At this year’s Cornwall Tourism Awards, the Lappa Valley Railway secured the Gold Award in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category.

This much-loved visitor attraction opened nearly 50 years ago, in 1974, since when it has become a firm favourite with both local families and visitors to Cornwall.

The railway, built on the track bed of one of Cornwall’s oldest railway lines, takes visitors on a nostalgic train ride from St. Newlyn East to a former lead and silver mine at East Wheal Rose. This is the heart of Lappa Valley’s facilities and attractions, where mine’s original engine house and chimney tower over a lake with a fleet of swan pedalos. There are also two more railways and a crazy golf course, as well as other outdoor activities and play area.

Last year saw the opening of The Engine Shed, which was the attraction’s largest-ever development. Costing over £1.5m, it includes a large soft play area, café, party rooms, and a Changing Places toilet for visitors with disabilities.

The Cornwall Tourism Award is not the first one the Lappa Valley has gained this year. TripAdvisor has awarded it Traveller’s Choice Award, which is for securing consistently high levels of visitor feedback on TripAdvisor’s review platform and is only awarded to a small percentage of tourism businesses each year.

Further information about the Lappa Valley Railway can be found at lappavalley.co.uk.

Keith & Sara Southwell took over the reins at Lappa Valley in 2014 from the founder’s family. They began their tenure with a clear vision to sensitively improve the attraction whilst retaining everything that has led generations of families to fall in love with Cornwall’s secret world of play and trains.

Keith said: Cornwall is blessed with numerous top visitor attractions, and we are truly humbled to be recognised in this way. We must thank our incredible team who work so hard and are passionate about making sure our guests have a fun, enjoyable, and safe visit, it really does set us apart.

“We listen to our visitors and have invested in creating the facilities they require; The Engine Shed is a big part of this ongoing project to ensure Lappa Valley continues to be a special place that families fall in love with and create wonderful memories for years to come.”