Rail Ale Trail

Every stop is a stout….or a bitter, or a mild, or a lager!

A ride on the East Lancashire Railway offers not only stunning countryside but tucked away villages, hidden gems (and pubs) and plenty of fascinating history and quirky facts and stories.

The East Lancashire Railway’s Rail Ale Trail takes you on a journey to discover some of the Irwell Valley’s most beautiful locations and exceptional pubs, all linked together by the railway. Whether you are an ale lover, cider celebrator or cream soda specialist, you will find something to suit your taste buds at every station along the route.

Simply download the Rail Ale Trail guide if you wish to follow the trail at your own pace. The guide is designed as a handy accompaniment and is helpful whichever ELR station you decide to start or finish your tour at. What could be better than a steam-powered pub crawl in rural Lancashire?

Plan your own Rail Ale Trail, take a look at our timetable!

You can always combine your own trail with your Residents Permit for reduced travel fares or with a visit to one of our Steam or Diesel Galas! Check our events list for more ideas! Why not turn up early and get yourself a hearty breakfast at The Trackside!

Longing for more?

For a more in-depth tour with plenty of fun to be had (and a few pints of course!), why not join one of the organised guided tours with a professionally qualified tour guide?

What’s Included

The tours include a guided tour and different pub stops along the East Lancashire Railway depending on which tour you pick. Each tour includes*:

No matter which one you choose, each tour is sure to entertain and will include plenty of stories about beer, brewing and local history told in a fun and anecdotal way!

*Drinks and food not included unless otherwise mentioned in the tour description

How does it work

Lasting approximately 4 to 5 hours, each tour has a maximum limit of 25 people and a minimum limit of 10 people. The guided tours meet up outside of The Trackside at Bolton Street Station unless stated otherwise. Please be aware that the Rail Ale Trail tours often involve walking, so appropriate footwear and clothing is recommended. The Rail Ale Trail is open to over 18′s only.

Pick your tour

First pick the kind of tour you want:

Classic Trails

Rail Ale Tour Ramsbottom, £21.50 per person

The village known as “Tups’-ass” at the ticket office at Manchester Victoria Train Station in times gone by, and a great place to sample some fine real ales! The family of Robert Peel – the founder of the Police Force in 1829 – established a successful printing business in this village. Nowadays Ramsbottom is a thriving conservation village with it’s own brewery, Irwell Works, and a wealth of history and pubs to keep us happy on our trail.

Rail Ale Tour Summerseat and Ramsbottom including lunch, £26.50 per person

Summerseat is a hidden gem of a village resting along the East Lancashire Railway line and is often overlooked by visitors to the area. Come along with us as we take a traditional pub lunch and a beer (or two) at one of the many pubs that are tucked away in the scenic rural surroundings. Listen to stories of illegal brewing, rebellious landlords who come back from the grave and a mill empire to make Sir Alan Sugar jealous! The tour then continues to Ramsbottom (on board the train) for more pub visits.

Special Tours

Trams, transport and beer, £21.50 per person

A classic rail ale tour with all of the usual ale trimmings but starting at Bury Transport Museum, one of the towns hidden treasures. Learn more about the museum and its vintage vehicles and original artefacts whilst supping your bottle of East Lancs Ale before hopping on a heritage train to continue with the tour, and of course, the beer sampling.

Beer and chocolate, £21.50 per person

Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival will be in full swing during this tour, offering an opportunity to
enjoy two of mankind’s greatest achievements, chocolate and beer. The tour includes a visit to the Festival with a chocolate beer sampling session.

Fathers Day weekend special, £21.50 per person

Treat the old man to a day out with a difference. The East Lancashire Railway celebrates fathers day in style. Discover some of the history of this storied region and its founding fathers over a beer before hopping on a train to Ramsbottom to sample more ale!

Beer -N – Boots, £21.50 per person

This beer train comes with a health warning! Lace up those hiking boots because trekkers on this trail will be climbing hills and marching long distances in an epic quest for ale! Grab an optional bacon butty at The Trackside before we set off by train to Ramsbottom, you might need the energy! From Ramsbottom the tour hikes up Holcombe and follows with a stop at the Irwell Works Brewery.

Celebrate with a beer! 182 Years of Rail Ale journeys, £21.50 per person

Join us on a classic trail to Ramsbottom, coinciding with the 1830 opening of the Liverpool to Manchester line – the worlds first passenger railway line, kick starting rail ale journeys around the world.

