Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

Preserved steam railway through the Brontë valley, stopping at Haworth

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is one of Britain's best-loved preserved steam lines — a 5-mile branch that runs from Keighley's main station through the Worth Valley to Oxenhope, stopping at Ingrow, Damems, Oakworth, Haworth, and Mytholmes along the way. Volunteers have operated the line since 1968, and the stations and rolling stock have been kept in period condition throughout.

The line's stops cover a range of moods: Haworth is the obvious draw, sitting just below the village and the Brontë Parsonage; Oakworth is the most atmospheric station, still lit by gas and little changed since 1900; Ingrow has the Museum of Rail Travel with its collection of historic carriages. The round trip takes about an hour. Trains run weekends year-round and daily in summer.

things to do sight
A story
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway was the location for the 1970 film The Railway Children, adapted from E. Nesbit's novel. The station at Oakworth — still lit by gas lamps and largely unchanged since the Victorian era — was used as the main location. The line had closed to passengers in 1961 and was already being preserved by volunteers when the film was made; the production helped give the line national recognition and boosted the early preservation effort.