Bowes Railway — Attraction in Sunderland

Today is my son's 3rd birthday and since he is obsessed with trains I thought, where better than Bowes Railway museum. Wow what an experience, my son loved it!! We were greeted by the lovely staff who were very friendly and welcoming from the start. After hearing that it was my son's birthday I felt they went above and beyond to make his day special. Special mention to Julie our guide for the day, she gave a brilliant tour of the site and did a great job keeping my son interested and switched on. You can see the love and passion the staff have for this particular heritage site and the hard work they put in really shows. Once our tour was concluded we were guided back to the reception area to find that the staff had written out a birthday card for my son and gave him a chocolate treat. A really nice touch to make him feel special. We then put the children's area to good use, trying on hats and playing with toys provided. I can't tha k the staff enough for showing me and my son such a good time. My son and I will definitely be returning next...

Bowes Railway was originally a colliery railway built to carry coal mainly from pits in north west Durham to the Tyne at Jarrow. The earliest section was designed by George Stephenson and opened on 17 January 1826, making it one of the world’s first modern railways. It was 15 miles long when completed in 1855. Each end was locomotive worked; the six mile middle section consisting of rope worked inclines with very steep gradients.

I suggest that you check their website for open days, but this is a real hidden treat in our reigon. Consisting of a stretch of land and rail, this lottery supported centre is supporting the skills needed to keep rail maintenance and steam engineering going, they have an actual W.S.T Saddle Tank 040, in tip top condition.

This place is no york, in terms of train museums, but if you're a fan of steam, diesel or any kind of rolling stock, please check this place out, you...

The miniature railway to Santa's grotto was a bit of an understatement to say the least (see attached photos). £15 for 1 child and a parent was a bit pricey. The present was a packet of felt tip pens from a Santa without a beard, 1x10 metre ride on a toy train to an inflatable "grotto" and, what I can only describe as a children's entertainer straight out of the League of Gentlemen. Mud everywhere and poor organisation. No real exhibits to speak of either so I can't imagine what it's like when it's...