Roxley Models marks 40 years with Dorking model railway exhibition

Roxley Models marked 40 years in business with a model railway exhibition at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, turning a shop milestone into a proper weekend event for the hobby. The show ran on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, 2026, with opening hours of 10am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 4.30pm on Sunday. Admission was set at £5 for adults, £3 for children and £15 for a family, a sensible price for a show built around layouts, traders and a clear anniversary theme.

That anniversary mattered because Roxley Models has been family-run since 1986. The business is based in Great Bookham, Surrey, and one directory listing says it started in Cranleigh before moving to Great Bookham in 2000. That long local run gives the exhibition a different feel from a one-off hall hire. It looked like a shop with a real following putting its name to something bigger, and Denbies was a fitting backdrop for that.

Denbies itself strengthened the event’s appeal. The estate describes itself as Surrey’s largest vineyard, with 265 acres under vine, and says it has been operating since 1986 as well. It is more than a scenic venue, too: visitors can use its tours, tastings, restaurants and vineyard train, which makes the show feel like a day out rather than a quick dash through a draughty exhibition hall. For anyone coming by rail, Dorking Deepdene is about a 15-minute walk away and has links from London Victoria, so the location was practical as well as picturesque.

The layouts gave the show its hobby weight. The listing named Benryn Ar y Camlas, BlackGang, Bradley Park, Cicely Bridge, Drws Y Nant, Hillside Park, Joganji River, Merrybrook Parkway, Priors Field, Ruxley Branch, Staffordshire Potteries & Cynon Valley, Tunbrick Wells West and Vale Quarry, among others, covering OO, N, O, TT and narrow-gauge interests. Trade stands were part of the package, with models, accessories, tools and scenic materials, and the organiser said friendly experts would be on hand with advice, tips and inspiration. Roxley’s 40th anniversary was not just a badge on the poster. At Denbies, it became a show with enough layout variety, retail depth and local character to feel like a real date in the model railway calendar.