Day 1: Following your home taxi collection, you will join our luxury tour coach and we will head north to Carlisle and our hotel for the next 4 nights, the Crown & Mitre Carlisle, on a dinner bed & breakfast basis. Upon arrival, you can relax with a cup of tea or coffee & biscuits while your cases are taken to your rooms.
Day 2: Today we head for Longtown and drive along Liddesdale as we make our way to picturesque Kielder Water and Forest Park. Home to England’s largest forest and the biggest man-made lake in Northern Europe, Kielder Water & Forest Park is a haven for wildlife, including the biggest remaining population of red squirrels in the country and Northumberland's only breeding osprey population.
We take a break at the visitor centre before continuing to Bellingham and Hexham. Stunning architecture, picturesque parks, and intriguing history is all waiting to be explored. Immerse yourself in stories about the Vikings, and explore the Anglo Saxon abbey.
The monastery-turned-abbey was built in 674 AD, and the eerie crypt from the original building still remains today, with some of the dusty stones coming from the Roman ruins of Hadrian’s Wall. The abbey is a peaceful place of solace and refuge, where visitors can admire awe-inspiring architecture, 7th century sculptures, and 15th century painted wooden panels.
This afternoon we return to our hotel along the path of Hadrian’s Wall.
Day 3: This morning we enjoy our first train journey of the day in Carlisle. The line follows the Cumbrian coastline through Maryport and Whitehaven, and the stunning sea views stay with us to Ravenglass. Here we join the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway – L’al Ratty steam train from the coast to the foothills of England’s highest mountains where we enjoy seven miles of steam in the Lake District National Park.
Day 4: This morning we travel into the Yorkshire Dales to Kirkby Lonsdale, where we find the weekly market in full swing. This ancient town was included in the Domesday Book of 1086, and a host of 17th and 18th Century buildings now accommodate inns, restaurants and shops.
After free time, we continue our journey, past the immense Ribblehead Viaduct, through charming Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Settle. Here we enjoy the highlight of the tour for many, a spectacular train journey on the famous Settle to Carlisle line. Towering viaducts, bridges, long deep tunnels and lovingly kept station gardens all help to make this one of the best loved lines in the country. We travel along the whole line through majestic scenery back to our base in Carlisle.
Day 5: Sadly this morning we depart our hotel and make the return journey to Norfolk making suitable stops en route. We will arrive early evening to find our door to door taxi service waiting to return you home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast (Evening meals will be table service)
Price: £805pp
Single Supplement: £nil (Limited Availability)
Additional Singles Beyond Allocation From: £60 (May be allocated a true single room or a twin/double for sole occupancy, not guranteed)
Insurance: TBC (Insurance not currently available)
Tour Reference: AWE5086
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 8 weeks prior to departure