MINEHEAD'S new £25.5 million community hospital will receive the royal seal of approval when it is officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester next month.

The duke - 20th in line of succession to the Queen, his cousin - will also cut the ribbon on the town's new £300,000 Joint Cadet Centre, which provides a combined base for local air and army cadets.

But the visit will also give the 66-year-old duke the chance to indulge one of his interests - transport and, in particular, railways.

The duke, who is a patron of the Severn Valley Railway, will get the chance to ride on the footplate of a West Somerset Railway steam train.

He will board the 11.40am special service in Bishops Lydeard on the day of his visit, May 3, and travel as far as Crowcombe Heathfield on the footplate of the locomotive before rejoining the coaches for the remainder of the journey to Minehead.

Somerset's Lord Lieutenant Lady Elizabeth Gass will accompany the duke for the trip, along with WSR chairman Humphrey Davies, WSR general manager Paul Conibeare and Don Bishop, who will represent the West Somerset Railway Association, the volunteer and support organisation.

At Minehead, the royal passenger will meet representatives of the WSR's volunteer workforce before watching a steam locomotive being turned on the turntable, which was installed last year as part of a major enhancement of the station and surrounding area.

Mr Conibeare said the WSR was honoured that the duke should choose to travel by railway to Minehead to carry out his royal engagements.

"One of the duke's main interests is transport," he said.

"He is a patron of the Severn Valley Railway and also, in 2009, he became patron of the De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre.

"Everyone at the WSR is very much looking forward to the visit."

Health issues are also among the duke's key interests and at Minehead's state-of-the-art hospital, which opened to patients in February, he is expected to meet patients and staff.

NHS Somerset spokesman Paul Courtney said the details of the visit were still being finalised but the duke would be given a tour of the building and unveil a commemorative plaque.

The 19-bed facility boasts outpatient clinics, x-ray and diagnostic services, a 24-hour minor injury unit, day facilities for adults with mental ill health and rehabilitation facilities.

At his final port of call, the cadet centre, the duke will hardly find the paint dry on the new-build project.

The centre in Townsend Road was only completed last month and the 60 cadets from the combined units moved in less than a fortnight ago.

Wing Commander Brian Wills-Pope, commanding officer of the Devon and Somerset Air Training Corps, said everyone would be working over the next few weeks to get the building ready for the official opening.

The purpose-built centre, funded entirely by the Ministry of Defence, gives the cadets a parade room, classroom, canteen, toilets, offices and storage area.

"We are delighted that the duke has agreed to open it," said Wing Commander Wills-Pope.

"He opened our new headquarters in Taunton last year and was very supportive and empathetic with the youngsters."

The duke will be shown around the new Minehead facility before seeing a range of the different activities offered.

He will watch army cadets displaying skills at arms and carrying out fieldwork, with the air cadets demonstrating a flight simulator and first aid techniques, among other skills.