Shillingstone Station

St Patricks Industrial Estate, Station Rd, Shillingstone, Blandford Forum DT11 0SA, United Kingdom
+44 1258 860696
$$$ Cafe
(199 Reviews)
Price Range £1–10

Shillingstone Station blends a slice of local history with a relaxed café atmosphere, making it a good stop for anyone curious about railway heritage or looking for a casual spot to pause on a day out. Nestled in the St Patricks Industrial Estate just outside Blandford Forum, this former station has been transformed into a community-run space where visitors can explore a modest railway museum, including restored steam locomotives and vintage carriages, while enjoying refreshments.

The café operates with the warm, personal touch of dedicated volunteers, which comes through in the friendly service and homely feel. It offers a straightforward menu with hot and cold drinks, soups, sandwiches, and homemade cakes, making it well suited to those who want a simple, light lunch or an afternoon break. There’s plenty of seating available both inside the railway buildings and outdoors, with a unique option to sit inside some of the static train carriages — a detail that adds a bit of charm and nostalgia to the experience.

Visitors tend to use Shillingstone Station as a low-key stop where they can soak up a bit of local heritage while enjoying a casual bite. Train enthusiasts will appreciate the amount of work put into restoring the locomotives and wagons on display, learning about the area’s rail history without the pressure of a large, commercial museum environment. Families and locals walking nearby may drop in to stretch their legs and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, especially on milder days when outdoor seating is inviting.

Pricing for food can be a little on the higher side, reflecting the volunteer-run setup and the effort behind maintaining the station and museum. This place suits visitors who don’t mind spending a bit extra to support a local project and enjoy a slower pace. The best time to visit is during daylight hours when both the museum and café are open, allowing for a leisurely stroll around the exhibits before settling in for a well-earned tea or light lunch.

Overall, Shillingstone Station works well as a quiet retreat for those interested in local railway heritage combined with the comfort of a casual café. It’s the kind of spot that fits neatly into a countryside day out around Blandford Forum, especially for those who like their refreshments served with a side of history.

Highlights
Great coffee
Great tea selection
Popular for
Lunch
Solo dining
What they serve
Coffee
Quick bite
Small plates
Best for
Lunch
Dessert
Seating
Table service
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Parking
Free of charge street parking
Free parking lot
Parking

Openings Hours

Checking

Monday

Closed

Tuesday

Closed

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Thursday

Closed

Friday

Closed

Saturday

10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Sunday

10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

199 Reviews
Tim Hiscock

05 Jan 2026

Lovely station with friendly and hard working staff. Cafe and shop are very good too. Please visit and see all their hard work

Keith Elliott

23 Dec 2025

A great visit to Shillingstone station and Project 62. All the volunteers were some helpful and informative. A fantastic museum and tea room and coach. We really enjoyed the walk around the Project 62 shed and to see all the hardworking that has gone into the restoration of the locomotive. We can really appreciate all the fantastic work which has been put into the restoration of the wagons and all the station complex. The extension of the railway is amazing. Well done to all the volunteers.

Nigel Lees

29 Oct 2025

This is a little gem of a museum and well worth a visit for a hour or so. The cafe is cute and there’s loads of seating both inside and out. Dropping in as part of you day out is highly recommended.

Matt- Fuller-Gmail

18 Oct 2025

Nice little cafe at this dis-used station. Friendly volunteers running it. Lots of things to have, hot & cold drinks, soup, sausage rolls, pasties, sandwiches, treats, homemade cake. You can eat and drink on the static train carriages. Museum is interesting and there's a few static carriages with various displays. Worth a visit for an hour or so.

John Eggleton

12 Oct 2025

An exceptional day out for all train enthusiasts, a brilliant return to a bygone era run by hardworking and dedicated volunteers who've worked their bums off to make the station into what it is today. The ONLY slight gripe is that charging £4.40 for a pasty is ever so slightly expensive but there we go, it's a minor gripe.

Travelmad999

03 Oct 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic Family Day Out - Great Progress Since New Year! Visited as a family on Wednesday and had a brilliant time! The volunteers were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout our visit. The signal box talk was particularly fascinating - really brought the railway heritage to life. It's amazing to see how much work has been completed since our last visit on New Year's Day. You can really see the dedication and progress being made toward getting a full steam train service running again. The passion of the volunteers really shines through. The station cafe is a lovely touch - good selection of snacks, sandwiches and drinks at very reasonable prices. Great that you can choose to sit inside, outside, or even aboard one of the carriages for that authentic railway experience! While passenger services aren't running yet, this is still absolutely worth a visit. Perfect for railway enthusiasts and families alike. Looking forward to seeing the continued progress and hopefully riding behind steam in the future! Highly recommend supporting this wonderful heritage railway project.

Lynda Essex

18 Sep 2025

Well worth a visit. Quirky and well thought out and restored. Lovely garden, nice little tea rooms in a buffet carriage, lots of memorabilia, a small railway museum and it's on the trailway, so it's a good stop off for walkers and cyclists. Kids play area to keep the smaller humans amused too.

JL P

15 Sep 2025

We have visited frequently, and the cafe is run by friendly volunteers, and very homely. Usually a selection of cakes and sausage rolls / pasties and sandwiches. Good mug of tea too. There is the railway shop selling mostly rail related books with an overspill in a carriage outside. There is another carriage you can take the cafe food into, and benches outside. Don't miss the hidden garden at the end of the platform up the path; lovely views across the hills. Popular with walkers, cyclists and motorcyclists.

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