It’s been 200 years since the first public steam train made its 26-mile journey from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees, marking the birth of Britain’s modern railway. But you don’t have to be a train buff to enjoy letting off steam at one of the many excellent railway-themed hotels in the UK. Here’s our pick of the first-class places to stay...
The Great Northern Hotel, London
In the middle of the redeveloped King's Cross area and “a stone’s throw from St Pancras”, the “oldest railway hotel in London” is now a stylish boutique hotel, said The Guardian. Perfectly located for a “pre-Eurostar treat”, its rooms include “compact couchettes in the style of a continental carriage” and breezy “Victorian-era” suites “in gold and muted greens”. Expect “classic British dishes” at the restaurant, Rails, and a “moodily lit” bar for nightcaps.
The Grand, York
Once home to the “thriving” North Eastern Railway company, The Grand retains much of its original “Edwardian splendour”, said Condé Nast Traveller. Look out for the “intricate wrought-iron balustrades, luscious garland ceiling plasterwork and skilfully carved stone flourishes”. Just a two-minute walk from the station, York’s only five-star hotel has all the ingredients you would expect, from bowler-hatted doormen to an outstanding restaurant.
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The Old Railway Station, West Sussex
This “charming spot” in the “sleepy Sussex backwater of Petworth” was once a station stop on the Midhurst-Petworth line, said The Times. Closed down in the 1960s, it has since been “lovingly updated” and is now a cosy bed-and-breakfast with two rooms in the main station house and “eight more spread across four Pullman carriages parked up outside”. Breakfast can be served “onboard” in your carriage, or in the waiting room. And the South Downs are nearby, making it a “super stop-off for hikers”.
The Waiting Rooms, Norfolk
A short drive from the seaside town of Hunstanton lies this quirky station conversion. You can choose between a “vintage first-class carriage (complete with working signal and white picket fence) or the Victorian waiting rooms, where you can sit on the platform and look over the grassy garden”, said The Times. Brancaster beach and the RSPB reserve at Snettisham are a short drive away.
Coed y Bleiddiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales
In the heart of Snowdonia National Park, this “remote, granite cottage beside the Ffestiniog Railway” was once the home of the rail superintendent, said The Telegraph. Now, it’s a charming two-bedroom rental. You can either “arrive by steam to the cottage’s private platform” (between November and March) or park and walk up the leafy woodland path.
