• Sunday 16th August 2026
    We will not be operating steam locomotives on Sunday 16th August - but our heritage Class 37 diesel locomotives will be in service instead!

Event Now Past

Toby Buckland’s Garden Festival at Powderham

On 1st May 2026 to 2nd May 2026

Toby’s Garden Festival is a joint collaboration by gardening broadcaster Toby Buckland and the popular magazine Country Gardener. They pop up annually in the stunning location of Powderham Castle, near Exeter, the 14th century family home of the Earl and Countess of Devon.

The main focus is to bring together the best nurseries from the West Country and beyond – including many well-known Chelsea medal winners – and host two days of quality gardening talks on a wide range of horticultural topics – all free to visitors.

In addition. there are top-notch arts and crafts, locally-made street food to suit all tastes and free family music and entertainment for a fabulous day out.

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Reviews

  • Excellent! - A wonderful experience and not to be missed, steam train and paddle steamer through glorious scenery.
  • Lovely day out - We decided on a steam train and boat ride day. The train was lovely, and the boat ride was a lot of fun with an entertaining guide, which one of my teenage daughters found hilarious!
  • A big thumbs up... - A great time was had by all. The staff were really friendly and great at explaining. We took the steam train then hopped onto the boat where we spent some time in Dartmouth. It's a lovely touch that even the dog gets a ticket. The views from the steam train were so pretty the train and boat were both very clean and comfortable. A big thumbs up from us!

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