The Rail Ale Ramble People

CROOKHAM TRAVEL

Quality Tours with Taste since 1977

 

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TRADITIONAL BREWERIES

HERITAGE RAILWAYS

GREAT PUBS & INNS

MODERN RAILTRACTION

HISTORIC TRAMWAYS

INLAND & COASTAL CRUISING

MICRO-BREWERIES

FUNICULAR RAILWAYS

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CLASSIC VEHICLES

NARROW-GAUGE TRAINS

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE

REAL CASK ALES

MONORAILS

LOVELY SCENERY

CITIES AND TOWNS

MODERN TRAMS

 

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Crookham Travel provides day tours and longer holidays with Brewery Visits, Pub Tours, Preserved Railways, Tram Systems, Christmas Markets, River Trips, Coastal Cruises, City and Country Breaks in the UK and abroad. See the pictures above for some of our past activities. Established since 1977, we have, so far, organised more than 360 trips for over 35,000 participants! Please check our "Tours" link above. All tours start from London (unless stated otherwise) but some may be joined en-route

Click on our TOURS tab above for details of all coming events and tours

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This website is currently undergoing some maintenance which is expected to be completed by Monday – please bear with us!  In the meantime, here are some of our plans...

 

EXCITING PROSPECTS FOR THIS YEAR AND NEXT!

FUTURE TOURS WITH CROOKHAM TRAVEL

It is sometimes necessary to change dates of proposed tours to align with best prices, availability or to avoid some Travellers’ own pre-bookings.  We do try to meet everyone’s free diary dates but just occasionally it cannot be achieved.  Noting that most of our regular customers do have busy diaries, this is an attempt to allow you to plan ahead, hopefully including us in your plans!

RAIL ALE RAMBLE No.160

Saturday 24th August 2013 – CONFIRMED

Our chosen date actually coincides with the one date this year that the Dark Star Brewery could accommodate our group.  Even then it is restricted to their maximum group size of 25. The tour will be on sale at the end of this moth after the usual research has been done.  The Dark Star places will be allocated on a strictly as received basis for those who have NOT been to the brewery.  The Ramblers who have will enjoy their beers in the adjacent pub.  Other breweries we hope to visit include Adur and Kissingate plus nice GBGs. 

GREEN HOP FESTIVAL + A TASTE OF BELGIUM

Friday 27th to Monday 30th September 2013 – CONFIRMED

This type of tour to the event in Worcestershire has been an aspiration for several years but the lack of a suitable hotel nearby has prevented it.  The success of the Canterbury Food & Drink Festival has now allowed us to use the extremely good value Grand Burstin Hotel at Folkestone harbour as our base.

The tour will begin at the Food festival and will include at least five brewery visits (one with barbeque), the East Kent Railway, the RH&DR, plus the usual smattering of GBGs, PLUS on Saturday we shall “hijack” a free coach trip to Calais that the hotel offers by redirecting ours to Belgium’s West Flanders!  This will give you two short breaks on the P&O ferry and two great visits to breweries in Watou (near Poperinge) in the centre of their hop-growing area.  The first will be to St. Bernardus), then to the very traditional Van Eecke brewery.  The village has several of the usual Belgian bars to be explored.

BELGIUM, BELGIUM AGAIN, PLEASE! 

Friday 1st to Monday 4th November 2013 – CONFIRMED

This plea has been made over many months and now circumstances allow a long-awaited visit.  This is being offered in lieu of our 2013 Xmas Markets tour (see below).

Our first visit to Belgium was in 1991(!): a lot has happened since and we have learned a lot too since then.  This tour will be based in the ancient town of Mons, allowing visits to some local breweries and other attractions.  We shall probably use a coach from Folkestone West (HS1 trains) via the Channel Tunnel.

XMAS MARKETS 2013

It has proved impossible to find acceptably-priced rooms in another city to replace Bremen, where our postponed visit has not been possible to re-arrange this year.  Amsterdam, Antwerp, Leuven, even Cologne were tried but rates are much higher than those to which we have become accustomed.  So Bremen (by rail) is now booked for:

5th – 9th December 2014 – CONFIRMED

THE FURNESS EXPLORER:

Friday 11th to Monday 14th April 2014 – CONFIRMED

Always a popular Explorer destination, the Lake District has seen another bunch of microbreweries blossom since our last visit, so we are offering this latest tour to the southern part of Cumbria.  It will be based in a high-quality hotel in Barrow-in-Furness (the bar just happens to have 10 handpumps!).  Local breweries new to us will be in the programme, as well as a full-length ride on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway – to reach a brewery, naturally.  We shall also pay a visit to the King of Piel Island – no, not a pub, but a man who owns the pub on the tiny island.  Rail travel probably to and from Lancaster to facilitate a visit to the Lancaster brewery and others in that area.

ISLE OF MAN – BACK AFTER A 13-YEAR ABSENCE

Wednesday 23rd to Monday 28th July 2014 – CONFIRMED

Not surprisingly since our last footfall on this beautiful island, much has happened; the main thing for us is that the vintage transport system is now in the safe hands of one Ian Longworth (well known to me as a tram buff) who, in his post of Director Transport, has breathed much-needed modern thinking into the island’s transport system.  It is a fact that the locos, rolling stock and trams are the oldest in the world that still operate in their original form.  We plan to be there for the long-running Transport extravaganza.  This provides easy opportunities to see and do many things that normally require private arrangements.  It was the intention to make this tour in 2013 but the shortage of suitable hotel rooms (following a dramatic fall in visitors this century) made it impossible.

We secured rooms (16 beds twin/double, 8 singles) for our dates many months ago so I now suggest that you register your place quickly with us as our bedstock is less than we can usually offer.

BAMBERG? YES PLEASE!

Early July / August / Early September 2014

This famous town was briefly visited during our 2003 Xmas Markets venture to Nuremburg in somewhat unpleasant weather.  The never-ending attraction of Bamberg’s historic buildings, many breweries, traditional pubs and a plethora of biergarten und kelleren surely demand much more attention.  We are therefore very pleased to be bringing this to you on this new tour to the region.  The tour will be with a coach from and to Frankfurt airport, with two nights at Wurzburg Maritim and 4/5 at a hotel in Bamberg.  Research will be made early next month and further details released thereafter.  The dates will have to be around the many festivals etc that can occur in the Franconia region and suitable distant from the IOM event.

XMAS MARKETS 2014

Thursday 5th to Monday 9th December 2014 – CONFIRMED

To Bremen (finally!) with an optional day trip to Hamburg – please see comments above.

 

 

 

 

 

CROOKHAM TRAVEL
11 Attlee Gardens, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire GU52 6PH
Telephone & Fax: 01252 66 56 52

email: crookhamtravel@gmail.com

"Quality Tours with Taste Since 1977"

International passenger protection

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In accordance with "The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992" all passengers booking with Crookham Travel are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies paid to us, including repatriation if required, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Crookham Travel. There is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips, and none is provided. This insurance is only valid for packages booked that DO NOT include flights. Consumer aware: Your booking is insured by IPP Ltd and its panel of insurers. - This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Crookham Travel. For further information please go to www.ipplondon.co.uk. This Insurance has been arranged by International Passenger Protection Limited and underwritten by Insurers who are members of the Association of British Insurers & Lloyds

 

 

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