Realising that many of its visitors travel with their dogs, the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in Cumbria has launched a Dog Season Ticket.
Costing just £20, the Dog Season Ticket gives 12 months of Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway trains as well a free stylish bandana on their first train ride.
All of the railway’s stations have dog-friendly facilities and plenty of places where canine friends can paws for a refreshing drink.
As an added incentive, £2 from every Dog Season Ticket is donated to the Dogs Trust to help animals in need.
As well as enjoying the train ride, the railway is ideally located for other great day-out ideas., including a walk to the waterfalls, a Railway Museum, outdoor play areas for the children, and cafes with delicious refreshments.
Near the railway are some railway-themed self-catering properties where holiday guests receive a 75% reduction in the cost of train tickets during their stay.
This weekend, Saturday 29th and Sunday, 30th of June, children’s TV characters Bluey and Bingo will be making special appearances in the Ravenglass Railway Museum. This is a special event and includes a return train journey between Ravenglass and Dalegarth stations on scheduled services.
On arrival at Ravenglass, visitors will be given a wristband to see Bluey and Bingo in the Ravenglass Railway Museum at the time they have chosen.
During their visit, children will be given an “I met Bluey and Bingo” sticker and a goody bag containing a Bluey and Bingo activity book, a train whistle, and bubbles.
They will also be given a Complimentary Pass to visit the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway again in July or August.
As well as meeting Bluey and Bingo, there will be free badge-making activity and colouring activities at Dalegarth for Boot Station, outdoor play areas at Ravenglass and Dalegarth stations and free steam engine rides on one of the museum engines along the headshunt at Ravenglass station.
Visitors will also receive a Teddy Mountain Build a Bear 10% voucher off the Halloween workshop.
Tickets for the Bluey and Bingo special event cost £30 for adults, £20 for children, and no charge for children under three.
Bluey is a popular character at heritage railways, most recently visiting The Engine House at Highley on the Severn Valley Railway.
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway has a starring role in an Indian comedy-drama Jhimma 2, which is a sequel to the 2021 Bollywood smash Jhimma, and features a journey along the seven-mile long line that was built in 1873 to transport iron ore mined in the local hills.
Responses
What’s needed IMO is some nationally recognisable pictogram (Highway Code syle) indicating dog policy, which could then be present on entrances, in car parks, plus being ready visible on websites. Ditto one for child policy. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike children as such …. I just couldn’t eat a whole one.
I did once suggest the Isle of Man Railway recreate a couple of their extinct K series wagons for the transport of rowdy sprogs, but I think they mistook a perfectly reasonable suggestion for a joke (there you go Pete …. you thought you were being controversial).
I wonder …. when the L&B’s rolling stock wizards get round to rebuilding Carriage No.1, will the original dog box (see old photos …. it’s visible as a mesh door on the lower side panels) be a recreated feature?
Something else which stood out …. I thoroughly applaud La’al Ratty’s joint intitiative with other local hospitality sector businesses. Too often, one gets the impression heritage lines merely ‘pass through’ rather than form a key component of localities. That’s been something which is perhaps down to lines being operated by folks whose primary (sometimes exclusive) interest has lain with railway hardware to the exclusion of much else and something I’m glad to see so many lines and organisations are now making a concerted effort to address since Tom Rolt mentioned that vital symbiotic aspect over 70 years ago.
There you go Roger Smith … how’s the community angle as a basis for a regular column?
I’m afraid I completely disagree with dogs being allowed in pubs. The reason is that most owners seem to think they are the same as children but the fact that they frequently lie across walkways where food is being carried and are a major trip hazard to all, especially the elderly. They yap and bark when other dogs come into the pub and are a general nuisance. In pub gardens they are fine. No need to reply to my comment as it’s my opinion and that’s it, not up for discussion. We all have our opinions 😊
High time that ALL businesses realised that families with dogs are a CRUCIAL part of their income. My first question is always, “Do you welcome dogs?” If not then my money goes elsewhere. And four of us spend a worthwhile amount wherever we go. Rang a pub once who said they were dog friendly. When we turned up they said we could only sit outside. It was raining. Told them what we thought of them and spent our £200 elsewhere.
I totally agree with dogs being
allowed in pubs. When I take my dog in she sits under the table quietly at school holidays children run round the tables screaming they should be banned