Maxwell, Ben and I got an amazing opportunity to have a very special day out with a difference this week when we got to visit the Watercress Line and meet Santa. It was an amazing day out which we will all truly remember forever.
For many years, I have wanted to visit the Watercress line with Maxwell however whenever there seemed to be a special event on, life got in the way and we had another reason why we were unable to visit. We finally got our wish this week when we went to visit the Watercress Line. Not only did we get to take a ride on the steam train, tour the station, take lot of pictures and create lots of family memories, we also got to meet Santa. Our visit was everything I could have imagined it to have been and more.
The Watercress Line is situated in a little sleepy town in Alresford, Hampshire. Ben, Maxwell and I visited the Watercress Line on the 3rd December and we were able to hop on the 1.45pm Santa Special steam train. Upon arriving at the Watercress Line, parking was a little bit of a problem due to a earlier Santa Special Train departing however there were staff on hand to help us park.
Once parked, we showed our tickets to the train staff which allowed us access into the station. We walked along the platform and got on the train. It was amazing to actually be able to see a fully functioning steam train and through lots of excited squeals, a lot of wows and a lot of conversation about how amazing the steam train was, we found our seats and excitedly waited for our little trip to start.
Once the elves had been with the mince pies and drinks, we sat back and watched the world fly by for around 10 mins. We then saw a very exciting person who instantly caught our attention coming into our carriage. We were introduced to Santa by Santa's elves.
Santa was incredibly friendly and asked us if we were having a good day out. He asked Maxwell lots of questions and he was more than happy to spend a little time talking to Maxwell and seeing what his Christmas wishes were. It was nice not to have a rushed opportunity with Santa. After talking to Maxwell for several minutes, Santa headed down the carriage and left Maxwell a little gift which Santas elves handed over to Maxwell. Maxwell excitedly opened the gift and was amazed to find that Santa had given Maxwell 3 little toy cars in a Watercress line bag.
As the train continued to travel, we stopped off at 2 other stations. At every stop you were allowed to get off the train, tour the station, visit the toilet or stay on the train. I thought this was a great opportunity as it allowed us to take a stroll and ensured Maxwell did not get bored of sitting down. As the train travelled to each station we were treated to amazing scenery and views of other steam trains on the track. Maxwell was entertained throughout and loved every minute of riding on the steam train.
When we got to the end of the line, it was time to come back. On the way back we did not stop at any stations however we were entertained with Christmas Carols which we sang with the staff. The journey in total lasted around 1 hour and it was a journey that a week later, Maxwell still speaks about.
If you are looking for a magical day out for the family this Christmas why not choose to visit the Watercress line? You are able to book tickets here. Tickets are priced around £17 and this includes refreshments for the adults and gifts for children.
Overall we loved our experience and we would love to visit the Watercress line in 2017. For anyone who loves steam trains and magical experience, the Watercress Line is not a day out which will disappoint.
*If you are visiting please note that there is a small charge for parking. We paid around £1.20 for 4 hours. Although our experience was not that long, we wanted to ensure we had enough time on our ticket.*
*We received tickets to the Santa Special free of charge. All thoughts and opinions of our day out are of our own.
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