The New Glyn Valley Tramway & Industrial Heritage Trust

Steam trains rattling through the Shropshire countryside still feel like a proper throwback, and the New Glyn Valley Tramway delivers exactly that sort of experience. Based near Wrexham, this working heritage railway runs vintage trams and locomotives along restored track that originally carried slate and goods across the Welsh border landscape in the 1800s. You'll spend your time either riding the trains themselves - a genuinely atmospheric journey that takes you through wooded valleys and past old industrial sites - or poking around the workshops and depot where volunteers restore these machines with obvious devotion.

It's a winner for anyone who gets a kick out of mechanical heritage, and families with kids aged six upwards tend to have a solid afternoon here. The trams move slowly enough that you actually see the landscape, which beats many heritage railways that whizz past in a blur. Allow a good three to four hours if you want to ride a full route and have a look at the restoration work. Summer weekends draw bigger crowds, so if you prefer quieter visits, go midweek.

If you're staying at Foxtail Holiday Park six miles away, this makes a cracking rainy-day option that doesn't feel too far a drive. The working elements mean it's never quite the same visit twice - you might catch a restoration in progress one day that'll be finished the next. Whether it's free or ticketed I can't pin down from available info, but budget for it as a paid attraction to be safe.