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Scots-American
Travel Advisors provide tailor-made
tours of Cornwall and Devon for
individuals or small groups.
Whether your interests are history,
antiques, gardens, art, needlework,
fishing, horse riding, golf, ghost
hunting, genealogy or exploring the
landscapes and legends of this
ancient corner of England we can
create a vacation just for you.
These tours are individually
designed for groups of six or less
people and will provide you with a
unique insight into Devon and
Cornwall with special emphasis on
your specific interests.
Throughout your stay you will be
personally escorted by John Marshall
or Tony Bairstow who have both lived
in Cornwall for many years and who
have an intense love and knowledge
of the area. They will introduce you
to some of the magic and mysteries
of the West Country with its ancient
traditions and folklore and take you
to explore some of the most
beautiful scenery to be found
anywhere in the UK.
Prior to your vacation we will
discuss your specific requirements
in detail to discover what you would
like to experience during your
vacation. We will then create a
customized program for your
approval. Our aim is to make your
holiday a truly memorable
experience.
Accommodation.
Your accommodation will be provided
in an historic house either in
Launceston or Camelford both of
which are situated near the Cornwall
/ Devon border and are extremely
well located for exploring the area.
St Leonards House in Launceston is
the home of John and Jane Marshall
and is operated as luxury 4 star bed
and breakfast accommodation. Set in
beautiful countryside approximately
one mile from Launceston, the
ancient capital of Cornwall with its
ruined 12th century castle, old
houses and narrow streets, St
Leonards House was built in the
1590’s and has a wealth of exposed
beams and original features. It is
very comfortably furnished with
antique furniture, antique prints
adorn the walls as well as
tapestries and needlework made by
Jane.
Warmington House in Camelford is the
home of John and Jane’s daughter
Sarah and husband Dima with their
two children. This is also run as
four star bed and breakfast
accommodations. The house which is
Grade 11 listed lies just 4 miles
from the north coast of Cornwall and
Tintagel Castle, famed for its
association with the legendary King
Arthur. Warmington House was built
around 1700 in Queen Anne style and
has been the home of many famous
people such as Lord Falmouth and the
Earl of Darlington. The house has
recently undergone extensive
restoration to expose many of the
original features and is extremely
comfortably furnished to the highest
standard.
Should you prefer to stay at an
hotel rather than at St Leonards or
Warmington House this can be
arranged.
Your Vacation
Each vacation is customized to suit
the requirements of each group of
guests. Shown below however are some
suggestions to whet the appetite and
provide alternatives as to what can
be arranged.
History. Cornwall and Devon abound
with history and possess some of the
most beautiful historic houses and
castles in the UK. With ancient
castles such as Tintagel,
Launceston, Restormel, Caerhays,
Totnes, Berry Pomeroy, Pendennis, St
Mawes and a wealth of historic
Houses such as Cotehele, Anthony
House, Lanhydrock, Saltram,
Godolphin, Mount Edgcumbe, Pencarrow,
Prideaux Place, Trewithen, Trerice,
Arlington Court, Buckland Abbey,
Castle Drogo, Hartland Abbey, St
Michaels Mount and many more, all
within easy reach of your chosen
accommodation, you will be spoilt
for choice. Add to this all the
quaint towns, fishing villages and
the ancient history of the area with
its mining, smuggling, pre-historic
stone circles etc your stay will be
a continuous experience of wonder
and delight as you explore this
ancient region of Britain.
Antiques. Antique shops abound
throughout the region and if your
interest is in searching out and
purchasing antiques we will provide
you with a guided tour taking you to
the antique shops that specialize in
your particular interests. In
addition we will look at the local
auctions, sales and antique fairs.
Your visit will take you to some of
the most beautiful towns in the area
such as Honiton famous for its lace
making with over 15 antique shops,
Lostwithiel an ancient port with 10
antique shops, Ashburton an historic
market town on the edge of Dartmoor
with 11 antique shops and many more.
Should you decide to purchase any
item that is too large to carry
arrangements can be made to have it
collected and shipped to your home.
Gardens. Cornwall and Devon contain
some of the most beautiful gardens
in Britain., many of which have been
established for hundreds of years
and contain plants from all over the
world collected over many
generations of exploration and
travel. While many of the gardens
are connected to the large historic
houses in the region enabling a
garden visit to be combined with a
visit to a house, this is not always
the case and no visitor to the area
should miss the delights of The Lost
Gardens of Heligan on the South
Coast of Cornwall or the Royal
Horticultural Society Gardens at
Rosemoor in North Devon. Also not to
be missed is a visit to the Eden
Project which is a recently
established horticultural centre
where plants from around the world
are grown in their natural
environment under glass biomes. This
has become one of the wonders of the
developing world and is a unique and
exciting experience.
Art, Cornwall and Devon have been
for many years home to many famous
artists. With the clear natural
light and the beautiful scenery it
has always been an ideal place to
paint and create sculpture. Cornwall
produced the famous Newlyn School of
Painters who were prolific in their
output and whose paintings are
sought by collectors all over the
world. The Tate Gallery in St Ives
is a must for those who want to view
some of the best art in the world
and all around the region there are
galleries and exhibitions to visit.
Should you wish to undertake
painting yourselves either
individually or as part of a group
or take painting lessons this can be
arranged.
Needlework. Cornwall and Devon have
many needlework societies and there
are always exhibitions of antique
and new needlework to be seen. There
are a number of organizations who
hold specialist classes in all types
of needlework from tapestries,
quilting, tatting, soft furnishing
etc. Jane Marshall is herself an
avid needlewoman and has made
tapestries, quilts and soft
furnishings many of which are
hanging within her home.
