The West Somerset Railway Christmas Market will be taking place over two days on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November and will be open from 10am - 4pm on each day! This event offers a delightful festive atmosphere and a chance to discover unique gifts for the holiday season.
Each day features a special steam service departing from Bishops Lydeard at 10:30am heading towards Minehead, exclusively for those who have pre-booked.
There are two ticket options for this service, one from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead return and one from Williton/Watchet return. Please ensure that you select the right ticket for your journey. For passengers who wish to board the train at Williton the train will depart at 11.04 and for passengers who wish to board the service at Watchet the train will depart at 11.13.
Your return service will leave Minehead at 15:00, getting you back to Watchet at 15.33, Williton at 15.43 and Bishops Lydeard at 16:18.
Given the limited availability, it's recommended to book early to secure a spot.
You can enhance your journey by adding a hamper for two, cookie and hot chocolate, or goodie bags. Details for each item are below.
Dates & Times |
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Prices | |
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Adult - Bishops Lydeard to Minehead Christmas Market | £33.00 |
Child Aged (5-15) - Bishops Lydeard to Minehead Christmas Market | £16.50 |
Registered Carer - Bishops Lydeard to Minehead Christmas Market | Free |
Under 5 Years Old - Bishops Lydeard to Minehead Christmas Market | Free |
Adult - Williton/Watchet to Minehead Christmas Market | £27.00 |
Child Aged (5-15) - Williton/Watchet to Minehead Christmas Market | £16.50 |
Registered Carer - Williton/Watchet to Minehead Christmas Market | Free |
Under 5 Years Old - Williton/Watchet to Minehead Christmas Market | Free |
Brunel Goodie Bag | £20.00 |
WSR Goodie Bag | £30.00 |
Hamper for two | £32.50 |
Hamper for two - Vegetarian | £32.50 |
Cookie and Hot Chocolate Add On | £5.00 |
Dog | £3.00 |
Includes a WSR 2026 Calendar, WSR Guide Book, Flying Scotsman Notepad, WSR Car Sticker, WSR Christmas Bauble, Flying Scotsman mini torch keyring, Flying Scotsman Pen, WSR Magnet, WSR Pin badge. Items may be different from those photographed.
£30.00
Includes a Brunel Beagle soft toy, a Brunel Beagle keyring, a Brunel Beagle tree decoration, a Brunel Beagle flag and a Brunel Beagle pencil case. Items may vary from those shown.
£20.00
Hamper for two contains festive sandwiches, crisps, Christmas cake, a single serving bottle of festive ale, a single-serving bottle of festive wine, and an additional festive surprise. There are two Hampers one for vegetarians and one for non vegetarians. Cost is £32.50. Please note one hamper covers food for two people.
Thank you for purchasing tickets for our Christmas Market Train
THIS IS YOUR TICKET
There are two ticket options for this service, one from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead return and one from Williton/Watchet return. Please ensure that you have purchased the right ticket for your journey and let us know within the next 10 days if there are any mistakes. Your ticket is only valid on the journey shown above. For passengers who wish to board the train at Williton the train will depart at 11.04 and for passengers who wish to board the service at Watchet the train will depart at 11.13.
Your return service will leave Minehead at 15:00, getting you back to Watchet at 15.33, Williton at 15.43 and Bishops Lydeard at 16:18. Please note there will be no aternative travel back to Bishops Lydeard if you miss your service.
DIRECTIONS AND PARKING
Bishops Lydeard Station is the southern terminus of the West Somerset Railway and this is where the Christmas Market Train will begin. It is four miles from the County town of Taunton and the M5 Motorway (Junction 25). Postcode for Sat Nav: TA4 3RU
UPON ARRIVAL
Please allow adequate time for your journey to Bishops Lydeard – we expect trains to be very close to capacity if not fully booked so please ensure you arrive on time, this is the only market train on this date and tehrefore there are no other alternatives if you miss the service. We advise that you would aim to arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before your train departure time.
There is a car park at Bishops Lydeard station, where the event begins. If this is full, the road that leads to the car park has lots of on-street parking. There is a small disabled carpark next to the marquee, this can also be used to drop off passengers who are not able to walk down from the main car park. This will be sign posted. Once you have parked, follow signs for check-in which will be in the marquee.
THINGS TO LET US KNOW
We have four spaces per train for non-transferable wheelchair passengers. If you have access needs which mean you require one of these, please call us well in advance of your date of travel. If you have additional access requirements but do not require an accessible space, please also let us know so we can seat you in the closest carriage to the guards van which will have the access ramp.
