Snowdrops and steam in Somerset

Our first of two posts on where to find stunning spring flowers. Explore the countryside on a steam train before discovering signs of the change in season – but be quick, these flowers don’t hang around for long, so catch them before it’s too late.

If you want to say it with flowers this Valentine’s Day, but are looking for something more spectacular than the obligatory bunch of roses, then how about a trip to ‘Snowdrop Valley’ with the West Somerset Railway?

A heritage steam engine will take you and your loved one through the scenic Somerset countryside and along the coast to the edge of Exmoor on a restored branch line of the old GWR railway. The journey then continues by coach into the heart of this picturesque national park and on to a secret location where, throughout February, the woods are carpeted in wonderful white blooms.

Snowdrops are one of the earliest and most eagerly-awaited signs of spring to appear and offer a promise of warmer weather to come. But do they hint at the prospect of romance too? Well, yes and no. While these pretty little flowers signify hope and new beginnings, they’re also a symbol for chastity (so you’d better get the roses as well).

Getting there: Take the GWR train to Taunton. From there, catch a local bus to the West Somerset Railway station at Bishops Lydeard.

Trips run from 10–18 February. For full list of dates and fares, west-somerset-railway.co.uk