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Pristine white linen and sparkling glassware adorn your table in one of our individually decorated 1930s Pullman-style carriages, which have been lovingly restored by some of the country's top craftspeople, including marquetry experts, muralists and mosaic artists. Within minutes, one of our liveried Stewards will carefully pour you a sparkling Mimosa cocktail as you study celebrated Head Chef Matthew Green’s sumptuous menu.
Ahead lies a journey back to the Golden Days of rail travel, a time when nothing was too good for the pampered passengers. As the date of your journey draws near our Executive Head Chef and his team will be hard at work in the kitchen carriage preparing a sumptuous three-course brunch and six-course dinner, accompanied by our Sommelier’s choice of wine. Each course boasts the finest seasonal ingredients from the British Isles, classic and innovative dishes are crafted in our recently refurbished kitchen carriage.
En route to Winchester a delicious three-course brunch is served as the glorious British countryside passes by. On arrival, spend your day at leisure, discover the history of the city, visit the abundance of shops and café’s or simply find a nice spot to rest and admire the views. Whatever you choose to do, spend it at your own leisurely pace.
After an incredible day we rejoin the Northern Belle for a Champagne reception, before tucking into a sumptuous six-course dinner during the leisurely journey home.
WINCHESTER
Once the ancient capital of England during the days of Alfred the Great, Winchester is still one of the country’s finest cities with its fascinating history and stunning Norman cathedral. There is a huge statue of Alfred – he was the Anglo-Saxon king who burnt an old lady’s cakes while hiding from the Vikings – in the main street. While hanging on the wall in the nearby Great Hall is what is reputed to be King Arthur’s Round Table.
There’s lots to see and do in this beguiling city on the edge of the South Downs National Park. Perhaps stroll along the River Itchen past Winchester College, the UK’s oldest public school whose famous old boys include Rishi Sunak, former Labour Party leader Hugh Gaitskill and author Anthony Trollope. A little further on is the cathedral, which the New Vaudeville Band sang a song about back in the hippie days of the 1960s. There will still be time to explore the quirky shops lining the narrow Mediaeval streets and perhaps stop for a drink at one of the olde worlde coffee houses or friendly pubs.
