Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens Diss

Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens Diss is open (with Narrow Gauge Train rides) every day from March until November.  Mondays and Tuesdays (outside the school and public holidays) are Gardeners Days (Non Steam Days).  Service level – One diesel hauled train and the Gallopers. Wednesdays to Sundays are always Steam Days. Service level – At least two trains and the Gallopers will be running. Sundays and BHM’s we aim to operate three trains and the Gallopers.  The Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens buildings are open daily until winter close.

There is NO Winter Opening outside of advertised Special Event times in the Winter Period.  Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens Diss Opening Times and last rides.  The Museum and Gardens open daily at 10:30am rides commence at 11:00am, the site closes at 5:00pm (5:30pm June to August). Last rides will normally be at 4:30pm daily, but may be later on special event days. Last admission is one hour before the site closes.  (October-November – closing times and last ride times may vary depending on the time of dusk – check before travelling).

A great Norfolk attraction

Buy Tickets at Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens

Purchase your Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens Diss tickets online. All profits go towards keeping the Bressingham fleet of steam vehicles in steam. You can visit the bricks and mortar shop at Bressingham too. Your tickets purchased online will be emailed to you instantly and should be printed at home before you arrive at Bressingham, if you do not receive them check your spam, if still no sign – give us a call on 01379 686900.

Family Fun.  There really is something for everyone at Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens.  The Bressingham Gardens – The unique Bressingham Gardens are renowned worldwide for their horticultural excellence. With nearly 20 acres, four linking gardens and 8,000 species they can be a truly tranquil place, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the scenery.  The Bressingham Collections – Take a trip on one of the four railways at Bressingham, the collection of working locomotives will take you round our magnificent gardens and woodland, or ride on the steam Gallopers.

A trip to the locomotive sheds brings the power and the glory of mighty steam engineering up close. The National Dad’s Army collection lets you wander through Walmington-on-Sea looking at original props and vehicles from the series, you’d be a stupid boy to miss it!  Whether your passion is Gardens, Steam, Exhibits, Rides or even a mixture of them all, we are confident that Bressingham has something for all, even Royal Coaches!  Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens Diss recommend you spend no less than four hours here, and you can easily spend all day!

          Family Day Out

Bressingham Steam Journey.

What better way to explore the beautiful gardens, woodlands and countryside of Bressingham than by climbing aboard a magnificent steam engine! With over four miles of narrow-gauge steam lines and four journeys to choose from, it’s the perfect way to relax and enjoy the scenery!  Please check the timetable for our operating programme to see what is running today.  The 1 ½ mile long track of the Fen Railway (2ft gauge) leaves from the museum building and passes the locomotive sheds and the lake before crossing over the Waveney Valley Railway, where passengers get their first sight of the 15-inch (0.38m) gauge engines waiting to begin their journey from Lakeside station.  Turning eastwards, flanked by woods and dykes, the line travels through an area of birch and oak trees, before once again crossing over the 15-inch-gauge line. When both railways are operating, passengers will often see the larger-gauge locomotive giving way to the Fen Railway Line. There are views of Roydon Church and the wilder expanse of Wortham Ling to the south. On the return leg, visitors get an excellent view of the intensive side of the nurseries. The locomotives running on this line include George Sholto and Gwynedd.  Read more…

Bressingham Steam Driver Experiences.

There are FIVE Driver Experience packages to choose from at Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens. All experiences are One on One unlike many other heritage railways where experiences are shared with other participants.  Driver experience courses are only available in our open season. From the Easter Holidays until the end of October.  These are all great to buy as gifts for those steamy people in your life!  Please note participants are required to provide their own overalls and protective footwear. The museum provides gloves to all participants. Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk is offering visitors the chance to drive on the 1.5 mile 2 ft gauge Fen Railway. Drive one of the 2ft gauge steam locomotives either Hunslet Quarry locomotive ‘George Sholto’ No. 994 built in 1909,  Quarry Hunslet ‘Gwynedd’ built in 1883, or Bressingham built ‘Bevan’ an engine of independent design based on the Kerr Stuart ‘Wren’ class locomotive.  In keeping with what the engine was originally designed for, the train will not consist of the usual rake of carriages but a collection of 4 wheeled slate wagons. These are all period vehicles, originally from the Ffestiniog Railway and restored at Bressingham. In addition to all the normal challenges of driving a steam locomotive, participants will face the extra test of keeping a train of unbraked, loose coupled wagons under control.  Read more…

  Driver Experiences at         Bressingham Steam

History of the Bressingham Gardens.

