Southport Model Railway Village continues to wow visitors from around the world three decades after opening

As the new Government looks to get to grips with the UK rail network, there is one corner of the country where all the trains run on time – and the scenery is breathtaking. 

Southport Model Railway Village has been an iconic attraction in the seaside resort of Southport for the past three decades, entertaining visitors of all ages from all over the world. 

The last model railway village of its kind in the UK is set in one and a half acres inside the historic King’s Gardens, situated on the Lower Promenade, next to the shores of Southport’s Marine Lake. 

Owners Ray and Jean Jones are delighted to welcome the latest generations of visitors and are looking forward to a busy summer holiday season. 

The model village followed in the footsteps of the famous ‘Merrivale: The Land of the Little People’ – Lancashire’s answer to Lilliput – which was opened by the Dobbins family and operated from 1957 until 1986. 

That attraction was part of a large site on the edge of Southport town centre which was cleared to make way for the Sibec development, which never came to fruition, with part of that land now occupied by the Morrisons supermarket. 

Local people and holiday makers alike were thrilled when Ray and Jean subsequently worked with Sefton Council to open their new Southport Model Railway Village as a new attraction for the town in 1996. 

This spectacular attraction consists of beautiful vistas and fabulous panoramic views of the miniature landscape and railway layout.

Based upon typical southwest Lancashire architecture the site consists of a country scene, village and town. Movement is generated by one of the largest 45mm garden railway systems in the UK.

Southport Model Railway Village has been designed for easy access for wheelchairs and double buggies, with accessible toilet facilities.

The venue is open six days a week (closed Fridays), opening at 10.30am and closing at 5pm, with the last people admitted by 4pm. 

Ray Jones said: “We have been open here for 30 years now, and open for the past 28 years. 

“This is the only model railway village of its kind in the country. 

“On Google and TripAdvisor we are the number one children’s paid attraction in Southport. We are really proud of that. People’s feedback is really important to us. 

“The model railway village is a unique attraction in the town and in the seafront area. 

“It is a very attractive area. The Marine Lake is fantastic, it is a beautiful place to be. There are lots of things for people to enjoy all around it. 

“We have boats on the lake, Funland, the adventure playground at King’s Gardens, Southport Pleasureland, and the yacht clubs. 

“The rapport between ourselves and our customers is second to none. We have built up a huge following. 

“Our main visitors are between one and eight years old and their families; but we attract lots of people of other ages too! 

“Some of them come in supposedly for an hour, and then end up staying here all day. 

“They are transfixed by the model village and all the coming and going of the trains. 

“We also have a fun trail for the children to do, finding gnomes earlier in the season, and then fairies. It’s been a great idea. You’d be surprised how many other attractions have followed suit!”

In 1995, Ray and Jean Jones were granted permission by Sefton Council to design and build a model village at Kings Gardens. 

Together with their team of talented craftsmen they set about transforming a neglected area within the seafront into a beautiful picturesque miniature landscape, a landscape that turned into the very first Model Railway Village in the UK.

Opened to the public in May 1996, this 1:18 scale attraction features architectural styles from all over Merseyside and South West Lancashire. Each building was designed and constructed on site and supported by an in-house manufacturing base, which supplied miniature resin items such as doors, windows roofing sections and not forgetting miniature people.

Winding through the Model Village is a 45mm ‘g’ gauge garden railway system, which is 500 metres in length. 

The system has been expertly incorporated into a tastefully designed soft miniature landscape, consisting of a country scene, village and town. When first opened to the public the layout was the largest display of 45mm G gauge in the UK.

Spanning the 1.5 acre site is a waterway which connects two natural ponds. For years these ponds have been home to many families of ducks and moorhens. During spring and early summer they gain new residents, as the site becomes home to numerous wild birds such as wrens, robins, finches, tits, doves and wood pigeons. It is a delight to sit, relax and just listen to the bird song whilst the trains come and go.

Ray said: “In the 1980s, Sefton Council wanted to redevelop the area where the old model village was. They closed the attraction, along with the Ribble Bus Station, nearby homes and changed some of the roads, ro make way for the Sibec development, which unfortunately never came to fruition. 

“We felt that we needed a model railway village in Southport – now this is the only one of its kind in the UK. 

“We designed and developed the whole village on two pages of graph paper in our dining room. 

“We worked with Sefton Council to bring this vision to life and secured some funding through the Regional Development Fund to make it happen. 

“We have got lots of people who used to enjoy going to the old model village in Southport who now love coming here, and they keep coming back. 

“What we have created here is very different. When we first opened, some people came in, expecting it to be exactly the same, and of course it wasn’t. 

“This model railway village is unique in its own right. The buildings aren’t replicas of anywhere specific, but we have drawn inspiration from the architecture and environment in the Southport, West Lancashire and Liverpool area. 

“The buildings are all on a 1/18 scale. 

“The only building here which is a replica is the Lytham Windmill. 

“For a short time, local businesses were able to sponsor some of our buildings, which is why we have landmarks dedicated to names people will recognise such as Southport Superbikes and Life’s Motors. But that is something we don’t do any more. 

“What we have here has grown over the years. It takes time for all the trees to grow and for the site to fully develop.

“All the trees here are miniature conifers or juniper trees. We have tried hard to create a scene where everything works in perfect harmony. 

“We run five trains; three freight trains and two passenger trains. They stop at all the train stations and the signal boxes. 

“The Southport Model railway VIllage is set in one and a half acres so we have lots of space. 

“We have lots of benches for people to sit on, and enjoy picnics if they like; we have wide pathways which can accommodate double buggies or mobility scooters. 

“We can serve drinks and snacks to anyone who orders them. 

“It’s a very special place, and we attract visitors from all over the world. 

“We carry out surveys and most of the people who come in hail from within a 50-mile radius. 

“We have also had people here from the US; from Canada; lots from Australia; from all over the UK; someone here from South Africa recently. We used to welcome lots of visitors from Europe but not so many since Brexit happened.” 

One visitor who called in recently was ‘Kate Moss’ – or her double. 

Denise Ohnona, known widely as the ‘world’s number one Kate Moss lookalike’, with over 94,000 followers on Instagram, strode into the model village recently for a fun photoshoot to promote local landmarks in the town including The Vincent Hotel, Silcock’s Funland and others. 

The video has enjoyed tens of thousands of views on social media. 

Ray said: “I heard the video has gone viral! Hopefully it will encourage lots of people to support our town and come and visit our attractions.

“Denise is welcome to visit us any time. 

“We are looking forward to a really busy summer holiday.

“The whole town takes off during this six to eight week period.” 

Southport Model Railway Village began the 2024 season in April and is open through to September six days a week (closed on Fridays) from 10.30am until 5pm – last admissions 4pm. Sorry, dogs are no longer allowed. 

Southport Model Railway Village is situated on the Lower Promenade, Kings Gardens, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1QX. Phone: 01704 538001  

Follow Southport Model Railway Village on Facebook here. Email them at: spmodrailvillage@aol.com 

Get the best days out and more for Liverpool City Region in our Family section HERE.