Britain from the Rails

Britain from the Rails Guide - discover Britain from the rails, travel tips on British train travel and what to see from the comfort of your carriage. Covering England, Wales and Scotland, including the new Borders Railway, plus local history, practical advice, top ten railways, secret railways, branch lines, food and restaurants, hotels and B&Bs.

Introduction: Rail Britannia! Who is this book for? A lot of people..., How to use this book, Ben's top ten rail journeys Chapter 1 The Glorious East Coast Main Line to Scotland King's Cross to York: record breakers, York to Edinburgh: to the world's first railway, Edinburgh to Aberdeen: Firth to last Chapter 2 Scotland: Rails to Romance and Beauty The basic layout, Glasgow and Edinburgh termini, Planning ahead in Scotland, The West Highland Line: Glasgow-Crianlarich-Fort William-Mallaig and the Oban branch: the iron road to the isles, The Highland Main Line: Inverness to Glasgow (and Edinburgh), Britain's first new domestic line for many decades, the fascinating Borders Railway, Seaside excursions: two great days out from Scotland's two big cities, The Great North of Scotland Railway: Inverness to Aberdeen, The Skye Railway: the very strange story of 'the most beautiful line in Europe', The intriguing Far North Line: from Inverness to Wick and Thurso put into sharp focus Chapter 3 The North of England: Chuffing 'eck, That's Grand! Midlands mentions, The North of England: overview and recommended lines, The wonderful Settle & Carlisle Railway: don't Settle for anything less! Leeds to Lancaster and Morecambe: a useful connector, brief encounters and a great comedian, The Cumbrian Coast Line: right round the Lake District, The Lake District by train? What are those words worth?! No missing Lincs in Lincolnshire: Nottingham to Skegness - the Jolly Fisherman Line seen in a fresh perspective Chapter 4 Great Western: God's Wonderful Railway The GWR: trunk, branches and twigs, Keeping great company: the GWR's great history, London to Penzance: best of the West, The Berks & Hants route: Kennet Valley and Vale of Pewsey, The GWR strikes north: expanded detail on the lovely Cotswolds, Golden Valley and Banbury, West Country branches: Devon and Cornwall's cream, Wessex lines: undiluted Old England at her best, The GWR route into South Wales: branch lines to Dai for. New ways to Oxford - the first new route linking London to a major British city for almost 100 years Chapter 5 Wales Rails Fire-breathing dragons: & going for a spin with the best connected, Welsh rare bits and best bits, North Wales and the Marches: a fantastic circular route or splendid separate days out, The Heart of Wales Line: Shrewsbury to Swansea, a real rural rail survivor Chapter 6 East Anglia: A Circular Tour to See the Best of This Unique Region Bargain Anglia, Hitchin to Cambridge: teetotal recall, dozy crossing keepers and snooty dons, The Breckland Line: Cambridge to Norwich - islands in the Fen to blasted heath, Really recommended for the ride, Norwich-Lowestoft: Queen of the Lot, The lovely East Suffolk Line: Lowestoft to Ipswich (for London): swinging stuff, London Liverpool Street to Norwich via the Great Eastern Main Line (plus fabulous branches) Chapter 7 South Western from Waterloo: Take Me to the Sunshine Waterloo: welcome to Britain's biggest and busiest station, Waterloo to Woking: another Britain's busiest, Woking to Southampton: Martians to maritime, Southampton to Weymouth: the New Forest and two Hardys' Wessex, The Portsmouth Direct Line: Woking to Pompey, ups and Downs, Waterloo to Exeter: the West of England Main Line Chapter 8 South and Southeast: From Dirty Weekends to Bo Peep The Brighton Line: premier holiday route, London Victoria to Brighton: what to look out for from Thames to Channel, Brighton Line Branches, Brighton-Hastings-Ashford: towns, gowns and Downs, Hastings Direct and the Kent Coast: catch the 1066 Chapter 9 Britain's 'Secret Railways' Manchester to Glossop and Hadfield, The Welsh Valleys: Merthyr and branches, The Ebbw Vale line: Film stars and a phoenix, Vale of Glamorgan: Where you can find coastal beauty, a TV hit, a vital scrap of history and forgotten disaster, London's new Orbital Railway: Outer Circle Line or rail M25? Appendix 1 The Inside Track A window-gazer's guide to 'rail things': stuff to look out for on your journey, Train trivia. Appendix 2 Useful Information Books on railways: read between the lines, Steamy affairs: best historic and preserved railways. Index