The Train to Downton Abbey? Presented by Ron Johnson Free Advice and opinions: [email protected] The recent popularity of the Downton Abbey TV program has raised interest in old British homes and British history in general. Is it possible to drop in to visit Lord and Lady Grantham and get a spot of tea from cook? Err, not quite. But Britain is thick with hundreds of old preserved homes that follow the Downton model with kitchen downstairs and library, drawing rooms and possibly a ghost or two upstairs. Even better, Britain is also stuffed with thousands of avid railfans who have done incredible work preserving and operating old trains, including many steam locomotives. It is quite possible to tour Britain combining these two interests, as I have with my wife and friends some 30 times. This presentation is designed to whet your appetite for touring Britain and enjoying these combined interests. Getting There If you have never been overseas, Britain is the easiest place to start. Many of the natives speak a form of English, although it is not so clear as the English spoken by the Swedes or Dutch. Airline tickets are readily available, although not necessarily cheap. Your most likely point of arrival is at Heathrow Airport, which is convenient for my recommended tour. Gatwick and some smaller airports also serve London, and Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, etc., also have international flights. Getting Around Most of the restored railroads and grand homes are located in the countryside and a rental car is the easiest way to reach most destinations. However driving in Britain is a major challenge. First, Britains always drive on the wrong side of the road, and the steering wheel is therefore on the right. Automatic transmissions are available, but carry an extra cost. While major expressways are straightforward, many of the 2-lane roads are twisty and occasionally covered with sheep. Driving, therefore, is recommended only for the brave and experienced. However, Britain has a train system that is superior to anything Amtrak ever dreamed of. Major centers are connected by hourly, or even more frequent, efficient high speed trains. Some museums actually have cross platform connections between restored trains and regular services. This still leaves getting from major cities to the country estates, which can sometimes be reached by local tours or taxi services. While summer is the most popular time, I would recommend spring or fall to avoid the crowds. Unlike many US museums, British restorations have reasonable services nearly year around, with less crowding off season. Check the websites of your destination to get exact schedules when planning your trip. What to see Brits are crazy about railroads, and took advantage of some of the service cancellations to take over whole shortlines. The Severn Valley Railway, one of my favorites, runs 16 miles through attractive countryside near Birmingham, and you can intersect with the national trains at Kidderminster. There are eight steam locomotives running and another 20 on display or being restored by some 1,000 volunteers. Last October 2, we had the choice of 5 round trips pulled alternately by a Pacific and 0-6-0 tank engine. Trains ran to 8 cars, and they were full. And that was a Tuesday! Checking the web site will reveal Diesel Days, Railfan weekends, Thomas the Tank Engine weekends, etc., etc. In addition, there is the British tendency to eccentricity. Take the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. Located in the south east corner of England, this 15 inch gauge railway continues to operate accurately scaled one third size steam engines, and has done so for 87 years! Be sure to order a gin-and-tonic in the fully equipped observation bar car, but don’t worry about remaining standing through an alcoholic haze, because the car is not tall enough to get off your knees. Photo: Bure Valley Railway is 9 miles long but 15 inches wide, rosters 5 coal fired steam engines including “Mark Timothy,” a 2-6-4T built in 1999. Or there is another favorite, the Ffestiniogg Railway one of several preserved railways on the west coast of Wales. The 1’11/16 gauge outfit goes from the seashore to slate mines on a route that includes a full loop, pulled by Fairlie type articulated locomotives. Mainline Steam An outfit called Steam Dreams operates a selection of mainline steam excursions during the year utilizing restored steamers. The sample I rode was pulled by a 4-6-0 name Sir Lemuel, whose 70 mph speed was significant until we were passed in the opposite direction by a regular train at twice the speed. Typical excursions will make several pickups, and usually run to a destination where you can explore a major city for a few hours over lunch. Our sample went to the cathedral town of Gloucester where the shop pictured in Beatrix Potter’s The Tailor of Gloucester