Julian Holland - Railway Day Trips - 160 classic train journeys around Britain

Porthmadog to Caernarfon

Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog

Llandudno to Holyhead

Chester to Llandudno

Wrexham to Liverpool

NORTHERN ENGLAND

Manchester to Buxton

Manchester to Bradford

Manchester to Leeds

Manchester to Rawtenstall

Manchester to Clitheroe

Manchester to Southport

Huddersfield to Sheffield

Sheffield to Manchester

Liverpool to Southport

Liverpool to Blackpool

Leeds to Oxenhope

Leeds to Ilkley

Sheffield to Lincoln

Doncaster to Barton-on-Humber

Leeds to York

Skipton to Morecambe

Skipton to Carlisle

Hull to Scarborough

York to Scarborough

Middlesbrough to Whitby

Whitby to Pickering

Bishop Auckland to Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Middlesbrough to Newcastle

Preston to Colne

Lancaster to Windermere

Lancaster to Barrow-in-Furness

Barrow-in-Furness to Dalegarth

Carlisle to Dalegarth

Carlisle to Newcastle

Newcastle to York

Newcastle to Whitley Bay

Newcastle to Berwick-upon-Tweed

SCOTLAND

Ayr to Stranraer

Glasgow to Rothesay

Glasgow to Millport

Glasgow to Balloch

Glasgow to North Berwick

Glasgow to Edinburgh

Glasgow to Carlisle

Glasgow to Dumfries

Glasgow to Perth

Glasgow to Oban

Glasgow to Corrour

Fort William to Mallaig

Perth to Broomhill

Edinburgh to Tweedbank

Edinburgh to Berwick-upon-Tweed

Edinburgh to Dundee

Dundee to Aberdeen

Aberdeen to Dufftown

Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh

Inverness to Dunrobin Castle

Inverness to Wick

Acknowledgements

The scenic railway line between Folkestone and Dover burrows through Shakespeare Cliff in a twin-bore tunnel.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed taking railway day trips. As a young child I went nearly everywhere by train and the smells, sounds and sights are still vivid in my mind. The musty, stale-smoke smell of carriage compartments coupled with the rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels on the rail joints, the whistling of the steam locomotive as we rushed through sleepy country stations and the stifling roar as we burrowed through dank and dripping tunnels will be with me forever. As I grew older, my interest in railways led me into the wonderful world of trainspotting and consequently my forays took me to some pretty amazing places all around Britain – my knowledge of the geography of our country has stood me in good stead ever since.

However, as we can’t turn the clock back, it is heartening to know, despite the best efforts of certain politicians and dear old Dr Beeching, that railway travel is not a thing of the past. In recent years our railways have enjoyed a renaissance that would have seemed like a pipe dream back in the 1960s – closed railways and stations are being reopened and a vast amount of taxpayers’ money is being invested in a transport system that was nearly killed off by the powerful road transport lobby 50 years ago. Passenger numbers are at their highest since the 1920s and, suddenly, Britain’s love affair with the car and lorry seems to be on the wane – increasing road congestion and huge hikes in fuel prices have put paid to that. As the Father of Railways, George Stephenson, prophesied in 1825:

I think you will live to see the day, though I may not live so long, when railways will come to supersede almost all other methods of conveyance in this country … what I have said will come to pass as sure as we live.

Despite a few hiccups along the way, it looks as if he may have been right.

A steam train on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway between Goathland and Pickering.

This book is not just aimed at die-hard railway enthusiasts – there are already enough books on the subject to sink the Titanic – but at a much wider audience who are now discovering the joy of leaving the car at home, sitting back, relaxing and watching Britain’s ever-changing landscape unfold instead of hurtling to oblivion, stressed out along our multi-lane highways. While, in my mind anyway, a railway journey is in itself a voyage of discovery, the destination at the end is often the icing on the cake. For such a small country, Britain probably has more to offer the traveller or visitor, whether from home or abroad, than any other place on Earth – admittedly the weather can sometimes be inclement but that one factor surely gives the British so much of their resilient character.

The list of fascinating destinations that can be reached on a day trip by train in Britain is practically endless. In this book I have put together 160 of these trips, chosen with one eye on the journey itself and the other on the cities, towns or villages that are visited. From major historical sites, architectural gems, museums, gardens, historic pubs, boat trips and country walks to film and TV locations, seaside resorts, rides on heritage railways, festivals and markets there is something for everyone. A few of the trips also involve using a bus, ferry, catamaran or Shanks’s Pony to complete the journey, but it is well worth the effort. It doesn’t take a major leap in imagination to string some of these day trips together to make a long weekend break or even a week’s railway holiday – the permutations are simply endless.

The spacious modern passenger departure concourse at King’s Cross station was opened in 2012.

Now to more practical matters. Do your homework and always plan your journey in advance, and if you are of a certain age take advantage of the Senior Railcard (over 60s) or, if in Scotland, ScotRail’s Club 55, both of which offer amazing savings on rail fares. While many of the routes featured in this book are served by a frequent service of trains, some, in more rural or remote areas, see only a few trains each day. Trips along scenic routes such as the Esk Valley to Whitby in North Yorkshire, the Heart of Wales Line in Central Wales and in the more remote parts of Scotland need to be planned well so that the last train home is not missed. Although there are several online timetables with a ticket and seat booking service such as National Rail and the Train Line, these are computer generated and can often produce some mind-boggling results culminating in much lengthier journeys from A to B via X, Y and Z. A printed version of the National Rail Timetable is only available by mail order from Middleton Press. Alternatively the National Rail Timetable is available online, free of charge and in easy to download sections. Sadly, on-train catering is not what it used to be. Apart from a handful of long-distance train journeys where silver service is still offered, passengers now have to put up with a budget airline-style trolley which is trundled up and down the train offering not very much for rather a lot of money – my advice is simple, take your own picnic with you.

In conclusion, when you are next planning on a day out, please remember to leave your car at home or at the station car park, catch a train and go out there to discover this wonderful country of ours.

Julian Holland