8 to 10 hour tours
Suggested combinations of destinations
Bath | Stonehenge | Avebury |
Winchester | Salisbury
Stratford upon Avon | Oxford | Blenheim
Palace | Warwick Castle | Cotswolds
Leeds Castle | Canterbury | Dover | Rochester
| Sissinghurst | Tunbridge Wells
Cambridge and Suffolk villages
Brighton | Arundel
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Bath: Built in the 18th century as a health resort for
the rich and famous, characterized by its elegant sandstone terraces,
crescents and circuses. The Roman baths are 2000 years old. Combine
with Salisbury and Stonehenge.
Stonehenge: Dates from 4500 years ago, believed to
be a sun temple and associated with the summer solstice. Combine
with either Avebury, another ancient burial site, Bath or Salisbury.
Avebury: stone circles dating from 2400 BC.
Winchester:
Capital of England under Alfred the Great, cathedral city, burial
place of Jane Austen. Noted brethens hall at St Cross' Hospital
and where travellers can still collect " wayfarers dole".
Combine with Salisbury and Old Sarum.
Salisbury: Market town with 13th century cathedral
and tallest spire in Britain. Home to Magna Carta 1215. Old Sarum
was site of original cathedral made famous by Edwards Rutherford's
novel of the same name. Combine with Stonehenge, Winchester,
Bath.
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Stratford upon Avon: Shakespeare's
birth and burial place. Visit his wife's ( Anne Hathaway)thatched
family home and learn about "stop gap", "pot luck"
"sleeping tight" and "threshold". Beautiful
setting by the River Avon. Combine with Cotswolds, Warwick,
Oxford and Blenheim.
Oxford: Renowned for its " colleges" and
education of Britain's elite since the 1300s. Visit England's
smallest cathedral, a college "quad" and dining hall
and see where Harry Potter was filmed. Also links with Alice
in Wonderland and the Clintons. Combine with Blenheim Palace,
Cotswolds, Windsor Castle and Stratford.
Blenheim Palace: Built by the Duke of Marlborough
and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Permanent exhibition
of memorabilia and fine collection of paintings and porcelain.
Combine with Oxford, Stratford, Woodstock village and the
Cotswolds.
Warwick Castle: This medieval castle is associated
with the Earl of Warwick "the "kingmaker". Impressive
wax works by Madame Tussaud shows society and royalty 100 years
ago. Dungeons, English civil war "sets" and battlement
walk. Combine with Stratford, Cotswolds.
Cotswolds: Countryside north of Oxford with gently
wooded hills and villages built of local rich limestone from
the proceeds of the prosperous wool trade. Noted villages are
Stow on the Wold, Burton on the Water, Chedworth, the Slaughters
and Burford. Combine with Oxford and Blenheim Palace.
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Blenheim Palace
Warwick Castle
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Leeds Castle: Once the home of Lord Culpepper, governor of Virginia
1680-83 and left in trust to the nation by USA millionaires Lady
Baillie. Englands most romantic castle stands on three islands
in a lake and is more than 800 years old. Short drive from
Canterbury.
Canterbury: the mother church of England founded in 597
AD. Magnificent cathedral town, site of the martyrdom of Thomas
a Becket in 1170 and pilgrimages, immortalized by Geoffrey Chaucer's
" Canterbury Tales" Combine with Leeds Castle, Dover
Castle or Sissinghurst.
Dover: principal 'Gateway to England' and a military
stronghold from Roman times onwards. In WW1 the port was the
headquarters of the Dover Patrol, an organization of British
and American naval ships. Visit Dover Castle, Hell Fire Corner
(network of tunnels) and the White Cliffs. Combine with Canterbury,
Rye, and Leeds Castle.
Rochester: Visit
the Norman cathedral and 11th century castle in this town associated
with the novels of Charles Dickens. Discover 'Little Dorrit',
the Uncommercial Traveller and the Pickwick Papers. Combine
with Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells and Penshurst.
Sissinghurst Castle and Garden: The castle was built
by Sir John Baker, an ardent supporter of Mary Tudor and bought
and restored in 1930 by Vita Sackville West, a descendant of
the original builder. She and her husband Sir Harold Nicholson
created the stunning gardens. Combine with Leeds Castle.
Tunbridge Wells: Spa town and most distinguished inland
health resort from the 17th century renowned for its waters still
available in the Pantiles area of the town. Located in beautiful
hilly woodlands. Home of William Thackeray (author of Vanity
Fair) and holiday retreat of Queen Victoria. Combine with
Penshurst Place.
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Cambridge: the second oldest university town also known as
"the other place", where Isaac Newton discovered the
law of gravity. Renowned King's College with its choir and Ruben's
" The Magi". Combine with visit to Ely Cathedral
and Suffolk villages.
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Brighton: Most famous of seaside resorts with links to royalty
(Royal Pavilion),Charles Dickens, Sir Laurence Olivier and Livingstone,
the explorer. Find " shampoo", Brighton rock and Volks'
"electric railway" and walk on Brighton Pier to complete
the experience. Combine with Arundel Castle or Chartwell.
Arundel Castle:
pitched on a steep slope above the river Arun this seat of the
Duke of Norfolk rivals Windsor Castle. Near Brighton.
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Brighton Pavilion
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