Historic Railways & Medieval Durham

Make your own way to our hotel in Durham where you will meet our Tour Manager. Enjoy a relaxing evening with dinner served in the hotel’s restaurant.

This morning we drive to the centre of Durham to meet a local guide who will lead us on a walking tour of this historic city. Highlights include the UNESCO-Listed 900-year old Norman Castle and Durham Cathedral where we have a chance to admire the stunning interior of this iconic, vaulted Romanesque building. At the end of the tour there is some free time for you to enjoy lunch in one of Durham’s many cafes or restaurants. Our tour then continues to the small town of Alston where the former North Eastern Railway Station is now the headquarters of the South Tynedale Railway. Following the former route of British Rail’s Haltwhistle to Alston branch line, this preserved narrow-gauge heritage railway is the highest in England. We’ll enjoy a wonderful roundtrip through beautiful countryside as the train winds its way from Alston into the South Tyne Valley in the North Pennines. This evening dinner is served in the hotel.

Today we’ll visit the famous Beamish Open-Air Museum, which recreates life in the north east of England during the 1820’s, 1900’s and 1940’s. Step back in time and see how families lived and worked in the years leading up to the First World War, or head to the 1940’s farm and see what life was like on the home front during the Second World War. Experience life in a 1900’s Pit Village showing a colliery community at the time of peak coal production in the north east, and take a look around Rowley Station with its signal box, waiting room and yard just as it was in Edwardian times. We’ll have free time for lunch before our coach transfers us back to Durham for an afternoon at leisure. Dinner is served in the hotel this evening.

This morning we will travel to Bowes Railway Museum, where we will enjoy a guided tour. Bowes Railway was originally a colliery railway built to carry coal mainly from pits in north west Durham to the Tyne at Jarrow. After your guided tour you will have an hour of free time to explore the rest of the museum. This afternoon we join our coach and drive to the charming town of Alnwick. Here we’ll enjoy a guided tour of the iconic castle, which may be familiar from Downtown Abbey and the Harry Potter films but has actually been home to the Percy family for more than 700 years. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch and further exploration before we return to the hotel where dinner will be served in the evening.

After a leisurely breakfast it’s time for you to check-out of the hotel and make your way home.

Please note: We cannot guarantee that all our rail journeys will be steam hauled and the running order of the itinerary may change depending on availability. The final itinerary will be confirmed in your final Travel Documents.