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England -
Discover Heritage Tours offers a range
of luxury fully escorted coach tours
which give clients the opportunity to
experience Britain at its best,
travelling in super executive 24 seat
mini coaches and enjoying overnight
stays in a range of superior 3* and 4*
hotels, each individually selected for
their character and style.
Focusing on the ‘Best of Britain’ each
of our unique tours consist of a range
of fantastic attractions. All tours are
conducted in English and clients are
fully escorted for the duration of their
tour by knowledgeable and experienced
tour guides.
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Cotswolds & Shakespeare Country |
Stonehenge |
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South England History & Gardens |
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Landscapes, Literature & Culture |
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Cotswolds & Shakespeare Country
4 days / 3 nights
2010 Departures: 24/05*, 28/06, 19/07
and 09/08*
Monday – Thursday - *guaranteed
departures
Itinerary
Day One - Monday – Depart London
for William Shakespeare’s former home
town of Stratford-upon-Avon through the
pretty Chiltern Hills, pausing on the
way for a walking tour of Oxford’s
famous colleges, in particular Christ
Church college where you will discover
locations for the films Chariots of Fire
and Harry Potter’s Hogwarts and literary
associations with the children’s
classics Alice on Wonderland, CS Lewis’s
Narnia Chronicles and JRR Tolkein’s Lord
of the Rings. After lunch, we will
travel on to the treasure filled
Blenheim Palace, home of the 11th Duke
of Marlborough and the birth place of
Sir Winston Churchill. Welcome dinner
with fellow travellers and overnight at
the Mercure Shakespeare Hotel (or
similar).
 Day
Two – Tuesday – This morning we
immerse ourselves in the culture and
history of William Shakespeare with a
tour of the Bard’s birthplace and a
visit to Mary Arden’s House, home of
Shakespeare’s mother, where we can
experience farm life as it was in
William Shakespeare’s time and may also
see a falconry display. As we leave
Stratford behind, remember to look out
for Harvard House, the family home of
John Harvard – the founder of Harvard
College at Cambridge Massachusetts. Our
journey continues as we drive by Anne
Hathaway’ house, the home of William
Shakespeare’s wife as we make our way to
Warwick Castle. This is probably the
finest castle in England and dates back
over 1000 years. There is so much to see
and do here – history, displays of
medieval jousting and archery, falconry
and art treasures – that we have devoted
the afternoon to Warwick so you will
have ample time to explore both the
castle and the medieval town overlooking
the river Avon. Return to the Mercure
Shakespeare Hotel Stratford (Full
breakfast). Dinner not included.
Optional evening excursion to a Royal
Shakespeare Company performance
Day Three – Wednesday – This morning
we will head onto the “faithful” city of
Worcester which played a pivotal role in
the English civil wars of the 1642 - 51
which ended with the victory of Oliver
Cromwell’s “republican” army at the
Battle of Worcester. The Civil War led
to the beheading of King Charles I and
the exile of his son Charles II. We will
visit Worcester Cathedral which dates
back over 1000 years and has been a
place of prayer and worship since 680
AD. The cathedral contains the tomb of
“Bad” King John (who signed Magna Carta
at Runneymede). We have arranged a
private viewing of the Cathedral library
with its wonderful illuminated medieval
manuscripts created by the Benedictine
monks over 800 years ago and manuscript
musical scores by local composer Sir
Edward Elgar (Pomp & Circumstance
Marches, Enigma Variations etc).
In the afternoon we tour through pretty
Cotswold’s villages such as Broadway to
Hidcote Manor Gardens, one of the most
delightful in England. Then we drive to
the nearby picture book village of
Chipping Campden for an afternoon cream
tea and some free time for shopping in
the many craft and boutique shops.
Return to Mercure Shakespeare Hotel
Stratford (Full breakfast and dinner).
London Chipping Campden Worcester
Warwick Oxford Stratford upon Avon.
