East Lancashire Railway
Real steam trains between Bury, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall, with themed family days all summer - Peppa Pig, fairytale specials, the lot. The day rover means you can hop off for lunch and catch the next one back.
Outwood Country Park
Bury, Greater Manchester
Outwood Country Park covers more than 125 acres of woodland, meadow, ponds and playing fields on the bank of the River Irwell, a couple of minutes' drive from Radcliffe town centre. There is a children's playground and a free car park, and the old East Lancashire line's Ringley Road platform still stands in the park as a bit of industrial archaeology.
It is a proper nature park as well: the council lists roe deer, buzzards, barn owls, newts and toads among the residents, and there is a weir on the Irwell and pieces from the Irwell Sculpture Trail along the way. National Cycle Route 6 passes through, and the Urban Cycling Centre here runs cycling lessons.
What it costs: Free, with free car parking.
Know before you go
- Look for the remains of the old Ringley Road railway platform: it is a good target to walk towards with children who need one.
- National Cycle Route 6 runs through, so bring the bikes if they can manage a traffic-free path.
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What visitors say
★★★★★ 4.4 across 87 Google reviews.
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Burrs Country Park
Riverside country park on the Irwell with a playground, old mill remains and its own East Lancashire Railway station, so a heritage steam train can be part of the day rather than the whole of it.
Bury Transport Museum
A restored 1848 railway goods warehouse filled with buses, trams and hands-on exhibits, two minutes from the East Lancashire Railway's Bolton Street station. Weekend opening, and the natural rainy-day half of a steam train day.
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Jungle Mayhem
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