THE summer break may barely be in sight and exotic foreign holidays still far away, but this does not mean short trips should be out of the question in the meantime.

A brief escape from the hustle an bustle of our busy town, the Swindon & Cricklade Railway is the answer to our insatiable travelling bug without breaking the bank or the need to cross borders.

The railway's passenger line offers a much-needed change of scenery with a round trip of just over four miles.

Thirty-six years ago volunteers took over the empty track bed after British Railways dismantled the line between Swindon and Cricklade and began the task of recreating a working railway complete with rolling stock and locomotives.

Blunsdon Station is the railway’s main visitor centre, with a restaurant, shop, museums and free car park. Taw Valley Halt is the railway’s third station. It is directly accessible from Swindon’s Mouldon Hill Country Park.

Hayes Knoll Station includes the railway’s recently extended locomotive shed and restoration facilities.

Last winter the Swindon and Cricklade Railway became the proud owner of a steam locomotive: the Tkh 0-6-0 tank locomotive, called 3135 Spartan and built in 1953 by the Fablok company in the Polish town of Chrzanov.

Until then the railway had always hired the locomotives on display.

Entry to the attraction costs £8 for adults, £6 for children and £24 for families of two adults and two children.

For more information call 01793 771615, or visit www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org to order tickets.