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Heritage Railway Centres and Museums

 

The UK has many ‘Heritage Railway Centres’ and ‘Heritage Railway Museums’.

 

The Railway Club Directory lists those Centres and Museums that are either dedicated to railways (for example, the National Railway Museum) or have a substantial element that is dedicated to railways (for example, the Science and Industry Museum: Manchester) however we do not list museums with an insubstantial or token railway element. Museums comprising part of a heritage railway are referred to within the ‘Heritage Railways’ section of the Directory, and not here.

 

Heritage Railway Centres and Museums are listed under location categories: England, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

 

England

 

1. Amberley Working Museum

Address: New Barn Road, Amberley, Arundel BN18 9LT

Operating Season and Days: Main Season: Mid-February to end October:  Wednesday to Sunday

Prices: Adult: £14 / Child: £7

www.amberleymuseum.co.uk

 

2. Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Centre

Address: Campbell Drive, Barrow Hill, Chesterfield S43 2PR

Operating Season and Days: March to December: Saturday and Sunday

Prices: Adult: £7 / Child: £5

www.barrowhill.org

 

3. Beamish Museum

Address: Regional Resource Centre, Beamish DH9 0RG

Operating Season and Days: Varies (daily in high and shoulder seasons, weekends at other times)

Prices: Adult: £21 / Child: £12

www.beamish.org.uk

 

4. Bowes Railway

Address: Springwell Rd, Gateshead NE9 7QJ

Operating Season and Days: Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Prices: Adult: £5 / Child: £2

www.bowesrailway.uk

 

5. Bressingham Steam and Gardens

Address: Low Road, Diss IP22 2AA

Operating Season and Days: Late March to October: Daily

Prices: Adult: £15.44 / Child: £9.99

www.bressingham.co.uk

 

6. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Address: Quainton Road Station, Station Rd, Quainton, Aylesbury HP22 4BY

Operating Season and Days: April to October: Steaming Days on Sundays, Bank Holidays & most Wednesdays during school holidays

Prices: Adult: £12 / Child: £8

www.bucksrailcentre.org

 

7. Coleford Great Western Museum

Address: The Old Railway Station, Railway Drive, Coleford GL16 8RH, UK

Operating Season and Days: Friday and Saturday afternoons

Prices: Adult: £4 / Child: £2

www.gwrmuseumcoleford.co.uk

 

8. Colonel Stephens Railways Museum

Address: Next to Tenterden Station TN30 6HE

Operating Season and Days: Easter to end of October on days when trains on Kent & East Sussex Railway are running.

Prices: Free

www.kesr.org.uk/museum

 

9. Crewe Heritage Centre

Address: Vernon Way, Crewe CW1 2DB

Operating Season and Days: April to October: Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays

Prices: Adult: £7 / Child: £5

www.crewehc.co.uk

 

10. Danum Gallery Rail Heritage Centre

Danum Gallery, Library and Museum, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BZ

Operating Season and Days: Monday to Saturday

Prices: Free

www.dglam.org.uk/rail-heritage

 

11. East Anglia Railway Museum

Address: Station Road, Wakes Colne, Colchester CO6 2DS

Operating Season and Days: Weekends and Wednesdays

Prices: Adult: £8 / Child: £4

www.earm.co.uk

 

12. Great Western Society (Didcot Railway Centre)

Address: Station Road, Didcot OX11 7NJ

Operating Season and Days: Varies (see website): Have Steam Days (steam on demonstration lines) OR Demonstration Days (no live steam)

Prices: Steam Days £16.50 (A) £12.25 (Child) / Discovery Days £9.80 (A) £9.00 child

www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk

[For fuller particulars, see entry in 'Traditional Railway Society' section under heading 'Historical Railway Societies']

 

13. Head of Steam (Darlington Railway Centre and Museum)

Address: North Road Station, Station Road, Darlington DL3 6ST

Operating Season and Days: April to September (Tuesday to Sunday) / Oct to March (Wednesday to Sunday)

Prices: Adult: £ £4.95 / Child: £3

www.head-of-steam.co.uk

 

14. Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

Address: Irchester Country Park, Irchester, Wellingborough NN29 7DL

Operating Season and Days: Sundays

Prices: Free

www.irchesterrailwaymuseum.co.uk

 

15. Locomotion, Shildon

Address: Dale Road Industrial Estate, Shildon DL4 2RE

Operating Season and Days: Wednesday to Sunday

Prices: Adult: Free

www.locomotion.org.uk

 

