Castles, Stately Homes and Gardens by Luxury Train
The magnificence of Britain's heritage is ever present, with a wealth of sights to stir the imagination. There is no finer way to reach them than by private train.
Fortified strongholds speak, with a power that endures across the centuries, of more turbulent times when they formed the settings of strategy and siege. Great houses tell a gentler story, of dynasties and collections built up over generations, of painted ceilings and long libraries and rooms still lived in today. The Northern Belle takes you to the very best of them, and the journey there is as memorable as the destination.
A day begins with a red carpet on the platform and a glass of Champagne as you settle into your carriage. Brunch is served as the countryside opens out, cooked to order in the train's small kitchen and matched by the sommelier. Private coaches are waiting at the far end, so there is no queuing and no car park, and admission is included wherever you are going. Then it is back aboard for a six-course dinner with fine wines while the light goes over the fields.
The stately country garden is justly regarded as the epitome of Englishness, and several of these journeys are built around gardens as much as houses. Bodnant falls away down a wooded valley towards the Conwy with Snowdonia behind it. Chatsworth's Cascade and Emperor Fountain have been three centuries in the making. Blenheim's two thousand acres were laid out by Capability Brown and remain his masterpiece.
Departure stations change with each date, so a journey that starts in Liverpool one autumn may start in Norwich or Cardiff the next. The listings below show every station on every remaining departure, so you can find the one that suits you. Our specialists know these journeys well and are happy to talk through which house, which date and which station works best for you.
Journeys and Departure Dates
6 departures are still to come in this collection, 2 in 2026 and 4 in 2027. Every date shown is open for booking; dates that have already run have been removed.
All timings are for guidance only. Confirmed timings are supplied with your travel documents, which are sent five to seven days before departure once Network Rail releases the final path. Fares are per person and all-inclusive. A supplement of £105 per person secures a table for two, subject to availability.
Castle Howard
Castles & HomesFew houses in England make an entrance quite like Castle Howard. Approached along a five-mile avenue through the Howardian Hills, the great dome rises above the Yorkshire countryside long before you reach the gates. Three hundred years in the making and still home to the Howard family, it is a house of extraordinary theatre, familiar to millions as the setting for Brideshead Revisited.
A guided tour takes you through the Great Hall beneath the painted dome, the Long Gallery and the antique passage, with its collection of Roman sculpture. Outside, the temples, the Mausoleum and the walled garden repay a slow wander, and there is time to enjoy them properly before the train carries you home to dinner.
Your day includes:
- A Champagne reception and a three-course brunch on the outward journey
- Coach transfers and a guided tour of Castle Howard
- Time to explore the grounds, temples and walled garden
- A six-course dinner with wines on the journey home
Smart day wear. Please avoid jeans and trainers, and remember that part of your day is spent outdoors.
At a Glance
- From
- £550 pp
- Table for 2
- +£105 pp
- Style
- Day excursion
- Departures
- 2
- Years
- 2026 & 2027
Destination
York
Departure Dates and Timings
| Date | Boarding Station | Outward | Return | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dep | Arr | Dep | Arr | |||
| 3 September 2026 | Ipswich | 07:30 | 12:30 | 18:00 | 23:00 | £550 |
| Norwich | 08:30 | 12:30 | 18:00 | 21:55 | ||
| 2 September 2027 | Ipswich | 07:30 | 12:30 | 18:00 | 23:00 | £580 |
| Norwich | 08:30 | 12:30 | 18:00 | 21:55 | ||
Fares are per person and all-inclusive. A supplement of £105 per person secures a table for two, subject to availability. Send an enquiry or call 0333 405 0192 to book.
Blenheim Palace
Castles & HomesBlenheim Palace is one of the great masterpieces of English Baroque architecture and the only country house in Britain to hold the title of palace without belonging to royalty or a bishop. Built as a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, after his victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, it remains the home of the Marlborough family and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You explore the state rooms at your own pace, taking in the painted hall, the Long Library and the tapestries that record the Duke's campaigns, before wandering out into more than two thousand acres of parkland laid out by Capability Brown. The formal water terraces and the great lake are at their finest in the low autumn light, which is exactly when the Northern Belle calls.
Your day includes:
- A Champagne reception and a three-course brunch on the outward journey
- Private coach transfers between the station and the palace
- Admission to Blenheim Palace, the formal gardens and the park
- A six-course dinner with wines on the journey home
Smart day wear. Please avoid jeans and trainers, and remember that part of your day is spent outdoors.