Day Four - Thursday – Today we
will drive through the beautiful
Cotswolds countryside to Sudeley Castle,
the
former home of one of King Henry VIII
wives, to explore the award winning
gardens. Then it’s a leisurely drive
through picturesque honey stone coloured
villages with names such as the
Slaughters and the Swells to
Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-
Water for some free time. The final
highlight of your tour is the treasure
house of Waddesdon Manor, a 16th century
style French chateau built for Baron
Ferdinand de Rothschild to entertain his
guests and display his vast collection
of arts treasures. We then head back to
London.
Included in your tour
• Three night’s accommodation in 3 or 4*
hotel
• Two dinners in your hotel
• Three breakfasts in your hotel
• Entrances to: Christchurch College,
Blenheim Palace, Shakespeare’s
Birthplace, Harvard House, Anne
Hathaway’s Cottage, Warwick Castle,
Worcester Cathedral & Library and a
River Punt in Oxford.
* We reserve the right to substitute the
hotels for others of similar or higher
quality. |
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South England History & Gardens
4 days / 3 nights
Departure Dates: 17/05, 14/06*, 12/07 &
16/08* * guaranteed departures
Itinerary
Day One – From London we drive
through Windsor Great Park for a visit
to Windsor Castle, one of the Queen’s
official residences and the largest
inhabited castle in the world. We will
visit Runnymede where King John signed
the Magna Carta in 1215 – a document
which has since formed the basis of the
constitutions and statues of many other
countries in the English-speaking world,
including the United States of America.
In the afternoon we will visit the
sumptuous Royal Hampton Court Palace &
Gardens, once home to King Henry VIII.
Arrive at Ashford International Hotel
for Welcome Dinner and overnight.
Day Two – This morning we will
travel through the south of England to
Leeds Castle the fairytale home to the
medieval queens of England. Set on two
islands in the middle of a natural lake
it is one of Britain’s finest stately
homes. In the afternoon we will continue
onto Canterbury and its world renowned
Cathedral, the centre of the Anglican
Church with free time to explore the
historic walled city. Our final visit of
the day is Sissinghurst Castle, home to
one of the world’s most celebrated
gardens which you will see after most of
the crowds have gone home.
Return to Ashford International Hotel
(Breakfast). Dinner is not included so
you are free to make your own
arrangements
Day Three – Today we will head
south to the historic town of Battle,
the site of the famous Battle of
Hastings in 1066, where we will visit
the battlefield site and the Abbey built
by William the Conqueror to celebrate
his successful invasion. We then have
some free time in the charming hill top
town of Rye before travelling to Dover
Castle which has almost 1000 years of
military history right up with its
secret WW2 tunnels.
Return to Ashford International Hotel
(Breakfast and Farewell Dinner)
Day Four – After a leisurely start,
we leave the hotel for a visit to the
13th century moated Hever Castle and its
superb award winning gardens, the
romantic trysting place for King Henry
V111 and his future wife Queen Anne
Boleyn. This afternoon we will visit the
family home of Sir Winston Churchill –
Chartwell House - where the rooms have
been left as in his lifetime with daily
papers, fresh flowers grown in the
garden and of course his famous cigars.
From here it is a short drive for tea
and cakes at 17th century Squerryes
Court which has been the Warde family
home since 1731.
Return to London hotel early evening.
Included in your tour
• Three night’s accommodation in 3 or 4*
hotel
• Two dinners in your hotel
• Three breakfasts in your hotel
• Entrances to: Windsor Castle, Hampton
Court Palace & Gardens, Leeds Castle,
Canterbury Cathedral, Battle Abbey &
Battlefield, Hever Castle, Chartwell
House, Squerryes Court, Dover Castle and
Sissinghurst Castle.
* We reserve the right to substitute the
hotels for others of similar or higher
quality. |
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Landscapes, Literature & Culture
5 days / 4 Nights
Departure Dates: - 10/05, 07/06, 05/07*,
02/08 & 30/08**guaranteed departures
Itinerary
Day 1 - Today we will travel out
of London and drive to the Roman city of
Chester and our home for the night. On
the way we will enjoy a visit to William
Shakespeare’s home town,
Stratford-upon-Avon for a tour of the
bard’s birthplace.
