The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust WSRHT

Welcome to the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust
An independent charity supporting the West Somerset Railway Plc
Join Us as a Heritage Trust Member!
Discover our Membership options and how every penny supports our efforts
WSRHT Membership
WSRHT Education & Learning
One of our aims is focused on education and learning within the local community about the heritage, history and socio-economic background of the West Somerset Railway. We have extensive programs for schools to loan.
WSRHT Learning Homepage
Contact the WSRHT
We have lots of information about the Charity on our Contact Us page
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West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust

WELCOME

Welcome to the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust website. We are pleased to have you with us and invite you to explore the Trust's dedication to supporting the West Somerset Railway.

The Trust was established in 1972 and operates from our headquarters at Bishops Lydeard station. We are honoured to host the Gauge Museum Bishops Lydeard, an exceptional opportunity to discover the history of railways in the West Country and the WSR. Our recent refurbishment in 2020 has vastly improved the visitor experience, and we hope you will enjoy your time with us. 

The Gauge Museum Blue Anchor has needed some extensive refurbishment in the last few years, and the Trust hopes to reopen this Gauge Museum in the Spring of 2024. Take a look around this website. 

About the TrustGauge Museums

Support the heritage trust

About us

How we support the railway and how we need new volunteers

Fundraisers

Explore how fundraising and donations supports the Trust

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Education

Discover the Trust’s learning and educational activities

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How to help

Your help is important to the Heritage Trust because it helps us achieve our goals. Without your support, we couldn’t do things like renovate buildings, preserve heritage objects, or teach people about railways. We appreciate your support, whether you visit our museums and objects, subscribe to our newsletter, or become a member.

Newsletter

Newsletters are issued at intervals of roughly six months. Each publication features an update on progress in different Heritage Trust Projects and updates from the Board of Trustees and the Trust’s Chairman.

Membership

Being a Heritage Trust member provides plenty of benefits.

If you are interested in being a member, please click below to read more information about the benefits and how you can donate.

Gauge Museum Bishops Lydeard
Gauge Museum Bishops Lydeard
Gauge Junction Model Railway
Preparing the Toplight composite coach, no 7740.  Greg McNelly is repairing a hole in the roof and removing protruding nails and screws which might tear the covers.  The folded cover is in the 'four foot.'  Martin Brown is preparing the next coach, a Collett bow-ended coach, no 5131 (you can buy a model of this coach in the shops at Minehead or Bishops Lydeard).  Ray Clack is removing some internal fittings to take back to Williton to work on over the winter. © Chris Austin
Maintenance to Coaches at Williton

Volunteer with the TRUST

Yes, anyone from age 14 to late adulthood can participate in volunteering with us. Our volunteers include both retired individuals and younger people who are interested in developing their life skills.

We have lots of different volunteer jobs available that match people’s skills and strengths. Some of the jobs include helping in museums, supporting education, running a model railway, restoring things, and helping with fundraising.

Please visit us in person if you want to help and we’ll show you how to fill out a form. We’ll process the form at Minehead Station. Or you can email us at volunteers@wsrail.net.

We take the safety of our young volunteers very seriously. We make sure they are in a safe and secure environment when they volunteer with us. We follow the rules and laws about data protection, child protection, and criminal record checks. If you need more information about this, please get in touch with us.

We appreciate everyone’s schedule. Many of our volunteers are retired and help anytime. Some are students or work full-time and can only volunteer on weekends and school holidays. If you have any questions, just ask.

Volunteer with Us

We need people with different skills to help the Trust. We can't do our work without donations and help from members. If you're interested, click below to go to the Contact Us page.

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Welcome to the
West Somerset Heritage Trust

2024 Season

The official railway season for 2024 is slowly approaching. 

Gauge Museum Bishops Lydeard will be reopening for the 2024 season on Saturday, 23rd March, and when the trains are running. When we reopen – look out for upcoming special events in the museum, such as cream tea weekends and kids’ events. Stay tuned!

The West Somerset Railway Trust operates both Gauge Museum Bishops Lydeard and Gauge Museum Blue Anchor.

In 1985, the Great Western Railway celebrated its 150th anniversary. The Gauge Museum Blue Anchor has needed some extensive refurbishment in the last few years, and the Trust hopes to re-open this Gauge Museum in the Spring of 2024.

The WSRHT continues its Educational Outreach activities during this period. If you have inquiries about our Education Programme, please reach out to helen.anson@wsrht.co.uk.

West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust  info@wsrht.co.uk