Tour Ref: RB4/1
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From our modern hotel base, just down the road from Rockingham Castle, we explore the delights of rural Rutland and forage further afield for standard gauge steam at two of the longest heritage railways in the land – a truly diverse itinerary is sure to entice!
The holiday starts at Oakham Station, early afternoon, and we begin with a very “local” day. We are going to hunt out owls and falcons, Yew trees, a maze and a viaduct. All feature in an unusual, relaxed, bimble around the UK’s smallest county.
We drive this morning into Leicestershire, heading for Quorn and a morning on the Great Central Railway reliving the age of main line steam. Later, we have a cosmic experience in store at the fascinating National Space Centre.....a series of enormous empty rooms (joke!!). We should be back in the Oakham area for a late afternoon treat at the Station.
Off to the Peterborough area today for a “posh” train combination. The Nene Valley Railway is well known, and rightly so, boasting a long running line with intermediate stations and a continental theme. We enjoy the railway to the full and on the way back to Rockingham we drop in at our local line, Rocks by Rail Living Ironstone Museum, for local industrial/railway history including a train ride.
A very simple and relaxed final morning sees us sailing on nearby Rutland Water among the pleasure boats and wildfowl. One more charming visit to the very rustic Rutland County Museum before homeward bound journeys commence from Oakham Station around lunchtime.
An impressive 7 ½ miles of track running through the heart of the 500 acre Ferry Meadows Country Park to Peterborough.
This modern hotel is on the border of Northants and England’s smallest county Rutland. It boasts comfortable rooms and buffet style dining facilities. Whilst it does have a bar you might by tempted by the JD Wetherspoons right next door. No single rooms here and the twins are a little unusual!
