The Dockyard Railway

Steam trains and Victorian carriages line the tracks at this working heritage railway tucked away near Aylesford in Kent. You board actual period stock - some dating back over a century - and rattle through the surrounding countryside on a proper branch line experience. The locomotives are lovingly maintained by volunteers, and you'll spot them being worked on in the sheds if you time it right.

It's brilliant for train enthusiasts and families with kids old enough to sit still for a journey, though very young children might fidget after twenty minutes or so. The whole experience takes a couple of hours including a browse around the station buildings and rolling stock displays. Weekends tend to be when the trains run most frequently, so check ahead before planning a visit midweek.

If you're staying at Kits Coty Glamping just up the road, this makes an easy half-day outing that breaks up a park holiday nicely. The staff know their stuff and aren't shy about explaining how each carriage works - grab a seat by the window on the journey back if the light's still decent for photographs. Admission is reasonable and parking on site causes no fuss. Worth the short drive from Aylesford if you've got even a passing interest in railway heritage, though don't expect anything on the scale of the bigger national museums.