With the afternoon racing on we just had time for a look around the gift shop before heading back to the (sweltering) car and a breezy 35-minute drive back to Bury St Edmunds. On our second tour Clara managed to spot even more bears, while Nanny and I were able to relax and enjoy the trip through the cooling trees, with the added bonus of seeing some of the lush gardens along the way. With just over 10 minutes to wait until the next train we headed into the museum shop to buy ice lollies and walked back to the garden railway.īy now, other visitors were keen for an afternoon rest and we were lucky to bag seats in the last remaining carriage. Its locomotive was named after museum founder Alan Bloom and pulls up to three carriages.Īs we walked along the platform I noticed a sign saying some Bressingham bears had escaped and were believed to be along the hiding in the gardens.Īs we set off on the short round trip, Clara took great delight in spotting the teddies hidden in bushes and climbing trees along the route – so much so she insisted on another trip as soon as we arrived back at the platform. The 10-and-a-quarter gauge railway is the smallest gauge at the museum. Clara and Nanny enjoy a stroll at Bressingham. We slowly headed back near the main entrance, where we were in good time to climb into one of the train’s miniature carriages for our trip. Happily, Clara was now much more chirpy and quite up for the idea of jumping on the Garden railway to see the botanic delights that way instead. Picture: Camille BerrimanĪlas, Clara’s ‘tired legs’ scuppered my plan so I briefly left her meandering through the gardens with Nanny while I marched along the trail – passing some intriguing-looking glamping pods along the way – to reach the stunning Foggy Bottom Hollow.įeeling slightly guilty about leaving my mum with a sullen child, I had a brief explore and took a few photos before heading back to find them. The walk to Foggy Bottom garden at Bressingham. With Nanny and I keen to explore further, we managed to tear a reluctant Clara away from the play area and steered her towards the gardens.īy now the heat was getting to us all, but I was determined to discover Foggy Bottom Hollow. Picture: Camille BerrimanĪs well as its steam trains, gallopers and exhibition centre, Bressingham offers more than 17 acres of beautiful gardens. Nanny and I could have spent hours poring over exhibits and reading about their history, but by now it was lunchtime and rumbling tummies forced our exit.īressingham offers plenty of picnic spots and its own café, but we decided to visit the neighbouring garden centre’s café for a bite to eat.Įntry to Bressingham Steam and Gardens allows visitors freedom to leave the site and return that day, so after a tasty lunch we were soon back for Clara to burn off energy at the shaded play area. It offers a fascinating glimpse of our steam heritage alongside one of the nation’s best-loved 1960s/70s television shows. The hall also includes a former Royal Mail rail carriage, along with a model recreation of the Thetford to Bury St Edmunds rail line on the mezzanine floor. Meanwhile, some of the vehicles at Bressingham’s steam museum were used in the series – including the Leyland fire engine, the steamroller 'Boxer' and traction engine 'Bertha'. Mum and I felt it was quite sad seeing the derelict nursery buildings and disused poly tunnels along the route, however some of the land will apparently become ‘managed nature’. The Fen line was built in the 1960s and travelled through commercial nurseries, which ceased trading in 2011. Our timings were right for a 15-minute round trip on the one-and-a-half-mile Fen railway, which passes through countryside and fenland. On the day of our visit the Fen and Garden railways were running (the Waveney and Standard Gauge railways were having a day off). Clara enjoys a trip on the steam train at Bressingham. Then, we were keen to get on one of the steam trains. Nonetheless, we returned throughout the day for our other rides, with our second turn accompanied by a soundtrack of ABBA tunes and our third by more up-to-date dance tracks. My mum felt a bit sick as she hadn’t expected it to spin quite so quickly. ‘Jim Lad’ was lucky enough to carry me round for the exhilarating experience, accompanied by the tunes of Mary Poppins on the ride’s organ.Ĭlara loved it. Camille and her daughter Clara on the gallopers at Bressingham. Our entrance tickets included three rides each on the gallopers, so we settled in for our first turn. The magnificent carousel was built by Savages, of King’s Lynn, in 1897 and operated in Norfolk until 1934 before moving to Whitley Bay and Scotland before arriving at Bressingham in 1967.
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