The Complete Four Seasons Collection 2023-24

G rand T our by R ail – S ix W onders of the W aterways

There are said to be ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’ and on this great railway holiday we visit six! Our Railtrail grand tour begins at the very heart of the industrial revolution at a hotel within the Ironbridge World Heritage site, then explores the masterpieces of Victorian engineering with boat trips and steam trains galore.

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feat of navigational engineering. We then travel by road to Bury for a steam journey on the East Lancashire Railway, alongside the River Irwell. After this, we make our way to the Best Western Oaks Hotel in Burnley for one night. (B,LR,D) DAY 7 This morning we visit the Weavers’ Triangle , situated on the Leeds Liverpool Canal where many buildings from the cotton industry remain. Our local guide escorts us along the towpath to walk part of Burnley Embankment , the fourth of our ‘Six Wonders’, which carries the canal 60 feet above the town centre.We then continue to nearby Queen Street Mill Textile Museum and learn of the days when cotton was king at the world’s last surviving 19th century steam powered weaving mill. Following our fascinating guided tour, we travel by private coach across the Pennines from Lancashire to Yorkshire and arrive at a great railway hotel for our last three nights, Bradford’s Midland. (B,D) DAY 8 From Bradford we make the short train journey to Huddersfield, whose iconic station boasts a classical façade, flanked by two grand former booking offices of rival railway companies (now both pubs). Outside the station, a statue of Huddersfield’s most famous son, Harold Wilson, looks onto the George Hotel, the birthplace of Rugby League. Changing trains, we climb into the Pennines to Marsden , where a short walk along the towpath brings us to Standedge Tunnels and a boat trip into our fifth wonder, the longest, highest, and deepest canal tunnel in Britain. (B,D) DAY 9 Our busy final rail excursion heads first by train to Keighley for a steam ride through Brontë Country on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Our return is punctuated at Bingley for a towpath walk along our sixth

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ★ Begin our tour at a hotel within the Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage site ★ Visit Blists Hill Victorian Village and tour Ironbridge ★ Steam on the Severn Valley Railway ★ Get to know Chester on a River Dee cruise ★ Anderton Boat Lift, marvel of Victorian engineering ★ Discover the country’s last remaining open-pan salt works, now preserved as a museum ★ Masterpiece of the canals, breathtaking Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ★ Journey on the nostalgic Llangollen Railway ★ Cruise along the Bridgewater Canal, viewing Barton Swing Aqueduct ★ Steam excursion on the East Lancashire Railway ★ Visit Burnley Weavers’Triangle and walk part of Burnley Embankment ★ Discover Queen Street Mill, the last surviving 19th century steam powered weaving mill ★ Boat trip into Standedge Tunnel, the longest, deepest, and highest canal tunnel in Britain ★ Steam on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway ★ Visit Saltaire, another UNESCO World Heritage site ★ Walk the canal lock staircase at Bingley Five Rise Locks Also included in your Tour Fare: ★ Dinner every evening plus one light lunch ★ Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class) ★ Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DEPARTS

Saturday 16 September 2023

Fares From £1475

FARES

FARE REGION London: Euston Greater London South of England East Anglia South West Midlands Yorkshire North East North West South Wales North Wales Heart of England

FIRST £1679 £1695 £1735 £1755 £1735 £1665 £1739 £1619 £1735 £1589 £1639 £1639 £1715

STANDARD

£1585 £1595 £1615 £1625 £1615 £1575 £1525 £1559 £1619 £1545 £1575 £1569 £1605 £1490

DAY 1 For those booking rail travel with us, we arrive in Telford by train, for the transfer to our hotel for two nights, at the Best Western Valley Hotel, a Georgian listed building with a riverside setting within the Ironbridge UNESCO World Heritage site . After an orientation walk with a local guide , we enjoy our first dinner together. (D) DAY 2 Continuing our tour of Ironbridge, we visit Blists Hill , a recreated Victorian town and time capsule of a bygone age. We follow this with a steam excursion journey on the Severn Valley Railway . Preservation of this historic full-size standard gauge line began in 1965 and we take the scenic 16 mile rail route closely following the River Severn from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster. (B,D) DAY 3 Departing Telford by train, we arrive in Chester where our hotel for the next three nights is the lovely Queen Hotel, convenient for the railway station.We take an afternoon stroll along the ancient City Walls to the Dee for a river cruise and charming views of the town from the water, returning through Chester’s attractive city centre. (B,D) DAY 4 The first of our ‘Six Wonders’ is the Anderton Boat Lift where after taking

refreshments we trace the history of canal carrying and engineering, taking the boat trip to descend the lift and cruising the River Weaver . In the afternoon we visit the nearby Lion Salt Work s, an award winning industrial heritage museum telling the fascinating story of the country’s only remaining open-pan salt making works. (B,D) DAY 5 We coach across the border to the Llangollen Canal for a breathtaking aerial cruise across the second of our ‘Six Wonders’, the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct . Crossing 126ft above the River Dee, it is the highest and longest aqueduct in Britain and a World Heritage site. We continue by road to Llangollen with time to look around the delightful town before a thrilling return steam train ride** along the beautiful Dee Valley to Corwen . (B,D) DAY 6 Today we head North West and enjoy a relaxing Bridgewater Canal cruise . Constructed over 250 years ago by the Duke of Bridgewater, it is considered to be the first true canal in England. Our route passes through Morton, Patricroft and Barton crossing the Manchester Ship Canal via the famous Barton Swing Aqueduct , the third of our ‘Six Wonders’. Onboard we enjoy afternoon tea, as we listen to the interesting commentary bringing to life this important

Scotland

Join & Leave at Hotels

£15 tour discount for holders of National Rail cards Single Room Supplement £285

*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey. 9 nights’ bed, breakfast & Table d’hôte evening meal and 1 afternoon tea Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class) Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described All excursions and admissions as detailed Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager Hotel porterage

wonder, Bingley’s Five Rise Locks . Finally, we enjoy some free time at UNESCO World Heritage living Victorian village, Saltaire, where Salt’s Mill houses exhibitions from local artist, David Hockney before our farewell dinner at the hotel. (B,D)

DAY 10 Bid farewell to Bradford as we make our way homeward. (B) **we reserve the right to travel by heritage diesel train should the steam locomotive not be available / timetabled at the time of our visit.

HOTELS • Best Western Valley Hotel, Ironbridge • Queen Hotel, Chester • Best Western Oaks Hotel, Burnley • Midland Hotel, Bradford For further details of our Six Wonders of the Waterways hotels, please visit our website www.railtrail.co.uk

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Visit: www.railtrail.co.uk – for full tour details and fares, and to book online or call 01538 382323 – to book or to request a detailed tour itinerary