Beer ‘n’ Songs, £26.50 Per person

Whet your whistle with ale as you’ll need it to join in the chorus on this musical meander around Summerseat and Ramsbottom. Our “man with the voice and guitar” Rob Mason joins us for this unique tour accompanied by Lancashire folklore, wit and songs.

Halloween (Pale) Ale Trail, £21.50 per person

Buff up those vampire fangs and dust off your cape, join the East Lancashire Railway for gruesome and spooky stories to make your ale go pale! Haunted Bury is the starting point then take a steam train to Ramsbottom to sample some of the best ale pubs in the village.

Christmas Ale Express

Get the tinsel out of the office cupboard! Christmas Ale Express tours are available throughout December to corporate and Christmas party bookings. Call for more details.

Sampling Tours

The East Lancashire Railway teams up with pubs like The First Chop in Ramsbottom to provide a series of tours to tingle your taste-buds. These sampling sessions give you the opportunity to try out new tipples in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

These tours include a full line return ticket, a guided tour by a qualified Blue or Green Badge Tour Guide and a fine bottle of ale, cider or beer depending on which tour you choose!

(Please note this replaces the usual ELR Ale provided on the tour).

Unless otherwise stated the tours start at The Trackside Bar on Platform 2 of Bolton Street Station.

Continental Beer Sampling, £26.50 per person

Make like a cosmopolitan and try out some European ales, no passport required! Get to know your “Pilsner” from your “Witbier” at this special Rail Ale sampling session hosted by The First Chop.

Ey Up – Cider up North? £26.50 per person

Did you think all cider was brewed down South. Come and meet a Yorkshire craftsman from Holmfirth Cider Farm and sample his wares; just don’t ask him to buy you a pint! This cider sampling session is hosted at The First Chop.

American Craft Ale Special, £26.50 per person

If you want to find out whether you should stroke or pour your “brew dog” join us during Thanksgiving week for this special Rail Ale sampling session, and learn more about the American craft ales that are hitting our shores at the moment. This sampling takes place at The First Chop.

Pick your date

Pick the ideal date for your tour:

Date Time Ale Tour Route
Saturday 19 May 11.30am – 4pm Trams, Transport and Beer
Saturday 26 May 12 – 4pm Continental Beer Sampling
Saturday 9 June 12 – 4pm Ramsbottom trail
Saturday 16 June 12 – 4pm Father’s Day Weekend Special
Sunday 17 June 12 – 4pm Father’s Day Weekend Special
Saturday 14 July 12 – 4pm Beer “n” Songs
Saturday 21 July 11.30am – 4.35pm Summerseat and Ramsbottom trail including lunch
Saturday 28 July 10am – 4.35pm Beer – N – Boots
Saturday 11 August 10am – 4.35pm Beer – N – Boots
Saturday 1 September 12 – 4pm Ey Up – Cider up North?
Saturday 15 September 12 – 4pm Celebrate with a beer!
Saturday 27 October 11am – 4pm Halloween (Pale) Ale Trail
Saturday 27 October 12 – 5pm Halloween (Pale) Ale Trail
Saturday 24 November 12 – 4pm American Craft Ale Special


Pre booking is essential for the Rail Ale Trail. To make a booking select one of the following options:Make your booking

Click HERE to book a classic trail
Click HERE to book a Summerseat and Ramsbottom Trail including lunch
Click HERE to book for Beer and Chocolate
Click HERE to book for Trams Transport and Beer
Click HERE to book for Fathers Day Weekend special
Click HERE to book for Beer N Boots
Click HERE to book for Celebrate with a Beer
Click HERE to book for the Halloween (Pale) Ale Trail
Click HERE to book for the Continental Beer Sampling Trail
Click HERE to book for the Ey Up – Cider up North Trail
Click HERE to book for the American Craft Ale Special Trail

For the latest news follow the East Lancs Rail Ale Tour on Twitter: @Rail_Ale

To share photos and stories you can also join our Rail Ale Trail Facebook page.

 ** Special Offers**

We have teamed up with some of the local pubs to offer some great foodie deals to help you soak up the ale!

The First Chop in Ramsbottom is offering valid East Lancashire Railway ticket holders 10% off on drinks at the bar and 20% off on food (excluding Friday and Saturday after 7PM). Take your ticket along and get stuck in.

If your still hungry why not visit the Hamer’s Arms in Summerseat, present your railway ticket and enjoy a bowl of home-made soup and a sandwich for just £4.00!