The founder of Blooms Nurseries, Alan Bloom (1906- 2005), began developing a garden in front of Bressingham Hall in 1953, devoted to a new concept of using perennials, the nursery’s speciality, in Island Beds. Six acres and nearly 5000 different species and cultivars were taken in and planted by 1962, when the gardens were first opened on a regular basis to the public.  Returning from four years abroad (including two years in the U.S.A.) in 1962, Adrian Bloom began developing more gardens, starting his own, Foggy Bottom Garden in 1967 devoted to conifers, heathers, trees and shrubs. In 2000, additional gardens were added by Adrian, linking them up to create a more diverse attraction to visitors, and joining the gardens together to create a Foggy Bottom Trail, leading from the entrance near the Steam Museum to the furthest and lowest end of Foggy Bottom. Today, although changes are still constant, the newer gardens are maturing; new planting designs and plants are being tried. Heritage and novelty exist together with the number of distinct varieties now in the region of 8000.  Bressingham Hall, near the entrance to the gardens, plays a historic role and has an iconic presence. Alan Bloom’s home for 50 years and that of the Bloom family has now been fully re furbished and is available for use as holiday lets and for wedding and other group stays.  Read more…

Dad’s Army at Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens

Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens has been the official home to the Dads Army Appreciation Society’s collection since 2000.  The exhibition comprises a recreation of Walmington on Sea the fictional home to Captain Mainwaring and his men.   Jones’ butchers shop and the church hall feature heavily in the scene, whilst you can get a glimpse of Frazer’s Funeral Parlour and the Swallow Bank. Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens was happy to lend to the BBC some of its historic collection to feature in the show, Traction Engines and Rollers feature in episodes but probably the most memorable exhibit in the Bressingham collection is the Fire Engine.

The Television Series ‘Dad’s Army’ ran from 1968 to 1977 with a total of 80 episodes – and you can still catch the repeats to this day, over 30 years after the filming of the very first episode. Who can forget the inimitable characters played by Clive Dunn, Arthur Lowe, John Laurie, John Le Mesurier, Jim Beck, Ian Lavender, Arnold Ridley, Frank Williams, Edward Sinclair and Bill Pertwee! Not only did the show make household names of these main characters, but it also brought a host of other ‘comedy faces’ to our television screens for the very first time.The series was filmed in and around Thetford (including the Stanford training area) and included many local residents from the surrounding countryside. Some of the vehicles at Bressingham Steam Museum were used in the series including the Leyland fire engine in ‘Brain versus Brawn’ (episode 50, 1972). The steamroller ‘Boxer’ and traction engine ‘Bertha’ were also used in the show.

Dads Army at Bressingham

Groups & Schools Visits.

Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens welcomes may types of groups of all ages from all over the world.  Bressingham offer discounted tickets to any pre-booked group of over 12 paying visitors. Garden tours are available if booked in advance (an extra charge applies).  School Visits – The exhibits at Bressingham provide a great educational backdrop for the industrial revolution, the power of steam both mechanically and the influence the railways had on society. The Dad’s Army Museum provides a slice of life during WWII where the Home Guard played such a historic part.  Read more…

Fairground at Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens.

Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens The old fashioned fairground is privately owned and rides are not included in the Bressingham Ride ticket.  At weekends the Fairground is normally open 11.30 – 4.30.  Old Time Penny Arcade has a collection of slot machines dating from the 1920s to the 1970s, this is how your Grandparents spent a penny! The arcade is for amusement only, no cash can be won. Read more…Please call us for further information before making a specific journey to visit the fairground.  01379 686900

Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens Gift Shop

Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens gift shop has a wide range of items to suit all pockets, for those interested in Trains, Railways and Dad’s Army.  The Bressingham Steam and Gardens shop is open everyday we are open during our opening season and weekdays during the winter.  You can also shop online  where we have a selection of our best selling items.  Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens gift shop use a two day courier, or you can pick your order up from us here at Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens.  Stock is updated in real time with our shop here, so keep looking back if you are waiting for something specific to come back into stock.  We stock a good range of Big Jigs and Thomas The Tank Engine merchandise.

Fairground and Gift Shop

Bressingham Venue Hire.

Why not hire Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens for that special day, occasion or celebration or evening.  Bressingham is a great and unusual place for many an occasion.  Our Exhibition Hall space has seen, Wedding Receptions, hen nights and parties, stag party’s and do’s, valentines,mothers day,engagements, anniversary;s, Birthday parties, Christenings, Live Music Band Nights, Fundraising Events, Food & Wedding Fayres, ghost hunts.  As every hire is different why not give us a call to find out if Bressingham is the place for you.

Bressingham Gardens are renowned worldwide for their horticulture excellence with over 20 acres and four linking gardens and over 8000 species, this is the place to enjoy tranquility and peace.  Why not try driving a steam train or visit our old fashioned fun fair either way your sure to have fun.  We hope to see you soon,

Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens Reviews

Covid 19 measures are now relaxing and Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens hope to see you soon.

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