Yorkshire with Great Rail Journeys

I had heard good things about this company and I have some clients who really like to travel by rail, so when I heard about this short famtrip I wanted to experience their services; and despite living in Yorkshire I was successful and joined the group, most of whom had never been to God’s Own County. We each arrived separately in Harrogate where we stayed for 2 nights at the Holiday Inn a very good, central hotel, large enough to cater for groups. On the first day we travelled by rail to York where a local guide took us on a walking tour around part of the walls and provided lots of local and historical information including taking us through the older parts of the city, pointing out some of the haunted bits and the stories about them. Afterwards we had some free time to explore before travelling to Ingrow to board the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway to Oxenhope: I know this area well as it’s just over the hill from my home in Hebden Bridge, but the engineering museum was fascinating and I learnt a great deal more about the railway and the area. A visit to the Bronte Museum at Haworth Parsonage followed, with fascinating insights into the life and times of that famous family, followed by a wander around the quaint town with its unique shops. On the second day we travelled by coach to Whitby, a fishing village on the coast with reputedly the best fish & chips in Yorkshire (if not the World) at the Magpie Café on the dockside, then drove to Grosmont to board the North York Moors Railway. I was fascinated to hear about their annual event ‘The Railway in Wartime’ which draws crowds of enthusiasts in period dress to re-enact WW2 actions: you could combine this with a visit to Eden Camp, just down the road in Malton for a great themed weekend. After afternoon tea by the station in Pickering we were driven back to York for our homeward journeys. I was very impressed by the thorough and professional approach of the staff who accompanied us and would certainly recommend their services: the arrangements were spot on and the guides extremely well-prepared and knowledgeable. This company runs rail tours all around the world and I am satisfied that, wherever the tour undertaken that the same standards would apply.