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Railworld Wildlife Haven
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Railworld Wildlife Haven

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See all things to do
Railworld Wildlife Haven
4.5
#1 of 78 things to do in Peterborough
Nature & Wildlife Areas
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
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About
Alongside the Nene Valley Railway,(NVR) Peterborough Station. Short walk from Peterborough Main Line Station - Access by car through Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park - PE2 9NR - (Access also available via 'Cubitt Way' Gate, into the Railworld Car Park) We are a self funded volunteer group. We have a Passion for Nature and a slant towards Model Railways. An intriguing exciting wildlife habitat to explore and 4,000 sq.ft. of Model Railways to enjoy - Nostalgic film shows, Steam Specials on the Main Line, plus 'The Volunteers Story' - How determined volunteers created the 'Railworld Wildlife Haven' over a 35 year period. We aim to 'Entertain and Educate about Our Wonderful World'. In 2018 - We won the 'Queen's Award for Voluntary Service'. Please bring a picnic - Relax and relish your time with us. Family ticket 2 Adults + 3 children £10.00 - Adult £4.00 - Concessions £3.00 - Children £2.00 - Special reductions for NVR Family Rover Tickets holders!
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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4.5
297 reviews
Excellent
235
Very good
45
Average
8
Poor
4
Terrible
5
Binswood
26 contributions
Great as always!
Oct 2023 • Family
Yet another fantastic visit at this hidden gem,the volunteers have gone to so much trouble to decorate the place for Halloween too.
This is our Grandsons favourite place to visit and it's such good value with so much to see and do
Written 26 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Thank you Binswood for those lovely comments - So pleased we are your 'Grandsons Favourite Place'! Wonderful... As I always say - It's what you get into .. We have a great group of volunteers all with a passion for this amazing planet we all share and call 'Our Home'? It's so heart-warming that people want to help us .. Sometimes people ask us - 'Who Owns the Railworld Wildlife Haven'? Well - You do? - We all do...? We are a UK Registered Charity Run by Volunteers - for the public benefit - Everything we raise we plough back .. to make it all better ..... Rev Richard Paten Our Incredible Founder, he brought the land and donated it to the charity - But sadly he died in 2012 - But he put us in good stead to keep going! And we have ... We have a wonderful supportive City Council - They have helped us with the donation of redundant materials over the years, from old paving slabs (used to create the Garden Railway) to street lights to road planning's! They even donated an old Bus Shelter that volunteers converted into a 'Victorian Railway Halt'! Everyone working together to create a 'Better World' for our children and our children's children .. Thank you so much for your 5 Stars and your support Binswood
Written 9 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pep C
1 contribution
A real hidden gem!
Oct 2023 • Business
My previous visit was just before Covid and wow I’d forgotten what a gem this place is!

Where else can you find grapevines, tranquility, beautiful water features, endless greenery and even a fig tree just a few steps from the city centre?!

Children never stop learning when they visit and I never stop being impressed with simply how good this attraction is - and let’s not forget it’s all created and run by volunteers!

Such an excellent place to spend a morning or afternoon. Peterborough is blessed to have it 👌
Written 8 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Ahh Pep C - Thank you for all your positive comments - It is truly 'Music to the Ears' of all our volunteers to hear and see what you say! Thank you so much - And for the fabulous 5 Stars! Awesome! Some of us volunteers have been involved from the start - 30 Plus years ago! To be honest we didn't think it would take us this long! - But it has! It's All been done on a 'Wing and a Prayer'! - All of it! - We have never had any money - But as we all say - the Most important thing is to 'Want To Do IT'! ... Passion beats everything! It took us 3 years to put the first bridge in .. All the 250 Trees we won in a 'Clear Up A Grot Spot' in the Peterborough Evening Telegraph back in 1998! Little 2 ft saplings - Look at them now - Some are 40/50ft tall! We are so pleased you enjoyed what has been achieved - Thank you once again for the Big 5 Stars Pep C
Written 9 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Venture34569981592
1 contribution
Enjoy a great family day out😊👍
Sep 2023 • Friends
I would just like to take this opportunity of thanking the volunteers for a wonderful day out…. The Haven has something for all the family,a truly amazing experience!!
Written 11 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Thank you for taking the time to comment and awarding us the Big 5 Stars! It means so much to our small group of volunteers, you can imagine Venture34569981592 how pleased we are with your lovely comments - They really help keep us going! Everything we raise we plough back.. The land was purchased by our Founder Rev Richard Paten - He then set up the UK Registered Charity and donated the land - and a small group of volunteers have been beavering away ever since! Some amazing companies have helped us - Hans Haefeli - Caterpillar Vice President at the time organised the 'Caterpillar Demonstration Team' to help with cutting out the ponds, waterfalls and three Victorian Bridge Supports! They helped the volunteers for 5 weeks! - It just goes to show how many good/supportive companies there are 'Out There'? The three large 'bridges' - They were scrap! Volunteers Saved them and RePurposed them! They were a local feature - 1840's Victorian Aqueducts from Abbots Ripton, donated to us by British Rail in 1988 when they were removed because there was insufficient space for the electrification cables for the ECML! - The 3 cast iron relics were restored when we won the 'UK - ICI/Dulux Environmental Teamwork Award'! 'Reinforcements Peterborough' donated all the steelwork, 'Perkins Engines' the concrete and Stuart Smith's - 'Peterborough Crane Hire' came in and lowered the bridges in place - It was amazing! Working together with the volunteers to make things better for everyone... Thank you once again - Venture34569981592
Written 9 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mark U
Spalding, UK44 contributions
Be amazed at what volunteers can achieve in a family attraction, which is good value for money. Wildlife Haven in the City is wo
Aug 2023 • Friends
My cancer charity group of 15 people visited on Friday 25 August after having been told how volunteers had turned a disued rail stockyard site into a wildlife haven . The effort and volunteer resources put in over some thirty years is nothing but astounding. Apart from the model railway layout, always bound to captivate young ones, a short work over scenic river bridge, and you arrive at a maze of secluded footways and lush planting. The walkways are interrupted by benches with scenic views, information boards , a rebuilt signal box overlooking the main line, visitor and information centre and low priced refreshments.

