Rail ale trail

A rail ale trail is a marketing exercise in the United Kingdom that is designed to promote tourism to a rural area, by encouraging people to visit a series of pubs that are close to railway stations along a railway line. Participants are rewarded for visiting the pubs by train. In doing this they increase the number of passengers on the railway and bring money into the local economy. The scheme is supported by the Campaign for Real Ale. The ale (or beer) is often brewed locally and many of the pubs offer food as well.

Each trail is publicised by a free booklet that is distributed through stations and local outlets, and which is also available for downloading from the internet. Each time a pub is visited the booklet is stamped, provided a valid rail ticket is shown when a purchase is made. Once sufficient stamps have been collected, the booklet can be exchanged for merchandise specific for each trail, such as a t-shirt or badge.

History

The first rail ale trails were those promoted by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership in Devon and Cornwall, England. In the 1980s the local railway management had promoted travel to pubs close to stations using the tag line "Let us drive you to the pub". Some incentives were offered to railway passengers to use certain pubs.

Trails in Devon and Cornwall

Tarka Line

The Tarka Line Rail Ale Trail was the first to be launched in 2002. The "Beer Engine" at Newton St Cyres railway station had pioneered the use of rail travel to bring drinkers to its bar. It opened in 1985 in the old railway hotel opposite the station and was soon offering a discount on production of a rail ticket.

The trail originally covered 16 pubs, and increased to a peak of 19, but one has since closed. There are five pubs in Exeter and four in Barnstaple, with one each at Newton St Cyres railway station, Crediton railway station, Yeoford railway station, Copplestone, Morchard Road railway station, Lapford, Eggesford railway station, Portsmouth Arms railway station, and Umberleigh.

The collecting of 5, 10 or 18 stamps entitles the participant to claim Tarka Line Rail Trail merchandise.

Maritime Line

The Maritime Line Rail Ale Trail was the second to be launched, in 2003, covering 14 pubs. There are four pubs in Truro, one in Perranwell, three in Penryn, and six in Falmouth – two of which are close to Penmere railway station, and four in the town centre.

Maritime Line Rail Ale Trail merchandise is awarded for 5, 10 or 14 stamps.

Looe Valley Line

The Looe Valley Line Rail Ale Trail was the third pilot scheme, launched early in 2004, and covering 11 pubs between Liskeard and Looe. Seven of the pubs are in Looe and two in Liskeard. The remaining pubs are "Ye Old Plough House Inn" at Duloe, a 30 minute walk from Causeland railway station, and the "Polruan Country House Hotel" near Sandplace railway station. The latter is one of the most difficult pub stamps to collect due to its limited opening times.

A collection of 9 or 11 stamps entitles the participant to claim Looe Valley Line Rail Trail merchandise.

Tamar Valley Line

The Tamar Valley Line Rail Ale Trail has featured 18 pubs since its launch late in 2004. Five are in Plymouth city centre and a further three in the suburbs near Devonport and St Budeaux Victoria Road railway stations. There are single pubs to visit at Bere Ferrers and Bere Alston, two in Calstock and six in Gunnislake.

Tamar Valley Line Rail Ale Trail Merchandise is exchanged for 6, 10 or 18 stamps.

t Ives Bay Line

The St Ives Bay Line Rail Ale Trail was launched on 3 June 2005 with 14 pubs. Five are in St Ives, one in Lelant, two close to Lelant Saltings railway station and one near St Erth railway station. The five remaining pubs are in Penzance which is usually reached by changing trains at St Erth onto the Cornish Main Line, although there are also a very few through trains from St Ives railway station.

Participants with 6, 10 or 14 stamps can claim St Ives Bay Line Rail Ale Trail merchandise.

Atlantic Coast Line

The most recent of the Devon and Cornwall rail ale trails is the Atlantic Coast Line from Par to Newquay. It was launched in 2005 with 16 pubs but one has since closed. There are three in Newquay, two near St Columb Road railway station, six in and around Par, and one each at Quintrell Downs, Roche, Bugle and Luxulyan.

Merchandise can be claimed for 5, 10 or 15 stamps.

Other trails in the UK

Abbey Line

A collection of 16 pubs in St Albans, Bricket Wood, Park Street and Watford, Hertfordshire.

Blackpool

A rail ale trail on the South Fylde Line in Lancashire was launched on 28 June 2006 with 14 pubs.

Heart of Wales

The Heart of Wales Line from Swansea, Wales, to Shrewsbury, Shropshire, featured a rail ale trail in 2007.

Regatta Line

The Regatta Line from Twyford, Berkshire, to Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, is planning to launch a rail ale trail in October 2007. The current [http://www.visitthames.co.uk/uploads/Regatta%20Line%20Guide_May%202007%20Final.pdf guide to the line] lists 22 pubs along the route.

Rail Ale Ramble

Sometimes now used as a generic expression in the United Kingdom for a day tour of pubs and/or breweries by train, in search of "real ale" (cask-conditioned beer), the marketing name "Rail Ale Ramble" was originally conceived by Gerald Daniels, who runs an English tour company, Crookham Travel. In 1977 he ran the first "RAR", a chartered train with 598 passengers from London to Bath, Somerset and Oxford. At that time traditional cask-conditioned beer was rare in London, but the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was beginning to have more impact in regional centres where there was a greater range of traditional breweries still supplying this "living" beer. Thirty years later Crookham Travel still run Rail Ale Rambles and longer trips to explore surviving regional and local breweries and the great number of microbreweries throughout Britain and beyond.Fact|date=September 2008

Former trails

Wessex

Wessex Trains ran a Bristol to Weymouth Rail Ale Trail from 2005 but closed at the end of its rail franchise in 2006. Merchandise was offered for 10, 15 or 20 stamps of the 28 featured pubs which made this trail unusual in not expecting participants to visit every single pub; the award for 20 stamps included complementary tickets for a return journey anywhere on Wessex Trains services but these were only valid until the end of that franchise on 31 March 2006 – First Great Western have not repeated the offer. Four of the pubs were in Bristol, three in Bath, Somerset, two in Frome, two in Dorchester, and four in Weymouth. The remaining 13 were situated one each in Keynsham, Freshford, at Avoncliff railway station, in Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil, Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton. These towns are mainly in Wiltshire and Dorset.

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

* [http://www.crookhamtravel.co.uk/ Crookham Travel]
* [http://www.abbeyline.org.uk/railale.htm Abbey Line Rail Ale Trail guide]
* [http://www.railaletrail.com Devon and Cornwall Rail Ale Trail guides]