Pumpkin Sunday at West Lancashire Light Railway
One Sunday in October, the narrow-gauge heritage line at Hesketh Bank gives over its timetable to pumpkins. Trains run through the middle of the day behind a steam engine, with the railway's Hudswell mines diesel also in service, and every child's ticket comes with a free pumpkin to take home. Entry to the site itself costs nothing. You pay only for the train rides, and your ticket lets you ride as many times as you like, so smaller children who want to go round again can do exactly that without anyone reaching for a wallet. A catering van and the tearoom are both open on event days for lunch, cake and something hot. This is a special-fare day rather than an ordinary running Sunday, so fares sit above the railway's usual prices; the free pumpkin is part of what you are paying for. Parking at the railway is free, and dogs are welcome with no charge for canine travel, which makes it an easy outing if the family dog usually rules a day out in or out. The railway runs every Sunday and Bank Holiday from around Easter to early November, so Pumpkin Sunday sits near the end of its season. A separate Halloween Special follows later in the month, on Saturday 31 October, with booking essential for that one and details still to be confirmed. Pumpkin Sunday itself is a single day, so there is no second chance the following weekend.
From £5.5