ravenglass and eskdale railway

This is a nice afternoon's adventure if you are in the general area but I can't get over the feeling that the whole experience isn't quite worth the hype. I didn't really find the scenery as magical as others have pointed out and I definitely feel there are more beautiful areas of the Lake District. The cafés at the end stations are nice enough but nothing particularly special.Don't get me wrong, it is worth a visit but mainly for the novelty of riding a narrow gauge railway through the countryside, rather than expecting breathtaking views. Not quite sure this is worth a £13 return for an adult but I guess a line of this nature means a lot of expensive upkeep- and this is the Lake District too, so prices are often at a premium.

Never tire of the ratty the scenery and location are eye popping the walks are super plenty of wildlife to see the cafe's are excellent cheese and tomato sandwich was like a doorstep and cakes super duper

Spent a lovely afternoon on the train going from Ravenglass to Boot & back. Great scenery. Nice little cafes at each end of the journey.

I have been bringing my kids on L'all Ratty ever since they were very young. Had a family friend who was heavily involved with the Railway which meant that they got lots of treats. 25 years on my kids are in their mid 30s and still love coming. The last two times we have brought our large dog who just fitted into the carriage, but he loved it also. Nothing to do at Dalegarth unless you want to go on a walk but it is worth it and you can get out and stretch your legs. My kids adored the Santa Special too. Would thoroughly recommend this Muncaster Castle is on the doorstep if you want to add more to your day.

Wonderful journey through the valley between Ravenglass and Dalegarth (and back). Scenery is outstanding. The stations kept so well and trains (Steam or Diesel) all fabulous!

Travelling from ravenglass to Eskdale through the stunning countryside was simply a treat. The children were excited and thrilled to be riding on a miniature steam train. Stopped off at Eskdale for lunch and a play on the wooden park (suitable for little ones too) - really great day out. Only comment is the food at the railway cafe in Eskdale - the portion sizes were ginormous !! Not one to complain about that but there was so much waste. Really recommend this trip out in all weathers

We have been lucky enough today to ride on the steam train from Ravenglass to Dalegarth and one word springs to mind "stunning" why you may ask .. This is not something I would have ordinarily enjoyed but decided to give it go ...the whole experience was lovely the staff the views the cafe .. Everything ... If you are lucky enough to end up in this neck of the woods the. Make sure you do it ... We are staying on the Caravan And Camping Site next door to the station which is a lovely site ... What more could a girl ask for

What a way to spend New Year's Day on The Ratty, not the first time we've travelled on this gem of a minature railway.We with our 3 year old boy who adores trains bought the full line ticket which is great value when you consider you may use it all day.We boarded at Irton Road & headed down the line to Dalegarth station which is very nice with cafe & station souveneir shop, then we spent an hour in Boot a beautiful hamlet, then boarded the steam train again at Dalegarth & then it was full steam ahead on the full line to Ravenglass Station where we spent a couple of hours there & had lunch at the station cafe before heading back to where we started the day at Irton Road.A truly memorable day & can't wait for our next visit.

I had not even heard of or visited this location before but was pleasantly surprised with the set up of the attraction.I found the trip on the steam train to be good value and very interesting ,the scenery in the area is very beautiful and sometimes breathtaking. The people running the train were very professional and had a great knowledge of the operation and maintenance of the steam locomotive .

Visited today as part of a group for the santa express. As some other reviews mirrored Santa could have been better dressed. The staff looked better than Santa did. He was wearing jeans and dark shoes however the kids still enjoyed it! The main disappointment was the Dalegarth Cafe at the Boot end. It was a pleasant place however there was no hot food. There were sandwiches available and no mention at any point that there was no hot food! Luckily we brought our own sandwiches. The gift from Santa was good quality and we enjoyed our day.

My wife & I, along with our cousin, enjoyed a trip on the train recently. It was an excellent trip up & down the line - the scenery, the sound of the engine, and generally the experience of the trip. When we got to Dalegarth, we had lunch (ok at the cafe) & had a very pleasant walk to Boot, where we had a look at the mill (very interesting). We stopped at Irton Road on the the way back to Ravenglass & had another very pleasant walk. It was quite relaxing sitting on the station waiting for our train to Ravenglass. It certainly brought back memories of how it used to be. The stations are certainly very well-kept & maintained. The staff are very helpful, (especially the young lady at Dalegarth) & seem very committed to the railway. Definitely a trip well worth taking.

I visited this railway this year. It is a beautiful railway with very well kept stations, locos and carriages. It is well worth a visit any time of the year. The staff are helpful and obviously very enthusiastic about what they do.

Fabulous day out on the Santa Express yesterday, the staff were so friendly and helpful. The presents the children received from Santa were good quality. But for me, the thing that let the day down was Santas Outfit! I know to some this may seem mean but given that it costs £72 for a family of 4, and the train was packed full and is for the rest of the season, Santa could have afforded a full (he wore ordinary black trousers and shoes) and all together more plush suit! (But perhaps his best suit was In the laundry!)

Just got back from a fantastic day Staff wonderful food great children loved train and Santa took time to speak to all children presents were very good would definitely go again 5*.

First time for the kids on Santa train, fab day out and loved the present of Santa, enjoyed the Christmas lunch,