of exploring the Shropshire hills cover nearly 30 years from the late 1980s - I first encountered Snailbeach and the Stiperstones on the day we won an important qualifying-group game against Poland on our way to Italia 90.

As a result, what I have is a jumble of memories that I sometimes struggle to put together into a single holiday or even a single day. 

Where, for instance, was I walking to or from when I discovered the little Catholic chapel at Plowden? I think it was on a walk from Church Stretton to Bishop's Castle - the first time I saw the latter town - but I may well be wrong.

So I decided to stop hankering for a past that may never quite have been and make some new memories. I went to look for Halford church on the other side of the Onny from Craven Arms. 

Not only did I find the church, I also found an agricultural village that long predated the founding of the town. I won't share the photos with your today - this is, after all, meant to be a holiday - instead, the photo above shows the Plough in its pomp

I shall leave you with a thought from the Shropshire-based sitcom The Green Green Grass. In one episode, an American returned to the county, where he had been stationed in the Sixties, and wondered if it had changed.

"Oh no," a local reassured him, "It's not changed. If anything, it's more like it was now than it was then."

Welsh Lib Dems call for improvements to Heart of Wales line

From Nation Cymru:

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have urged the Welsh Government to improve train services on the Heart of Wales line.

Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds MS says the government must do more to revitalise the aging fleet of trains currently running on the line, with many being refurbished engines dating from the 1980’s.

She also criticised a decision by Transport for Wales (TFW) to reduce the number of trains on the line from five to four per day from December, warning it could have a “devastating” impact on rural communities.

TfW also confirmed the “removal of the two late evening services to Llandovery and Llandrindod.”

The website also quotes David Chadwick, our general election candidate for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe:

“For far too long now the needs of our rural communities have been cast aside by both the Conservatives Westminster and Labour Cardiff Bay.

“The decision to slash the number of trains running on the Heart of Wales line, a vital transport link for many in mid Wales, is further evidence of this rural neglect and risks trapping our communities in a cycle of decline.

“We as Welsh Liberal Democrats have always stood by our rural communities, and if elected I will carry on this proud tradition.”

My photograph shows the beginning of the Heart of Wales line as it diverges from the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms in Shropshire. It runs from this simple junction to Llanelli, a distance of 90 miles, and I strongly recommend it for a scenic ride.

New plans for the hotel that gave Craven Arms its name

The small town of Craven Arms in Shropshire was named after a hotel. But the Craven Arms Hotel has seen better days.

Now the Shropshire Star reports that plans to convert part of it to flats have been submitted to Shropshire Council.

The paper quotes Chris Naylor, the Liberal Democrat PPC for the South Shropshire constituency:

"Everyone driving through Craven Arms up and down the A49 sees this huge building boarded up and basically an eyesore. I'm delighted there’s a good chance now that it will get a new lease of life.

"As a former licensee myself I know how much a good pub can do for a community."

I often find buildings that local papers described as 'eyesores' picturesque, but I can see what Chris means here. The photo in the Star makes look less appealing than the one I have used here.

And it's great to have an active Lib Dem PPC in South Shropshire, as it gives me a chance to use some of the many photos of that part of the world I have taken over the years.

Another bonus from this report in the Star is that it appears that the Stables Inn, Craven Arms, which I could have sworn I saw being converted into an Indian restaurant some time ago, is still open.

The Joy of Six 1104

"I believe that the leadership is making a serious mistake. Our policy on rebuilding trade and cooperation in Europe can be popular – if only we let people know about it. There is no credible answer to the challenges Britain faces without it. And, even better, it distinguishes us very clearly from Labour, which is running scared of Brexit." Duncan Brack asks why Ed Davey never talks about Europe.

Andy Boddington reports that Shropshire is to receive no 'levelling up' money to revitalise its bus services: "The operating costs of bus companies have increased significantly over the last year following the increase in fuel prices. Passenger numbers have also not recovered since the pandemic. We are in danger of losing many of our services. Two routes under threat are the 435 service between Ludlow and Shrewsbury and the 553 Bishop’s Castle Shrewsbury service."

Merve Emre fears that academia has ruined literary criticism.

Emily Brontë acted with pragmatism, courage and kindness in her last illness and the received wisdom that she was a 'stubborn', self-destructive patient is grossly unfair, says a new account discussed by Mark Bridge.

"Let me now be your guide to the five most horror-inflected Crown Court cases.  Witchcraft, demonic possession, folk horror and, er, imaginary killer robots, they’re all here (and I’ll finish up with a rundown of the series’ other mildly spooky-flavoured stories)." Ivan Kirby discovers the dark side of the afternoon programme Seventies children watched if they were off school ill.

Sarah Weinman on Sandy Fawkes, the journalist and Soho character who met a stranger at a hotel bar and agreed to a road trip across America. Her companion later turned out to be a serial killer.

Shropshire's museum of popular British culture to stay open through December

 A story in the Shropshire Star gives me a chance to big up one of my favourite obscure museums.

