TARR Steps is holding its own along with Tower Bridge and the Clifton Suspension Bridge in a new book by a West Somerset Railway employee that aims to capture the heritage market.

Author Joseph Rogers, 27, has travelled the length and breadth of the country to research and write his book, Britain’s Greatest Bridges, recently released nationally by publishers Amberley Books.

And in between his work in the railway’s commercial department in Minehead, he has also been busy doing book signings from Tower Bridge, last weekend, to Clifton Suspension Bridge where the book was launched.

Tarr Steps is the first chapter in the book, which is in order of age, although Joseph said his research showed the iconic stone bridge near Dulverton was not as ancient as some people believed.

“It’s a great example of a bridging technique, with stones through the river, and it’s unique as well as being a tourist attraction and of recent historical interest with the flooding that washed it away,” said Joseph.

“Some people believe it’s ancient, from early man, and there are some peculiar stories such as it being built by the devil.

“But it wasn’t built by cavemen – it’s far more modern. The majority of stones were shaped in medieval times, although no exact date is given.”

He said he spent some time with his shoes and socks off in the river, looking at the stones – which were all marked after the 2012 flood that washed it away, so that it could be accurately put back together if that happened again, as it has several times in the past.

He also read widely about its geography and stonework, as well as numerous local guides, and found “a lot of Victorian travel books feature Tarr Steps, with sketches from the 1800s”.

Joseph said much of his material for Tarr Steps, as well as the other bridges his book features, came from the British Library and, as well as personally visiting almost all of the bridges except one, he also researches archives, the internet and talks to historians.

Joseph has lived in Blue Anchor for the past year, when he has not been racing around the country, staying in bed and breakfasts: “I’m keenly interested in travel,” he said. “It was really busy – but I like being busy.”

Joseph also took a lot of the photographs for the publication, as he had to source all the images himself.

He works full time for West Somerset Railway, taking care of bookings, customer service and the dining train, and the book was written entirely in his spare time after he approached the publishers, who offered him a contract.

“I’m keenly interested in travel and have been pretty much everywhere in the UK, as well as round Europe.

“When I travel, it’s heritage and history I’m interested in, and working for West Somerset Railway as well, it all ties in very nicely,” he said.

The book, which is on sale at major bookstores and independent sellers, is also to be found at Minehead station, where Joseph’s sales there help raise money for the railway, something he feels very passionate about.

To say he knows the West Somerset rail journey well is an understatement, because in December he did an historic challenge to run the line’s 24 mile length, leaving Bishops Lydeard at the time of the first train out, and reaching Minehead before the last train back. It took him five and a half hours.