Bridge and Rail in the Yorkshire Dales

22nd - 27th August 2021

1 days

Scenic rail journeys and a cruise on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal are the perfect way to appreciate the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. Enjoy evenings at the tables with fellow Bridge players in the family-run Rendezvous Hotel.

Bridge directed by Andrew Kambites and hosted by John Barker & Sarah Marriott
5 nights at the Rendezvous Hotel half board
Cruise along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal one of the most scenic watrways in Yorkshire
Enjoy a fantastic rail journey from Keighley to Haworth via Oxenhope
Take a return journey on the Settle Carlisle Railway
Explore the picturesque market town of Hawes - stop at the Wensleydale Creamery to see how the famous cheese and butter is made

Bridge and Rail in the Yorkshire Dales

Join us for our return visit to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales on another Bridge & Rail UK holiday. In addition to playing duplicate bridge every evening and one afternoon, we take you across the classic countryside by steam and on iconic train journeys on two different days; visit the Wensleydale Creamery, take a scenic coach trip through the Dales and enjoy a leisurely cruise on one of the most scenic waterways in Yorkshire - it’s a winning combination!

Day 1: Arrival
Make your own way to the Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton and meet our bridge director and host before dining and evening bridge. There will be a short session of afternoon bridge for those who arrive in time.
Day 2: Skipton on market day, plus a scenic canal boat cruise
We board a traditional canal boat for our included cruise along one of the most scenic waterways in Yorkshire, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. There are fascinating stories of how the canal delivered the lifeblood of the industrial revolution through Yorkshire.

You will also have free time to spend in delightful Skipton on its bustling market day before returning to our hotel and joining an afternoon bridge seminar with Andrew Kambites.
Day 3: Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and visit to Haworth
This morning we board the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and enjoy a fantastic trip from Keighley to Haworth via Oxenhope. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a 5-mile-Long Branch line that served mills and villages in the Worth Valley and is now a heritage railway line that has been delightfully restored. We travel to the delightful quaint town of Haworth, which was home to the famous Bronte Sisters. You have time to explore the historic, cobbled Main Street or visit the Bronte Parsonage Museum (entrance not included). We return to our hotel for an afternoon seminar, dinner and evening bridge.
Day 4: Settle - Carlisle Railway
Today we enjoy a return journey on the Settle Carlisle Railway so you can sit back and admire the scenery from both directions. The line pays testament to the ingenuity of 19th century railway engineers as it travels through the North Pennines, Eden Valley and Yorkshire Dales, crossing 19 viaducts and passing through 14 tunnels. The Ribblehead viaduct is a particular highlight with 24 arches and a highest point of 32 metres. We travel on part of the routing from Skipton to the picturesque town of Appleby where you will have a couple of hours at leisure to explore this pretty market town on the loop of the River Eden and overlooked by the mighty Pennine range.
Day 5: Scenic drive to Hawes, and visit to the Wensleydale creamery
Today we take a leisurely coach drive through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales from Skipton to the picturesque market town of Hawes via Ingleton. We stop at the Wensleydale Creamery to see how the famous cheese and butter is made - and have the opportunity to sample some of the 20 different varieties of cheese on offer. Afterwards we travel on to the pretty cobbled village of Grassington, one of the top tourist spots in the Dales.
Day 6: Departure
After breakfast you are free to check out our hotel and depart at leisure.

Please note we cannot guarantee all our rail journeys will be steam hauled, and sometimes it is necessary to amend rail itineraries if there are unforeseen timetable changes. If we operate two coaches then days 4 and 5 may be taken in reverse order.

Included in our package:

Full bridge programme directed by Andrew Kambites and hosted by John Barker & Sarah Marriott, with seminars and varied bridge sessions
Masterpoints and prizes awarded
5 nights in good 3* accommodation on a half board basis
Coach transfers for our excursions

Plus the following excursions:

Scenic drive across the Dales, stopping at Hawes and Grassington
Visit the Wensleydale Cheese Factory
Enjoy a return journey aboard the Settle-Carlisle Railway from Skipton to Appleby
Journey on the Scenic Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
Visit the village of Haworth, home of the Bronte Sisters
Take a leisurely cruise on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Andrew Kambites

Andrew Kambites is a bridge grand master. Among his successes on the national scene are winning the Tollemache cup and Pachabo cup for Gloucestershire. Andrew has written over 20 instructional bridge books and has been writing bridge articles for the EBU magazine, English Bridge, for 25 years.

Andrew was on the EBU directors' panel as a senior congress director before recently retiring from that role. Andrew has been very active as a bridge teacher, teaching at all levels from beginners to experts. He has been directing and running seminars for First for Bridge since retiring as a maths teacher in 1997.

John Barker and Sarah Marriott

Passionate about Bridge, John is a fully qualified professional bridge teacher and runs his own bridge club where he also teaches. He has worked within the travel industry all his life - Area Manager for Crystal Ski Holidays in the Alps, photographer on cruise ships and running his own very successful photography business. He plays regularly for Norfolk and is either playing or teaching bridge nearly every day of the week. Before bridge John also represented his county at both chess and field hockey.

When Sarah is not playing bridge she is an independent funeral and wedding celebrant. Prior to this she has been responsible for all the weddings in Norfolk and was also a school nurse. She brings her people skills and organisation to help make sure everyone has a fabulous holiday.

Overview

The three star family run Rendezvous Hotel is beautifully situated overlooking the canal and conveniently located close to the town of Skipton, known as the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.

Hotel Facilities & Amenities

The hotel facilities include a bar, restaurant, indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room and gym. Complimentary car parking is available on site, and Skipton railway station is just less than 2 miles from the hotel.