North Dorset Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway based at Shillingstone Station, near Blandford Forum.  The station was part of the Somerset & Dorset Railway which opened in 1863 and closed in 1966 as part of the Dr Beeching cuts to the nationalized railway network, which targeted unprofitable rural lines.

Restoration work was started by a small group of volunteers in the late 1990’s and they set up a charity to restore this part of the railway and re-open a section of the former line.  Since then, there has been lots of progress and it is supported by over 500 members, many of these are active volunteers, both at the station and behind the scenes.  In time, they hope to have an operational heritage railway and anticipate running passenger-carrying trains over half a mile of restored track.

The station is well worth a visit and you will find exhibits, wagons and locomotives, restored station buildings, museum displays, a cinema wagon, souvenir and book shop.  On certain days, when volunteers are available, the signal box is opened for visitors.

The Station Café offer a variety of pasties and sausage rolls, sandwiches, soup, light meals, specials, drinks, confectionery, ice creams and delicious homemade cakes.  Seating is available within the station building, along the platform, and in the railway carriage alongside.

On a rare child free day, myself and my husband went to Blandford Forum and ended up at Shillingstone Station where we had a nice cup of tea and cake on the railway carriage.  While we were there, I noticed they had a sign for Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea in a vintage railway carriage and I begged my husband to book so we could come back with the kids.  I asked if we could dine in one of the compartments and so we went back a couple of weeks later for one of my most favourite Mother’s Days to date.

The railway carriage was full of families and our lovely little compartment had a table laid with fine bone china and a vase of flowers.  We all just loved having our own section to be silly and look out of the window over the Stour valley and Hambledon Hill.

The staff and volunteers brought us a couple of pots of tea and told us if we needed more then we only had to ask.  Then came plates of fingers sandwiches, plus scones with jam and cream, and cakes on a tea stand.  The kids eyes were bulging (mine too) and after a couple of arguments of no touching the cakes before sandwiches, they did as they were told.  My husband is not a fan of afternoon tea so we pre-arranged a Cornish Pasty for him and I asked if the kids could share an afternoon tea knowing they’d never be able to eat one each.  What we had was just perfect but the staff also brought a few spares round the carriage and the kids ate as many macarons as they were allowed.

All proceeds from the Mother’s Day event went to the maintenance and development of North Dorset Railway and we couldn’t have been happier to be a part of it.

The North Dorset Trailway is a 9+ miles off road path along the former Somerset and Dorset track bed.  It is an excellent route for walking or cycling as the surrounding River Stour scenery is beautiful and the view across the railway tracks towards Hambledon and Hod Hills, both ancient hill forts, is stunning.  When we left we took a nice 30 minute walk down the Trailway before turning round and coming back.

Good to know:

• In addition to special event days, Shillingstone Station is open all year round on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.

• Parking is free.

• Entry is free however donations are hugely appreciated.

• Toilets are located near the Café.

• Dogs are welcome outdoors but must be kept on leads.

For more information about the station and upcoming events, please visit North Dorset Railway.

David Walliams has become a very successful children’s author and the Awful Auntie adaptation from the Birmingham Stage Company is a delight to watch from start to finish.

The show begins with young Stella waking up in bed after being in a 3 month coma and her Aunt Alberta tells her the awful truth about a car accident with her parents and that she was the only survivor.  Of course, Aunt Alberta is pretty awful and what she really wants now is the deeds to the huge mansion they live in.

When Stella wouldn’t tell her Aunt where the deeds are she’s locked in the cellar and this is where she makes friends with a friendly ghost called Soot.  Stella and Soot believe that Aunt Alberta poisoned the family on that fateful day of the car accident and they do what they can to inform the police and drive Aunt Alberta and her screeching pet owl out.  Every mansion has to have a butler and Gibbon is definitely the most bonkers and he just adds to the humour on stage.

The set is just incredible and ever changing.  Throughout the show you will see the cast travel though different rooms in the mansion including the roof and there’s even puppets which are cleverly used to portray scenes which happen outside of Saxby Hall.

I can’t recommend Awful Auntie enough, the cast are hugely talented and the whole audience was completely captivated throughout the performance.

Awful Auntie is produced by the Birmingham Stage Company and they are visiting the Lighthouse from Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th March 2024. 

For more information and tickets, please visit Lighthouse Poole or call the Box Office on 01202 280000.

Age guidance for this show is 5+ and parents should be aware that the show contains smoke, haze, strobe lighting and explosions!

Image credit: Mark Douet