The Royal Station Hotel

The Royal Station Hotel

The Royal Station Hotel is situated in the heart of the small market town of Carnforth, overlooking the historic railway station, made famous as the setting for the 1945 classic Noël Coward film, ‘Brief Encounter’.

With the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales, the Trough of Bowland, the ancient city of Lancaster and Morecambe Bay all on the doorstep, the Royal Station is the perfect place to stay if you’re planning to explore this beautiful corner of England.

FOOD

Our approach to dining at the Royal Station Hotel in Carnforth is easy. Excellent Food.Excellent service. Wherever possible we use the very best local suppliers from Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Lake District, to ensuring your meal is packed full of flavour. Whether it’s a hearty breakfast to start the day; a light lunch with friends; or an evening meal to celebrate a special occasion, our tasty menu has something to offer everyone. From a simple soup and a sandwich, to a fine steak, all of our meals are prepared using the finest seasonal ingredients. The Royal Station hotel boasts our all new lounge bar “Estación de Tapas” bringing some delectable Spanish flavours to Carnforth. Or maybe you just want to unwind after work with a pint of local ale or a glass of fine wine.Whatever your reason for your visit to the Royal Station Hotel, our friendly team will make you feel at home.

This fine old building was established in 1880 as Carnforth Station steamed into local history. Together with the expansion of Carnforth Junction came the need to provide accommodation for overnight passengers travelling countrywide.

The original gaze of the hotel, the curved front door, was fixed onto the emerging station. The town thrived as the railway transported increased business into the local community. The Station Hotel provided a faithful haven for the accompanying travellers. Local historians record that it was considered one of the finest hotels in the North West. Indeed in 1900, it became the ‘Royal’ Station Hotel in recognition of the fact that the Duke of York, later to become George V, availed himself of the hotel’s hospitality during a shooting trip.

The building hauntingly retains many of its original features. On the first floor is the Victoria Ballroom. Not only has it provided the venue for countless weddings and local celebrations, it is also the site of the first cinema in Carnforth. Later, the popular Roxy Picture House was housed opposite, in what is now the local Co-op building.

Like the town and the railway it has found a new beginning, a new future. One that offers another generation of visitors an encounter that need never be brief.