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Model Villages & Miniature Railways in Coventry

Coventry's own option is Bridge View Light Railway, a few minutes out from the centre, where the train ride through a garden centre comes with a maze and quarry gardens to wander afterwards. For a proper miniature railway club feel, Birmingham Society of Model Engineers in Solihull has raised and ground-level tracks with tunnels and working signal boxes. It is a longer trip out to Wistow Model Village, but the walled garden of 75-plus buildings, its own mini railway and canal, is free to look round, with donations going to charity. If you want no cost at all, Wistow and Perry Hall Park in Birmingham (a free park with a sensory garden and buggy-friendly paths) both work, though Perry Hall is more about the grounds than model railways. Abbey Park Miniature Railway in Leicester charges just £1.50 but only runs selected Sundays and Bank Holidays, so it needs planning around. For toddlers, buggy-friendly outdoor spots like Wistow suit best; older children will get more from riding the full-length trains at Solihull.

✓ 5 places✦ 2 free to visit