Beautiful rail trips worth taking
England’s railway network evolved many decades ago primarily for industrial and commercial purposes rather than scenic tourism, yet certain routes are so magnificent that the journey itself becomes the destination.
Over the years, rail travel has become an affordable and efficient way for British people to travel to various destinations or the London capital without a car. Direct routes, comfortable train cars, and no need to figure out vehicle parking has made rail travel a convenient way to get around the country.
Best UK Tours recommends these seven journeys for memorable experiences that will reveal England’s diverse landscapes and countryside tapestries.
1. Yorkshire Dales to Cumbria (Settle-Carlisle Line)
The Settle-Carlisle railway represents Victorian engineering at its most spectacular with 72 miles of track crossing the Pennines through hills and country landscapes. Built in the 1870s, the line features the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct, featuring 24 arches that span moorland.
The journey traverses three distinct landscapes: the Yorkshire Dales, Ribblehead, and Cumbria’s beautiful Eden Valley, approaching Carlisle. Limestone scenery gives way to millstone grit, then to sandstone, creating geological variety visible from carriage windows.
The highest mainline station in England sits at Dent, elevation, where passengers disembark into landscapes that feel remote despite being accessible by regular train service. The entire journey takes roughly two and a half hours, though many travellers break the trip at intermediate stations to walk or explore villages before continuing on later services.
2. Devon into Cornwall (Cornish Main Line)
The journey from Exeter into Cornwall follows the south Devon and Cornish coast with sections running so close to the sea that spray sometimes hits the carriage window! Travellers enjoy an English coastal landscape of seaside towns, fishing villages, beaches, and clifftop sections. Exeter to Penzance takes a few hours, though stopping at intermediate stations allows exploration of Cornwall’s distinct character and Celtic heritage.
The line between Dawlish and Teignmouth hugs the shoreline beneath red sandstone cliffs, with waves breaking just metres from the track during high tides and rough weather. Crossing the Royal Albert Bridge into Cornwall provides views of the Tamar estuary and sections that travel through Cornwall create plenty of opportunities to appreciate coastal views near St Austell, the china clay country around Par, and the approach to Penzance with the famous and imposing St Michael’s Mount visible across the bay.
- Carlisle to Barrow-In-Furness (Cumbrian Coast Line)
The railway connecting Carlisle to Lancaster features coastal landscapes, industrial heritage, and Irish Sea views. The route skirts the western edge of the Lake District National Park, offering glimpses of rolling hills and fells whilst traversing coastal plains, industrial towns, and shoreline sections where the railway runs within metres of beaches.
St Bees Head, Cumbria’s only Heritage Coast, appears briefly before the railway continues south and travels through small cities and towns along western England. The final section to Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster turns inland from the Cumbrian coast, travelling through Foxfield and Askam before arriving at the Barrow-In Furness station.
4. Newcastle to Carlisle (Tyne Valley Line)
The Tyne Valley railway follows the River Tyne as it flows from Newcastle to Carlisle in the west, past Northumberland landscapes and working agricultural countryside. Hadrian’s Wall runs roughly parallel to the railway for a significant section and small market towns provide intermediate stops along the way.
For history buffs, the station at Bardon Mill offers access to Vindolanda Roman fort and Hadrian’s Wall sections, allowing visitors to combine train travel with exploration of Roman Britain’s northern frontier. The landscape transitions from industrial Tyneside through increasingly rural valleys and eventually to Carlisle, where England meets Scotland. Rivers, woodland, and the distinctive Northumberland light create surreal, beautiful scenery. This part of northern England reveals quieter landscapes away from National Parks and famous tourist spots.
5. Manchester to Sheffield (Hope Valley Line)
The Hope Valley railway crosses the Peak District’s northern section, connecting Manchester and Sheffield through limestone dales, millstone grit moorland, and dramatic valley sections, Edale station provides access to the Pennine Way’s southern terminus, making this railway essential for hikers attempting Britain’s most famous long-distance walk.
The landscape transitions from urban Manchester through increasingly rural scenery approaching the Peak District, dramatic valley crossings through Hope Valley, and then descends into Sheffield’s industrial landscape. This 50-mile journey reveals northern England’s variety whilst demonstrating how railways connected industrial cities.
Totley tunnel is over three miles long (the 4th longest rail tunnel in England) and creates dramatic moments where the train plunges into darkness beneath moorland, then emerges into daylight in a completely different area. Combined with stops for walking or village stop-offs, the Hope Valley Line creates excellent day trips from either Manchester or Sheffield.
- Exeter to Barnstaple (Tarka Line)
Devon’s Tarka Line follows the River Taw valley through landscapes that inspired Henry Williamson’s “Tarka the Otter”. Pass through the gentle Devon countryside with valleys, woodland, and rural villages that are largely untouched by mass tourism. This single-track railway winds through agricultural landscape, revealing Devon’s quiet character away from coastal resorts and Dartmoor’s moorland.
Small stations serve villages like Eggesford, Lapford, and Umberleigh, where the railway remains vital transport connecting rural communities to Exeter and Barnstaple. Bridges cross the river repeatedly, landscapes of water meadows, woodland, and pasture that characterise Devon’s interior. The entire journey takes roughly seventy minutes, creating accessible day trips or transport connections for visitors exploring North Devon.
7. Newcastle to Middlesbrough (Durham Coast Line)
The Durham Coast Line offers a striking journey between north-east England’s city of Newcastle and Middlesbrough, with long stretches of North Sea views, coastal cliffs, sandy beaches, and reminders of an industrial past. The route passes through communities shaped by coal mining and heavy industry, while also revealing some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in northeast England.
Between Seaham, Hartlepool, and the smaller seaside and former mining settlements along the way, the line gives passengers an ever-changing mix of sea views, open coast, and urban-edge landscapes. It’s a route that many travellers overlook, but it rewards visitors to the country who want a journey that feels both scenic and historically grounded.
Get in touch with the experts at Best UK Tours and discuss private and bespoke tours to enhance your English travel adventure.
