Gwili Steam Railway

The steam locomotives here actually run on restored track through the Towy Valley - this isn't a museum piece you walk around, it's a proper working railway. You board a vintage carriage and rattle along the line for about an hour, passing woodland and farmland that wouldn't look out of place in a 1950s photograph. The rattling, the smoke, the genuine heat from the engine - it's tactile and loud in a way that gets children absolutely hooked.

It works best if you've got kids aged five and up, or you're the type who actually gets excited about industrial heritage. Adults without children sometimes find it a bit slight for the money, especially if you're only doing the standard return journey. Allow a good two hours including the inevitable cafe visit and poking around the engine shed.

Based near Carmarthen, it makes sense as a half-day diversion during a longer Carmarthenshire break. If you're staying at somewhere like Quarry Lodge or Lan Farm, which are both within twenty minutes' drive, you can slot it in without making a whole expedition of it. Go on a weekday in summer if you can - weekends get packed with school groups and the queuing dampens the magic a bit.

The journey itself matters more than the destination here. There's no grand terminus or theme park energy at the other end - just a quiet halt where you turn around and come back. That's actually rather nice. It's unhurried, which feels rare these days.