Devon
Seaton: time travel on a tram
Seaton: time travel on a tram. We made a stop on the way to Cornwall to spend a couple of hours on the Seaton Tramway. Seaton as a town has no other particular redeeming features other than the tramway so it is a day trip.
Seaton Tramway is a single track from Seaton through wetlands to Colyford. The narrow gauge railway traverses East Devon’s Axe Valley through two nature reserves, estuary and the estuary, and birdlife between Seaton, Colyford, and Colyton.
Most of the 14 tramcars are not real but replicas. They are rather convincing classic British designs and vary in scale from half-size to two-thirds size.
This is a trip out and return but not cheap £12.50 (in 2024). It is a little disappointing that when you reach the destination there is nothing much to do – the shop and buffet. You can visit a pub but it is a walk and nothing special. The journey takes about half an hour each way. The journey is better suited to bird and nature lovers.
The track goes through wetland that offers a wide range of bird life. It is also open to the elements. We returned in a window less tram in the rain and predictably became wet.
In summary, Seaton Tramway is a fairly unique and offers a short journey through the Axe Valley on narrow gauge electric trams.
Pros:
- A wide range of authentic looking trams.
- Short trip through wetlands with wildlife.
Cons:
- Most trams are copies, not original.
- Destination does not really have much to offer.
- Not that cheap for what it is.
