East Somerset Railway
East Somerset Railway
East Somerset Railway
4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
A Trip Back In Time Come and meet our friendly staff and take a relaxing ride on our heritage steam train through the beautiful Mendip Countryside. The return journey takes approximately 40 minutes and is a 5 mile round trip. You pay once and you can ride the trains all day! As well as riding the train you can visit our engine shed and workshop and see our restoration projects up close, while away an hour or so chatting away to our very knowledgeable volunteers. We also have a signal box and miniature railway (these are only open on specific dates), museum, a shop and cafe serving delicious homemade meals each day we are in steam. We also offer Cream Teas, High Teas and Sunday Lunches on specific dates which need to be booked in advance as they do sell out very quickly. Our season runs from March to October and then we run our Santa Specials in December.
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- Prairie Sun48 contributionsFriendly, relaxed, and enjoyable day outFirst time visiting, for many many years. It was one really enjoyable day out. All the staff were friendly and helpful. It is only a small railway, with 2 1/2 miles of track, but plenty to see. There is a museum, loco sheds, sidings, viewing point, signalbox, cafe, shop, discovery centre etc. We did the train trip twice - on a diesel, and a steamer.What a lovely review! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We have recently opened our museum and opened our refurbished waiting room so its great to hear that you enjoyed these changes since your last visit. LauraWritten November 14, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 30, 2023
- Danielle C5 contributionsNot exactly what we had hopedIf you like steam trains like myself you will like this however it’s not exactly what we had hoped and certainly not what was advertised. It’s not a round trip at all. You go up the line quite slow, stop for 20 mins and then go back to the station. I couldn’t even tell you that the views were amazing as we barely saw anything but overgrown hedges :( I think you’re actually stationary more than not. The place itself is fab as it has lots of stuff the look around but all in all I wouldn’t recommend.Hello, I am sorry to hear that you were disappointed in your recent experience with us at The East Somerset Railway. Each of our trips takes around 35 minutes in total between our two stations. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed our a newly refurbished museum, waiting room and ticket office. LauraWritten November 14, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 20, 2023
- Sharon SChristchurch, United Kingdom162 contributionsNice experience but very overpricedUsed a gift voucher we were given and although we had a very pleasant time, it wasn't worth the money. The train trip is very short, 10 minutes slowly one way. 10 minutes stop at station then 10 minutes back. Our elderly parents with mobility issues were very disappointed as unable to get off and enjoy the other museum areas and renovation areas. The cafe is very good and the staff extremely friendly.Hello, I am glad to hear that you had a pleasant visit. I am sorry to hear that your parents were unable to enjoy their visit fully due to mobility concerns. We always try our best to ensure all visitors have a great trip. More information about our accessibility can be found on our website: https://eastsomersetrailway.com/visits/disabled-access#:~:text=We%20have%20an%20adapted%20carriage,by%20the%20Guard%20on%20duty. LauraWritten November 13, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 31, 2023
- GrandTour432139154061 contributionSanta ExperienceA enjoyable trip for the family and great to see a low cost alternative to the Polar Express other steam trips in the area. We found the staff of volunteers enthusiastic and Santa was loved by our grand children, we will come again. We hope money raised can further the efforts of this lovely rural line.Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. I am glad to hear that you had a lovely experience with us.Written January 2, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited December 2023Traveled with familyWritten December 25, 2023
- KathGillingham, United Kingdom17 contributionsWe had our wedding here!!We had our wedding here in May 2023. It was the most authentic, relaxed and romantic setting. All the staff and volunteers were so attentive. There is a warm and welcoming approach here and the food was innovative and delicious thanks to Pete & Renee. Thank you so much!I am so glad to hear you had a lovely wedding day with us! Thank you for leaving us a review!Written February 15, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited May 2023Traveled with familyWritten February 8, 2024
