Four great rural weekends by train

The North York Moors 

Pickering’s castle ruins and old stone buildings make it a pleasant place to wander in its own right, but its location right on the edge of the North York Moors, is the reason walkers flock here. There are a range of great hikes available, including the use of the North York Moors Railway to take you to Levisham and leave you around an 8-mile hike home. You could also head further into the moors to walk an abandoned railway on the Rosedale loop or wander over to the Hole of Horcum, a huge natural amphitheatre made by either spring-based subsidence, or a giant named Wade throwing earth at his wife, depending on how romantic you’re feeling.

From King’s Cross, the LNER followed by the 840 Coastliner can land you in Pickering in just under four hours, with the Transpennine from Manchester and the same bus taking around three. You could make an early start and be on the moors by lunchtime. 

Stay at: The White Swan Inn, for the fireside, bathtubs and big beds that make perfect post-hike comfort. 

Lymington & The New Forest 

It doesn’t have to be summer to skip down to the coast for a few days. From Lymington, only 2.5 hours on the train from London, you can head out to pebbly beaches or to walk the line of beach huts clinging to the Mudeford sandspit, enjoying the fresh breezes and maybe a paddle if you get a late-season heatwave. If the weather remains determinedly autumnal and you’d rather stay inland, then you can go in search of the New Forest’s wild ponies or wander the waterways that carve through the countryside.   

Stay at: The Old Mill, on the eastern edge of the New Forest, which is a destination in itself, with wonderful gardens and grounds, including an enchanting Secret Garden, full of artworks, sculptures and exhibits. 

Salisbury 

Salisbury is the kind of leafy market town that’s perfect for idling away a couple of days. There are easy day trips out to historic houses and gardens, like Wilton House, Old Wardour Castle or Mottisfont, which has the National Rose Collection. You could also tour plenty of the National Garden Scheme gardens in Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. Throw in a trip to Stonehenge and a visit to one of the country pubs that line the banks of the River Avon and you have a laid-back weekend of calming natural beauty. It takes around 90 minutes to come down to Salisbury from London, so you could even decide to leave late afternoon and be away in the countryside for dinner. 

Stay at: 19 Glenmore Road, where hosts Biddy and Tim (along with the cats and chickens), love welcoming guests to their quiet retreat. 

Rutland 

The man-made reservoir of Rutland Water is England’s second largest lake, beaten only by Windermere, with huge areas of the surrounding wetlands and shore habitats designated as important for conservation. As such, it’s a fabulous place to go birdwatching, especially since the return of ospreys, which were reintroduced in the 90s and are now thriving.

There are some lovely gardens within easy reach, like Coton Manor, Cottesbrooke Hall and Barnsdale, but the grounds at Hambleton Hall itself might just be all you need, and the pool is there for a refreshing dip at the end of the day. A combination of the Greater Anglia service to Cambridge and a Cross Country onwards can drop you in Oakham, a few miles from Hambleton Hall, in under three hours. You’ll still need to walk or get a taxi for the last section, but once you’re there you won’t need to leave.  

Stay at: Hambleton Hall, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and the sort of grandeur that makes you feel as if you own all you survey. 

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