THE SNAHR TOUR
The St Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway is located in the lush green countryside in the northern parish of St Peter, on the lands of the historic St Nicholas Abbey residence and rum distillery. Enjoy a scenic ride with narrated tour on the heritage steam railway culminating at Cherry Tree Hill with panoramic views over the rugged Atlantic coastline.
Before departure from the Railway Station a short presentation will be made on the operation and security regulations of the locomotive before you board one of the three carriages for an experience of a lifetime.
On the sound of the guard's shrill whistle, the train moves off northwards towards the historic residence of St Nicholas Abbey Great House. Here it will pause briefly before continuing around the lake, which features wild water fowl and migratory birds, before turning through the mature mahogany woodlands. You will pass towering royal palms, deep rock cuttings of an abandoned limestone quarry, which resonates the sound of the engine off the rock faces. It is believed that the stone for the original construction of the house was quarried from this site. The entrance into the eerily quiet quarry is in stark contrast to the lush breezy open terrain. Climbing slightly and at high elevation to and looking down on the famous Cherry Tree mahogany avenue, you will make the entrance to Cherry Tree Hill, the highlight of the trip.
Here passengers may disembark to fully appreciate and enjoy the spectacular views and to browse the wares of the small group of local vendors. A unique feature is the turntable at Cherry Tree Hill where you can experience firsthand and even participate in the turning of the locomotive. It is only a few minute exercise but makes for a wonderful photo opportunity and experience. The locomotive then reconnects to the opposite end of the carriages for the the commencement of the return journey downhill. Once out of the mahogany woodlands, there are amazing panoramic vistas of the North Coast of the island and the sleepy rural village of Castle and Boscobel, where many of the staff hail from.
On disembarking at the train station, passengers have the opportunity to visit the gift shop which stocks the St Nicholas Abbey world class single cask rums, and unique sugar and rum related products produced and sold only at the Abbey, and Whistles Cafe for some refreshment.
The train ride is approximately one hour. However, for those passengers opting for a dual entry ticket there is also the tour of the Great House, the 1930's movie of the plantation, viewing of the circa 1890's refurbished steam mill (operational between January and June), the rum distillery, bottling plant and a taste of our world class rums.
We recommend you arrive in good time (at least 20 minutes prior to your departure time) and we have a cafe and gift shop on site to also enjoy. In total, you should allow about 90 minutes for your visit.
All guests should be properly attired and are required to wear shirts and shoes. Shoes MUST be worn at all times. St. Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway reserves the right to exclude guests who wear inappropriate clothing. Examples of inappropriate wear include: Clothing displaying offensive messages/language; Swimwear or clothing which exposes inappropriate portions of the body.
Visit our FAQs page on this website for more information and for instructions on how to find us click on the 'Directions' link at the bottom of the page.
