Exbury Steam Railway
Exbury, New Forest
Photo: Paul Gillett, CC BY-SA 2.0Photo: Paul Gillett, CC BY-SA 2.0
A narrow-gauge steam railway built in 2001 inside Exbury Gardens, inspired by the railway enthusiast Leopold de Rothschild. The 20-minute ride on the Rhododendron Line gives a raised view of the Rock Garden and runs through a tunnel, over a bridge and around Dragonfly Pond.
Highlights
- Twenty-minute circuit on 1.5 miles of 12.25-inch gauge track
- Exbury Central station, modelled on Aviemore station in Scotland
- Dragonfly Pond, a British Dragonfly Society hotspot
- Halloween Ghost Train and Christmas Festive Express
- Ride with the driver (£50) and a full-day footplate experience (£495) for adults
Good to know
- Children under 16 must be with an adult on the train
- In hot or dry weather a diesel engine may be used instead of steam to reduce fire risk
- Well-behaved dogs on leads can ride the train
- Train tickets can be bought on the day at the Visitor Entrance, except for the Ghost Train and Christmas trains
Getting there
Exbury Steam Railway, Exbury Gardens, Exbury, Southampton, Hampshire, SO45 1AZParking: Free car and coach park at Exbury Gardens, with Blue Badge bays nearest the Visitor Entrance.
Get directionsChecked on 19 October 2026 against exbury.co.uk, exbury.co.uk, exbury.co.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
Spotted something wrong or missing? Tell us
More things to do in Lymington
Nearby
Photo: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0Exbury Gardens
A 200-acre woodland garden where the Beaulieu River meets the Solent, best known for its spring displays of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias. More than 22 miles of paths wind through the gardens to riverside walks, with autumn colour from nyssas and acers.
Buckler's Hard Museum and Village
An 18th-century shipbuilding village on the Beaulieu River where warships for Nelson's navy were built, including three that fought at Trafalgar. The museum and reconstructed cottages tell the story of the shipyard and the families who lived there, and the wide village street running down to the river is free to explore.
Photo: Paul Pollard, CC BY-SA 2.0Lepe Country Park
A Hampshire County Council country park on the Solent shore at the edge of the New Forest, looking across to the Isle of Wight. Beach and meadow walks lead past remains from the D-Day preparations of 1944 and a Cold War observation post, with a play area, cafe and kiosk near the shore.