Land of Lost Content, which occupies the former market hall in Craven Arms, is to open throughout December.

Its owner and curator Stella Mitchell told the Star that, like many other small businesses throughout Shropshire, her museum of British popular culture needs the support of local communities and tourists in order to survive.

She said:

"We have been operating on a booking system so we thought we might as well do that throughout this month.

"It's hard to say if we'll be rushed off our feet but we're going to be optimistic.

"We usually say people are Christmas shopping throughout December and in January they have money, which is why we stay closed, but I think people will be looking for that something different to do this year."

Stokesay Castle from the air in 1948

Taken in 1948, this aerial photograph shows Stokesay Castle, its half-timbered gatehouse and the church of St John the Baptist. Stokesay lies just to the south of Craven Arms in Shropshire.

St John the Baptist was substantially rebuilt in the 17th century after it suffered serious damage in a Civil War skirmish.

You can see more photos of Stokesay on this blog.

Cuts to Shropshire buses - and a better idea from Europe

£450,000 cuts could see Shropshire bus services slashed

says a headline in the Shropshire Star.

Reading the small print, the Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle bus may be cut from five round trips a day to two.

This will come as no surprise to anyone who read a post on this blog two years ago.

And to those who see demand-led services as the future, it is worth noting that:

The Clun Valley Shrewsbury Dial-a-Ride will withdraw its Saturday service.

All very depressing.

But it happens that today I also came across a report from the Foundation for Integrated Transport on Shropshire's rural buses.

It emphasises how inadequate the county's buses are even before this new round of cuts and points to schemes across Europe that integrate rail and bus services in rural areas.

A bus link between Bishop's Castle and the railway station at Craven Arms is one of its recommendations.

Yes, it would cost money, but we cannot go on cutting public transport like this. The Liberal Democrats must make the case for funding services at a reasonable level again.

Broome: The least used station in Shropshire

Broome, a request stop, is the first station out of Craven Arms on the Heart of Wales line. It is also the least used station in Shropshire.

I got off there many years ago so I could walk to Bishop's Castle (or it may have been Clun).

As well as celebrating its rural location, this film has something serious to say about the railway companies' claims about accessibility.

The Land of Lost Content reopens in Craven Arms

Craven Arms does not just have a mosque: it also has a privately owned museum too.

The Land of Lost Content, housed in a former Nonconformist chapel, bills itself as "Britain's foremost collection of pop culture ephemera, obscure and ordinary objects from the pre-digital era."

But last September, reports the Shropshire Star, fire inspectors ordered its closure because "it did not come up to modern safety standards".

Having visited it myself a few years ago, I was not wholly surprised.

The good news is that the owners have spent the past five months bringing it up to standard and it has now reopened.

It's definitely a place to visit if you like social history or find yourself at a loose end in Craven Arms.

There is a mosque in Craven Arms

There is an Orthodox monastery beneath the Stiperstones. There is a Buddhist retreat in White Grit.

Now, it transpires, there is a mosque in Craven Arms.

Its imam, Sohayb Peerbhai, told the Shropshire Star:

"We serve a large portion of the Shropshire hills. We have members of our community that come from Church Stretton, Ludlow, Knighton, Clee Hill, Cleobury Mortimer and Hereford, as there’s no mosque in Hereford."

Shropshire: Don't drink the water and mind that huge rock

Calder’s blog is an eclectic mix of musical choices, random news items from Shropshire (where he doesn’t live), and political news and views.

So said the New Statesman back in 2008.

Well, it's been a good week for random news item from Shropshire. Following the Bishop's Castle poetry pharmacy we have two more today.

Item:

People in south Shropshire have been told not to drink tap water after an "unauthorised connection" was attached to the water network. 

Severn Trent Water said it had issued 69 'do not drink' orders to people in the Craven Arms area after finding the private connection, and Shropshire Council announced the Wistanstow Church of England Primary School was closed today due to a "water supply issue".

You can see the school in the photograph above.

Item:

It is a mystery to rival those of the pyramids and Stonehenge - just how did a huge rock end up on the Long Mynd? 

The seven foot long by three foot wide rock was first spotted six months ago by National Trust rangers wandering the south Shropshire hills. 

But the question is how did it get to the remote spot and why? 

Despite signs being put up around the stone urging the pranksters to come forward and reclaim it, no one has stepped forward, so now the trust has taken matters into its own hands to remove the giant rock.

Thanks, inevitably, to the Shropshire Star for both stories.

News stories over here in the East Midlands somehow seem more conventional - unless I generate them myself.

Craven Arms Gasworks from above in 1939

I accept that this post will be something of a minority interest, but the photograph has much of interest even if you are not a fan of this strange Shropshire town.

Next to the gasworks, to the west of the line just north of Craven Arms station, stands the former LNWR engine shed. You can also see some carriage sheds and, in the distance, the signal box controlling the Long Lane level crossing, which is still in operation.

Read more about the station and these other buildings on Disused Stations.