Places to go in the UK: Chathill for Ellingham Hall

Most of my visits for this column are to towns and cities, but small rural stations sometimes yield useful places to visit. I was in need of a “writing day” and settled upon Ellingham Hall in north Northumberland for a day out, using the small station at Chathill only...

Places to go in the UK: Perth, Scotland

In the Brockley Whins area of South Tyneside are two adjoining housing estates.  To the west is the Scotch estate where all the roads are named after cities and towns in Scotland, which is Jarrow NE32.  To the east is the Australian estate in South Shields NE34, roads...

Places to Go: North Berwick

North Berwick is a small town in East Lothian, Scotland, not to be confused with Berwick upon Tweed which is in England. The latter is on the East Coast Main Line from London to Edinburgh.  North Berwick is on a spur off the main line, and the local trains serve five...

Places to go in the UK: Leeds Castle

How to get there Leeds is a regular day visit away from the northeast with TransPennine Express, but Leeds Castle is adjacent to the village of Leeds in the middle of Kent.  To get there, you’ll need to travel beyond London and on to the South Eastern (SE) service to...

Places to Go in the UK: Hebden Bridge

Hebden Bridge railway station lies on the Calder Valley Line between Manchester Victoria and Leeds City. The station is now painted in the original Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway colors, decorated with hanging baskets, original signage and luggage trolleys.  The...

Places to Go in the UK: Girvan

Girvan, on the southwest coast of Scotland, is not the first destination of choice when considering a rail trip to the coast.  It takes longer to get to from the northeast than London and is on the indirect route to Stranraer via Kilmarnock. It can be reached along...