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Walworth Castle & Durham

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4.5 stars(71 reviews)
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Majestic castles, pretty scenery and rich culture

6 days From £599 £499 per person
Online Only Offer

Online only offer for selected UK 2023 holidays.

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2023 Tour code: 23LRS

About the tour

Experience Durham on this five night break based at majestic Walworth Castle, in the heart of alluring County Durham. Discover some of the region's other beautiful castles and step back in time with a visit to the captivating Beamish Museum.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - County Durham

Your tour begins at Walworth Castle in Darlington. This striking castle hotel dates back to 1150, is set in 18 acres of beautiful grounds, and is your historic home for the next five nights.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Exploring Durham

Head to Durham for a fascinating guided tour. Durham is a beautiful city, with its unmissable Castle and Cathedral complex boasting UNESCO World Heritage status. Take in the impressive Romanesque cathedral and 11th-century castle on a guided tour. Your afternoon is free to continue exploring the city at your own pace, discovering its maze of cobbled streets lined with historic and listed buildings. This vibrant university city offers many attractions including an excellent indoor market, some unique speciality shops, several art galleries and museums, and some delightful public gardens in which to relax and enjoy the views.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - Beamish Museum

Take a step back in time to 1913 at Beamish Museum. Opened in 1972 and occupying three hundred acres of Durham's countryside, Beamish was England's first open-air museum. In the last four decades, this authentic recreation of everyday life in a north-eastern industrial community during the Victorian and Edwardian eras has won a host of awards. Beamish features life-sized replicas of period locations which are accurate down to the finest detail. The Edwardian Town contains authentic structures reclaimed from towns throughout north-east England, and features recreations of a typical inn, Co-operative store, sweet shop, bank and dentist. Another popular attraction in Beamish is the recreated mining village and colliery, an Edwardian railway station and steam railway, a Victorian farm and a luxurious manor house. Maybe visit the Edwardian sweet shop and watch toffee being made by hand, or head to the bakers for a freshly made biscuit or cake.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - Hexham & Hadrian’s Wall

This morning you travel by rail and coach to Hexham where you visit Chester's Roman Fort and Museum, located at Hadrian's Wall. This is one of the Roman Empire's most northern outposts that lets you step back in time as you wander around the well-preserved baths and steam room. Later you're free to explore Hexham, enjoying the peaceful parks, beautiful architecture, and market town charm. Entrance to Hexham Abbey is included in the tour, a stunning Grade I listed monastery dedicated to St Andrew, that dates back to the 12th century, known for its stained glass, history and quiet ambience.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - The Wensleydale Railway & Hawes

Today you discover the beautiful dales by train. Travel on the Wensleydale Railway, a nostalgic heritage journey that takes you through the verdant countryside to Hawes, hauled by a steam or diesel locomotive. Arrive at the Wensleydale Creamery, home of the famous Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese. You have time to look around the museum, watch a cheese-making demonstration, or maybe buy a treat or two in the gift shop where you'll find plenty of award-winning cheeses on offer. After, you have free time to grab lunch in Hawes, a peaceful market town where traditional stone houses are linked by charming cobbled lanes. You then transfer to Leyburn for a return journey on the Wensleydale Railway, before transferring to the hotel by coach.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Home

Your holiday ends today, where you're free to make your way home.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour features the same excursions, they may not necessarily be in the order listed above.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Walworth Castle, Darlington

Walworth Castle, Darlington

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Train

Wensleydale Railway

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Upgrades

Rail travel to and from Durham
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Reviews

4.5 stars4.5 / 5 · 71 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (38)
  2. 4 stars
    (29)
  3. 3 stars
    (4)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

K Mitchell

4 stars

Submitted 27 Oct 2022

The accommodation is tired and needs an upgrade however the staff couldn't be friendlier and the food was of a good standard.

Collected by Trustpilot

Mrs Emerson

5 stars

Submitted 13 Oct 2022

We very much enjoyed our stay at Walworth Castle. And were well cared for by the staff, the meals were excellent and fortunately the company was good so all in all a very good few days. Thanks to Rail Discoveries again and a first class tour guide

Collected by Trustpilot

J Baggaley

4 stars

Submitted 12 Oct 2022

Well organised days out with lots packed in them. Accommodation good. Hotel staff very good. Tour manager very helpful and well informed

Collected by Trustpilot

Lance Tonks

5 stars

Submitted 12 Oct 2022

Varied, enjoyable trip.

Collected by Trustpilot

Anonymous

4 stars

Submitted 12 Oct 2022

Good holiday with interesting visits to Durham, Beamish and other venues. Welcoming tour manager. Reasonable hotel but very cold.

Collected by Trustpilot

Anthea

4 stars

Submitted 07 Oct 2022

Lovely hotel, rooms a little cold. Great meals although service at breakfast could be slow. Overall a great stay.

Collected by Trustpilot

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