Nostalgic Lakes & Mountains Explorer

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Kendal and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Riverside Hotel, our hotel for the next seven nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

Today, our private coach takes us on the short journey to Bowness on Windermere and, after enjoying a little sightseeing, we take a leisurely cruise to the southern tip of Lake Windemere. Following our scenic cruise, we take a trip down memory lane with a visit to the Lakeland Motor Museum complete with a 1920's garage, 1950's café, and over 140 classic cars and motorbikes plus the fascinating Campbell Bluebird Exhibition. We then board our vintage steam train to journey through the picturesque Leven Valley to the village of Haverthwaite before returning aboard our private coach to Kendal.

DAY 3

This morning, we journey to the traditional seaside resort of Morecambe where we have free time to relax and take a walk along the seafront promenade. In the afternoon, we travel to the historic yet homely Leighton Hall for a guided tour of this ancestral home plus a stroll through the gardens and we may have the opportunity (weather permitting) to watch the fantastic Birds of Prey Flying Display. We will also be treated to a traditional afternoon tea before returning to our hotel in time for our evening meal together.

DAY 4

After breakfast this morning, we journey high over the hills to Dalegarth Station for a steam train ride on the 'Owd Ratty' through to the coast at Ravenglass. Here we enjoy a guided museum tour telling the 150-year history of the railway, affectionally known as the 'Ratty', which houses a collection of artefacts ranging from steam locomotives down to tickets and uniforms. We can sit back, relax, and enjoy more wonderful coastal vistas from the comfort of our seats as we return to our hotel by train for our evening meal.

DAY 5

Today, we take to the rails for a wonderful circular train journey down the West Coast Mainline to Lancaster then through beautiful pasturelands to the historic market town of Skipton where we commence our journey over the world-famous 'Settle & Carlisle' line. This great journey climbs up through the Yorkshire Dales, crossing the fabulous Ribblehead Viaduct, the engineering marvel spanning Batty Moss, and passing Dent, the highest mainline station in England at 1,150ft. We enjoy some free time to explore the charming walled city of Carlisle before making our way back to Kendal.

DAY 6

Today is spent at leisure to explore and discover the beautiful market town of Kendal. You can relax in the hotel, visit the fantastic Kendal Castle, discover the vibrant and inspiring arts and culture scene, browse the unique shops, indulge in the café culture, or take a walk through the picturesque countryside.

DAY 7

After breakfast, we travel by private coach and tour the beautiful 'North Lakes' area beginning with a trip on one of England's most beautiful lakes, Ullswater, cruising across the lake on a heritage 'steamer' as we take in the stunning scenery of the Ullswater Valley. We enjoy time in the popular market town of Keswick on the northern shores of Derwentwater before continuing alongside Bassenthwaite Lake to the Lakes Distillery. Here, we go behind the scenes on a guided tour learning about flavour creation and sampling their fantastic spirits before returning to our hotel for our farewell evening meal.

DAY 8

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Kendal and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, LR=Light Refreshments, D=Dinner