Every couple of years, the McAlpine’s open up their back garden to the general public, and many come, because in that back garden is a fully working steam railway.
Being a builder, the McAlpine’s were able to often pick up bits of “scrap” that were about to be broken up and would acquire them with orders to “send her home”.
Being rich builders, they also have a very large garden to play with.
Over the years, they picked up bits of railway track, some locomotives, and one on occasion, an entire train station — sliced up, loaded onto lorries and brought from Somersham — and the whole thing makes up for a railway with the steepest standard gauge track in the world.
They also have pillars salvaged from St Pancras station laid out in an “iron henge”.
The Fawley Hill Vintage Festival is a huge event, and takes place over the weekend of 20th-21st-22nd May.
A free shuttle bus is being laid on from Henley railway station if you come that way.
If you don’t go this year, the next one wont be until 2018.
Day passes cost £12 and are available here
It’s an amazing day out, if you like this kind of thing (including a substantial private railway museum, and all sorts of visiting heritage vehicles).
http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2014/05/fawley-hill.html
Be warned that the free shuttle bus has a very limited number of seats – I ended up walking the three miles from the station rather than wait another hour.