A Day on the Heatherslaw Light Railway

The Heatherslaw Light Railway is a 15-inch narrow gauge railway in north-Northumberland.

The family-owned attraction skirts 2 miles of the meandering River Till between Heatherslaw Mill and the village Etal.

I visited on a blisteringly hot summer's day, with barely a cloud in the sky. The temperature was so high that the going was uncomfortable, but fortunately I was able to quench my thirst with a couple of refreshing pints at The Black Bull public house in Etal.

Steam locomotive "Bunty" was hauling the train today. The railway has two other locomotives - "Clive and "Binky" - which were parked up in the siding at Heatherslaw Station.

The journey between Heatherslaw and Etal takes just under 20 minutes. Etal is your quintessential English country village, featuring bright-white painted houses, thatched rooves, manicured lawns, pristine gardens and a friendly pub.

Etal is also home to the ruins of a 14th century castle, which was built to defend the England-Scotland border only a few miles to the north of the village.

The locomotive runs around at Etal before making the return journey to Heatherslaw.

My footage includes the full journey from Etal to Heatherslaw. A return journey on the Heatherslaw Light Railway, at the time of my visit, costs £8.50 for an adult. They do not offer single fares. There are concessionary fares for seniors and young children. The railway welcomes well behaved dogs, which are carried free of charge. There is ample free parking at Heatherslaw Station and in Etal.

Despite the heat I really enjoyed my visit to the Heatherslaw Light Railway. The fares were good value, journey scenic and staff very helpful and friendly. Like many tourist attractions, the railway has really struggled financially during the coronavirus lockdown. I would encourage people to support the railway by taking their families along for a visit.

You can get further information on the Heatherslaw Light Railway by visiting its website.

Filmed on 19th July 2021.

Footage was captured using a Panasonic HC-VX1 (aff. link) fitted with a Rode VideoMic Go (aff. link).

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