This is a great place to take the family for a price friendly and interesting day.
Written 27 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Oh Mark U - Wonderful - What can we say? Such wonderful comments - Comments that make all our volunteering worthwhile! In 2018 we won the 'Queen's Award for Voluntary Service' after recording over 13,000 Volunteer Hours in one year! Fabulous hey? We all feel - It's just what you get into! ... Bit like 'Golf' or maybe 'Fishing'? We love highlighting what a wonderful planet we all share and we should really look after what we have and make it better for future generations? We wanted the Wildlife Haven to look natural - Like the UK Lake District?... You know what Mark U - it all took so long 30 + years! - it gave us lots of time to think about what we were doing! .. The Victorian Bridges - Each one took 3 years to install - We never had any money - But we neve gave up! the 250 tree we planted - We won! We wanted it natural - and from a derelict coal yard - We feel proud of what has been achieved - Thank you so much for your 5 Stars!
Written 9 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mark Wells
Peterborough, UK10 contributions
A wonderful place to visit
Aug 2023 • Family
What a lovely and wonderful place just outside the town centre, this place is run by volunteers who you meet at the entrance with smiling faces and who give you detailed map showing where everything is on the site . My 9 son loved all the models railways, I would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Peterborough
Written 20 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Thank you Mark for your Big 5 Stars and your positive comments on our Volunteer Project here in Peterborough, it is truly amazing what a few passionate volunteers can do for our natural world ? We have been beavering way for over 30 years - We have never had any core funding, we have just done what we could when we could? We have volunteers that like creating Habitat and improving Biodiversity and we have volunteers that like building and maintaining our Model Railways - together it works very well... We are a happy little bunch and get so much our of creating a nice place for people to go .. We owe it all to Rev Richard Paten who back in 1985 brought all the land with his own money and set up the charity and donated it! Fabulous hey Mark? - Thank you for your time ..
Written 27 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
James G
1 contribution
Great Experience for DofE volunteering
Jul 2023 • Family
My Daughter has recently completed her Duke of Edinburgh volunteering at Rail World. What fantastic place to visit. All the staff are very friendly and the activities given were not only fun but also educational. The haven is areat place to visit for both rail enthusiasts and the wild haven is also great for young families. All in all a great place.
Written 13 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
We are so pleased your daughter enjoyed her visit and her 'Duke of Edinburgh Award' experience .. Over a 30 year period Volunteers created this inner-city Wildlife Haven for people to learn about this amazing planet we all share and call 'Our Home'. We have been involved with youngsters on their DofE for 30 years! All our volunteers are concerned about 'Climate Change' and we wanted to plant lots of trees, improve biodiversity and increase habitat for our native species and the DofE help us do just that. The site was purchased by our Founder Rev Richard Paten and he donated the land and set up the registered charity .. that was in 1985 and volunteers have been beavering away ever since. Back in 1999 - We won 250 trees in a local 'Clear up a Grot Spot' competition .. we planted all of them and over 95% survived - as you can see today? Thank you for the Big 5 Stars James G - so pleased you and your daughter enjoyed your visit ..
Written 20 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tony F
23 contributions
Poor with even poorer people skills.
Aug 2023 • Solo
I did not enjoy my visit here! I found the volunteers to be unfriendly, unapproachable and unwelcoming. The volunteers seemed to be engrossed in their own little cliques with no time for questions from anyone. I was made to feel like a necessary evil, needless to say I did not bother with a train ride and left early.
Written 11 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Thank you Tony F for taking the time to comment on our 'Railworld Wildlife Haven' Volunteer Project here in Peterborough. We are very sorry that you were not very happy with your visit ..... But we didn't quite understand your comment about the 'Train Ride'? All our 'Trains' are just 'Models' - as our project slogan goes - 'Volunteers Creating Habitat for Nature - with Model Railways' If you are over this way again Tony F - please contact us first on 01733 344240 and I will personally take you on a guided tour - Thank you for your time ...