- Graham RHoniton, United Kingdom386 contributionsSaint's Day!The annual steam gala was graced by the presence of the rebuilt "Saint" Class steam engine, "Lady of Legend". It is a magnificent machine. For the first time that I can recall, there was a charge for carparking. I was told that this was introduced because galas are very popular with photographers who would, otherwise, pay nothing. The reasonable £5 car park charge could be offset against the £20 cost of the train journey, if you wished. There is a good shop with a variety of new and secondhand books. Separately, there is a model railway shop that has an extensive range of N gauge products. For a relatively small enterprise, this heritage line punches above it's weight!Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. It was an incredibly busy weekend and its so lovely to hear back from those who enjoyed it!Written March 18, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited March 2024Traveled soloWritten March 17, 2024
- Bob JTaunton, United Kingdom301 contributionsGood Steam RailwayA great day out with grandchildren. They particularly enjoyed the train driving experience. Good displays and friendly staff. The cafe is really good with 'Greek street food' at sensible prices.Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. I am glad you had a nice time with us. Hopefully we will see you again in the future!Written April 4, 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2024Traveled with familyWritten April 1, 2024
- penstomenCwmbran, United Kingdom94 contributionsOK but .....I love the East Somerset Railway and visit at least once or twice a year. On this visit all the staff were brilliant apart from the young ticket collector who took our tickets, clipped them and threw them on the table - no spoken word, no handing back of the tickets. This may sound being petty but it annoyed me. A short journey of about 10 minutes each way but we knew that before we went, pleasant surroundings and a lovely atmosphere.Visited May 2024Traveled with friendsWritten May 10, 2024
- Bernie S2 contributionsA lovely 70th birthday treatWe went for the Sunday lunch and we're delighted with the experience. Staff were very friendly on arrival and on the train everything was exemplary. The meal was delivered by the attendants who worked so hard on a hot day. Food was delivered at perfect temperature and all three courses were delicious. The lady doing drinks did a sterling job in getting drinks to everyone on her own in a cheerful manner. Many thanks to all for making this 70th birthday treat so memorable.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 12, 2024
- Steve C88 contributionsGood but limitedThis was a Christmas present and not something I would normally do. First the staff were all very welcoming and helpful, all as far as I know volunteers. The actual location was clean and tidy and for a train enthusiast would be a good place to visit. My only criticism and not something they can easily change was the duration and scenery of the actual ride. I feel it's slightly churlish however it is dull uninteresting and very short. Sorry. Everything else was excellent.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 19, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Popular mentions
4.0
491 reviews
Excellent
242
Very good
132
Average
58
Poor
34
Terrible
25
paj2001
Shaftesbury, UK31 contributions
Aug 2020
I reveiced a gift voucher and tried to book the 'experience'. Firstly the buyagift voucher company just sells a voucher, logging in to book is first level of frustration as they do not do bookings, with poor info of how to book. Taking into consideration there may be booking problems due to coronavirus, booking still is problematic. So now the runaround starts, emails backwards and forwards. NOT providing good information, leaving me, the recipient of the gift feeling let down and frustrated. Surely you can sort out your information and booking system. Informal emails with poor information is not the way to go. PR disaster. I don't think you should be using these 'gifts'. So now I have requested a booking and complained. Lets see if it materialises. .....
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your comments. Firstly I would like to sincerely apologize that you feel you have been given the runaround. As I know you appreciate, Covid 19 restrictions have been incredibly difficult for all of us. Once we established that we could safely run the afternoon tea trains (distancing being a major problem in a carriage), our priority was to rebook all customers who had already made a firm booking with us - of which there were many. We had to try to contact them all individually (not always easy) and then reschedule their bookings onto reduced capacity, socially distanced trains. As soon as we felt we had given these customers enough opportunity to rebook, we were then in a position to open up the bookings to 3rd party voucher holders, such as yourself. We only reached this phase on Thursday - and we are aware that there are still some customers with firm bookings we have yet to reschedule too.
As expected, our phone lines have been absolutely jammed with calls which can make for a very frustrating experience for the caller who has to wait in a queue. The calls often take a while to deal with as our customers also have many questions for us about their booking. We have tried our very best to ensure that our FB page and website keep everyone up to date with the situation as it evolves.
As a volunteer-run charity, we have been very badly hit by this pandemic in many ways. However we always have our visitors interests at heart and aim to provide a good service. I am sorry that you feel so let down.
