The private Moorland Railway and Gardens, located at Moorland House in Staintondale, is once again opening its gates to the public for its annual charity season with a special guest this weekend.
Owners Lisa and Alan Williams transform their property into a bustling charitable event on the first Sunday of each month from May through September. The gardens were added as an attraction a couple of years ago after visitors commented on their beauty even without the railway.
Visitors can enjoy miniature train rides, explore the beautiful gardens, and partake in cream teas, homemade cakes, and coffee. There are also attractions such as a tombola and a plant stall, with the plant stall run by Judy and the tombola by volunteers Adam and Louise.
Entry to the gardens is generally free, with visitors asked to give a generous donation to ride the trains. This year, a minimum donation of £1 per ride is requested to help offset increasing costs. Tea, coffee, and cake are available to buy separately.
This weekend will see the first open day of 2025 and this year, to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, an added attraction will be ‘Winston Churchill’, a Battle of Britain class Steam locomotive.
The event is a great day out for all ages in aid of good causes. Different charities are supported each month. Lisa Williams says this weekends charity is especially poignant.
"We started the railway about 12 years ago. We came up from from Surrey and with some engines, and we built the railway and decided to open it up for charity, which we do now every month. May to September, the first Sunday of every month.
The first one is quite a sad one we're doing for the Samaritans. And last year, sadly, we lost one of our volunteers to suicide which has taken a, as I'm getting over, and we thought this is one of the charities that he wanted us to support when he first started coming to us.
So we thought in his honour and his memory, we do that for him. This one."
The June event, on Sunday, 1st June, will support Guide Dogs.
On Sunday, 6th July, the charity will be the Alzheimer's Society.
The August event, on Sunday, 3rd August, will support the Rainbow Center.
The final event of the season, on Sunday, 7th September, will benefit the Yorkshire Coast Dog Rescue. This charity was chosen because the Williams' got a rescue dog called Peanut from them a couple of years ago.
While the atmosphere at the event is described as lovely and fun, the operation of the railway is taken very seriously. Lisa Williams explained that they "do need to operate it as a as a proper railway".
"We have a rule book that everybody has to read and have to pass a test on.
And we have two signal boxes. So we have specific people that work on signalling. We then have all the drivers, they're all passed out. They all have to pass a test before, and they're retrained as well. They. They're checked each year. Yes, it, it's taken very seriously, but it's also good fun.
It is, it's fully signalled the railway as a main line railway is and I think that's what amazes some people."
A team of volunteers helps run the railway, signal boxes, and serve refreshments, contributing to the busy but lovely afternoon atmosphere.
The location, usually a quiet spot, "just come alive" on these event Sundays. The event runs from 2pm to 5pm on each of the scheduled Sundays.
To find the Moorland Railway and Gardens in Staintondale, visitors should turn just off the A171 and follow the ribbons.
The address is Moorland House, Staintondale, YO13 0EW. Visitors are advised that dogs are not permitted.
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