Spring at East Lancashire Railway
Spring Bank Holiday at ELR.
Spring into adventure with the East Lancashire Railway! We’re seeing out the last weeks of the season in style with some funky family days out and delicious dining experiences.
You’ll be able to get your groove on with vintage music, explore the line with wonderful wizards and vile villains, pay a visit to the Bury Transport Museum and take the opportunity to stop for something to eat or drink at our own Trackside and Buffer Stops bars.
As if that wasn’t enough, our luxury dining trains will surely sate your craving for fine foods.
Keep reading to find out more.
The Wizard Adventure
30 May 2024
Wands at the ready, it’s time to sign up to the spellbinding school of sorcery! The faculty of the Wizarding School need your help accomplishing a magical mission. Your day out will see you travel along the railway line on a sorcerous steam train learning everything you need to know to become an expert enchanter. There might even be a magical creature or two to meet.
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Villain Adventure
31 May 2024
Bad guy bulletin! The villains from all your favourite stories have found themselves trapped in our world, and it’s far too cute and fluffy for their liking. Join them on a dastardly interactive adventure through the Irwell Valley on a heritage steam engine, complete mischievous missions and take plenty of photos with your new fiendish friends and their minions.
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Dining Experiences
Various dates
If you have an appetite for more than just adventure, then you’ll want to know all about our luxury Dining Experiences. There are a range of options open to you during the week, including the traditional family Sunday Lunch, 26 May and 2 June, the Evening Red Rose Diner 31 May, and a weekday Traditional Luncheon, also 31 May.
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Family Explorer
Make more memories, save more pennies! Our Family Explorer Ticker is an incredible deal, offering unlimited travel for 2 adults and up to 3 children for just £22.50. These tickets are available on selected dates throughout the year, including 31 May 2024. Don’t miss this opportunity to save whilst you discover everything the Irwell Valley has to offer.
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The Trackside
Need to make a pit stop during your travels? Steam on by the Trackside at Bury Station, a comfortable family pub that is set against the unique backdrop of a busy heritage railway platform. Watch the world, and the trains go by whilst you enjoy a bevy of bevvies and tasty traditional pub treats.
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Buffer Stops
A cozy little slice of Rawtenstall, Buffer Stops is the ideal spot to take a moment to unwind. This little family friendly pub offers a traditional waiting room for an old school vibe, as well as plenty of outdoor seating for those sunny days. Alongside five real ales and one cider, the bar offers plentiful soft drinks and snacks.
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Take a step back in time
Why not use your Family Explorer ticket to discover the rich history of the Irwell Valley? Start things off at Bury Transport Museum (free entry with your ticket) where local history is brought to life with interactive exhibits and artefacts before stepping onto a steam train (itself a museum exhibit) to visit historic Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall, towns that wear their industrial pasts on their sleeves.
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