Apedale Valley Light Railway

“I took my infant son to Apedale Valley Light Railway for the first time and he absolutely loves it! I think we will definitely be returning and possibly tomorrow! Whilst the ride itself is very, very short, it's the whole experience of being around a Steam Train that is so wonderful. We wandered around for a couple of hours quite happily, after the return journey to Apedale Road Station, and my boy was happy to watch the train coming and going from the Play Area. We also visited the café for a bite to eat and the prices in there are very reasonable. Additionally, there is a mine and a museum of mining on the same site. We will be taking the Tour of the mine when my son is old enough to be allowed in. All in all, a delightful experience! One slight criticism from me. I understand, volunteers, that there are a lot of idiots around and that you give your time freely. However, please stop being so fussy with your Visitors. It might put them off from returning to your lovely centre! 🙏”

“We visited the heritage centre and the mine. It is a great day out. There is a nice cafe which is quite cheap and has plenty of choices for food and drinks. The museum in the heritage centre is free. Barrie showed us around and he is very knowledgeable on local history and has specialist knowledge of Roman times. The museum has some fascinating exhibits including fossils, mining memorabilia and examples from local industry such a brick making. We were very lucky to have a tour of the mine from Tom. He showed us around for well over an hour and has extensive knowledge and a lot of interesting facts and stories to share. He had family who worked as miners so it's nice to see that he is keeping his local and family history alive. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear if you plan to visit the mine. They provide safety hats and lights but it is a bit cold and sometimes a little slippy underfoot.”

“This is a little gem. Only a small railway but lovely staff and great value for money. The events are always brilliant and the area around it is so beautiful for walks with good paths, woodland trails and wonderful views. Dog friendly with a small welcoming cafe with toilets in the visitors centre. Dogs not allowed inside but there is seating outside.”

“Just a short 15min return trip but still a very interesting railway with good facilities. The adjacent Industrial Narrow Gauge layout is quite extensive and looks to be work in progress. A guided tour of the drift mine (weekends only) on the same site is well worth doing.”