This is a real country break with a really rural feel. The Great Dorset Steam Fair celebrates everything that is British rural life and is the biggest gathering of steam engines in the land. We are mixing in a variety of absorbing nostalgic visits to create a perfect “get away from it all”!
Here we go! We meet at Taunton station, which is a convenient start point for our first visit of the holiday, the West Somerset Railway. We will devise a programme that will allow for travelling the full length of this 22+ mile steam railway as well as visiting some of the attractions along it. Now, that’s how you start off a holiday!
A steamy Sunday awaits, The East Somerset Railway is our morning destination and at lunchtime we’ll visit the charming and historic City of Wells. This place is lovely, with plentiful refreshment opportunities and the chance to visit the magnificent Cathedral and peaceful Cathedral Close. Back closer to home in the afternoon we have more steam in store at the friendly Yeovil Steam Centre before the last visit of the day, the impressive Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Unique, one off, the biggest in the world, nothing can compare with this annual extravaganza of everything from our national heritage that moves and/or makes a noise. Our flexible program will allow you to spend most, or all, of the day at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Your itinerary will include maps and highlight timings and your faithful courier will be on hand to advise or assist, he will be found in one of many cider tents! If the whole day is too long to spend on one’s feet we will offer an afternoon “escape” option and pop over to our friends at the Moors Valley Railway for the best miniature line there is!
Another holiday highlight is a visit to our friends at the Gartell Light Railway near Templecombe. This private railway belongs to John Gartell and he will be our host for a few hours taking us on steam train rides along the former S&D track-bed . As we will be privately chartering the whole railway there will be photographic opportunities and a look behind the scenes. All things must come to an end, and so it does, commencing homeward bound journeys from Castle Cary.
Without a doubt our favourite West Country hotel is The Hollies in sleepy Bower Hinton. It’s a quality place with spacious, modern accommodation with most rooms opening onto a furnished patio in the gardens. The cosy bar and restaurant are in an adjacent historic building dating back 400 years and the food is superb.
We are so lucky to get a booking here let alone one over the Great Dorset Steam Fair weekend – come and see what all the fuss is about