Statfold Barn Railway: Review
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Statfold Barn is a fabulous little narrow-gauge steam railway and museum located in Tamworth, West Midlands. Whilst it is a small attraction, lots of extra fun things for families have been added recently. Not least the soft play and climbing wall next to the museum. We visited at the start of their Easter Eggspress event, one of many fabulous family days out taking place for families in the West Midlands this Easter.
About Statfold Barn Railway
In a countryside location yet near to the heart of Tamworth, Statfold Barn is like a little oasis. Immediately outside the visitor reception is a small park where children can burn off some energy before going inside. Once tickets are scanned, visitors enter the Statfold Barn Roundhouse Museum. Here, you’ll find a huge collection of narrow gauge steam engines. It’s where all locomotives not in use that day are housed. Upstairs in the museum is more memorabilia, along with plenty of information throughout the museum for visitors to learn about the railway and its engines.
Having finished in the museum, visitors can move on to a foyer area that takes you towards the play barn and out to the tracks. Food and drink are available as well as a gift shop. There’s even a campsite just outside Statfold barn, so they really do cater for every eventuality. Trains run regularly on the narrow gauge railway, pulled by a steam engine. They take a circular route taking around 15 minutes, delivering you back to where you started from. A tramway is also present, but that wasn’t running during our visit.
As well as the railway itself, there are a few other things to keep children amused. A visit to a large soft play area is included with children’s tickets, as is the vintage swing roundabout. The soft play is suitable for children aged up to 10 years old. Rock climbing and a virtual reality ride can also be booked at an extra cost.
Easter Eggstravaganza at Statfold Barn Railway
For the Easter Holidays, the Easter Eggspress event takes place from 15th to 18th April 2022. As usual, visitors will enjoy entry to the soft play barn, unlimited train rides, the vintage swing roundabout and the museum. For the long weekend, all ticket holders can also follow an easter egg trail and trackside egg hunt.
Statfold Barn Railway: Review
We had never heard of Statfold Barn before were invited along to their Easter event and the whole thing was a revelation. Whilst it is a relatively small attraction, it has plenty to keep children entertained. It doesn’t get overly busy and there were no queues for anything. Whilst there is a café to purchase food from, you can also take a picnic. We enjoyed our picnic on the grass opposite the little station, watching the trains puff in and out. The whole thing makes for a very relaxed day out.
In addition to the soft play and swing ride, there was a small bouncy castle and a bouncy slide that children could go on at no extra cost. We thought this was a lovely touch and a fantastic surprise for children. The girls were straight onto the slide as soon as we arrived. Next stop for us was the narrow gauge railway, where we boarded a train. There’s something lovely about the smell of a steam train and we liked the little carriages that make this an ideal all-weather attraction. We enjoyed our little trip around the track, and had intended to go on again but we ran out of time.
Statfold Barn’s brand new soft play area is for children aged up to 10 years old, which my girls loved. We did wonder whether they might be a bit old for it, but they disappeared into it for 45 minutes without a second glance. They were also keen to go on the VR ride. The ride costs £15 for a family or £4 per person with a VR headset. Due to cost, we decided to just let the girls go on without us. They were extremely impressed with the ride and assured me it was well worth the money. There is an additional charge for indoor rock climbing too, which we were happy to pay because it’s something the girls love. This was £7.50 per person for a 45 minute session.
Things you need to know about visiting Statfold Barn Railway
- Opening times: At present, Statfold Barn is only open for special events. Check their events page for full details and don’t travel without making sure they are open.
- Accessibility: Statfold Barn is accessible for wheelchairs on all levels including a lift to the upstairs area. They have accessible toilets and the trains are wheelchair adapted. There is only one tram that they have been unable to adapt. Their accessibility policy is here.
- Cost: Statfold advise people to book online before arriving. If you do so, entry costs £14 per adult and £12 per child. They allow you to pay on the door if they have the space on the day, and tickets cost an extra £1 if you do it this way. Additional costs are food and drink purchased on site, shop purchases, the VR ride and the climbing wall.
- Dog friendly: This is a dog friendly site with dogs on leads welcome everywhere except for the diner.
- Parking: There is a large car park on site with plenty of space.
- Camping: A camp site right next to the attraction is useful if you are staying a little longer.
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