Learning is fun and inexpensive
On the second day of our Summer Norfolk Trip 2022 we visited Wells-next-the-Sea .
Plan: Wells & Walsingham Light Railway —> lunch at A&M Frary —> play at the beach
Wells & Walsingham Light Railway is the world’s smallest public railway. It runs from Wells-next-the-Sea to the historic village of Walsingham. The journey is around 30 minutes each way. There are three types of carriages – enclosed, semi-open and fully open designs – with both forward and backward-facing seats.
When did we visit:
We visited on a Tuesday in early August. It was very warm 28C, sunny with no clouds and rain. The train going to Walsingham and back to Wells were packed with passengers with no empty seats.
How easy was it to find the station:
We typed in “Wells and Walsingham Light Railway car park” on Google Map and followed the directions. It was easy to find it and there was no tricky parts in the road journey. The ground of the car park is a bit bumpy.
What age is it best for:
I would say as young as toddlers to adults.
How long we spent at the venue?
Around 1.5 hours.
What else are there to see or do apart from the train ride?
We did not visit the cafe as we planned to have lunch with fresh seafoods at the A & M . We did not pay a visit to the shops as we were hungry and wanted to go to the beach and play.
Things that definitely worth to see:
The train itself!
Tip: If you arrive on a nice sunny warm day like us, try to arrive early at the station and get the fully open carriage because you can see much more and enjoy the fresh air breeze. On the way to Walsingham we were in the enclosed carriage and it was very warm inside and we couldn’t see that much. We were lucky on the way back and able to ride on the fully open carriage.
Anything that can be improved:
Easy to navigate?
I found it easy to find where things are mostly because it is small.
In case of rain:
The enclosed carriages would be ideal.
You can also go to the cafe or the shops mentioned above. But they are small.
How was the toilets?
Male and female toilets were clean.
How about the food?
We did not eat here.
Any extra charges once I’m there?
None.
Other things you need to know before you go:
Will I recommend it as a family attraction?
I would not highly recommend it because at least half of the journey was going in a cutting so there is not much to see except weeds and more weeds. No great views. So the journey itself was quite boring. The fairy scavenger hunt was left undone because the train was going at a speed that did not allow J to see properly.
However the train experience was nice. We had our tickets punched by the train conductor. We saw him waving his flag when the train was about to depart, and we love the whistle sound when the train was approaching a crossroad.
After the train ride we went to Wells town centre for lunch and play at the beach. Head over to my next blog post:
Wells & Walsingham Light Railway
Address:
Stiffkey Road, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk NR23 1QB
England
Telephone: 01328 711630
Official website: https://www.wwlr.co.uk
(But I also find this website called “Wells Guide” on the railway section very useful too)
Opening hours: Open daily first train from 10am (please do check their official website / social media for the most updated info)
Email: wellswalsinghamrailway@gmail.com
Car parks: £2.50 for whole day parking + train ride, or £5 for Park and Walk to Wells withOUT train ride. Plenty of spaces.
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