History of the Railway

Leopold de Rothschild has had a love affair with steam trains since early childhood. Having been inspired by the Exmoor Steam Railway at Bratton Fleming in Devon, Sue Sutherland Landscape Architects and Southern Planning Practice were appointed in March 1999, with a brief to design a circular route with a halt mid way to enable the very young, elderly and disabled to enjoy the gardens, whilst providing an exciting ride with appeal for all.

The design and creation of a completely new garden involved the reclamation of a former landfill site. Great care was taken in designing the route to minimise intrusion into the calm tranquil character of the existing gardens while also allowing glimpsed views of many of the Garden's well known and loved features.

The Railway was opened in August 2001 and it’s construction has been recorded in the DVD “The Dream That Became Steam” 

Exbury has been fortunate to welcome Her Majesty the Queen as a steam enthusiast, most recently in May 2008, when she named the newest Exbury locomotive “Mariloo”