The seating plans are being arranged in advance so please also let us know within 10 working days of making your booking if there is another party who have booked separately that you would like to sit with. We will be unable to move groups around on the night. If you have made two bookings in the same name, we will put these together on the plans, you do not need to notify us. If you would like to contact us about your booking for one of the reasons above, or for another – please call 01643 704996.
DOGS
Dogs are permitted to travel on the Christmas Market train but must have a ticket to travel at £3 per dog.
TOILETS
There are toilets located at the top of the slope. These are the only toilets at the station and the train toilets will be for ‘emergencies’ only!
CHECK-IN
On entering the marquee, you will need to show your digi-ticket at the check in desk. If you are not able to print it, please make sure you have it visible on your tablet or phone. You will then be given your table number. If you have pre-booked goodie bags or hot chocolate, you will be advised where to collect these as you check in.
There will be a pop-up shop and buffet in the marquee where you will be able to purchase gifts and snacks. There will be no catering available to purchase on the train. We will have card payment facilities available, but we recommend you bring cash in case of intermittent signal for our machines. You will need to wait in the marquee until you are called to the platform by our train staff. There will be seating available.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PURCHASE
You have agreed to our standard terms and conditions by purchasing your ticket and checking the box to say that you accept them.
You are aware that your service starts at BISHOPS LYDEARD STATION. If you turn up at the wrong station, we are unable to accomodate you on any other service.
Our terms and conditions can be found on our website here https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.
1. If you do not wish to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, your tickets should be returned to us within 10 days of receipt
2. Please check your tickets upon receipt and advise us promptly of any errors. Errors cannot be rectified on the day of your visit.
3. The contract of tickets acceptance will be governed by English Law and subject to the jurisdiction of the English Courts.
4. Minehead Station Christmas Market Express services must be pre-booked.
5. Tickets are strictly non-transferable. You cannot transfer or amend your tickets after booking.
6. It is advised to arrive at Bishops Lydeard station 45 minutes before your selected departure time. If you miss your train, you may not be able to transfer to another service as seats will most likely not be available.
7. Limited parking for visitors will be available as stated above in the ticket information.
8. We will not take responsibility for delay or non-attendance by you, caused by bad weather, traffic conditions or any other factors that delay your arrival at the station.
9. We retain the right to alter, cancel and suspend the service for safety or other operational reasons. I this instance we will offer you an alternative service of similar value.
10. Payments for tickets must be made, in full, at the time of booking.
11. We reserve the right to refuse any booking for reasons we consider necessary.
12. We will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to any vehicle, clothing or personal belongings during your visit. Any found lost property will be held at Minehead Information Office for 1 week, after this time items will be disposed of.
13. Only limited seating is available on the train for passengers who have restricted mobility. Wheelchair spaces can be pre-booked on a first come first serve basis. You must therefore inform us as soon as possible about your requirement for such seats.
14. Refunds will only be issued if a service is cancelled by us and it is not possible to rearrange you on to another Christmas Market service. Refunds will not be issued for any other reason.
15. This ticket is issued subject to the Rules and Regulations of the West Somerset Railway PLC. Full details are available on request.
16. It is the responsibility of the ticket holder to ascertain whether a service has been cancelled and the date and time of any rearranged service. If a service is cancelled or rescheduled, we will use reasonable endeavours to notify ticket holders of the cancellation once we have received the relevant authorisation from the West Somerset Railway PLC.
17. The management reserves the right to refuse admission should patrons breach any Rules and Regulations of the West Somerset Railway PLC. The management may on occasions have to conduct security searches to ensure the safety of the patrons.
18. A £5 administration fee per booking will be charged for any subsequent booking alteration. No refunds will be given once tickets are issued. The Management cannot be held responsible for any tickets which are lost or stolen. West Somerset Railway PLC reserves the right to cancel ticket bookings which it reasonably suspects to have been made fraudulently.
19. The West Somerset Railway PLC operates a No Smoking policy this includes e-cigarettes.
20. The unauthorized use of photographic and recording equipment for public use is prohibited.
21. The West Somerset Railway PLC accepts no responsibility for any personal property.
22. Ticket holders consent to filming and sound recording as visitors.
23. If a service is rescheduled, ticket holders will be offered tickets to the rescheduled service, equivalent to the face value of the ticket. If a service is cancelled, ticket holders will be offered travel on an alternative service (subject to availability) up to the value on the ticket.