From Ribblehead to Ravenglass: Railways of Yorkshire and the Lakes

We travel the short distance to RHS Harlow Carr where we will enjoy a guided tour. This handsome and well-wooded site encompasses a rose garden, a bulb garden, an arboretum, rockeries and trial gardens. In the afternoon we transfer to York for free time, though many of us will wish to visit the National Railway Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of railway memorabilia from tickets and posters to giant locomotives.

From Pickering, we’ll enjoy a one-way trip to Whitby on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, as featured on Channel 5’s TV series The Yorkshire Steam Railway, reopened in 1973 by the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust. On arrival in the harbour town of Whitby, famous for its association with Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, we have some free time before visiting a full-size replica of Captain James Cook’s bark Endeavour. We return to our hotel by coach.

After breakfast we transfer to Skipton, the starting point for our two-hour journey by diesel train over the famous Settle and Carlisle Railway. Highlights include the 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct, 2,629 yard-long Blea Moor Tunnel, the Dent Head Viaduct and the summit at Aisgill, the highest point reached by main-line trains in England. On arrival in Carlisle we rejoin our coach and head for our hotel in the Lake District.

Today we travel round the Cumbrian coast to Ravenglass, the starting point for our journey on a ½ scale model narrow-gauge railway. Locals and railway enthusiasts formed the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society to save the line and the scenic route takes us through woodland and up into the hills to Dalegarth. At Ravenglass there will be time to look round the museum. In the afternoon we transfer to Haverthwaite for a short but atmospheric trip over the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. On arrival at Lakeside, we board one of the elegant Lake Windermere steamers and cruise to Bowness, enjoying the incomparable scenery of the Lake District.

This morning we visit the award-winning Windermere Jetty Museum and enjoy a private cruise on the lake in one of their vintage boats. This is followed by a visit to Blackwell - The Arts and Crafts House, offering a perfectly preserved snapshot of early 20th century living. Our coach will provide a transfer to the main line railway station in Lancaster to allow guests to depart independently for home.