Things to do · Winchcombe
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway
A heritage railway running steam and diesel trains for 14 miles between Cheltenham Race Course and Broadway, by Winchcombe and Toddington.
Family-friendly · Dog-friendly · Rainy days
A day rover lets you ride the whole line and get off where you like. Toddington, with the engine shed, is the best stop for children. Dogs ride for £5.
- Good: Step-free platforms and accessible toilets at the four main stations
- Good: Dogs welcome on a lead, £5 a journey
- Good: Under-5s travel free
- Worth knowing: Some trains do not stop at Hayles Abbey Halt; check the timetable
- Worth knowing: Step down from the carriages everywhere; train toilets are not accessible
- Worth knowing: Running days vary; check the timetable before you go
About
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway runs heritage trains for about 14 miles between Cheltenham Race Course and Broadway, through Gotherington, Winchcombe, Hayles Abbey Halt and Toddington, through Greet Tunnel and over the 15-arch Stanway Viaduct. It follows the Great Western's old Honeybourne line, closed in 1976, which volunteers began reopening at Toddington in 1981.
Trains run from spring to late autumn, mostly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, weekends and bank holidays, with Santa Specials from Toddington on selected dates from late November to 23 December in 2026; check the timetable for dates through the winter and spring. Toddington has the engine shed, with guided tours of about 40 to 45 minutes on Tuesdays and Sundays when a guide is free, and a play area.
A day rover covers the full 28-mile round trip and lets you get on and off at any station; in 2026 it cost £28 for adults, £14 for children and £75 for a family, with under-5s free. Shorter returns are cheaper. Tickets can be bought online or at the station on the day. Dogs travel on a lead for £5 a journey, but not in First Class or on seats. The four main stations have step-free platforms, accessible toilets and a café or refreshment kiosk, and most trains have a wheelchair space. Not every train stops at Hayles Abbey Halt, which has no parking and is a few minutes’ walk from Hailes Abbey and Hayles Fruit Farm.
Opening hours and season
Trains run on set days from spring to late autumn, then Santa Specials from Toddington on selected dates, 28 November to 23 December 2026. Check the timetable for winter dates.
Facilities
- Cafés at the main stationsA refreshment kiosk at Cheltenham Race Course
- Toddington car parkThe largest, level, with Blue Badge bays
- Dogs on trainsOn a lead, £5, not in First Class
- Step-free stationsToddington, Winchcombe, Broadway and Cheltenham Race Course
- Play areaAt Toddington
The details
- Time to allow
- Half a day to a full day
- Features
- Café · Parking · Play area · Picnic area · Guided tours
- History
- Volunteers began reopening the line at Toddington in 1981
- Parking
- Free car parks at Toddington (largest), Winchcombe (limited) and Cheltenham Race Course; council pay-and-display opposite Broadway station. No parking at Gotherington or Hayles Abbey Halt.
Photos
Steam on the viaduct 
Evening at the platform 
Toddington station 
Cream tea at the station café
Location
Accessibility
- Step-free access
- Accessible toilet
- Assistance dogs welcome
Ramps for wheelchairs at the four main stations (300kg, 79cm wide at most). Wheelchair spaces on most trains, first come first served. Gotherington and Hayles Abbey Halt have limited access and no toilets.
Places to stay nearby
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The Lion Inn
Inn · Winchcombe
A restored fifteenth-century coaching inn on North Street, Winchcombe, with nine rooms, run by Butcombe.
Dog-friendly · Walker-friendly
Verified Oct 2026
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The White Hart Inn
Inn · Winchcombe
An inn with sixteen rooms on Winchcombe's High Street, with dog-friendly rooms and a restaurant and bar open all day to non-residents.
Dog-friendly · Wedding venues · Walker-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
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Sudeley Castle Cottages
Self-catering · Winchcombe
Nineteen holiday cottages on the Sudeley Castle estate at Winchcombe, sleeping three to fourteen, some dog-friendly, with free castle entry in season.
Dog-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
Nearby walks, places and things to do
- Winchcombe Pottery 0.5 km away
- The Lion Inn 1.3 km away
- Café 21 1.3 km away
- The Royal Oak, Gretton 1.3 km away
Sights nearby
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St Peter's Church, Winchcombe
Sight · Church · Winchcombe
St Peter's is Winchcombe's Grade I parish church, built in one campaign in about 1458 to 1468, with some 40 carved grotesques round its walls, a fan-vaulted tower and two stone coffins tied to the St Kenelm story. Usually open daily.
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Dent's Terrace, Winchcombe
Sight · Historic building · Winchcombe
A row of ten almshouses of 1865 on Abbey Terrace, Winchcombe, by Sir George Gilbert Scott and J Drayton Wyatt for John and Emma Dent of Sudeley Castle: cream, yellow and pink stone under stepped gables. Grade II.
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River Isbourne
Sight · River · Winchcombe
The River Isbourne rises at a spring on Cleeve Hill above Winchcombe and runs north past Postlip, Winchcombe, Toddington and Sedgeberrow to join the Avon at Evesham. A waymarked path of some 14 miles, the Isbourne Way, follows it.
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Vineyard Bridge, Winchcombe
Sight · Bridge · Winchcombe
Vineyard Bridge is the single stone arch of 1891 that carries Vineyard Street over the River Isbourne in Winchcombe, the last work in the town of the architect J. Drayton Wyatt and the way to Sudeley Castle. Listed Grade II.