THE AGE OF STEAM
Mini-Tour - Four days / Three nights
Here we have two itineraries that celebrate the age of steam, and most
especially the much-missed steam rail journey. But while of special interest
to the steam train enthusiast, they are not designed to be exclusive. We've
planned tours that celebrate our landscape (from the Cotswolds to Devon),
our ancient towns (like Stratford upon Avon and Ironbridge Gorge) and our
cultural heritage while using the steam rail theme. And there are
opportunities for the long-suffering enthusiast's partner to see alternative
attractions while the dedicated visit museums! Let us transport you back to
a gentler age, when travel was less rushed, and the sound of the steam
whistle and rattle of wheel on track were romantic sounds.
Two Departures: July 26 to July 29 and Aug 27 to
Aug 30
Price: $689. Single Supplement: $135
Includes four days touring, three night's accommodation with full
breakfasts and three course-dinners, all entrance fees and services of
driver/guide/companion.
DAY ONE
Depart London at 08.30. Today we drive through the magnificent Chiltern
Hills and Oxfordshire countryside, first to the Chinnor and Princes
Risborough railway, Icknield Line. En route, we'll stop at some historic and
unspoilt villages (many having been used as film locations).
Then to Didcot which is holding a Steam Day, we'll enjoy the smell, sound
and smoke of the steam engines and see the activities of a steam locomotive
depot, including engines being coaled, watered and maybe turned on the
turntable. There will the opportunity to ride on the 1930's trains during
our visit
We'll continue our drive north through Oxford, 'city of the Dreaming
Spires' to Stratford upon Avon
DAY TWO
We'll spend the morning exploring Stratford with a visit to the
Shakespearean houses and an optional boat trip on the Avon canal. Then it's
all aboard for a 70 minute ride, on a historic section of track, to
Birmingham on the Shakespeare Express! Once in Birmingham we'll visit the
The Tyseley Collection of Locomotives - comprises three GWR Castle class
engines, an LMS Jubilee, GWR Hall, three GWR pannier tanks, a range of
industrial engines and several visiting locos.
DAY THREE -
This afternoon we travel back to the birth place of the industrial
revolution and the modern economy. Highlights here will not only include the
famed iron bridge itself but Blists Hill, a Victorian town, where you can
soak up the atmosphere of this historic ironworking town. If time, there'll
also be a visit to the Coalport China Museum and ending our day up in
Coalbrookdale at the museum of iron and the original owner's great houses.
This afternoon our great experience is travelling on the Severn Valley
Railway from Bridgenorth, Shropshire's gem of a market town. The Seven
Valley Railway recreates for you an age when people had time to stop and
look. Each of its six stations is an architectural delight surrounded by
carefully tended gardens. From carriage window you'll glimpse the ancient
Wyre Valley Forest, pass the picturesque riverside town of Bewdley with its
quayside and Georgian houses, pass the timeless village of Arley to the
terminus at Kidderminster.
DAY FOUR
We continue our journey into the Cotswold's county of Gloucester and to
the Gloucestershire Steam railway and the last of our steam train rides
(this subject to timetables. Alternatively, we'll ride the Forest of Dean
steam train). This 13 mile round trip provides a superb way of seeing the
Cotswolds Hills. It also takes you through one of the longest tunnels on a
preserved railway - the Greet Tunnel, 693 yards long!
We'll drive the short distance to Swindon, and our final tour highlight -
'STEAM', the Museum of the Great Western Railway. Set in a restored Grade II
listed building parts of which date back to the 1840s, this brand new museum
celebrates the story of the men and women who worked on the GWR for seven
generations. When the GWR Works closed on 27th March 1986 it was the end of
an era; an era that lasted 143 years and made Swindon one of the most
important industrial towns in the world. For over a decade, machines stood
idle, tools lay undisturbed. Now transformed into a state of the art
multi-million pound museum with famous locomotives, real rolling stock and
superb displays of the stories of the people who made 'God's Wonderful
Railway' Long-suffering partners may enjoy the alternative highlight of the
factory shopping outlets where well-known brand fashions are available at
wonderfully inexpensive prices. Of course, having put up with trains for a
few days , you'll deserve some serious shopping! We arrive back into London
by approximately 18.00. This has been four days to remember with
unforgettable experiences for all. |
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