Revisit your childhood this summer on a stunning heritage coastal railway journeys. CATHY ROBINSON has six suggestions around the UK coast that will appeal to all ages.
Hands up all you adults out there who enjoy a ride on a railway. Add in the extra thrill of trundling past magnificent coastal views, and I don’t know about you, but I’m first in the queue for a heritage coastal railway.
Some 220 years ago, a locomotive designed by inventor Richard Trevithick undertook the first commercial steam railway journey carrying both goods and passengers. Over the following centuries, the enduring attraction of a ride on a train has never faded.
Here’s a round-up of six of the best heritage coastal railway journeys for you to enjoy this summer.
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Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, Kent
Kent’s ‘Mainline in Miniature’ chuffs its way along 13 miles, hugging the Kent coast for much of the way.
The cinque port town of Hythe sits at one end of the 15-inch gauge track. Stroll on the shingly beach with its Martello towers or hire a rowing boat on the Royal Military Canal.
At the other end of the line sits Dungeness station, in a national nature reserve and Britain’s only desert. This section is particularly atmospheric as the lighthouse, power station and shingle dwellings loom into view. Here, too, is Prospect Cottage, Derek Jarman’s former home, complete with beach-inspired garden.
The ride from Hythe to Dungeness takes just over an hour. You can break your journey at any of the stations along the way, including Dymchurch and Romney Sands, with sandy or shingle beaches respectively. From Hythe station, take a walk to St Leonard’s Church to visit its ossuary housing over 1,000 13th-century skulls. slhk.org/theossuary.htm
Refreshments are available at Hythe, New Romney and Dungeness stations. New Romney station also has a model railway exhibition, with even tinier trains.
The railway runs daily until end September, on peak days thereafter.
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Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills Railway, County Antrim
This 3ft-gauge train runs for two miles along the stunning north Antrim coast, part of the former route of the Giant’s Causeway hydroelectric tramway. Diesel trains run on this line as a nod to the tramway, which was one of the first electric railways in the UK when it opened in 1883.
Park at Bushmills station just outside the pretty town and pootle over the River Bush, then along the dunes backing onto the dramatic sweep of Runkerry beach. Once at your destination it’s a short hop to view the famous 60 million-year-old stones. The National Trust has a visitor interpretation centre here, with interactive exhibitions telling the stories of the stones and their legends, as well as walking tours and visitor trails (booking recommended, entrance fee).
Refreshments can be found at the Causeway visitor centre, or for a more substantial meal head for the Causeway Hotel. In Bushmills try the Bilberry Mill Cafe for great breakfast options, or The Nook, serving snacks and main meals. Both open daily.
If you have time, don’t miss Bushmills’ Irish whisky distillery, the oldest licensed distillery in the world. bushmills.eu/distillery
Trains run daily in the Easter and summer school holidays, at weekends at other times, with three trains per day. 028 2073 2844 or visit giantscausewayofficialguide.com/about/
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Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Lincolnshire
Operating for over 75 years, this tiny train chuffs along the picturesque Humberside coast. The 15-inch gauge track carries steam and diesel locomotives, depending on the season, between Cleethorpes Kingsway and Lakeside stations.
This stretch of coast overlooks the Humber Estuary, home to many visiting bird species like curlew, snipe and ringed plover. Listen for skylarks overhead and sedge warblers in the reeds.
At Cleethorpes stroll on the vast sandy beach or promenade on the handsome pier. On reaching Lakeside station, check out the exhibition about the railway’s history.
Refreshments are available from the Sidings Snack Shack at Lakeside station, while adults can enjoy a pint and a pub snack at the station’s jaunty miniature pub, the Signal Box Inn. According to railway Director Peter Bryant, “It was formerly used as a signal box at Scunthorpe, and it’s the smallest pub on the planet!” That’s not surprising since it seats just four people at a time.
The railway is open every day until November 3, then weekends until November 24. This year, Number 24, a replica of an American steam locomotive, returns to service after a rebuild.
