Tim, a railway chaplain at the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, in North Devon, has extended an invitation for visitors to the railway on Father’s Day, 21st June, to spend a moment of reflection beforehand at St John’s Church in Lynmouth.

Just as Mothering Sunday was often celebrated by visiting church before going to see your mother, when Father’s Day came along, many dads adopted the same sort of tradition. On this Father’s Day, Tim is celebrating communion at 9 am at St John’s Church, Lynmouth, and at 11 am at Lynton Parish Church.

On the railway, there will be a great mix of heritage charm and hands-on experiences for everyone to enjoy/ As well as steam train rides, visitors can travel on the footplate and go behind the scenes with a tour of the engine shed. An added attraction is that children under 14 years travel on the trains for free.

Steam train will be running throughout the day, departing from Woody Bay Station on a 2-mile return journey to Killington Lane at 10.45, 11.30, 12.15, 13.30, 14.15, 15.00, and 16.00. Train tickets cost £11.50 for adults and &8.50 for students (Student ID required) / young adults aged 14 – 21, and disabled passengers. Carers and children travel free. For an even better experience, upgrades for travel in a 1st class compartments can be booked for £3.50 per person at the Station shop.

As it’s Father’s Day, there is the chance to relive a childhood dream and travel on the footplate, where one footplate passenger can be accommodated on each service. Footplate rides include the approximately 20-minute return journey from Woody Bay Station to Killington, and are on a first-come, first-served basis at £42.50 per person.

Guided tours of the locomotive shed go behind the scenes to find out what goes into maintaining and restoring the railway’s locomotives and their history. The tours also provide an opportunity to meet some of the volunteers dedicated to keeping the railway running.

Refreshments will be on sale from 10 am to 4 pm at The Tearoom, including hot & cold drinks, sandwiches, warm pasties, sausage rolls, cakes and cream teas. The Station Shop will also be open, selling a range of gifts and souvenirs.

After a visit to the railway, visitors may feel the need for some refreshment. The Old Station Inn at the A39/A399 junction at Blackmoor Gate is the ideal stop, being only 4 miles from Woody Bay Station, and offering a 20% saving off food bills for anyone with a valid ticket for Father’s Day at the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway.

Earlier this year, the Exmoor National Park Centre in Lynmouth held an exhibition on the history of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, whilst in January, the railway was a subject in a Channel 4 TV series Britain’s Favourite Railway Stations.