Swindon and Cricklade Railway
Volunteer-run heritage railway near Swindon with steam and diesel trains, a railway museum, a wartime museum and a café at Blunsdon Station.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Swindon and Cricklade Railway runs on part of the former Midland and South Western Junction Railway, which once linked Andover and Cheltenham. Enthusiasts formed a preservation society in November 1978 to rebuild a section of the line. A light railway order was granted in 1984 and the first trains ran in 1985. The line was extended over the following decades, with Hayes Knoll station opening in 1999 and Taw Valley Halt, now called Swindon Mouldon Hill, officially opening in 2014 at the southern end.
The railway describes itself as the only standard gauge heritage railway in Wiltshire and as one of the first to rebuild a standard gauge line where no track or buildings remained. It is run entirely by volunteers. The headquarters and main visitor centre is Blunsdon Station, where there are a café, a shop, a picnic area and a car park, and the engine shed and workshops are at Hayes Knoll.
At Blunsdon the railway museum shows railway items from Swindon and the surrounding area, mainly from the Great Western Railway and the Midland and South Western Junction Railway. A separate wartime museum in a former box van displays dioramas, models, posters and memorabilia, with an Anderson shelter and a First World War dugout outside. The locomotive collection includes steam and diesel engines.
Highlights
- Steam and diesel train rides on a volunteer-run heritage line
- Railway Museum with Great Western Railway and Midland and South Western Junction Railway items
- Wartime Museum with dioramas, an Anderson shelter and a dugout
- Whistle Stop Cafe, shop and picnic area at Blunsdon Station
- Santa Specials and Halloween ghost trains
Permanent exhibitions
- Railway Museum – Railway items and antiques from Swindon and the area, mainly relating to the Great Western Railway and the Midland and South Western Junction Railway, collected from members' donations.
- Wartime Museum – Dioramas, models, posters and military memorabilia from 1914 to the present day in and around a former box van, with an Anderson shelter and a First World War dugout outside.
- Operated by
- Swindon and Cricklade Railway (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £12 |
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| Reduced | £11Seniors of State Pension age |
| Children & teens | £10free up to age 2 · Child fare for ages 3 to under 18. |
| Seniors | £11For people eligible for the State Pension. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Registered carers travel free with a fare-paying passenger. |
The standard fares are Day Rover tickets for unlimited rides on available trains on the day, bought at the Blunsdon shop on normal running days. Events such as Santa Specials have separate fares and timed tickets that can often be booked online. Entry prices for the railway museum and the wartime museum are not published. Members receive a complimentary ticket on normal running days.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The car park and main areas are flat, with ramps to the platforms, the café and the shop. An adapted coach with double doors and space for wheelchair users runs when available; otherwise wheelchairs travel in the guard's van area. Access is not guaranteed for every mobility scooter. There are accessible toilets at Blunsdon and Hayes Knoll. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on site and on trains, up to two per group.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
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- Family tours & workshops
Child fares apply from age 3 and younger children travel free. Family events include the Santa Specials and a Halloween ghost train.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Voyager Drive
Bus service 12 runs from Swindon to Voyager Drive, followed by a walk of about 0.6 miles along Tadpole Lane, which has no footpath. Mouldon Hill, at the southern end of the line, is served by bus 16 on Monday to Saturday from the town centre; the bus stops near the Tawny Owl pub.
By car
Free parking
Free visitor parking at Blunsdon Station, at the owner's risk. Free parking is also available at Mouldon Hill Country Park near Swindon Mouldon Hill station.
Use the postcode SN25 2DA for satellite navigation, or follow the brown tourist signs to Blunsdon Station on Tadpole Lane.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
The Whistle Stop Cafe at Blunsdon serves breakfast, sandwiches, cakes and drinks and has outdoor seating. The shop and a picnic area are also at Blunsdon. Toilets are at Blunsdon Station and in the engine shed at Hayes Knoll.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Day Rover tickets allow unlimited rides on the day. The railway museum is run by volunteers, who suggest phoning before a long trip, and the wartime museum is run by a re-enactment group and is usually open at weekends. |
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