7 Scenic Seaside Railway Journeys
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Fairbourne Railway, Gwynedd
A lovely example of a 12¼-inch gauge, Fairbourne Railway has been running for over a century, so it’s the grandparent of my list. Originally the horse-drawn tramway used to construct the village of Fairbourne, trains run between Barmouth Ferry and Fairbourne stations.
The track hugs the dunes, and even tunnels under them along the south side of the Mawddach Estuary, with Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park looming in the background.
The railway has four steam locomotives, including a model of a loco serving the Indian Himalayas, and drivers’ favourite Bedgellert. This locomotive is sadly out of action, and fundraising efforts are underway to bring it back into service.
Refreshments can be found at the Harbour View Cafe adjacent to Barmouth Ferry station, as well as the Station Cafe at Fairbourne. There’s a small museum at Fairbourne station, too.
Picturesque Barmouth can be easily reached by mainline train on the stunning Cambrian Coast Railway (see panel) over the iconic newly-restored Barmouth bridge. Then, between Easter and the end of September, tides permitting, hop on a ten-minute ride on a suitably tiny ferryboat to the Barmouth Ferry station.
Alternatively, stay on the mainline train to Fairbourne, or if you have your car, parking is available adjacent to the vast sandy expanse of Fairbourne beach.
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Beer Heights Light Railway, Devon
Great for kids, this miniature of all railways is the smallest in my round-up and has its home in Pecorama, a family-friendly attraction perched on a hillside above the picturesque village of Beer.
The tiny 7¼-inch gauge track, just one mile in length, has been carrying visitors for almost 40 years. Take in views of Lyme Bay and the UNESCO World Heritage site Jurassic Coast from the looping track through the gardens, chuffing over bridges and through a tunnel. You can break your journey at Deepwater station, where tiny Lake Charlotte and its wildlife are waiting to be explored.
Some of the railway’s locos are named after famous people. See if you can spot Ben, named after BBC TV news reporter and model train enthusiast Ben Ando, and Thomas II, named not after the train in the children’s book series, but honouring a member of the Wurzels.
Visit the restored full-size Orion Pullman carriage, part of a service running between London Victoria and the South Coast in the 1950s.
Refreshments are available al fresco at The Whistle Stop, or The Junction, overlooking the railway track. Pretty Beer village is a 15-minute walk away and has a selection of cafes, including dine-on-the-beach snack options for a sunny day. Tickets to the park include one free train ride.
6. The Aberdonian, Scotland
This train finishes my round-up in grandiose style – in fact, it will dwarf all the miniature trains already mentioned. The stunning coastal route plays host to the stylish steam train Tornado, running on selected dates in July and September fresh from a boiler overhaul.
Start your journey in Edinburgh, cross the spectacular Forth Bridge, and sit back as the train hugs the Fife coast to Dundee and finally puffs high above the ocean on its way to Aberdeen. The journey takes a day but you’ll be treated to some gorgeous scenery and a chance to spot bottlenose dolphins, seals and puffins.
Tornado may look old, but she’s just 16 years of age, being built in 2008 – the first steam train to be built in the UK since 1960. She cost a cool £3million to construct, the funds being raised by an early form of crowdfunding. In secret after-dark tests, Tornado reached speeds of 100mph.
Why not splash out and book a dining package to really travel in style? As Sophie Jones from A1 Steam says “the ever changing coastline makes dining on board so special, taking in the endless North Sea vistas, enhanced by the occasional plume of smoke drifting from Tornado”.
While you are here
The Cambrian Coast Line is considered to be one of the most scenic railway journeys in the UK. This mainline route hugs the coast between Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, taking in the towns of Aberdyfi, Barmouth and Porthmadog on the way. It’s the ideal way for a train enthusiast to reach Fairbourne Railway.
A triumph of Victorian engineering, the line clings to cliffs and tunnels through the coastal rock, and past sandy beaches and villages, offering the opportunity to spot wildlife like porpoises and osprey.
Download the Window Seater app for a free personal guide to what’s outside the window, and learn about the area’s history, mythology and local life as you go.
