All aboard for a steam tea at Staffordshire’s finest heritage railway! Departing from Froghall railway station you’ll be enthralled by that most traditional of English customs whilst enjoying a steam-hauled locomotive ride.
The first class dining coach is transformed into a cosy lounge for these steam-powered teatime trips in Staffordshire. Setting off mid afternoon you will be guided to your reserved table that has been set with a crisp linen table cloth shiny cutlery and delicate bone china cups and saucers (just like your Grandma used to dig out for special occasions!).
The on-train waiting staff are all smartly dressed and ready to serve you at your table as you pull gracefully out of Froghall station. And yes this is a very English steam tea on the Staffordshire railway complete with fluffy fruit scones lashings of whipped cream and a selection of those cute little individual jam pots. You’ll also be brought a nice big pot of fresh brewed tea so you can keep topping yourself up at your leisure.
So all you have to do is sit back relax enjoy the gorgeous home-made scones and sip tea as you gaze out of the window at the slow-moving panoramas before your eyes. Heading out of Froghall station this is the actually the southern terminus of this quaint Staffordshire line so you might also be able to watch the loco taking on water before it ‘runs round’ to be hooked up at the other end of the steam train carriages to pull you back along the line as you tuck into your tea.
You’ll pass the historic Thomas Bolton Copperworks (this line used to transport many of their workers) and then meander through a leafy valley to Consall a little station with the canal on one side and the river on the other. It is very tranquil and picturesque – especially as it isn’t at all accessible by car! It’s then a steep climb for the steam train to Cheddleton the main locomotive base of this Staffordshire steam railway line – and all this whilst enjoying your cream tea on the move!
Staffordshire’s friendliest heritage standard gauge railway is a great place to go for cream tea as there is plenty to see and do both on foot around the mains stops of Cheddleton and Froghall as well as sightseeing from your wagon window in the first class dining car. Although your train departs from Froghall up the railway line to Cheddleton in the afternoon you are very welcome to spend the morning watching the steam and diesel loco action before your steam tea excursion.
