Barton House Railway

The old railway line running through Wroxham holds more charm than you'd expect from what amounts to a few carriages and a shed. Barton House Railway is genuinely small - this isn't a sprawling heritage line with miles of track. What you get instead is a pocket-sized slice of mid-20th century rail nostalgia, run by volunteers who actually know their stuff.

You'll spend a good hour here if you're into railways at all. There are vintage carriages to poke around, period details everywhere, and the kind of knowledgeable staff who can talk for ages about signalling systems without becoming boring. Kids either love it completely or get restless after thirty minutes - depends entirely on whether they've caught the railway bug. Younger children might find it a bit static, to be honest.

The real value is as a rainy-day diversion when you're based at Norfolk Broads Haven or one of the other nearby caravan parks. Wroxham itself is about as close as you get to a proper Norfolk Broads hub, so you could easily tack this onto a morning before heading out on the water. It's the sort of place where a couple of hours feels well spent without dominating your itinerary. Check their website for current opening times and admission costs before you head over - these volunteer-run operations can be a bit variable with their schedules.