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West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust WSRHT

The WSRHT Board of Trustees are pleased to publish the 2022-2024 Business Plan. This document is also available on the About the Trust page too

The updated Business Plan explains the Trust’s work for the past few years, with a future outlook for this upcoming year, 2023 and 2024. The Heritage Trust remains committed in six areas of activity:

  1. Preserving and displaying heritage items relating to railways and the West Somerset Railway
    (WSR) in particular, and interpreting and curating all the heritage assets owned by the Trust;
  2. Restoring the heritage carriages owned by the Trust for display and operation on the railway
  3. Managing the museums at Bishops Lydeard and Blue Anchor
  1. Preserving and displaying heritage items relating to railways and the West Somerset Railway
    (WSR) in particular, and interpreting and curating all the heritage assets owned by the Trust;
  2. Restoring the heritage carriages owned by the Trust for display and operation on the railway
  3. Managing the museums at Bishops Lydeard and Blue Anchor
  4. Promoting the development and education of young people through the management and display of the model railway, Gauge Junction and other model railways within the responsibility of the Trust.
  5. Running its education and learning programme for primary schools, community groups and other local interests together with promoting community outreach about the WSR
  6. Supporting the PLC in maintaining the heritage and history of the West Somerset Railway

4. Promoting the development and education of young people through the management and display of the model railway, Gauge Junction and other model railways within the responsibility of the Trust.
5. Running its education and learning programme for primary schools, community groups and other local interests together with promoting community outreach about the WSR
6. Supporting the PLC in maintaining the heritage and history of the West Somerset Railway

WSRHT 2022-24 Business Plan
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Recent News Posts

WSRHT IGGY Day | 21/06/25

WSRHT IGGY DAY | 21.06.25

The WSRHT in conjunction with Emerald Ant CIC were delighted to welcome visitors to the Gauge Museum on Saturday 21st June, but with the added attraction of IGGY in the car park.

What’s IGGY

He is a large dinosaur who provides the backstory and stage to the history of fossils. Dramatised by a very small but talented team of actors who introduced us to historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Mary Anning &  through the two performances that were enjoyed by children and adults alike. www.emeraldant.com

The WRSHT were also further wonderfully supported by the SW Heritage Centre, who very kindly provided a wide selection of fossils for visitors to the day to handle. The fossils included ichthyosaur, ammonites, plant and bivalve fossils. These were of great interest to all our museum visitors not just those there for the IGGY event.  www.heritage.org.uk

Further support came from Jack Wichard & his partner Dylan who brought along a display of life size dinosaur skulls which they had 3D printed.

Circular writing, using the various fossil shapes were on offer in the main museum, along with cutting out fabric ammonites, decorating them ready to go onto the wall hangings designed and made by our education officer Helen Anson. The wall hangings will be on display in the museum.

Also grateful thanks go Pam Anson who made “dinosaur” cakes & biscuits plus museum team of Rob, Alan& Pauline, & Tony for their support on a very hot day.

A thank you to the friends of Bishops Lydeard Station(FoBLS) for the loan of their gazebo and  safety barriers.

In closing again many thanks to the following:

Emerald Ant CIC, SW Heritage Centre, Jack & Dylan, FoBLS.

Ian Camp

Curator

Volunteer as a Communication Assistant – Join the WSRHT

WSRHT Communicaiton Assistant Advertisement
Voluntary Role Opportunity

We have a new voluntary role within the Heritage Trust to support the day-to-day management and development of the Trust’s electronic communications – including the website, social media accounts and corporate email – and associated IT solutions. It will involve day-to-day administration but progressively technical development and implementation.

Communications technology has developed at pace over the last few years and, although the Trust is a small charity with limited resources, the Board of Trustees wishes to ensure that its electronic communication is as accessible, user-friendly and informative as possible. This requires hands-on management of day to day activity, and we are planning several exciting innovations to be introduced over the coming year.

We are therefore looking for a person with suitable skills and enthusiasm to work with the Trustee with responsibility for Communications and IT, and with the Website Manager to ensure that our communications strategy can be delivered.

This role has a flexible time commitment and will be generally home-based.

If you would like to find out more, please contact

Chris Darke, Trustee – Communication and IT darke_chris@hotmail.com.

For an application pack please contact John Robinson, Trustee- Safeguarding and People jwrobinson01@talktalk.net.

Completed applications should be forwarded to him by email as above or sent to West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust, The Railway Station, Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, TA4 3BX to be received by not later than 15 August.

© WSRHT 2025

2025 Learning and Education Offer

WSRHT Learning and Education Offer

The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust is pleased to publish its Learning and Education Offer. 

WSRHT Learning & Education Offer