Roses Battle by Steam plus Settle & Carlisle Line

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Bradford and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Midland Hotel, our base 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, we enjoy a fabulous trip to the Dales as we visit the lovingly restored Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway for a journey through stunning Yorkshire scenery along the former Skipton-Ilkley Line, which was built in 1888. We spend some time at Bolton Abbey before making our way to Shipley for a fascinating tour and tasting at the excellent Black Sheep Brewery.

DAY 3

After breakfast this morning, we take the scenic journey across the Pennines to Bury and, on arrival, we board our wonderfully restored steam locomotive for a day of journeys through the Irwell Valley on the East Lancashire Railway. We enjoy free time in Bury to visit the superb Bury Transport Museum packed with historic vehicles of every shape and size or the famous Bury Market before making our way back to the hotel in time for our evening meal together.

DAY 4

Today, we will transfer by coach to Pickering where we board the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for a stunningly diverse journey in heritage carriages to the coast. Steaming across heather moorland landscapes, we pass by Goathland Station which featured as Aidensfield in Heartbeat, before descending to Whitby, a picturesque fishing port framed by its famous abbey. Stroll the quirky, narrow streets in search of Whitby Jet, climb the steps to reach the abbey, or simply enjoy some of the finest fish and chips in Yorkshire before we make the return journey.

DAY 5

Today, we experience the iconic Settle & Carlisle Line. This great journey climbs up through the Yorkshire Dales from Settle crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct, an engineering marvel spanning Batty Moss, and passing Dent, the highest mainline station in England at 1,150 ft. After the summit at Ais Gill, we speed along the Eden Valley to the border city of Carlisle where we enjoy free time to explore before making the return journey.

DAY 6

After breakfast today, we head south to the National Coal Mining Museum where we descend 140m underground to discover the history of coal mining through the centuries and learn of the people and communities at the heart of the industry. Afterwards, we visit Middleton Railway, a former colliery line near Leeds and the world's oldest continuously working railway that became the pioneer standard-gauge preserved line operated purely by volunteers.

DAY 7

Today, we travel by train to visit the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, a unique 5-mile branch line railway set in the heart of Yorkshire where you can ride to your heart's content with your day rover ticket. Journey through countryside made familiar through film, The Railway Children, or perhaps take a break to alight at the Brontë heritage town of Haworth with its cobbled main street and curio shops. We return to Bradford in time for our final evening meal together.

DAY 8

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

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner