Nene Valley Railway is a heritage railway that offers a family day out but is no mere manufactured visitor attraction as the preserved railway uses part of the original London and North Western line from Northamptonshire into the Cathedral city of Peterborough, encompassing the stations of Yarwell, Wansford, Ferry Meadows (Nene Park) and Orton Mere.
Over the summer holidays we were kindly sent a family ticket to experience the Nene Valley Railway (NVR) but we only just recently got the chance to have a ride on the steam train.
The train runs from Peterborough to Wansford, stopping at Orton Mere and Ferry Meadows on the way. We decided to join the train at Orton Mere as there was free parking and take a ride to Wansford and back.
Prices are currently:
Adults £16.00 £14.50
Senior £13.00 £11.50
Children £8.00 £7.00
Family £40.00 £36.00
However these are Rover Fares which means you can travel all day on the train. This is perfect as there is something to do at each stop.
At Orton Mere you can feed the swan and ducks and the children are always fascinated by the lock. If you are lucky you may get to see it at work! Water sports often happen there and you can have a nice stroll along the river.
Another stop is Ferry Meadows. Ferry Meadows is a local country park and I have written about it on numerous ocassions on the blog: Fun with friends at Ferry Meadows and also Enjoying our local country park: Ferry Meadows. It is a perfect stop on a summers day with plenty to do there including a miniature train ride, play areas, visitor centre and cafe.
The final stop is Wansford. We went all the way to Wansford but didn’t stop as we came back immediately. However Wansford is the perfect place to have a quiet picnic by the river. Or you can simply relax in their cafe and have some lunch.
On return to Peterborough you can visit Railworld which is right next to the station. If you have a ticket for the train you can get discounted entry. Unfortunately we weren’t aware of that at the time of our visit or we would have made use of the discount.
Nene Valley Railway also have special events running throughout the year such as a Santa Special at Christmas. However there are extra charges for these events.
Munchkin had already been on the train with her school but this was the first time the rest of us had a ride! Bee was initially very excited at the thought of having a ride on the train but once it got moving she was slightly nervous. By the end of the ride she said she loved it and missed it when we got off. The staff at Orton Mere were chatty and cheerful and made everyone feel welcome, and asked us how our trip was on our return.
The train itself reminded me of Harry Potter! The cabins in one of the carriages reminded me of the Demontor scene!
Although the journey from Peterborough to Wansford is quite short, there are snacks available in the train and also toilets. With Bee recently potty trained I was worried about toilets but did not have to. She did ask to go but I think that may have been more the novelty of going to the toilet on the train rather than her actually needing to go!
The ride to Wansford was pleasant with the girls happily looking out at the countryside. It is a nice treat for the kids once in a while, especially if you make use of the fact that you can use the ticket all day and get on and off at the different stops.
We were sent a family ticket for the purposes of review. However all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Lots of fun. Kids and trains, you cant go wrong 🙂
There is something quite captivating about an old steam train. I love the smell and size of them, mind you all trains look big next to our little Coombe Mill railway! What a lovely idea to be able to jump on and off at each stop with interesting thigs to see and do along the way. I bet the Santa train gets very booked up. Thank you for sharing a lovely looking journey and day out on Country Kids.
It’s brilliant how they’ve preserved some of these old steam train lines in UK. We live right by the Bluebell Railway in Sussex which likewise is a fantastic day out.
Kriss MacDonald recently posted…An early morning shrimping surprise
How lovely to have a ride on the steam train and the photos of the canal are just beautiful. Good to know about the places to visit at each stop too 🙂
Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) recently posted…Legoland: the best bits (from a preschooler’s perspective)
Our little dude would love to do this!
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