When you step through the gates of Railworld Wildlife Haven, just a short walk from our city centre, you could be forgiven for forgetting you’re in the heart of a busy urban area. Ponds, waterfalls and wild habitats weave through a site that was once nothing more than a derelict power station coal yard. Today it is a place where children explore, families relax, and volunteers proudly share the results of decades of hard work.
I had the chance to visit Railworld recently and learn about its history from Brian Pearce, Chair of Trustees and longstanding super-volunteer who is behind so much of what makes the site so special. What struck me most was how much has been achieved by people coming together. Since Rev Richard Paten bought the site in 1985, thousands of volunteers have put in more than 100,000 hours of graft. Local companies have chipped in (as have others from all over the UK!), schools and community groups have played their part, and generations of Peterborough residents have given time and energy to transform the space.
It hasn’t always been easy. Railworld has never had core funding. Instead, every bridge, every pond, and every model railway has been made possible by determination, donations, and teamwork. That is why the awards and recognition they’ve picked up over the years – from six major UK environmental awards to the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – mean so much. Just this summer, Railworld added to that list by scooping Sustainable Project of the Year at the Museums and Heritage Awards, beating the likes of the Natural History Museum. It was a moment of real pride, not just for the volunteers but for our region.
As much as Railworld is about trains and wildlife, it is really about people. The ‘crazy, passionate volunteers’, as they describe themselves, are a testament to what communities can do when they pull together with a shared vision. You see it in the lovingly restored railway relics dotted across the site, in the aqueducts repurposed into bridges, and in the model railways that delight children and adults alike.
But as Brian explains, the project is also about making bigger connections. The Wildlife Haven is a habitat creation programme, but it also highlights the links between our man-made world and the natural one. Alongside the haven sits the Globe Hall Earth Centre, which helps visitors learn about climate change, carbon emissions, the low-carbon economy of the future, and the pressures of global population growth. It shows that Railworld is not just preserving the past – it’seducating for the future.
Projects like this matter for Peterborough. They give us green spaces that bring wellbeing and joy. They preserve parts of our heritage that could otherwise be lost. And they showcase the best of our city – resilience, creativity, and a willingness to roll up our sleeves and make things happen.
As Railworld celebrates its 40th anniversary, I want to say thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far. Whether you’ve given time as a volunteer, donated materials, brought your family for a day out, or just spread the word, you’ve helped build something special.