Onwards then to the medieval Warwick
Castle, one of the finest castles in
England. Here you will hear tales of
treachery, passion and power, and may
even see a medieval jousting or falconry
display. Dinner and overnight in
Chester.
Day 2 - Our first visit of the
day is to Liverpool, Europe’s Capital of
Culture for 2008. Here you will enjoy a
panoramic tour of the city famously
known as the home of The Beatles.
Enjoy some free time in this bustling
city to walk along the Albert Docks,
enjoy lunch in one of the many bistros,
take a tour of the Beatles Story, or
visit one of the many art galleries.
Onwards then to the Lake District
National Park where we will visit Levens
Hall, an Elizabethan mansion built
around a 13th century tower, and home to
the famous Topiary Gardens. Tour through
the house and wonderful gardens, which
are still in their original design, we
may even see the experts hard at work!
After our visit to Levens Hall we will
drive along the shores of the largest
natural lake in England, Lake
Windermere, before enjoying a cruise
along the waters. From here we make our
way to our lakeside hotel.
Dinner & overnight in the Lake District.
Day 3 - This morning we will
travel to the delightful town of
Grasmere for a visit to Dove Cottage,
one of William Wordsworth’s former
homes, where he lived until 1808. Here
you will see many of the Wordsworth
family’s possessions, portraits and
pieces of furniture.
 Following
our tour of Dove Cottage we continue
with our panoramic tour for the Lake
District with a visit to Hill Top, the
farmhouse formerly owned by by Beatrix
Potter, and the location where many of
her famous stories were written. After
our tour of Hill Top, we will continue
onto Coniston and to another former
Beatrix Potter home, Yew Tree Farm. Yew
Tree Farm was recently seen in the movie
Miss Potter. Here we will enjoy a tour
of the grounds followed by afternoon tea
in the tea room furnished by Beatrix
Potter herself in 1930, before returning
to our lakeside hotel for the night.
Overnight in Lake District area. Dinner
is not included this evening so you have
free time to enjoy the area and perhaps
have dinner in one the local restaurant.
Day 4 - Today we leave the
stunning Lake District behind and drive
through the beautiful Yorkshire Dales
National Park before arriving in Settle,
a bustling market town. Here you will
have some free time to explore the many
antique shops, enjoy mid morning tea &
scones in a local tea room, or perhaps
tour through the craft and farm stores.
We then board our coach and drive
through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales
to a local cheese farm. Watch the
experts at work as they make their
specialist cheeses, followed by a tour
of the museum and original farmhouse
dairy.
In the afternoon we continue through the
National Park to Masham where we will
visit a traditional Yorkshire brewery.
Learn how the ales are made before
sampling the drink yourself.
As we travel to Knaresborough for our
final visit of the day, remember to keep
an eye out for those locations featured
in "All Creatures Great & Small"
as many of the scenes were filmed on the
Yorkshire Dales. While in Knaresborough
take advantage of the many antique and
craft shops or perhaps pay a visit to
the ancient castle, before arriving at
our hotel for the evening. Dinner &
Overnight in York area.
Day 5 - An early start beckons
this morning as we travel to the
medieval city of York, where we will
enjoy a panoramic walking tour. See the
Shambles and the city walls before
visiting the York Castle Museum and the
historic York Minster. Built over 250
years, York Minster is a stunning
architectural masterpiece. Tour through
the Tower, the Gothic style Chapter
House and the Undercroft.
After our tour of York, we will board
our coach and continue our journey back
to London where our tour ends. Before
arriving in London we will enjoy a final
visit, with a stop in the University
town of Cambridge.
Included in your tour
• Four night’s accommodation in 3 or 4*
hotel
• Three dinners in your hotel
• Four breakfasts in your hotel
• Entrances to: Warwick Castle, Levens
Hall, Boat Trip on Lake Windermere,
Levens Hall, Dove Cottage, Rydal Mount,
Hill Top, Yew Tree Farm, York Minster,
local cheese factory, and Yorkshire
Brewery. |
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