Is train travel included?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes Standard Class rail travel on the Wensleydale Railway (Leyburn to Leeming Bar) and National Rail services (Darlington to Hexham via Newcastle), plus all coach transfers.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from start to finish, and all guided tours and excursions are led.

What meals are provided?

Breakfast and dinner are included each day. Lunch is not provided; on Day 4 you are free to find lunch independently in Hawes.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Walworth Castle & Durham

Six-day escorted rail tour from Durham castle hotel through northeast England

Great Rail Journeys runs this six-day escorted holiday based at Walworth Castle, a 12th-century fortification converted into a 3-star hotel set in 18 acres of County Durham countryside. The Tour Manager guides the group through northeast England's heritage, combining heritage railway rides with National Rail journeys and coach excursions. Day 2 opens with a guided tour of Durham cathedral and its UNESCO World Heritage castle complex. Day 3 spans two museums: Locomotion in Shildon, birthplace of the world's first public railway in 1825, and Beamish, which reconstructs regional life from 1820. Day 4 features the Yorkshire Dales, including a ride on the nostalgic Wensleydale Railway through countryside. Day 5 takes you by train to Hexham to visit Chesters Roman Fort at Hadrian's Wall and the 12th-century Hexham Abbey. The tour suits history-lovers seeking guided comfort and those curious about Britain's railway heritage.

Price history

Across 3 checks, this price has held at £699 every time.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Walworth Castle is the sole hotel for all five nights; no accommodation options are listed.
Day 6 includes breakfast but no arranged transport home; you depart independently or extend your stay in the region.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Walworth Castle, County Durham
Arriving at our magnificent 12th-century castle
Your holiday begins today as you arrive at Walworth Castle in Darlington, a 12th-century relic converted into a characterful hotel set among 18 acres of grounds, our historic home for the next five nights. After checking in and meeting the Tour Manager, we reconvene at the on-site restaurant for the first dinner of the holiday.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2overnight: Walworth Castle, County Durham
Discovering the timeless quality of Durham
After breakfast, a coach transfer takes us to Durham for a guided tour revealing the Romanesque cathedral, the 11th-century castle and the Town Hall. The afternoon is free to explore Durham's cobbled streets, shops and museums before we return to the hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Walworth Castle, County Durham
A journey through northeast England's history
We begin at the Locomotion museum in Shildon, telling the story of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, before driving to the Beamish Museum to explore reconstructed buildings and exhibits from 1820 to 1913. We transfer back to the hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4railovernight: Walworth Castle, County Durham
The charms of the Yorkshire Dales
By coach to the Wensleydale Creamery, then to the market town of Hawes with free time for lunch, before continuing to Leyburn for a ride aboard the Wensleydale Railway to Leeming Bar. We rejoin our coach back to the hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5railovernight: Walworth Castle, County Durham
An excursion to Hadrian's Wall and Hexham
Travelling by train from Darlington station to Hexham via Newcastle, we visit Chesters Roman Fort and Museum on Hadrian's Wall. Our coach then takes us to Hexham Abbey, a Grade I-listed 12th-century monastery, before we return to the hotel for the final dinner of the tour.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6
Homeward bound
Our holiday draws to a close after breakfast. Upon checking out of the hotel, it's time to make your way home, or continue discovering the region on your own.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Guided tour of Durham cathedral, its 11th-century castle, and the UNESCO World Heritage complex.
Day 3Visit the Locomotion museum in Shildon, the world's first railway town, followed by Beamish Museum's reconstructed buildings and exhibits of regional heritage from 1820 onwards.
Day 4Ride the Wensleydale Railway heritage line through the Yorkshire Dales countryside from Leyburn to Leeming Bar, after visiting Hawes market town and the Wensleydale Creamery.
Day 5Train journey from Darlington to Hexham via Newcastle, visiting Chesters Roman Fort with its well-preserved cavalry baths and steam room, then Hexham Abbey with Anglo-Saxon and medieval features.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
5 nights' 3-Star hotel accommodation
Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast and dinner each day
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes Standard Class rail travel on the Wensleydale Railway (Leyburn to Leeming Bar) and National Rail services (Darlington to Hexham via Newcastle), plus all coach transfers.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from start to finish, and all guided tours and excursions are led.
What meals are provided?: Breakfast and dinner are included each day. Lunch is not provided; on Day 4 you are free to find lunch independently in Hawes.