Review A Day out with Thomas on the Watercress Line – On Saturday we drove over to mid-Hampshire to go on the Watercress Line. From now until the 11th of August they have a very special guest joining them – a day out with Thomas the Tank Engine. I remember the railway series of classic stories from when I was a child. Thomas is one of Harry’s heroes so the opportunity to meet him in person and go on a Thomas train ride was a unique opportunity we couldn’t turn down. Find out how we got on at the family event.
AD – We were gifted tickets for the Day out with Thomas event in return for sharing it on social media – Review A Day out with Thomas on the Watercress Line
Review a day out with Thomas on the Watercress Line
When we arrived I was pleased to see that plenty of parking had been made available in the field next door to Ropely Station. It is possible to buy advance tickets by pre-booking online or on the day. If you buy online then you will avoid any queuing at the entrance. And since it’s the middle of the Summer holidays if you are thinking of going it’s probably best to do an advance ticket purchase.
As we entered we were given a whole host of things included in the ticket price. A certificate to get signed by Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the railway. A timetable of events and a Passport. The passport is designed for the boys to complete throughout the day with certain things to tick off and little activities to keep them busy.
What is there to do with Thomas on the Watercress Line?
In my head, I thought we would only be there for a couple of hours. However, I had totally underestimated the number of things to do there. As soon as Harry saw the blue engine, Thomas coming down the track his face lit up hearing the little peep peep. It really was a very special moment to watch. Of course, we had to go on the Thomas train ride. Departure time is pretty constant. He goes up and down pretty much all day continuously filling the hearts of preschoolers and guests of all ages. Unless one of the larger engines needs to get onto the platform. The train rides literally takes about five minutes. But for a three-year-old, it encapsulates so much more. Harry never tired of watching the useful engine, Thomas the tank engine puff up and down the track.
At Ropley you can catch one of the larger steam trains that the boys decided were Hero to either Alresford or Medstead Head both of which are between a 10-15 minute ride from Ropley. We headed to Medstead Head first. The train will stay at the station for about half an hour. This means that you have plenty of time to look around and take part in the activities which have been set up. I also really like the fact that you are then not left waiting to get on another train at a later date. We sat in the buffet car which meant we could also get drinks for the kids which was a bonus I wasn’t expecting.
Medstead Head
At Medstead Head we played spot the engine and looked in the signal box. Which Charlie found fascinating. There was also themed activities such as arts and crafts as well as refreshments. Then we travelled through to Alresford. Here you could get unlimited rides on Diesel and Toad. But the boys had spotted the ice cream truck outside. So instead, we had ice creams and looked at the model railway. There was also a vintage bus and steam engine outside the front. With bunting everywhere, it felt very much like a Summer fair.
Back at Ropley, we had another Thomas train ride before trying out the two vintage fairground rides and lawn games. Normally those sorts of rides are extra. So I was very pleased to see them included in the price of the ticket. Also at Ropley, there is a ‘Rusty & Dusty’ live entertainment, live music and magic shows. Which the kids found very funny. At certain points throughout the day, they also do storytime with a special appearance from the Fat Controller. Although we didn’t catch that on our visit. Thre is also a special opportunity to stock up on a variety of Thomas merchandise
Our Conclusions
I really like that you can go up and down on the trains as much as you want. With plenty of carriages, we had no trouble finding a seat for the entire family. There were also lots of photos ops for little engineers and the ability to make lots of new Thomas memories. The boys were even given some storybooks and activity books themed around the classic storybook engine. Which kept the boys busy during lunch and when we were on the longer journeys on the heritage railways.
There are plenty of options for food. With places to grab food at all of the stations. We had a great day out, where a day of big dreams were fulfilled. And a shared experience thanks to the Watercress Line and Thomas. It is a full day of fun and themed entertainment for the whole family. We can’t wait to visit again next year. And enjoy another Thomas the Tank Engine day out with even bigger smiles. We would recommend this to all aspiring engineers and Thomas fans.
Thomas events take place up and down the country in the Summer months find out more on the website. Full steam ahead time to fill up the photo albums.
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33 Responses
What a fabulous day out for a Thomas fan! My children love going on trains so I think a day like this would be great fun.
In fact my nephew is Thomas mad so I’ll forward this to his Mum. Thank you x
I will have to look into this! My daughter loves trains and Thomas the Tank Engine! It looks great!
We did this last year and the kids loved it – gutted we couldn’t make it this year as it is such a great day out
We love it here too – always great fun
Aww this sounds like so much fun! My daughters would love this, as they are pretty Thomas obsessed after visiting Thomas Land recently 🙂
Aww this looks fab, Thomas was my fave when I was little
Fab I would love to see this nearer to where I live my little grandson adores Thomas a bit too far to travel. Bet they had a blast !
Looks fantastic fun a great day out my boy likes thomas because he loves any vehicles
Thomas is real! I loved Thomas as a kid. I don’t like the new tv series though, it isn’t the same!
Just waiting for my grandson to be big enough to inherit the Thomas & Friends Railway which previously delighted our gran daughter. To meet him one day in the flesh’ will be amazing!
We are seeing Thomas in September, looks really good!
How amazing does that all look! We have a thomas day quite near to us but it is a lot smaller – nothing at all like that
I really wish we’d gone to this when it was in Sheringham. Looks like a great day.
My brother and I loved Thomas when we were kids. This looks like such a fun experience and something definitely worth checking out if you have little ones. It looks like they had a great time!
Gosh, I had heard of that line but had no idea there was so much going on there. Pleased and grateful to read your review. Thank you.
This looks like so much fun, my kids would really enjoy it. The pictures make me want to go already.
This looks fab! I noticed last year they did a Harry Potter theme which my lot what totally love!
Looks like a great day, my nephew went to a similar day in Yorkshire and loved it
What an amazing day out with small children!
Amazing day out with kids. We are seeing this September. Looks awesome.
I have a confession – I’ve always found the faces in Thomas the Tank Engine a bit creepy… But I imagine for a little Thomas fan this would be an amazing day out!
Thomas and friends are quite popular amongst kids in the Philippines, well, a long time ago. More kids are into anime and video games these days.
This looks like it would be such a fun place to take kids! When my brother was little, he absolutely LOVED Thomas the Tank Engine, and we went as kids to something similar near Toronto.
I don’t think my nephew would ever leave if we took him to see Thomas as he is so obsessed with him big time.
What an amazing day! It looks like so much fun…and the chocolate ice cream cone looked good too! Thanks for sharing!
The trains look so good and I love you could use them as much as you wanted during the day. L says he doesn’t like Thomas anymore, he’s far too grown up, but I reckon he’d love this! #bloggerclubuk
We love Thomas trains! It looks like a really fun place for Thomas fans! #BloggerClubUK
Looks like you all had a great time. Lovely pictures. #bloggerclubuk
What a fantastic family day out. I would love to have seen the look on the boys faces when they saw Thomas for the first time on the day. And what an amazing fat controller! So pleased to hear they had a lovely day.
#BloggerClubUK
My grandson would have loved this a couple of years ago. Alas, he has moved on from Thomas.
You have got my memories going. My son loved Thomas and we have gone on this line too as a family. Miss those times – gone too quick #BloggerClubUK
Wow for any child who loves Thomas this looks incredible. I don’t have boys myself but my girls actually love watching the Thomas cartoon. Not so sure if they would like a day out like this but it looks amazing. Lovely pictures too! #bloggerclubuk
looks like a fun day out