One of the fantastic things about being a steam enthusiast is that in the UK at least, you are rarely far from a steam locomotive inone shape or form.

The New Forest is no exception, with one of the star attractions being Exbury Gardens that has it’s own 12 ¼” gauge steam railway, operating around a loop of a length of around one and a quarter miles.  The railway was opened in 2001 and was a vision of Leopold de Rothschild; owner of the gardens and an avid steam enthusiast.

As I’m sure you can imagine, it is a beautiful ride with plenty to see and spot and particularly a hit for younger children, who will be able to spot many of the topiary animals that include no other than “Hump-phrey the loch ness monster!

The Railway itself runs from”Exbury Central, which has engine sheds and a turntable.  A fleet of three blue steam locomotives operate services.

The Gardens and Railway are a fantastic day out and come highly recommended.  If you would like to find out more, please visit: www.exbury.co.uk.  Finally I’ll leave you with a couple of photographs taken last Sunday.