Written August 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Adam C
Maidenhead, UK39 contributions
May 2022
They bill themselves as the "friendly steam railway", and I'd say this is an accurate description. It's a small railway, and is all the better for this. The carriages are clean and tidy. The ticket covers as many return journeys as you like, which allows you to really appreciate the passing countryside. It's great to have access to the engine and carriage sheds, and we noticed that many of the volunteers are young, which bodes well for the future. The cafe offers a good range of light lunches, but it does tend to get busy just after trains have arrived. We must make a special mention of David in the signal box, who went out of his way to make us feel welcome and demonstrate the inner workings.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
R&L
153 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Sunday lunch on a steam train. The food was ok. Could have been warmer. Service is not good. Got drinks when we arrived then not offered anything else for 2 hours. They are missing a trick here. Really need someone to properly oversee staff and keep an eye on customers. Would pay dividends. Also BEWARE. They advertise 500ml bottles of lager but serve you 330ml but charge you for big one. Very unprofessional and prevented me giving tip. The ride is short but you do it twice. Overall was a very nice experience but could be amazing with a few tweaks. These would not cost money but would bring in more. I would urge the people running to review the way the day is run. Thanks for a nice day though. Good luck. Don’t rip off your customers though.
Written March 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fork_handles
Luton, UK2,100 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
We visited the East Somerset Railway in June 2022. Having travelled through the area many times in the past and never visited, we thought that we should make the effort to go. The staff are all very friendly and we felt that the ticket price was reasonable despite the short length of the line. We had a couple of trips up and down the line so got our moneys worth.
It was also nice to be able to walk round the engine sheds and see some of the other stock not in use.
The cafe was also nice but presumably a franchise operation as seemed completely out of sorts with the rest of the railway, being decorated in a very modern style.
Overall we were glad we went.
It was also nice to be able to walk round the engine sheds and see some of the other stock not in use.
The cafe was also nice but presumably a franchise operation as seemed completely out of sorts with the rest of the railway, being decorated in a very modern style.
Overall we were glad we went.
Written July 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B3th85
15 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Booked the afternoon cream tea and train ride as a Christmas present for my parents. As it's a two hour car journey, my sister and I decided to book on.
The train ride lasted approximately 20 minutes which was disappointing. I was expecting at least an hour round trip with scenery. However that's all we could see was overgrown bushes. Our tickets were valid all day though so we could do the ride as many times as we wanted.
Whilst my parents went to sit inside for their afternoon tea, my sister and I purchased our own food from the same cafe and ate outside with the dog. Now, we had a drink, a sandwich, crisps and a delicious cake each which totalled £24. Together with our tickets for the train, this totalled £48. I paid £44 for the afternoon tea voucher which consisted of the same train journey and a box containing 2 scones and two cups of tea. That was it!! Not a sandwich in sight for them. Really disappointed with this. Its not good enough and is definitely not I would consider an afternoon tea.
Positives.... very dog friendly. Staff are lovely and very helpful. Food was delicious.
The train ride lasted approximately 20 minutes which was disappointing. I was expecting at least an hour round trip with scenery. However that's all we could see was overgrown bushes. Our tickets were valid all day though so we could do the ride as many times as we wanted.
Whilst my parents went to sit inside for their afternoon tea, my sister and I purchased our own food from the same cafe and ate outside with the dog. Now, we had a drink, a sandwich, crisps and a delicious cake each which totalled £24. Together with our tickets for the train, this totalled £48. I paid £44 for the afternoon tea voucher which consisted of the same train journey and a box containing 2 scones and two cups of tea. That was it!! Not a sandwich in sight for them. Really disappointed with this. Its not good enough and is definitely not I would consider an afternoon tea.
Positives.... very dog friendly. Staff are lovely and very helpful. Food was delicious.
Written September 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yorkshire_Lass195725
Bradford, UK125 contributions
Sep 2022
My husband and I have been here before and this time we were with our daughter, who also enjoys a trip on a steam train. I think they are now running on a winter timetable, as they only seem to run at the weekends & Wednesdays. Luckily for us we were able to visit on a Weds. There were only 4 scheduled services that day, which as it turned out, was quite enough - we missed the first one at 11 as we were traveling from near Weston SM. 🙄😀. However we managed to catch the 12.30 and the other two services and in-between we had our lunch and then later had a cream tea! We ran out of time to visit the engine sheds & the museum but we did have a look in the gift shop & purchased a fridge magnet and also bought a couple of books in the "WH Smith" shop! A great time was had by all! 👍
Written October 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
diannesmithy115
Bristol, UK109 contributions
Aug 2021
This railway line has it all! A fabulous locatiin in beautiful Somerset countryside. A steam train ride and location that transports you back to early and mid 20th century England. A lovely little cafe that serves hot and cold food with an excellent option to sit outside if the sun shines. There is a well stocked shop and repair sheds that you can stroll around all day if you want to.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Written August 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mais
79 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
My mum bought us a cream tea experience voucher for xmas and we made sure we booked it early and I’m glad we did as they sell out so quickly! The railway has quite a few interesting things near the station you can explore before you get on the train so make sure you arrive a bit early. We were booked on the cream tea service which was last ride of the day but they kindly let us on the train ride before this too at no extra cost.
