Dating back to 1815, the 4-star Delta Hotels by Marriott Durham Royal County boasts a fantastic position in central Durham. Enjoy a wonderful start to your mornings with artisan coffee from the hotel’s coffee shop, Paddy and Scott’s, and look forward to delicious evening meals in modern, relaxed surroundings at the Cast Iron Bar & Grill. Durham is the perfect base for our short break, with its winding cobbled streets and famous historic gems offering a nostalgic feeling. From here, we’ll uncover the history and heritage of the North East of England with visits to Beamish Open-Air Museum, Bowes Railway Museum, and Alnwick Castle where centuries of history are interwoven with Potter-inspired magic. We also hop aboard the South Tynedale Railway for a nostalgic journey in an area of the country considered to be the birthplace of railways.
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Make your own way to our hotel in Durham, where you will meet an experienced Tour Manager. Enjoy a relaxing evening with dinner served in the hotel’s restaurant.
This morning, our local guide will meet us at our hotel and take us on a walking tour of historic Durham. Highlights include Durham Cathedral, a Romanesque building known for its iconic and stunning interior vaulting, and the UNESCO-listed 900-year-old Norman Castle. After the tour, you will have some free time to explore and grab a bite to eat at one of Durham's numerous cafés or restaurants.
We continue by coach 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. Enjoy a picturesque journey through beautiful countryside as the train winds its way from into the South Tyne Valley in the North Pennines.
We return to the hotel by coach and enjoy dinner in the hotel.
Today, we travel by coach to charming Alnwick, one of Northumberland’s most historic towns. We enjoy a guided tour of the iconic castle, which may be familiar from Downtown Abbey and the Harry Potter films. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch and further exploration of the castle, the beautiful gardens, and Alnwick with its old buildings and cobbled streets.
We return to the hotel by coach later this afternoon.
This morning, we will travel by coach to the Bowes Railway Museum for a guided tour. Bowes Railway was originally a colliery railway built to carry coal mainly from pits in northwest Durham to the Tyne at Jarrow.
Afterwards, we continue by coach to the famous Beamish Open-Air Museum, which recreates life in the North East of England during the 1820s, 1900s and 1940s. 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 1940s farm and experience what life was like on the home front during the Second World War. Visit the 1900s Pit Village to see a colliery community at the time of peak coal production in the northeast, and be sure to take a look around Rowley Station with its signal box, waiting room and yard, just as it was in Edwardian times.
Dinner is served in the hotel this evening.
After breakfast, check out of our hotel and return home at your own pace.
You will stay for four nights at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Durham Royal County.
*Please note: we cannot guarantee that all our rail journeys will be steam hauled.*
