Cornwall’s Lappa Valley Named UK’s ‘Railway of the Year’ at Prestigious Awards

Published On: 10 February 2025Last Updated: 10 February 2025By CornishStuff

A historic Cornish railway and family attraction has been crowned the UK’s “Railway of the Year” at the national Heritage Railway Awards—an event often described as the “Oscars” of the heritage railway world.

Award-Winning Heritage Railway

Lappa Valley, near St Newlyn East, secured the top honour at the ceremony in Gateshead on Saturday night. The awards celebrate excellence and innovation across heritage railways and tramways in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Judges praised Lappa Valley for its high standards and forward-thinking approach, recognising the attraction that welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually.

Photo: A view over East Wheal Rose, with steam locomotive Ellie bringing in a train full of passengers.

A Cornish Railway with a Rich History

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, Lappa Valley operates steam, diesel, petrol, and electric locomotives on three railways built on the historic Newquay to Chacewater Branchline—one of Cornwall’s oldest trackbeds.

Over the past decade, the attraction has undergone significant investment, including a new soft play area, an indoor café, a new train, and continuous improvements to its activities and infrastructure.

Recognition on a National Stage

Lappa Valley’s latest award follows its recent success in the Cornwall Tourism Awards, where it was named the county’s best large visitor attraction for two consecutive years. It also claimed a gold award at the national Land, Leisure and Tourism Awards.

Owners Keith and Sara Southwell, along with Operations Director Ben Harding, travelled to the North East to accept the prestigious title.

Keith said: “I am greatly humbled that we have been presented with this very prestigious award, and it’s an excellent achievement not only for us but also for Cornwall to be proud of.”

Sara added: “Lappa Valley is a very special place to so many people, and we are pleased to share this award with our entire team, without whose dedication none of this would be possible. Thank you to them, as well as our valued visitors.”

Ben said: “To have our growth and development recognised by our peers in the railway industry really is wonderful. There are a range of excellent heritage railways operated by very talented people across the country, and we feel very privileged to be recognised alongside them.”

Exciting Year Ahead

Lappa Valley remains open year-round, with a busy calendar of events planned for 2024. Upcoming highlights include a visit from Paddington Bear in April and the Railway 200 Gala in June.

For more details, visit LappaValley.co.uk.