| 10 Days ~ England
~ Scotland ~ Wales
Tour
Pace
Well paced tour with two night stays in the
Scottish capital, Edinburgh, & Torquay on the 'English Riviera.' Distances
on driving days are comfortable, with regular stops at points of interest
along the way.
DAY 1 – SUN –
LONDON – STRATFORD
After meeting your Tour
Director, head off to Oxford to see the city’s famous university
buildings. Afterwards, visit Churchill’s grave at Bladon before taking a
scenic drive through the golden stone villages of the Cotswolds to the
market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, home to William Shakespeare, whose
birthplace you will visit. Then to your hotel to enjoy a Welcome Drink this
evening. Hotel: Hilton Warwick. (dinner)
DAY 2 – MON –
STRATFORD – YORK
See Coventry’s two
cathedrals before heading north to York. Walk inside the ancient city walls
to see the maze of narrow streets including the Shambles, where the houses
lean towards each other so far that they almost touch. See also the York
Minster, largest medieval church in northern Europe. Enjoy a Highlight
Dinner in the evening. Hotel: Quality (Full breakfast, Specialty Highlight Dinner)
DAY 3 – TUE –
YORK – EDINBURGH
Head north through the
landscapes immortalised by the Brontë family and James Heriot to Durham
where an orientation tour shows you the cathedral and castle. Move on to the
Northumberland Moors and into Scotland at Carter Bar in the wild Cheviot
Hills. Pass the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey and cross the salmon-rich river
Tweed before reaching the beautiful Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Hotel:
Hilton Grosvenor. (Full breakfast)
DAY 4 – WED –
EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING
With your local guide,
drive along Prince’s Street past the ornate Scott Memorial into the 18th
century New Town with its classical Adam facades. Across in the Old Town,
visit Edinburgh Castle, perched high on its rock. Follow the Royal Mile down
to the Palace of Holyroodhouse where Mary Queen of Scots lived – it is
still the official Scottish residence of the Queen. The rest of the day is
at leisure. Selected departures enjoy the Edinburgh Tattoo – a colourful
mixture of military manoeuvres, complete with pipes and drums.
(Full breakfast)
DAY 5 – THU –
EDINBURGH – LAKE DISTRICT
Begin the day with a
spectacular drive through the contrasting scenery of the Southern Uplands,
and stop to visit the Moffat Woollen Mills before crossing the border back
into England. Travel through the ‘Auld Grey Town’ of Kendall on your way
to visit Levens Hall. Admire the ornate Great Hall of this Elizabethan manor
and the renowned Topiary Gardens, designed in 1690. Continue to your hotel,
close to the shores of Lake Windermere. Hotel: Low Wood. (Full Breakfast, dinner)
DAY 6 – FRI –
LAKE DISTRICT – CHESTER
Enjoy the beauty of the
English Lake District in lakeside Grasmere, where you will visit poet
William Wordsworth’s grave in the local churchyard. Head to the former
Roman fortress of Chester, where an orientation tour within the well
preserved walls shows you the galleried shopping arcades called the
‘Rows’ and fine half-timbered buildings. See also the remains of the
Roman Amphitheatre, the colourful Jubilee Clock and impressive cathedral.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza. (Full Breakfast, dinner)
DAY 7 – SAT –
CHESTER – BRISTOL
The morning’s route
follows the Welsh borders to ancient Ludlow, which today is a bustling town
still dominated by the massive fortress built to resist the frequent Welsh
raids; meanwhile, the 15th century mansions on Broad Street reflect a later
time of peace and prosperity. Pass through the apple orchards of
Herefordshire before crossing into Wales, ‘Land of Song’. In the
enchanting Wye Valley, pass the ruins of Tintern Abbey and cross the Severn
Bridge back into England. The night is spent in the city of Bristol. Hotel:
Marriott City Centre. (Full
breakfast)
DAY 8 – SUN –
BRISTOL – PLYMPTON (PLYMOUTH)
Drive to the delightful
Georgian city of Bath, its curative waters famous since Roman times. Visit
the 18th century Pump Room and the ancient Baths, where parts of the Roman
plumbing are still in use. See the 15th century Abbey before continuing to
mysterious Glastonbury, a town steeped in legend (some say that King Arthur
is buried in the ruined abbey). Pass through the cider orchards of Somerset
to your hotel in Plympton near Plymouth. Hotel: Boringdon Hall. (Full breakfast)
DAY 9 – MON –
DARTMOOR EXCURSION
Drive to Saltash and
cruise up Plymouth Sound to the harbour and the Mayflower Steps, from
where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail on the Mayflower. Back on dry land, see
the Hoe, where Sir Francis Drake played bowls, the Citadel, and explore
the historic Barbican area. Now it’s out over the rugged, wild,
heather-clad Dartmoor, with its sinister memories of the remote prison and
'Hound of the Baskervilles'. (Full Breakfast, dinner)
DAY 10 – TUE –
PLYMPTON – LONDON
Cross Salisbury Plain to
visit the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge, made up of strange and
awe-inspiring monoliths reputed to be over 4,000 years old. The tour ends
upon returning to London and bidding farewell to your Tour Director.
(Full breakfast)
|
