Dean Forest Railway Steam Trains a Dog Friendly Day Out

The Dean Forest Railway is an excellent dog friendly tourist attraction with steam trains in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Visiting the Dean Forest Railway was somewhere I had wanted to visit for a while. While on a Forest of Dean Camping Holiday, I took the plunge and scheduled a day out riding on the steam trains.

Dean Forest Railway - Parkend Station

The journey from Coleford was pretty simple, with a direct bus service to Lydney. For people from other areas, Lydney has a mainline railway station. Thus pretty easy to reach via Lydney. The only issue is that you need to purchase tickets at Norchard Station. Alternatively, you can book in advance online.

Dean Forest Railway in Gloucestershire

The Dean Forest Railway is a 4.5-mile long heritage railway line. It runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean. The route was part of the former Severn and Wye Railway, which ran from Lydney to Cinderford.

Heritage Railway in the Forest of Dean

This is a great day out for train enthusiasts, families, and is even in the main dog-friendly. The museums are fascinating, with many artefacts about rail travel in the local area.

The Steam Trains & Heritage Diesel Engines

5541 Steam Engine

When I visited there were two trains running on the branch line, one steam engine and one diesel heritage engine. The steam train had the number 5541, which dates back to 1928 when it was first used in Swindon. It was cool to ride behind or to watch from the platforms. There’s nothing quite like the smell of steam engines at play.

Dean Forest Railway Gloucestershire

The heritage diesel train was also pleasant to ride and highlights seat shrinkage since that era. We rode on the retro looking, 2-car Class 108 a few times. The M51566 dates from the 1950s.

Carriage Lydney

The carriages and couchettes were pleasant to spend time and the window seats were my favourite for the views. Out of the two trains on duty for our visit, I preferred the steam locomotive.

Is It Dog Friendly?

Dog Friendly Day Out

The entire day was great fun, hopping on and off old trains and enjoying the local countryside. The whole attraction was dog-friendly and educational, too. We found it to be completely dog friendly and was a great day out with Henry, our dog. As a bonus, everywhere we enjoyed refreshments near the stations were pet friendly too.

Note there is a small fee for travelling with a dog. You can select a dog ticket when booking on their website.

Train Stations

There are various train stations at the Dean Forest Railway. Here you can change trains to ensure you ride and see each one. You can also explore the towns or villages where the stations are located.

Lydney Station

DFR

After getting a bus to Lydney with a dog in tow, we alighted the first train from Lydney Town train station. The first train was a heritage diesel engine. This had a comfy carriage with noticeable comfier seats than modern trains. It’s a nice station and while here you can have a quick mooch around the sights or pubs in Lydney.

Norchard Station & Museum

Nochard Station and Museum

First stop was Norchard, a station with 2 platforms, a cafe, a bookshop and a museum. This was fascinating to see the maintenance yard and learn some Forest of Dean History. Cakes and coffee were available at the cafe. These were absolutely delicious hats off to the cake maker.

Lydney Junction

Lydney Junction

The next railway journey we took at the attraction was to Lydney junction. It’s a nice station and a great opportunity to see the trains.

Dean Forest Railway Lydney Junction

This is where you can leave the heritage site and join the main line trains. It’s a short walk from the current Lydney railway station.

Whitecroft Station & Miners Arms Pub

Whitecroft Station

Alighting Whitecroft station, we visited The Miners Arms, a local pub that serves excellent food. The pub served us a delicious meal of burger and chips, washed down with the first cider of the day. The Miner’s arms had a bar area, outside seating to the front and rear, and also a dining room. There are a few other interesting shops to see while changing trains here.

Parkend Station & The Woodman

Parkend Station

The eventual stop in our journey, a nice train station at the end of the Dean Forest Railway line in Parkend. At the station, there is a bridge above the train line to appreciate the trains from above. There are also some fascinating railway artefacts to see at the station.

The Woodman Parkend

Parkend has 2 pubs but opted to visit The Woodman. This was a marvellous place with a great outside seating area. Cider was also my drink of choice here, too, accompanied by a bowl of chips. The Woodman is a nicely decorated pub with a very swish dining area. This is somewhere I would love to eat out, maybe on my next forest of dean visit.

Is Dean Forest Railway Worth Visiting?

Dean Forest Railway Attraction

The Dean Forest Railway is a fantastic place for a day out. You can learn lots about the heritage steam trains and take a ride through the picturesque countryside. There are options for refreshments at each stop. Ans as a bonus, it is a dog friendly place. Their special even days appeal for another visit.

1 thought on “Dean Forest Railway Steam Trains a Dog Friendly Day Out”

  1. I love reading your blogs on this area of the country. I’ve only ever passed through and never spent any time there, which I would love to rectify soon. I’m a huge fan of a heritage railway, so I’d definitely do the Dean Forest Railway. Great to know how dog friendly it is too. I’m going to share this blog post in my next newsletter too.

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