Itinerary

Day 1

The Lake District
Arrive Manchester Airport. You will be met by your personal chauffeur guide and be driven in our classic Bentley to the Lake District. This is a journey of approximately 2 hours. Check in to your first nights accommodation. Take whatever time you wish to recover from your journey.

The Lakeland Hills have a rugged and natural beauty that Wordsworth loved and drew inspiration from. In the afternoon take a tour of either Wordsworth's Dove Cottage or Beatrix Potter's former home.

Your accommodation for the night is in a beautiful 17th Century Lakeland farmhouse.

Day 2

Herriot Country, Castle Howard and York

Your Bentley and chauffeur guide awaits to take you eastwards from your overnight base in Cumbria and on to a drive through the glorious Yorkshire Dales.
See the places described so vividly by the famous veterinary surgeon and author James Herriot (Alf Wight).
Visit the fascinating Herriot Museum, set in the original Kirkgate vetinary practice and home of Alf Wight for many years. The house and surgery have been recreated as they would have been in the 1940's.

Tour the dramatic and extensive remains of Rievaulx Abbey, once one of the most powerful medieval monasteries in Britain. Set in the beautiful Rye valley.
In the afternoon visit Castle Howard, a 17th century baroque masterpiece, conceived by Charles Howard, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. The house is surrounded by extensive parkland and formal gardens, where peacocks roam. It remains the private residence of the Howard family.

Late afternoon we will travel to the historic Roman city of York for an early evening tour of the old city centre and the magnificent York Minster, one of the largest cathedrals of its time. It is described to be an architectural masterpiece, housing the most complete collection of medieval stained glass in Britain
You may wish to spend your evening in one of York's theatres, or go on a guided ghost tour of old York.

Tonight you will be staying in The Churchill, a privately owned luxury hotel situated in York city centre.

Day 3

Stamford and Cambridge

We will depart York and head South on the old Roman road, now the A1, to the Lincolnshire town of Stamford.

Tour one of the jewels of English country houses, Burghley, home to the Cecil family for over 400 years.
Then on to the university town of Cambridge with colleges such as Trinity founded by Henry VIII, and Corpus Christi with its impressive medieval court. A guided evening tour if you wish or simply wonder among the magnificent colleges. To walk along the banks of the river Cam on a summer evening is an experience to treasure.

Tonight you will stay in one of Cambridge's finest hotels overlooking the River Cam, just a few minutes walk from the very heart of the city.

Day 4

Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon and The Cotswolds

Today we will take a tour of Stratford-upon-Avon, visiting properties associated with William Shakespeare, including his birthplace, Mary Arden's House and Anne Hathaway's Cottage.
In the late afternoon we will take a drive through the picturesque villages of the Cotswolds.

Tonight you will be staying in a 17th Century Cotswold farmhouse set in beautiful countryside.

Day 5

Blenheim Palace, Oxford and Stonehenge

This morning tour Blenheim Palace, home of 11th Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, was built between 1705 - 1722 for John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, in grateful recognition of his magnificent victory at the battle of Blenheim in 1704. Blenheims wonderful interior reveals striking contrasts, from the lofty great hall to gilded state rooms. The superb collection includes fine paintings and tapestries.

Call into 'the City of Dreaming Spires' - Oxford, for lunch and shopping.
See the many historic colleges and buildings once home to Royalty and scholars for over 800 years.
This afternoon we will take a drive down into Wiltshire to see the most important prehistoric monument in the whole of Britain; Stonehenge.
The Stonehenge that we see today is the final stage that was completed about 3500 years ago, but the initial site is believed to date back 5000 years.

Tonight you will be staying in a beautiful 14th Century thatched cottage set in a country village near Winchester.

Day 6

Windsor Castle and Dorney Court

Today we will head East for a tour of Windsor Castle, one of the official residencies of Her Majesty The Queen. The largest inhabited castle in the world and the oldest royal residence to have remained in continuous use by the monarchs of Britain.
Windsor's rich history spans more than 900 years, the magnificent state rooms are furnished with some of the finest works of art from the royal collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.

Within the precincts is St Georges Chapel, one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings inn England. Ten monarchs are buried here, including Henry VIII with his favourite wife, Jane Seymour.

In the afternoon visit Dorney Court, one of the finest Tudor manor houses in England.

Tonight you will stay it a 14th Century farmhouse set in the beautiful Chiltern Hills.

Day 7

Tour London or Home

If you should wish to continue with a tour of London we can make all the necessary arrangements with a recommended London tour operator.

Otherwise your chauffeur guide will deliver you safely back to Manchester Airport for your flight home. Having seen and gained a sense of real English life, take away with you fond memories of England.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Accommodation

Exclusions -

Flights & transfers

Extras -

Prices:
£1800 per person (based on two guests)
This is a very special vacation for no more than three people, making your vacation a very individual experience.
Our tours are perfect for the more discerning traveller who wishes to discover England's incredible history, as well as taking in the varied natural beauty of its countryside
Let us take away the stress of driving in an unfamiliar country, yet travel at a pace that suits you, allowing time to stop wherever and whenever you wish. To be able to say “I would like to stop here for a while and take in the view“, or turn off the highways and explore the country lanes, the choice will be yours.
On this very special tour you will have gained an insight to Britain's unique wealth of history, and discovered the varied and beautiful countryside that makes this country so fascinating.