Exploring The Old Station, Tintern, Wye Valley

We love the Wye Valley and feel very lucky to live close enough to enjoy day trips to this beautiful part of Wales with quaint towns and plenty of countryside to explore. During the summer we wanted to keep our family days out as simple as possible and get outdoors at every opportunity. As my youngest is obsessed with trains we came across The Old Station in Tintern and after a little research we thought it fit the bill for fun train inspired day out.

The drive there through the winding roads from Chepstow is really spectacular especially as you pass the impressive Tintern Abbey (highly recommend you visit this Cadw site) along the river Wye which eventually leads you to the Old Victorian Station. We didn't really know what to expect and if there would be enough to do to full up a whole day, we had checked in advance that the narrow gauge train was running which we knew would be a hit with both of the boys. This train is run by volunteers and you can find out the days they are running on the Old Station Facebook page.

There is plenty of parking spaces and despite a small charge to park the site is free, you can also camp here overnight in a small camping area at around £5 per night which is amazing value given the location. There are two old train carriages, one is a small shop which stocks treats and train related toys and the other an information point offering history on the area and the station. The original signal box has been converted into a small art gallery with local artists displaying work and the large green lawn is perfect for picnics and kids to run up and down. 

The old station building is now a bustling cafe, with memorabilia hanging on the walls and offers up traditional afternoon tea, freshly baked scones and locally sourced ice-cream. On the day we were there they had live music and it was really nice being able to sit outside eating good food listening to the band while the kids playing in the wooden train and play park. The play are has plenty for young and older kids including a popular zip wire and small obstacle course.

Just beyond the kids playground is a 1 mile trail that is suitable for all ages and has iron sculptures to spot along the way. Around half way you come out along the River Wye where we spotting people fishing and offers some wonderful views across the countryside. There are also plenty of cycle routes near here and even the 1 mile trail was cycle friendly with my eldest putting that to the test on his bike. 

If your looking to get away from the city for the day or just fancy exploring somewhere new than the Old Station is a great choice and offers plenty of open spaces for children to run around without any distractions, just enjoying the simple pleasures in life. I can also vouch for the homemade scones in the cafe which are delicious (as is their vegan dark chocolate covered flapjacks). We spent the best part of a day her, riding the narrow gauge train twice, listening to good music and taking the calming surroundings and this is certainly somewhere we are sure to go back to in the future.