Museums · South West England
Dean Forest Railway
In or near Sharpness.
The Dean Forest Railway is a 4+1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The route was part of the former Severn and
Forester — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Whitecroft · 0.8 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Dean Forest Railway, the nearest railway station is Whitecroft, located 0.8 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is GL15 4PU. Please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
The Dean Forest Railway is a 4+1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The route was part of the former Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought the trackbed and line from British Rail in 1986, reaching Lydney Junction in 1995 and Parkend in 2005. Trains are operated by both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and heritage diesel multiple units. The Dean Forest Railway has been given the former Panteg and Griffithstown railway station building. Its removal was completed in June 2016, and is expected to be placed at the new upcoming Speech House Road. The Dean Forest Railway plans to extend its heritage services a further 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) through/into the middle of the Royal Forest at Speech House Road (close to the nearby Beechenhurst Visitor Attraction), bringing the line to a total of about 6+3⁄4 miles (10.9 km) in length. In 2016, DFR's director of civil engineering and director of development Jason Shirley announced plans to expand the railway to Cinderford. The project's status as a strategic regional development means that a large proportion of the estimated £8million cost could be met by Government funding. As of 2025, progress has been slow, with the extension being delayed by a proposal for a new level crossing at Travellers Rest that requires the permission of the O
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Wye Valley
- Ramsar wetland: Severn Estuary
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Dean Forest Railway is a 4+1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The route was part of the former Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought the trackbed and line from British Rail in 1986, reaching Lydney Junction in 1995 and Parkend in 2005. Trains are operated by both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and heritage diesel multiple units. The Dean Forest Railway has been given the former Panteg and Griffithstown railway station building. Its removal was completed in June 2016, and is expected to be placed at the new upcoming Speech House Road. The Dean Forest Railway plans to extend its heritage services a further 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) through/into the middle of the Royal Forest at Speech House Road (close to the nearby Beechenhurst Visitor Attraction), bringing the line to a total of about 6+3⁄4 miles (10.9 km) in length. In 2016, DFR's director of civil engineering and director of development Jason Shirley announced plans to expand the railway to Cinderford. The project's status as a strategic regional development means that a large proportion of the estimated £8million cost could be met by Government funding. As of 2025, progress has been slow, with the extension being delayed by a proposal for a new level crossing at Travellers Rest that requires the permission of the Office of Rail and Road.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Visiting
{| class="wikitable" ! Number and name ! Description ! Current status ! Livery ! Image |- | Rocket (replica) |Stephenson's Rocket |Operational. Visited the DFR in 2010 Built in 1979. |Yellow | |- | Work no 3063 'Willy the Well Tank' |Kerr, Stuart |Operational. Visited the DFR in2026. Built in 1918 |Red | |- | No1722 ‘Rocket" |Peckett and Sons |Operational. Visited the DFR for the DFR 50 gala in 2021. Built in 1926 |Blue | |- | Rosyth No. 1 |Andrew Barclay |Operational. Visited the DFR in 2023. Built in 1914 |Green | |- |WD 132 Sapper |Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST |Under overhaul. Visited the DFR in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2024. Built in 1944 |BR Black carrying number 68032 | |- |75008 Swiftsure…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7480, -2.5440
- County
- Gloucestershire
- District
- Forest of Dean
- Parish
- West Dean
- Postcode
- GL15 4PU
- Parliamentary constituency
- Forest of Dean
- Nearest railway station
- Whitecroft — 0.8 km
- Official site
- deanforestrailway.co.uk
Sources
- wikipedia: Dean Forest Railway (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Whitecroft
Villages · 0.8 km
Dean Forest Railway Museum
Museums · 1.3 km
Norchard railway station
Museums · 1.3 km
Soilwell Manor
Manor houses · 1.7 km
Bream Cenotaph
Memorials & monuments · 2.2 km
Whitemead Park
Campsites · 2.2 km
Bream Miners' Welfare Cinema
Theatres · 2.3 km
Whitemead Forest Park
Campsites · 2.4 km
Whitemead Park
Caravan parks · 2.4 km
Lydney
Castles · 2.4 km
Parkend
Villages · 2.4 km
Bailey Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.6 km
Nearby
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Dean Forest Railway Museum
Dean Forest Railway Museum — a museum in england-west-midlands, United Kingdom.
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Norchard railway station
Norchard railway station — a museum in england-west-midlands, United Kingdom.
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Soilwell Manor
Soilwell Manor — Grade II listed building-listed manor in england-west-midlands, United Kingdom.
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Bream Cenotaph
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Dean Forest Railway?
- Dean Forest Railway is in Gloucestershire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode GL15 4PU), in the parish of West Dean.
- What is Dean Forest Railway?
- The Dean Forest Railway is a 4+1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The route was part of the former Severn and
- How do I get to Dean Forest Railway?
- The nearest railway station is Whitecroft, about 0.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode GL15 4PU.
- Who owns Dean Forest Railway?
- Dean Forest Railway is owned by |stations = 5 open.
- Is Dean Forest Railway a protected site?
- Yes — Dean Forest Railway is part of the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Wye Valley National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to Dean Forest Railway?
- The nearest railway station is Whitecroft, about 0.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode GL15 4PU.