The train is so lovely to see, hear, smell and experience. All staff were nice and the cream tea was great too. Thoroughly enjoyed
The train is so lovely to see, hear, smell and experience. All staff were nice and the cream tea was great too. Thoroughly enjoyed
Written June 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen B
Twickenham, UK40 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
We found place easy to find. Plenty of car park space.
A children's play area to keep the youngsters busy whilst you wait for your train.
The catering shack looked Plentiful.
The ticket office staff helpful and polite as were the shop staff.
The is small but well stocked with railway items.
The train journey was excellent even getting a face full of steam and smoke excellent taste and smell. The train staff were polite and well spoken.
The engine shed was busy with volunteers working away on various vans, train chassis or wheel sets.
The track engineers willing to talk about there work was very interesting.
Will definitely revisit.
A children's play area to keep the youngsters busy whilst you wait for your train.
The catering shack looked Plentiful.
The ticket office staff helpful and polite as were the shop staff.
The is small but well stocked with railway items.
The train journey was excellent even getting a face full of steam and smoke excellent taste and smell. The train staff were polite and well spoken.
The engine shed was busy with volunteers working away on various vans, train chassis or wheel sets.
The track engineers willing to talk about there work was very interesting.
Will definitely revisit.
Written March 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon B
Gloucester, UK2 contributions
Disgusting - don’t waste your time, money - cream tea in a box, scones hard, train ride not worth it
Sep 2022 • Couples
Don’t bother buying a voucher for the train ride and cream tea. Cream tea is in a cardboard box and the scones were hard and the boxes were banged down on top of plates. We were not made to feel welcome at all.
The train ride lasted for 15 mins and then comes back again (30 mins round trip). The scenery isn’t worth it either just bushes.
After driving 1.5 hours each way we were there literally one hour.
Not worth the expense of buying tickets (in our case a voucher for a train ride and cream tea), the travel time and the fuel cost.
The train ride lasted for 15 mins and then comes back again (30 mins round trip). The scenery isn’t worth it either just bushes.
After driving 1.5 hours each way we were there literally one hour.
Not worth the expense of buying tickets (in our case a voucher for a train ride and cream tea), the travel time and the fuel cost.
Written September 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where does the Sunday lunch trip start
Written September 8, 2018
Everything starts at Cranmore - it is the only “proper” station.
Written September 8, 2018
Hi I have received a gift voucher for Christmas and I don't understand where the train goes. How long and how far are the trips? Also I have two dogs, are they allowed on the train?
Written December 28, 2015
Elaine L
Litton, United Kingdom
Hello There I am so sorry for the very late response, I obviously missed it when you first posted it. The line is 2.5 miles long and the return journey takes approximately 40 minutes. It starts at Cranmore and goes to Mendip Vale where you can get out and look at the train being uncoupled and run round a great photo opportunity. There are no shops or cafe at Mendip Vale. Dogs are welcome to travel on the train free of charge as long as they are kept on a lead and kept off the seats. If your voucher is for a steam train ride only then you don't need to book in advance just turn up when we are in steam and take your voucher to the ticket office where we will exchange it for one of our day rover tickets. For more information please see our website.
Written March 29, 2016
63marylou
Bristol, United Kingdom
Could you please advise as to whether this train trip is suitable for disabled persons? I.e. access/ toilets/ cafe.. Thank-you..
Written July 14, 2015
There was a party of physically challenged people when we visited and they were accommodated in the guard van which has bench seats for attendants.
I believe they had a happy experience.
Written May 7, 2019
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