A garden railway festival in Llangollen, North Wales, held in partnership with the Llangollen Railway on Saturday, 5th June, has provided a boost in tourist trade for the town.

More than 40 traders, exhibitors, societies, and model railway layout builders from across the UK attracted enthusiasts, families and hobbyists to the town, with the organisers declaring it another major success. Among the range of exhibits were large-scale outdoor railways, live steam layouts, and electric and gas-powered models. Children were able to enjoy hands-on activities for children, and experienced railway modellers demonstrated their craft.

Llangollen benefited from the festival, with hundreds of visitors staying in and around the town for the weekend. The local economy, including hotels, guest houses, pubs, restaurants, and local attractions, all welcomed the extra trade.

The festival, started in 2022, has raised more than £10,000 for local charities and community groups, and is now recognised as one of the UK’s leading garden railway events. Through its partnership with the Llangollen and Corwen Railway, visitors were also invited to travel by heritage train for a journey through the Dee Valley. The railway also ran an extra service on the Friday evening to give traders a chance to travel on the railway.

The Llangollen Railway’s next special event is on Father’s Day, 21st June, when it is running a special Father’s Day Ploughman’s Pint Special.

“We are absolutely delighted with how this year’s festival has gone. The feedback from exhibitors, traders and visitors has been overwhelmingly positive, and it was fantastic to see so many people travelling to Llangollen to enjoy the event. The quality of the layouts on display was exceptiona,l and we are incredibly grateful to the exhibitors who travelled from across the country to share their railways with visitors. The amount of time, skill, and craftsmanship that goes into building these layouts is remarkable and they are the heart of the festival.”

“I would also like to thank our traders for supporting the event and, most importantly, the volunteers who worked so hard behind the scenes before, during and after the festival. Without their dedication, events like this simply would not happen. What makes the festival particularly special is that it brings people together through a shared passion, whilst also supporting the local economy and local charities. We are already looking forward to next year.”

Keith Potts, Festival organiser