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Tearooms, Pubs, Castles of the Cotswolds, Devon, Cornwall and Wessex
offered by supplier M15375 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 13
day(s)
Group Size: 5
- 10
people
Destination(s):
England
Specialty Categories:
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
Season: June
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 3695 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 3695 US Dollar (USD)
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** Please read** We are a small tour company that arranges and conducts each tour personally and so we are only able to offer each tour only once a year. We do not offer any other tours other than with the tour dates listed. This tour is offered just once each year from June 15th - 27th.
Attractions:
- Stratford-upon-Avon
- Chipping Campden
- The Cotswolds
- Sudeley Castle
- Barnstaple
- Cheddar Gorge
- Cheddar Sweet Kitchen
- Glastonbury Abbey
- Arlington Court
- Devonshire Cream Tea
- Tintagel Castle
- Penwith Tour
- Penzance
- Plymouth
- Mayflower Stone & Step
- Dartmoor National Park
- Stonehenge
- Winchester Cathedral
- Windsor and Windsor Castle
- Theatre Royal Windsor
Tea is a way of life in Great Britain with more tearooms than any other place on earth. And you have to eat someplace anyway, so we try to incorporate as many of these tearooms into our tours as possible. Each tour is designed to accommodate only 8 - 10 people for a more personal experience and to allow you to get the most of your holiday.
Keeping the tour size small gives us the opportunity to veer from the beaten path and take advantage of accommodations, restaurants and sightseeing that would not be available to larger groups. You may find yourself staying in a delightful city guesthouse, a small country house hotel, a comfortable farmhouse and an old coaching Inn all in the same visit. You will not be rushed from venue to venue and we spend as little time on the bus as possible.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 - June 14th - Depart for London, England.
Day 2 - Arrive London Heathrow. As we make our way out of the city our first stop will be Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, steeped in culture and history in the beautiful rural Warwickshire Countryside, on the banks of the River Avon. Afternoon Tea at Benson's in Stratford. This afternoon we visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Gardens. The beautiful thatched farmhouse was occupied by descendants of the Hathaway family until it's purchase by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1892 and still contains many rare family items of furniture that date back to Anne's time.Welcoming Pub Dinner at the Shakespeare Tavern. Overnight Chipping Campden.(L,D)
Day 3 - This morning you will want to explore this beautiful Old Cotswolds Market Town before we visit Badger's Hall for Afternoon Tea in their quintessential English Tea Room. Chipping Campden was the centre for wool trade during the 14th and 15th centuries and has retained its feel of a place stepped back in time. After tea we visit Broadway and the Broadway Tower. Built in 1799, it is a perfect example of an 18th century Gothic folly. At 1024 feet above sea level you can see 13 counties! Back in Chipping Campden we will have Dinner at The Eight Bells, a traditional 14th century Cotswolds Inn. Overnight Chipping Campden.(B,L,D)
Day 4 - Today our journey will take us to Winchecombe and Sudeley Castle and Gardens. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Cotswold Hills, Sudeley Castle is steeped in history. With royal connections spanning a thousand years, it has played an important role in the turbulent and changing times of England's past. We will stop for lunch at the Olde Bakery Tea Room in Winchecombe. Then we are off to Malmesbury for Malmesbury Abbey and The Abbey House Gardens. This unique garden is set against the backdrop of the Abbey with the River Inglebourne flowing throughout. The 800 year old Abbey is magnificent and houses a Bible from the year 1407! Dinner on your own tonight. Overnight Malmesbury.(B,L,D)
Day 5 - This morning we are off to North Devon. On the way we will drive through Cheddar Gorge, a narrow winding ravine with limestone rocks rising almost vertically on either side to a height of 400 feet! In the very heart of the famous Cheddar Gorge you will find one of the most fascinating sights in Somerset, the Cheddar Sweet Kitchen. A tiny sweet factory where visitors are invited in to watch craftsman at work. The Mizen family have been making sweets in this area for five generations. Cheddar gives it's name to the rich cheese that was founded here. Further on we find Glastonbury and Glastonbury Abbey. The Abbey presents itself as "traditionally the oldest above-ground Christian church in the World situated in the mystical land of Avalon" and was begun in 712AD. Then on to Barnstaple for Pub Dinner at the 15th century Chichester Arms. Overnight North Devon.(B,D)