Written 20 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DayTrip21381195637
1 contribution
A hidden gem
Aug 2023 • Family
An excellent afternoon spent watching mainline trains, the model railway and the wildlife in the beautiful gardens. Today we were even fortunate enough to see a Moorhen nest with several chicks and two eggs left to hatch. The wildlife gardens are lovely and with my six year old we can spend hours sitting and watching the birds, butterflies and anything else we can spot. Every volunteer we have spoken to in the few years we have been visiting have been friendly and chatty and clearly very passionate about what they have created here and the plans for the future.
Written 10 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Thank you DayTrip21381195637 for your welcome comments - and yes you saw the latest batch of Moorhens hatch! What fabulous timing - That is the third 'brood' this year! This must surely mean they are happy, contented and have plenty of food ? Wonderful! That is what we want ... That is why so many volunteers have beavered away for so long, creating the haven from a derelict coal yard Thank you so much for the Fab 5 Stars! Brilliant - it means so much to our passionate volunteers ! Each one of the 3 big footbridges was a 22 ton section of a Cambridgeshire Victorian Aqueduct built by the GNR - the Great Northern Railway around 1845! When British Rail removed them they donated all 3 to us and we went on to win our first UK Award! - The ICI/Dulux Environmental Teamwork Award and a £3,000 Restoration - We then had to install them - that took about 3 years for each one - So it's been a real 'Love Job' - we are so pleased you like what we have done ....
Written 20 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
carl h
1 contribution
A great day out.
Aug 2023 • Family
Keeping our 3 year old grandson amused can be a challenge but we highly recommend a visit to rail world.
From the moment we walked in to the time we left some hours later he was totally captivated.
Lots of picnic tables throughout.
A great place to visit for all the family.
Good job Rail world, spot on.
Written 9 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Thank you for your supportive comments and awarding us a Big 5 Stars.. We are just a small group of passionate volunteers carl h - some of us are into Habitat Creation, others into Model Railways - some just want to help and don't mind what they do! What we do seems to work well .. We are a UK Registered Charity run by mere volunteers and 30 years ago the site was just a derelict power station coal yard when our founder Rev Richard Paten brought the land and donated it to the charity, to create an inner-city green space a 'wildlife haven' - But an intriguing, exciting place to explore and learn about our amazing world we all call 'Our Home'..? So pleased your Grandson enjoyed his visit - Please come again carl h.. Thank you ...
Written 20 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
malcomthird
Peterborough, UK70 contributions
Toddling around
Aug 2023 • Family
We have visited several times now with our 2 year old, as just a family, and with friends.
Our toddler loves watching the small trains go around, loves the toy track, and loves the model train exhibit. My husband likes the interaction on the model trains, too. I’m just happy to see them both entertained.

All the staff and volunteers are so welcoming and friendly, it is a very comfortable and relaxed environment.

I enjoy the nature walk, and being able to see the insects, plants and birds feels very special so close to the heart of a city. It’s not huge, it’s not high tech. It’s actually wonderful.
Written 6 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian P
Thank you so much malcomthird - Such wonderful words and wonderfully positive comments ... The words - 'It's actually wonderful' made our day! The project really has been a 'labour of love' - We volunteers all hope people, young and older, and of course our wildlife love the place as much as we have loved creating it for them all ... It is so nice to hear that you spend time with your children helping them to understand things .... they are like little sponges and absorb everything ...We love that ... We started when Rev Richard Paten brought all the land back in 1985 - Set up a registered charity - Donated it all to the project and volunteers have been beavering away ever since - It's what you get into I suppose malcolmthird ? 5 years ago we won the 'Queen's Award for Voluntary Service' after completing over 13,000 recorded volunteer hours in one year! Thank you once again for your big 5 Stars and your fabulous comments
Written 20 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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RAILWORLD WILDLIFE HAVEN: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Railworld Wildlife Haven
Railworld Wildlife Haven is open:
  • Sat - Sun 10:00 - 15:00