cotswold festival of steam

In this special year celebrating 200 years of passenger rail travel, this year's GWSR Cotswold Festival of steam celebrates everything great about the railways with an exciting line up of guest locomotives alongside our home fleet, including our latest resident, new-build 6880 Betton Grange, returning after its starring role at last year's gala.

Tickets and Pricing

Tickets can be bought on the day or in advance online at a lower price. As a special deal to celebrate Railway 200, on the bank holiday Monday kids go free! Click the button below to book now.

 

On the day pricing

 

Adult: £ 38:00 Adult 2 Day: £ 76:00 Adult 3 Day £ 100:00
Child £ 19:00 Child 2 Day £ 38:00 Child 3 Day: £ 50:00
Family £ 95:00      -- | --      -- | --
Adult late entry £ 28:00 Child late entry £ 12:00 Family late entry £ 75:00

 

Please note Shareholder Vouchers are not valid on Gala weekends

Downloadable timetables
Bus transfers between Cheltenham Spa and racecours stations

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guest locos

7714

GWR 0-6-0 Pannier Tank No. 7714

We regret to announce that, due to a late-emerging issue with 34072 '257 Squadron' at the Swanage Railway, the locomotive will no longer be able to attend the event. We are however delighted to announce that GWR 0-6-0 Pannier Tank, No. 7714 is visiting the GWSR for the Cotswold Festival of Steam in its place. We are deeply grateful to the Severn Valley Railway and SVR Pannier Tank Fund for offering the locomotive to the GWSR.

1906 Borrows 0-4-0WT works no. 48 ‘The King’

Borrows 0-4-0WT 'The King'

1906 Borrows 0-4-0WT works no. 48 - ‘The King’ was delivered new to the United Glass factory at St. Helens, later being transferred to the company’s Charlton works in London, soldiering on until 1967.

1918 Borrows / Kerr-Stuart 0-4-0WT

Kerr-Stuart 0-4-0WT works no. 3063

Informally known as ‘Willy the Well Tank’. Willy’ was delivered new in 1918 to the National Shipyard at Beachley, near Chepstow – a locomotive design that was already 50 years old! It was withdrawn from the Fairfield Mabey shipyard in the 1970s.

Andrew Barclay Austerity 0-6-0ST no 15 Earl David

Andrew Barclay Austerity 0-6-0ST

Andrew Barclay Austerity 0-6-0ST no 15 Earl David No. 15 was one of those delivered to the War Department as no. 71529 at Longtown, near Carlisle. In 1959, it was sold to EG Steels of Hamilton and in 1964, it went to the Wemyss Private Railway (WPR) in Scotland, whose distinctive livery it now carries.

75069

BR standard 4

75069 is visiting courtesy of our friends at the Severn Valley Railway

SECR O1 No.65

Stirling "O" class

Built in 1896 at Ashford as a Stirling "O" class locomotive, it received a rebuild to class "O1" in 1908, and ran on until finally withdrawn in 1961. No. 65 was one of the class that ran with an LCDR tender for a while. According to Bradley, this was from M-class 4-4-0 No. 617, between 1914 and 1925.

Home locos

3850

Steam Locomotive

A '2884' class heavy freight locomotive, built 1942. Owned by Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited. It's comprehensive 10-year overhaul has just been completed at Toddington. It returned to steam on August 2024, bearing the wartime black GWR livery it carried when new.

Standard 76077

Standard 4

Toddington Standard Locomotive ltd's Standard 4 76077 is coming home

2807

Steam Locomotive

A '28xx' class heavy freight locomotive, built in 1905. The locomotive is owned by Cotswold Steam Preservation Limited and, after a 29 year restoration, is one of the GWR's resident locomotives.

Betton Grange

Steam Locomotive

Betton Grange, which uses components from other scrapped classes of GWR locomotive, fills an important gap in the number of surviving GWR-designed two-cylinder locomotives. Steaming for the first time in 2024, 6880 visits us courtesy of the Betton Grange society.

Foremarke Hall

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

Although every inch a Great Western Railway thoroughbred, No. 7903 Foremarke Hall was one of the 79XX series, in the last batch of the Modified Hall class built at Swindon in 1949 under BR auspices.

Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co.

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. is a Southern Railway rebuilt Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 steam locomotive. It was built at Eastleigh locomotive works in December 1941 and given the Southern Railway number 21C6.

Things to see and do

An intensive timetable will be operating over the full length of the line with goods trains, local stopping services including at Hayles Abbey Halt, and non-stop expresses.

At Broadway:

  • View progress on our newest station
  • Visit our new shop
  • Browse the Friends of Broadway fundraising shop
  • Broadway station Tea Room open.

At Toddington:

  • Locomotive sheds open to view current projects
  • Trade stands
  • Goods train brake van rides - A unique way to experience the line, ride on the brake van for a different view! First come first served, an additional ticket is required , pay on the brake van. Over 16s only.
  • Footplate rides - Treat yourself to something special and purchase a pre-booked footplate ride on one of our home fleet engines. The price of your footplate ride, includes entry to the gala. Please check back soon to purchase.
  • Visit our new Cotswold Halt Café, coffee shop, gift shop and our exclusive Hawkstone Bar!
  • Narrow gauge operating steam train rides
  • Visit the GWRT Office - we are open for our visitors to come and talk to us about Membership and Volunteering etc.

At Winchcombe:

  • Carriage & Wagon workshops open to view projects
  • Viewing area beyond C&W workshops
  • Griddle & Coffeepot Tea Room
  • Discovery coach and model railway coach.

At Gotherington:

  • Private station grounds open specially courtesy of the owners Bryan & Savita
  • Ride on the Pump Trolley or enjoy the Wickham Trolley
  • Enjoy light refreshments or a homemade curry!
  • Good spot for viewing passing trains or to chill out and enjoy a picnic.

At Cheltenham:

  • Steam loco cab visits or drive a steam locomotive for £20 (Subject to availability).
  • Connecting bus service with Cheltenham Spa
  • Original 1912 ticket office open
  • Snacks by Tracks refreshments
  • Goods train brake van rides - A unique way to experience the line, ride on the brake van for a different view! First come first served, an additional ticket is required, pay on the brake van. Over 16s only.
  • Footplate rides - Treat yourself to something special and purchase a pre-booked footplate ride on one of our home fleet engines. The price of your footplate ride, includes entry to the gala.