A volunteer on Helston's heritage railway was very nearly stumped this week when he came across a huge lump of a tree stump hidden away by the side of the “branch” line.

Digger operator Trevor Chambers was trying to clear a space for a new picnic area when he came across the monster stump, but luckily he managed to get to the root of the problem.

Barbara Barnes, from the Helston Railway Preservation Society said: “One of the challenges of the Propsidnick Halt site is that it is very narrow and there is nowhere for visitors to sit out in the sunshine, look at the view and watch the train coming in.

“So we are going to create a grandly named picnic area on the east side of the platform so visitors can do just that.”

A small fence and a couple of tables are in the offing for the halt “so you can while away a few hours in the sunshine,” Barbara said.

“Trevor took the first steps with the digger to grade and level the area and immediately came across the remains of a large tree.”

But with a little bit of elbow grease and a lot of help from the digger, the stump was eventually removed.

Helston Railway will reopen for Easter in seven weeks and volunteers are busy installing fencing around the new halt, conducting pre-season checks and refreshing memories ahead of the new spring.