Devon Railway Centre
Heritage railway attraction at Bickleigh with narrow gauge and miniature trains, model railways, a small railway museum and play areas.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Devon Railway Centre stands on the site of Cadeleigh station on the former Exe Valley Railway, a Great Western Railway branch line between Exeter and Dulverton that closed in 1963 under the Beeching cuts. The site lay empty and was owned by the council until the centre opened in 1998. The original Victorian station building has been restored and now serves as the heart of the attraction.
The centre runs a 2 foot narrow gauge passenger railway and a miniature railway of 7¼ inch gauge, and visitors can ride both as often as they like with their admission ticket. It describes its narrow gauge collection as the largest in the South West of England, with steam locomotives such as No. 14, a well tank engine built by Orenstein & Koppel in 1912. A museum in one of the coaches tells the story of the station site and of the centre's narrow gauge equipment.
As well as the trains, the site has model railways, a model village and funfair, crazy golf and indoor and outdoor play areas, including the Play Shed. Buffers Tea Rooms serves food and drink on opening days. The centre opens on a published calendar of dates, mostly weekends, Bank Holidays and school holidays, with special events through the year, and no advance booking is needed.
Highlights
- 2 ft narrow gauge passenger railway with unlimited rides
- 7¼ inch gauge miniature railway
- Model railways, model village and funfair
- Railway museum in a coach
- Indoor and outdoor play areas and crazy golf
- Special event days such as Easter, Diesel & Doughnut and Halloween
Permanent exhibition
- Railway museum – A museum in one of the coaches about the history of the former Exe Valley Railway station site and the centre's narrow gauge equipment.
- Founded
- 1998
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £14 |
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| Children & teens | £13Children aged 3 to 15. The price for under 3s is not stated. |
| Seniors | £13.50Aged 65 and over. |
| Visitors with disabilities | £12Holders of a blue or orange badge pay the discounted rates: adult £12.00, child £11.00, senior £11.50, and one carer £8.50. The badge must be shown at the ticket office. |
| Groups (11+ people) | –Groups of 11 to 20 pay £1.50 less per person and groups of more than 20 pay £2.00 less. School groups should ask for prices. |
| Families | £52.702 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children. |
| Super Family ticket | £64.802 adults and 3 children, or 1 adult and 4 children |
| Season ticket, adult (12 months) | £47.60 |
| Season ticket, child (12 months) | £44.20 |
| Season ticket, senior (12 months) | £45.90 |
| Season ticket, family (12 months) | £173.90 |
| Season ticket, super family (12 months) | £213.20 |
Admission includes unlimited train rides, the model railways, model funfair, crazy golf, play coaches, indoor and outdoor play areas and the museum. Drive-your-own rides cost a small extra charge.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The ticket office is reached by level access from the gravel car park, and the paths to the train rides are level tarmac. The narrow gauge train has a wheelchair compartment with a ramp; the miniature train coaches are not wheelchair accessible. The model village, the Play Shed and Buffers Tea Rooms are accessible. The model railways, indoor play coaches and museum are not accessible because the former British Rail coach doors are too narrow. The accessible toilet is beside the tea rooms and also serves as the baby changing area. The picnic site can be reached by train only. Well-behaved dogs on a short lead are welcome and can ride the trains, but they are not allowed in the model railways or indoor play areas.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | £52.70 · 2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children. |
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- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
The site has indoor and outdoor play areas including the Play Shed, a model funfair and crazy golf. Special family events include an Easter egg hunt and Halloween days. Baby changing is in the accessible toilet.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
The gravel car park leads to the ticket office by level access. Charges are not stated on the website.
The centre is at Bickleigh station, near Tiverton.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
Buffers Tea Rooms serves food and drink all day on opening dates. Picnics are allowed, with several picnic areas.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | No advance booking; visitors simply turn up on open dates. A museum in one of the coaches covers the station site and the narrow gauge equipment. |
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