Miniature Railway

The miniature railway in Staffordshire is a proper throwback to childhood excitement - the sort of place where adults suddenly understand why their kids drag them along. You're looking at a working narrow-gauge line where you can actually board tiny trains and rattle along through local parkland, all at a pace that lets you actually see what's around you rather than blur past it.

It's genuinely good fun for families with younger children, though anyone with a soft spot for railways - and let's be honest, Britain's full of them - will find something to appreciate. The trains are the main event here; allow a good hour or two if you're planning to queue and do a full ride, longer if you want to poke around the station and grab a bite.

Nearest to Stoke-on-Trent, it fits neatly into a park-based holiday. If you're staying at Luzlow Caravan Site or the rather swish Glamping at Holly Grove Farm just up the road, this is an easy afternoon slot that'll keep everyone occupied without eating up your whole day. The fact it's admission-free (or at least, the railway itself sits within the council's district parks system) makes it even easier to justify popping down for a look.

Timing matters though - weekends will draw crowds, and school holidays absolutely heave. Midweek visits are far more pleasant. Weather-dependent too, which is always the Midlands gamble.