Dean Forest Railway - (Norchard Station)

A working steam railway threading through the Forest of Dean feels properly old-school in the best way. Norchard Station is where you board - a restored Victorian setup with plenty of character - and the trains themselves are vintage stock, many dating back decades. The line runs for a few miles through woodland, and there's something about the rhythm of the rails and the smell of coal that makes you forget you're in modern Britain.

It's brilliant for families with children old enough to sit still for an hour or so, and anyone with a soft spot for industrial heritage will find plenty to geek out over. The volunteers who run it clearly love what they do, and that shows. You can explore the station, watch the engineers at work if you're lucky, and grab a cup of tea from the café.

Most trips run on weekends and school holidays - check ahead before you travel from Lydney, which is only a handful of miles away. Allow a couple of hours to do it properly: the journey itself, a wander round the station, maybe a bite to eat. It costs a few quid for a ticket, money well spent if you're camping nearby at Deanwood or Whitemead Forest Park and looking for something low-key to fill an afternoon.

The railway sits comfortably within a wider Forest of Dean break - it's the sort of attraction that works best alongside woodland walks and cream teas rather than as a standalone day out, but it's definitely worth the detour if you're in the area.