Day 6 - This morning we visit Arlington Court and Gardens, a 2700 acre estate nestling in the thickly wooded valley of the River Yeo. The house contains model ships, tapestry, pewter and shells. The stable block houses one of the best collections of 19th-century horse-drawn vehicles in the country and we will take a Carriage Ride around the grounds. We'll then stop for a Traditional Devonshire Cream Tea at Sir George Newnes Tea Room. We then will take a lovely coastal drop with stops in the lovely seaside villages of Ilfracombe and Combe Martin. Dinner on your own tonight. Overnight North Devon.(B,L)
Day 7 - Today we start our day journeying toward Truro in Cornwall. We'll travel the coast line to Tintagel and the romantic and mysterious ruins of Tintagel Castle overlooking the sea. Some believe this is the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur. We will stop at Wadebridge for Tea at Carnewas Tearoom and Garden with the most spectacular view in Cornwall. This afternoon finds us in Truro where we will visit Truro Cathedral followed by a delightful exploration of Truro's cobbled streets and alleys lined with craft shops. We are then off to Falmouth for a Seafood Dinner at Hunky Dory. Overnight Falmouth.(B,L,D)
Day 8 - Today we will take the Penwith Tour offering spectacular, remote Cornish landscape, dotted with relics of the tin mining industry, picturesque fishing villages and prehistoric remains. Our first stop is Lanyon Quoit, a prehistoric chambered tomb. We will stop in Penzance for lunch and some exploration. Following lunch we continue to The Merry Maidens, a circle of 19 stones said to be girls turned to stone for dancing on Sunday. We will also stop at Lands End, Britain's most westerly point. We then return to Falmouth for dinner on your own. Overnight Falmouth.(B,L)
Day 9 - This morning we are on our way to Plymouth which is the regional capitol for Devon and Cornwall. In Plymouth we will visit Mayflower Stone and Steps from where the Pilgrims set forth to the New World in 1620. We will stop for Traditional Fish & Chips Lunch before continuing to Dartmoor region of Devon. We will take a Dart River Cruise this afternoon from Totnes to Dartmouth. We will pass Sandridge House, designed by architect John Nash and the lush Greenway Estate, once the home of Dame Agatha Christie and now belonging to the National Trust. Pub Dinner and Overnight near Exeter.(B,L,D)
Day 10 - Today will be spent in the Dartmoor National Park which provided the eerie background for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles". Our first stop will be Buckland-in-the-Moor, one of the most picturesque thatch and granite villages in Dartmoor. We'll drive through Dartmeet at the confluence of the East and West Dart Rivers. We will stop for a Picnic Lunch before continuing our journey. The next stop is Grimspound, an impressive site of bronze Age huts built 4,000 years ago! We will also stop at Becky Falls with its delightful woodland walks and a viewing platform over the 72 foot falls. Dinner on your own tonight. Overnight Near Exeter.(B,L)
Day 11 - Up early today as we head west with our first stop at Stonehenge just outside of Salisbury. Stonehenge is Europe's most famous prehistoric monument dating back to 3,000BC. We will spend some time exploring here before heading further east to Winchester and Winchester Cathedral. Once in Winchester we stop for Afternoon Tea at Forte Tearooms. Winchester Cathedral dates from 1079 with a church on this site since 648. Jane Austen is buried here and the cathedral possesses the only diatonic ring of 14 church bells in the world, with a tenor (heaviest bell) weighing almost 2 tons. We are then off to Windsor for an evening free in the city. Overnight Windsor.(B,L)
Day 12 - The town of Windsor is dwarfed by the enormous Windsor Castle. Before visiting the castle you will board an Open Top Tour Bus for a tour of the city. After the tour of the city you will return to Windsor Castle for a tour. Windsor is the oldest continuously inhabited royal residence in Britain and makes a lovely visit. Your bus tour ticket is good for 24 hours of hop on and off service and you may use it as you take in the sites of the city. Farewell Dinner and Performance at the Theatre Royal in Windsor. The Theatre Royal has gained a reputation for the quality of its productions and is currently one of Britain's leading theatres. Overnight Windsor.(B,D)
Day 13 - Return to London Heathrow for the journey home.(B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Notes: This tour is offered once each year in June.
Price includes:
- All accommodation in 3 or 4 star British Tourist Board Approved accommodations
- Full English breakfast each morning
- All lunches and dinners as listed in itinerary
- Porterage of one suitcase per person
- Minibus travel including tour guide
- Knowledgeable guide for all tourist venues
- All sightseeing as indicated in itinerary including any entrance fees
- All taxes and service charges
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
England
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
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