Roses Battle by Steam plus Settle & Carlisle Line 2026

Duration

8 Days

Departure Dates

11th May 2026, 15th June 2026, 7th September 2026

Prices from

£1,359 Per person

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Celebrate the steam and rail heritage of the north country with our very own 'Battle of the Roses' tour based at an iconic railway hotel. Journey on the fabulous Settle & Carlisle Line, steam nostalgia on fantastic heritage railways, visit fascinating museums, and indulge in a distillery tour and tasting. You are sure to come up smelling of roses!

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Bradford ©Shutterstock

8 days from £1,359

DEPARTS

Monday 11 May 2026

Monday 15 June 2026

Monday 07 September 2026

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Experience England’s greatest railway journey – the Settle & Carlisle Line
Steam across the North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby
Enjoy free time in Whitby with its abbey, port, and the best fish & chips in Yorkshire!
Journey through the Yorkshire Dales on the Embsay & Bolton Railway
Indulge in a tour and tasting at the Black Sheep Brewery
Descend into history at the National Coal Mining Museum
Discover Middleton Railway, the world’s oldest continuously working railway
Travel from Bury on the scenic East Lancashire Railway
Visit the fascinating Bury Transport Museum
Ride the unique Keighley & Worth Valley Steam Railway
Stay at Bradford’s iconic Midland Hotel

Also included in your Tour Fare:

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Bradford and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Midland 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, 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.

B, D

DAY 3

After breakfast this morning, 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 Masham for a fascinating tour and tasting at the excellent Black Sheep Brewery.

B, D

DAY 4

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.

B, D

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.

B, D

DAY 6

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.

B, D

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.

B, D

DAY 8

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Bradford 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, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTEL

Midland Hotel, Bradford

Nestled in the heart of Bradford, the Midland Hotel is rich with history and magnificent architecture furnished with grand high ceilings and glittering chandeliers. The comfortable bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

FARES

Fare Region	First*	Standard
London: Kings Cross	£1,585	£1,495
Greater London	£1,605	£1,499
South of England	£1,649	£1,525
East Anglia	£1,665	£1,535
South West	£1,725	£1,559
Heart of England	£1,649	£1,525
Midlands	£1,569	£1,465
Yorkshire	£1,509	£1,449
North East	£1,585	£1,489
North West	N/A	£1,449
South Wales	£1,709	£1,535
North Wales	£1,635	£1,519
Scotland	£1,579	£1,489
Join & Leave at Hotel	£1,379
Single Traveller Supplement	£200
Deposit	£140

*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.

£20 tour discount for holders of National Railcards

June Departure Supplement £20

September Departure Supplement £40

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

Number of passengers:

Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
11th May 2026	£1,359 Per person	Book Now	Callback
15th June 2026	£1,379 Per person	Book Now	Callback
7th September 2026	£1,399 Per person	Book Now	Callback

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Midland Hotel, Bradford

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway

Black Sheep Brewery

National Coal Mining Museum

Middleton Railway

Settle-Carlisle Line

East Lancashire Railway

Bury Transport Museum

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

North Yorkshire Railway ©Shutterstock

Goathland Station ©Shutterstock

Whitby ©Shutterstock

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway1 ©Shutterstock

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway2 ©Shutterstock

National Coal Mining Museum ©Shutterstock

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway ©Shutterstock

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Roses Battle by Steam plus Settle & Carlisle Line 2026

Register interest

What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

Why Book with Railtrail

Unique Experiences

Financial Protection

Loyalty Rewards

Award Winning Team