16. London Transport Museum

Address: The Piazza, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BB

Operating Season and Days: Daily (except 24 to 26 December and 1 January)

Prices: Adult: £21 / Child: £20

www.ltmuseum.co.uk

 

17. Mangapps Railway Museum

Address: Southminster Road, Burnham-on-Crouch CM0 8QG

Operating Season and Days: Varies (see website for details) (August: Daily) (Spring to Autumn: weekends)

Prices: Adult: £14 / Child: £7

www.mangapps.co.uk

 

18. Midland Railway - Butterley

Address: Butterley Station, off B6179, Ripley DE5 3QZ

Operating Season and Days: March to October (weekends): April to October (also Wednesdays): August: Daily

Prices: Admission to Butterley comes with train fare. Contact Railway as fares vary for particular days.

www.midlandrailway-butterley.co.uk

[For fuller particulars, see entry in 'Traditional Railway Society' section under heading 'Historical Railway Societies']

19. National Railway Museum

Address: Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ

Operating Season and Days: Wednesday to Sunday

Prices: Free

www.railwaymuseum.org.uk

 

20. Rocks By Rail (Living Ironstone Museum)

Address: Ashwell Road, Cottesmore, Rutland, LE15 7BX

Operating Season and Days: Varies (see website for details)

Prices: Operational Steam Days: £10 (A) £6 (child) / Non-Operational Steam Days: £6 (A) £4 (child)

www.rocks-by-rail.org

 

21. Science and Industry Museum, Manchester

Address: Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4FP

Operating Season and Days: Daily (except 24 to 26 December and 1 January)

Prices: Free

www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk

 

22. STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway

Address: Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon SN2 2TA

Operating Season and Days: Daily (except 24 to 26 December and 1 January)

Prices: Adult: £ £11.30 / Child: £8.40

www.steam-museum.org.uk

 

23. Yeovil Railway Centre

Address: Yeovil Junction Station, Stoford, Yeovil BA22 9UU

Operating Season and Days: Sunday mornings plus ‘Steam/Diesel Train Days’ on various Sundays (April to September)

Prices: Adult: £9 / Child: £4

www.yeovilrailway.freeservers.com

 

 

Isle of Man

 

24. Isle of Man Railway Museum

Address: Station Road, Port Erin, Isle, Isle of Man

Operating Season and Days: March to October on Steam Train Operating Days

Prices: Adult: £2 / Child: £1

www.visitisleofman.com/experience/port-erin-railway-museum-p1293591

 

 

Northern Ireland

 

25. Ulster Transport Museum

Address: 153 Bangor Road, Cultra, Holywood BT18 0EU

Operating Season and Days: Tuesdays to Sundays

Prices: Adult: £9.90/ Child: £6.05

www.ulstertransportmuseum.org

 

26. Whitehead Railway Museum

Address: Castleview Road, Whitehead, Carrickfergus BT38 9NA

Operating Season and Days: Thursday to Saturday

Prices: Adult: £7 / Child: £5

www.steamtrainsireland.com

 

 

Scotland

 

27. Lathamond Railway Museum

Address: M90 Commerce Park, Lathalmond, Dunfermline KY12 0SJ

Operating Season and Days: April to October (Sundays)

Prices: Adult: £3 / Child: £1.50

www.shed47.org

 

28. Museum of Scottish Railways

Address: Bo'ness Station, EH51 9AR

Operating Season and Days:  Late March to end of October

Prices: Adult: £7 / Child: £2

www.srps.org.uk/related/sre.htm

 

29. Riverside Museum (Glasgow Museum of Transport)

Address: 100 Pointhouse Road, Partick, Glasgow G3 8RS

Operating Season and Days: Daily (except 24 to 26 December and 31 Dec to 2 January)

Prices: Free

www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/riverside-museum

 

 

Wales

 

30. Narrow Gauge Railway Museum - Gwynedd

Address: Wharf Station, Neptune Road, Tywyn LL36 9EY

Operating Season and Days: Days public trains are running on the Talyllyn Railway

Prices: Free

www.narrowgaugerailwaymuseum.org.uk

 

31. Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum

Address: Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 4HT

Operating Season and Days: Varies (see website for details)

Prices: Adult: £10 / Child: £5

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/penrhyn-castle-and-garden/railway-museum-at-penrhyn-castle

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