Quick Details
Join us this summer at our historic Marley Hill site for Letting Off Steam – a brand-new series of midweek family activity days!
While our steam trains take a well-earned rest, the railway site is coming alive with interactive play, live music, hands-on craft workshops, guided tours, and exclusive access to our historic buildings. Whether you are looking for a fun-filled family day out or want to get up close to history, there is something for everyone.
Entry is free, but we kindly ask that you book a free ticket online or at the Welcome Building on arrival to help us manage numbers.
What’s On
From hands-on history to creative crafts, your day is packed with unique experiences across our site:
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Train Time UK Children’s Drop-in: Let the little ones loose on a massive, epic train track play setup located right inside the Carriage Shed!
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The Craft Carriage: Hop aboard one of our vintage carriages for creative fun, including print making, badge making, and train track making.
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Locomotive Footplate Access: Step on board one of our historic locomotives. Grab a flat cap for a photo, chat with our crew, and collect a special souvenir sticker!
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Traditional Colliery Games: Head out to the Events Field to play classic games like football, cricket, and quoits.
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The Exploration Sheds: Discover our locomotives in Marley Hill engine shed – can you spot them all?
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Carriage Shed Fun Zone: Complete with a Tanfield peep-through photo board, historical costume try-ons, foam brick building, a wooden trainset table, and a steam engine fireman activity.
- Take a Tour: Enjoy a guided tour at 11am and 1pm around Marley Hill engine shed and our 5-road storage shed by one of our knowledgeable volunteers.
Traditional Live Music Lineup (11am – 2pm)
Enjoy the atmosphere of the Carriage Shed with live music from fantastic local performers:
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22nd July: Kiddars Luck
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29th July: Bill Elliott and band
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5th August: Major Coughcough’s Parlour Orchestra
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19th August: Bill Elliott and band
- 26th August: Kiddars Luck
Food & Drink: Pontop Canteen
Take a break and refuel at Pontop Canteen, open all day serving:
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Freshly brewed teas and coffees
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Pies, peas, and rich gravy.
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Fresh sandwiches, cakes, and confectionery
Supporting the Railway
Tanfield Railway is a registered charity dedicated to preserving North East industrial railway heritage on the World’s Oldest Railway. While admission to this event is entirely free, we warmly welcome and encourage donations at our Welcome Building. Your generosity keeps our history moving!
We are proud to partner with and welcome Karbon Homes customers to these summer events. We’d like to kindly thank Karbon Homes for the funding support towards activity equipment and materials.
