Winchcombe Railway Museum & Gardens

A unique collection of Railway Artefacts housed in a lovely Cotswold Country Garden.
A child-friendly environment where visitors are actively encouraged to operate the signals, ring the bells and enjoy the various exhibits.

The museum first opened in 1968 and contained the original collection put together by Tim Petchey and his fellow Trustees. Since that date both the collection and the garden has grown and now covers around half an acre, and encompasses track-side signs and boundary markers from the majority of the railway companies that existed from the beginning of the railways up to and including British Rail.

The Ambulance Carriage contains a superb collection of equipment from the various railway company's First Aid teams together with an extensive collection of wagon plates. The carriage has a fascinating history having served during the First World War in France and Italy.

The booking office is housed in a small building in one corner of the garden and, in addition, contains an interesting display of railway crockery, cutlery and silverware; posters, maps, buttons, badges and uniform items.

A converted van body houses a fine collection of fire fighting equipment including hose nozzles, helmets, pumping equipment and associated paperwork.

In the garden you will find signalling, boundary markers, mile posts and a multitude of cast iron trespass notices, enamel signs, box boards, railway signage and other items too numerous to list here.

The museum is open from Good Friday through to early October this year. See the detailed timetable on the right for actual dates and times of opening.

The whole area is safely enclosed and all of the exhibits are there to be used, so unlike most museums this one comes alive.

For the railway enthusiast the museum is unparalleled in having one of the largest displays of line-side notices among it's collection of signalling equipment.

For the garden enthusiast the museum garden is full of old and rare plants.

Light refreshments and ice creams are available. We also have a gift shop, and a Railwayana Collectors Corner. You can even buy fresh eggs from our free-range chickens, and plants from the garden in season.