At a Glance
- From
- £550 pp
- Table for 2
- +£105 pp
- Style
- Day excursion
- Departures
- 2
- Years
- 2026 & 2027
Destination
Oxford
Departure Dates and Timings
| Date | Boarding Station | Outward | Return | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dep | Arr | Dep | Arr | |||
| 31 October 2026 | Liverpool Lime Street | 07:40 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 21:50 | £550 |
| Warrington Bank Quay | 08:00 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 21:30 | ||
| Crewe | 09:10 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 20:00 | ||
| Stafford | 09:30 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 19:30 | ||
| 30 October 2027 | Liverpool Lime Street | 07:40 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 21:50 | £580 |
| Warrington Bank Quay | 08:00 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 21:30 | ||
| Crewe | 09:10 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 20:00 | ||
| Stafford | 09:30 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 19:30 | ||
Fares are per person and all-inclusive. A supplement of £105 per person secures a table for two, subject to availability. Send an enquiry or call 0333 405 0192 to book.
Chatsworth House
Castles & HomesHome to the Dukes of Devonshire for sixteen generations, Chatsworth sits in the Derbyshire Peak District surrounded by one hundred and five acres of garden and a great sweep of moorland park. The house holds one of Europe's finest private art collections, from Old Master drawings to contemporary sculpture, and the rooms are dressed with fresh flowers cut that morning from the estate.
The garden alone is worth the journey. The Cascade, the Emperor Fountain, the rock garden and the maze have been shaped by three centuries of gardeners, including Joseph Paxton, and the effect is quite unlike anywhere else in England.
Your day includes:
- A Champagne reception and a three-course brunch on the outward journey
- Coach transfers between the station and Chatsworth
- Admission to the house and the gardens
- A six-course dinner with wines on the journey home
Smart day wear. Please avoid jeans and trainers, and remember that part of your day is spent outdoors.
At a Glance
- From
- £580 pp
- Table for 2
- +£105 pp
- Style
- Day excursion
- Departures
- 1
- Years
- 2027
Destination
Chesterfield
Departure Dates and Timings
| Date | Boarding Station | Outward | Return | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dep | Arr | Dep | Arr | |||
| 24 June 2027 | Cardiff Central | 07:35 | 11:35 | 16:35 | 21:40 | £580 |
| Newport | 07:50 | 11:35 | 16:35 | 22:10 | ||
| Gloucester | 09:05 | 11:35 | 16:35 | 23:00 | ||
| Cheltenham Spa | 09:15 | 11:35 | 16:35 | 23:15 | ||
Fares are per person and all-inclusive. A supplement of £105 per person secures a table for two, subject to availability. Send an enquiry or call 0333 405 0192 to book.
Conwy Castle & Bodnant Gardens
Castles & HomesConwy Castle is the most complete of Edward I's Welsh fortresses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose eight great towers still stand almost to their original height above the estuary. Climb to the battlements and the view runs from the medieval town walls out to the mountains of Snowdonia.
The afternoon turns gentler at Bodnant, eighty acres of garden falling away down a wooded valley towards the River Conwy. The laburnum arch, the terraces and the great magnolias have made Bodnant one of the most photographed gardens in Britain, and the setting, with Snowdonia as a backdrop, is hard to better.
Your day includes:
- A Champagne reception and a three-course brunch on the outward journey
- Coach transfers and admission to Conwy Castle
- Admission to Bodnant Garden
- A six-course dinner with wines on the journey home
Smart day wear and comfortable shoes. Conwy Castle involves steps and uneven ground.
At a Glance
- From
- £580 pp
- Table for 2
- +£105 pp
- Style
- Day excursion
- Departures
- 1
- Years
- 2027
Destination
Llandudno Junction
Departure Dates and Timings
| Date | Boarding Station | Outward | Return | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dep | Arr | Dep | Arr | |||
| 31 July 2027 | Hull | 07:05 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 22:20 | £580 |
| York | 07:45 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 21:35 | ||
| Woodlesford | 08:20 | 12:30 | 17:30 | 21:05 | ||
Fares are per person and all-inclusive. A supplement of £105 per person secures a table for two, subject to availability. Send an enquiry or call 0333 405 0192 to book.
Houses, gardens and dates change from year to year, and the best carriages go early. Talk to our specialists about which journey suits you.
Send an Enquiry