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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted tour

The Derbyshire Delight - July 2026

Eight-day Derbyshire escorted tour with heritage railways and stately homes

Illustration of The Derbyshire Delight - July 2026

The Railway Touring Company operates this eight-day escorted tour through Derbyshire, combining heritage railways, stately homes, and market towns in the English Midlands. The tour departs from London St Pancras in First-Class and returns you there after seven nights based in Nottingham. Days are structured around daily coach journeys to different parts of the region: you ride heritage steam trains on the Peak Railway, Churnet Valley Railway, and Ecclesbourne Railway, each with meals served on board; tour Chatsworth House, one of England's great estates; visit the National Tram Museum at Crich; and explore villages and towns including Eyam, famous for its 1665-1666 plague outbreak, and Buxton, the highest town in England. A Tour Manager escorts you throughout. Breakfasts, three lunches, and all dinners are included, along with cream tea and wine tastings at Amber Valley Vineyard. This tour suits repeat rail travellers who enjoy heritage railways, history lovers drawn to Georgian estates and period villages, and those who prefer guided travel with accommodation in one base.

What to know before you look closer

  • All seven nights are spent in the same Nottingham hotel; daily coach transfers take you to attractions in the surrounding Derbyshire area.
  • Only one departure is listed: July 2026. Confirm availability and other dates directly with The Railway Touring Company.
  • The from-price of GBP 1,995 is per person sharing a double room; single supplements are not listed in the evidence.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Nottingham

    Rail travel from London to Nottingham

    Your holiday starts with a morning departure from London St Pancras. Journey by high-speed rail in First-Class to Nottingham, with refreshments included. You arrive midday and transfer to your hotel; the afternoon is yours to explore the city. Dinner is served at your hotel this evening.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Nottingham

    Barrow Roundhouse and steam on the Peak Railway

    After breakfast you transfer by coach to Barrow Hill Roundhouse, built in 1870 and the last surviving railway roundhouse in the UK, watching Signal Box and Turntable Demonstrations. Afterwards you transfer to Rowsley South for a return steam trip on the Peak Railway, with a cream tea served on board. You transfer by coach to your hotel, where you will spend the next five nights. Dinner is served this evening.

  3. Day 3overnight: Nottingham

    Visit to Chatsworth House

    After breakfast you transfer by coach to Chatsworth House, home to the Devonshire family for 16 generations, for a guided tour. There is time to purchase lunch and explore the house and grounds before transferring back to your hotel for dinner.

  4. Day 4overnight: Nottingham

    National Tram Museum and Amber Valley Vineyard

    You travel to Crich, home of the National Tram Museum, with unlimited tram rides and entry to the museum. Afterwards you travel to Amber Valley Vineyard for a guided sunset tour, wine tasting and supper, before returning to your hotel.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Nottingham

    Bakewell and the Churnet Valley Railway

    After a leisurely breakfast you travel to Bakewell, home of the Bakewell Pudding, to explore the town. Afterwards you transfer to Froghall, home of the Churnet Valley Railway, for a return trip with a 3-course lunch served on board. You transfer back to your hotel for dinner.

  6. Day 6overnight: Nottingham

    Visits to both Eyam and Buxton

    You travel to Eyam, famous for its 1665-1666 plague outbreak, then to Buxton, the highest town in England, sitting by the River Wye and known for its geothermal spring, with time to explore and purchase lunch at both. You transfer back to your hotel for dinner.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Nottingham

    Ecclesbourne Railway and Matlock

    You transfer to Wirksworth, home of the Ecclesbourne Railway, for a return heritage trip with lunch served on board. Your coach then takes you to Matlock to explore the market town, before returning to Nottingham. On arrival you check in to your hotel for dinner.

  8. Day 8rail

    Rail travel from Nottingham to London

    After breakfast you transfer to the railway station for your homeward journey, travelling First-Class back to St Pancras.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Day 2: Cream tea served on board a heritage steam train on the Peak Railway, departing from Rowsley South.
  • Day 3Day 3: Guided tour of Chatsworth House, home to the Devonshire family for 16 generations.
  • Day 4Day 4: Unlimited tram rides at the National Tram Museum in Crich, followed by a guided sunset tour and wine tasting at Amber Valley Vineyard.
  • Day 5Day 5: Three-course lunch served on board the Churnet Valley Railway heritage train at Froghall.

Included

  • 7 nights accommodation
  • 7 breakfasts
  • 3 lunches
  • 7 dinners
  • First Class Travel from London to Nottingham and return
  • All visits, train and coach travel as detailed in the itinerary
  • The services of a Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel from London included?
Yes. First-Class rail travel from London St Pancras to Nottingham and return is included in the full package price. A ground-only option (GBP 1,895) excludes the London rail legs.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?
This is an escorted tour. The Railway Touring Company provides a Tour Manager throughout, and all transport, visits, and meals are arranged.
Which trains and railways are included?
The package includes First-Class high-speed rail from London St Pancras to Nottingham, plus heritage railway trips on the Peak Railway (steam), Churnet Valley Railway, and Ecclesbourne Railway. Coach travel connects you to all sites.
What meals are included?
All seven breakfasts, seven dinners, and three lunches are included. Cream tea is served on the Peak Railway, three-course lunch on the Churnet Valley Railway, and lunch on the Ecclesbourne Railway. Wine tasting and supper are included at Amber Valley Vineyard.
How much walking is involved?
Days include guided tours of stately homes and museums, exploration of market towns like Bakewell and Buxton, and access to heritage railway stations. The itinerary does not describe extended hikes or high-altitude activity.
Where do I stay?
You stay in one hotel in Nottingham for all seven nights, with coach transfers each day to attractions throughout Derbyshire.

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