The Bluebell Railway: a steam trip through Sussex

If you've never been, the Bluebell Railway is the kind of place that rewards a bit of planning. It's a standard-gauge heritage line running 11 miles between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead in the Sussex countryside, and it holds a genuine claim to fame: it was the first standard-gauge steam passenger railway in the world to be preserved. It's run mostly by volunteers under the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society, which keeps more than 30 steam locomotives and close to 150 wagons and coaches going, most of them pre-war.

The line itself has a bit of history worth knowing before you go. It was originally the northern half of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway, built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and opened in 1882, before British Railways closed it in 1958. Conservationists rescued a 4.5-mile stretch in 1960, and the line has grown back in stages: Horsted Keynes reopened in 1962, Kingscote in 1994, and East Grinstead in 2013, after 100,000 tonnes of domestic waste had to be cleared from the Imberhorne cutting. Each station is restored to a different era, so the line effectively travels through time as you move along it.

Sheffield Park is the starting point and the place to leave your car. It's restored to the LB&SCR era up to 1922, with 1882 brick buildings, the original booking office, two platforms linked by a footbridge, a signalman's box, a small museum, a shop, a refreshment kiosk and the Bessemer Arms pub. There's also a display of classic cars here, and the museum is based at this end of the line. Horsted Keynes is a large five-platform station restored to its 1930s Southern Region green and cream, still standing with its brick station master's house, water tower and big signal box. Kingscote keeps its sidings, goods platform, cattle yard and wagons — including a refrigerated banana wagon — and its signal box actually came from Brighton. East Grinstead, built south of the original station, carries on the green and cream Southern Railway look.

Beyond the stations, there's a lot going on. The railway runs regular services all year, with dining trains like the Golden Arrow Pullman, the Wealden Rambler, afternoon tea and supper trains for when you want to make a day of it. Season tickets give you unlimited travel over the summer, and character days are free if you've bought a full-day travel ticket. If you're travelling with children, Kingscote has a soft play bus, and Sheffield Park has SteamWorks!, interactive screens and a driving simulator. There's also a display of classic cars at Sheffield Park, and you can walk onto the platform for free when no trains are running, with the gift shop and models open on selected days.

For anyone who likes a bit of theatre with their travel, the line's themed events are the real draw. The most popular is Road Meets Rail, which turns Horsted Keynes into a bustling Edwardian scene with traction engines, road rollers, steam wagons and showman's engines all out in force, alongside demonstrations of road building, wood sawing and heavy lifting. It's a great excuse to head out into the Sussex countryside for a day, whether you're a railway enthusiast or just after a slow afternoon out.