still exists. The tours during the Christmas season, with shopping and concerts at one of the cathedrals sound particularly attractive The schedules and destinations of these excursion vary considerably, so you may want to plan your holiday around particular excursions—study their website. Photo: Ten wheeler “Sir Lemuel” rests after 100+ mile sprint from London What about Downton Abbey? Downton Abbey is a fictional place, and just as the actors play their parts, the role of Downton is played by Highclere Castle, where exteriors and some of the family rooms are filmed. Downstairs activities are filmed on sets. With fame, Highclere has become very popular with tourists and therefore reservations are a must—besides it is only opening during the summer season. I have seen some tours that offer to include Highclere as part of a package. Their website gives directions on getting their by train, and taxis are supposed to be available at the station. Just don’t expect James to pick you up in the Rolls-Royce. Highclere has a real history of its own, involving the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb. But if you can’t make it to Highclere, Great Britain has hundreds of other restored homes that are often just as beautiful and have fascinating histories of their own. Most of these are open year around, are beautifully restored, and have fantastic gardens. It seems that most of the wealthy families in Britain ran out of capital sometime between the wars, and were forced to give up their homes for taxes. One solution was donating the whole shebang to an organization called the National Trust, which now restores and maintains them in spectacular condition. Most locations have a rich history, lots of space for walking, knowledgeable tour guides, and tea rooms where you can pretend you are being served by Thomas or Bates…oh, yes, and a gift shop. Only one of many examples, particularly easy to get to on public transit, is Blenheim Castle, just north of Oxford. Blenheim is still owned by the Duke of Marlborough. Among the historical notes, Blenheim was the birthplace of Winston Churchill (he was the son of the second son) whose American mum, Jennie (another Masterpiece Theatre series) happened to be visiting on a hunting weekend. And just like Lord Grantham, the 9th Duke married a rich American woman, Consuelo Vanderbilt, and just like Lady Grantham, Consuelo lost all control of her fabulous dowry, which was spent fixing the roof. Of course, you know that the Vanderbilt wealth derived from ownership of the New York Central railroad, so you see everything is connected… Useful Websites Rail Bure Valley Railway: www.bvrw.co.uk Bluebell Railway: www.bluebell-railway.co.uk Convenient to London, take a train to East Grinstead. Lots of film work including Downton Abbey and Foyle’s War. 11 miles Ffestiniog: www.festrail.co.uk Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch RR: www.thdr.org.uk Severn Valley:: www.svr.co.uk North Yorkshire Moors Railway: www.nymr.co.uk An 18 mile mainline a number of stations and heavy steam makes for an authentic mainline experience Houses Highclere Castle (set for Downton Abbey) www.highclerecastle.co.uk Blenheim Palace www.blenheimpalace.com National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.uk The National Trust is a huge organization and looks after hundreds of restored home. Consult their website to locate places to visit throughout Britain English Heritage www.english-heritage.org.uk Similar to the National Trust, English Heritage offers another long list of preserved homes. U North Yorkshire Moors Ffestiniog U Bure Valley U Severn Valley U UBlenheim UOxford ULondon U“Downton” URomney, Bluebell RRU Hythe & Dymchurch England Standard gauge Goathland station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway East of England • Colne Valley Railway, Castle Hedingham, Essex • Epping Ongar Railway, Ongar, Essex • Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, Ludborough, Lincolnshire • Mid Norfolk Railway, Dereham, Norfolk • Mid-Suffolk Light Railway, Brockford, Suffolk • Nene Valley Railway, Wansford, Cambridgeshire • North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham, Norfolk East Midlands • Battlefield Line, Shackerstone, Leicestershire • Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth, Derbyshire • Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire • Great Central Railway (Nottingham), Ruddington, Nottinghamshire • Midland Railway, Butterley, Derbyshire • Northampton & Lamport Railway, Pitsford and Brampton, Northamptonshire • Northants Ironstone Railway, Hunsbury Hill, Northamptonshire • Peak Rail, Darley Dale, Derbyshire • Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway, Rushden, Northamptonshire • Rutland Railway, Cottesmore, Rutland • Snibston Railway, Coalville, Leicestershire North of England • Elsecar Heritage Railway, Elsecar,