2026 Winter Works Open Days
A chance for visitors to see behind the scenes during our closed winter period.
Entry is free to the site on Winter Maintenance days. However a suggested donation of £5 per head would be welcome. There is a charge for car parking of £1.50 for 2 Hours & £3.00 all day.
Opening Times
| Car Park | Site | Station |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 – 15:00 | 10:30 – 14:00 (last entry at 13:30) | 10:30 – 14:00 |
Winter Work Open Days
| January | Saturday 10th |
| January | Saturday 24th |
| February | Saturday 7th |
| February | Saturday 21st |
| March | Saturday 7th |
| March | Saturday 21st |
| March | Saturday 28th |
2026 Steaming Days
There is a charge to enter the site on steaming days. Crofton Beam Engines now operates on an ANNUAL PASS STEAMING ticket giving unlimited entry on Steaming Days only for one year from time of purchase. Booking recommended but not essential. However you can also pay on entry. Car parking is Free.
Admissions
| Annual Pass Steaming | £14.50 |
| Child (under 16) | FREE |
| Carer | FREE |
| Kennet and Avon Canal Trust Member *with a valid membership card | £7.25 |
| Car Park | FREE |
2026 Non-Steaming Days
There is no charge to enter the site on non-steaming days except for Special Events. Crofton Beam Engines now operates on an ANNUAL PASS NON STEAMING ticket giving unlimited entry to the Engine House on Non Steaming Days only for one year from time of purchase. Car parking is Free.
On Non-Steaming Days The Smithy tea room is NOT open. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy overlooking the canal and railway on our open days. Please note our picnic areas are not under cover.
Admissions
| Annual Pass Non Steaming | 7.25 |
| Child (under 16) | FREE |
| Carer | FREE |
| Kennet and Avon Canal Trust Member *with a valid membership card | 3.50 |
| Car Park | FREE |
Private Group Tours 2026
Throughout the year we offer private group tours via prior arrangement on selected days of the week. A group is a minimum of 8 people.
£8.50 per person, includes tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival.
For more information or to book a visit, please contact us.
Car Parking
There is a charge for parking on all open days and Group Tours.
There is a tarmacked and bay-marked chargeable Pay and Display car park at Crofton Beam Engines with 32 spaces for cars, 2 accessible spaces and a bay for motorcycles.
| Up to 2 hours | £1.50 |
| All Day (until 17:00) | £3.00 |
On large steaming and other event days ample additional parking is available in the adjacent field, accessible via the short track to opposite the main gate. The grass surface of this parking area may not be suitable for all vehicles and use is at the driver’s discretion and risk.
Gift Aid
We invite visitors to support Crofton and the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust as a registered charity by Gift Aiding their admission.
For full information about Gift Aid, please see our page about Gift Aid.
If you have any enquires, please do ask when you visit.
Steam Experience
Have you ever wanted to stoke a huge coal fired boiler or operate the oldest fully working beam engine in the world?
Now is your chance!
Accompanied by an experienced and knowledgeable volunteer, you can light and stoke the boiler, work with the Duty Engineer, enter areas not normally seen by the public, prepare the engines for steaming, and finally take control of the oldest, working beam engine in the world.