Fishing. The rivers and lakes of the
region provide some of the finest
fishing to be found in Britain with
both Fly and Coarse fishing
available. The River Tamar which
divides Cornwall from Devon and lies
within a mile of St Leonards House
has some really fine stretches where
salmon and trout can be caught.
Horse Riding. Cornwall and Devon
have more horses and equestrian
centres than anywhere in Britain.
Whether you are a total beginner or
an experienced rider the area has
something for you. You can choose to
have lessons to all standards and
experience specialities such as
dressage, cross country eventing,
show jumping or just relax and enjoy
riding over the moors or along the
sea shore.
Golf. The region has many
championship golf courses as well as
those more suited to the less
experienced golfer. Any one who
plays golf will find the experience
of a round on one of the local
courses well worth the effort.
Lessons can also be arranged.
Ghost Hunting. There are many tales
of ghosts being seen within Cornwall
and Devon and speciality ghost
hunting tours can be arranged.
General. Scots-American Travel
Advisors aim to provide a tour which
caters for your specific interests
and the above list is by no means
exclusive. If you have any other
special interest that you wish to
explore or wish to combine with any
of the above we will design a tour
just for you.
Itineraries and costs
Your itinerary will in all cases be
developed to suit your individual
requirements and nothing is
pre-determined. We have however
outlined below a one week tour for
someone who is interested in
historic houses and the history of
the region. This will provide an
idea of what a typical tour might
contain and the cost per person. The
tour is designed to show you the
history of the region by visiting
houses and stately homes from the
medieval period to the 20th century.
Day 1. Arrive at your chosen
accommodation where your host will
be there to meet you. If arriving by
train or plane he will collect you
from the station or airport. Over a
relaxing tea or drink you will get
to know each other and discuss the
weeks program to ensure that you are
entirely happy with all the
arrangements. Dine with your hosts
or in your chosen hotel before
getting a good nights sleep.
Day 2. After a hearty full
Cornish breakfast we take the road
towards Lands End to visit St
Michaels Mount. This is a rocky
island crowned by a medieval castle
and church which is accessible on
foot at low tide across a causeway
or at other times by a short boat
trip. The oldest buildings date from
the 12th century when a Benedictine
priory was established here.
Following the English Civil war the
St Aubyn family acquired the island
and they still live in the castle.
Lunch will be taken in the Sail Loft
Restaurant on the island. After
lunch we take a leisurely drive
along the coast to the town of
Penzance, the busy fishing port of
Newlyn and to Mousehole a quaint
fishing village. We return home late
afternoon for a relaxing drink
before dinner.
Day 3. After breakfast we
head for Cotehele, a tudor house
with a splendid collection of
textiles armour and furniture set in
extensive grounds overlooking the
River Tamar. It is a house with many
stories, myths and legends and
little has changed since it was
built. A visit to the house is a
magical experience and we consider
this one of our favorite historic
houses in Britain. Lunch will be
taken at a local village inn with
connections to the tin mines which
abound in the area. After lunch we
visit the ancient Stannary town of
Tavistock with its ruined Abbey and
wonderful Victorian town centre
built by the Duke of Bedford who was
a prominent local landowner. Tonight
we dine out at a local restaurant.
Day 4. Another Cornish
breakfast to set you up for the day
before we head out to Trerice. This
is a grand Elizabethan manor house
on a Cornish scale and it remains
little changed by the advances of
time due to long absences by the
owners. From Trerice we follow the
North Cornwall coast to Tintagel
with its mysterious castle and visit
the lovely village of Boscastle with
its tiny harbour where we enjoy a
traditional Cornish Cream Tea. Then
home for a relaxing drink before
dinner with your hosts.
Day 5. After breakfast we
visit Saltram, a magnificent
Georgian house near Plymouth with
splendid Adam interiors and gardens
with follies and landscaped
parkland. Owned by the Parker family
for nearly 300 years the house with
its original contents provides a
fascinating insight into life on a
country estate throughout the
centuries. The house was recently
used as the location for the film
Sense and Sensibility based on the
novel by Jane Austen. We lunch in
the Barbican in Plymouth and visit
the Mayflower Steps from where the
Pilgrim Fathers set out to conquer
the New World.
Day 6. Today we visit the
magnificent late Victorian country
house of Lanhydrock. In many ways
the perfect example of an historic
country house and estate. Explore
the high-Victorian interiors of this
wealthy family home. There are over
50 rooms to view in this house
including the servants quarters and
below–stairs which are particularly
evocative and provide a real insight
into family life through many
generations until the demise of the
family after the First World War.
Lunch is taken in a local hostelry
and after lunch we visit the Eden
Project, an experience not to be
missed. We return home to a relaxing
aperitif followed by dinner with
your hosts.
Day 7. After your usual
sumptuous breakfast we head for
Castle Drogo, the last castle to be
built in England. What appears to be
an ancient granite fortress
overlooking the wilds of Dartmoor
was actually the home of a self made
millionaire Julius Drew. He employed
Sir Edward Lutyens, the foremost
architect of his age to create a
family home in the early 1900’s.
With a house that looks back on a
romantic past at the same time as
heralding the modern era, with
antique furniture sitting alongside
modern technology, this is a fitting
end to our weeks journey through the
ages of family life in Cornwall and
Devon. From Castle Drogo we head
back home via the magnificent and
rugged scenery of Dartmoor with its
ancient woodlands and open moorland
over which the wild Dartmoor ponies
and sheep wander freely. Tonight is
the last night of your vacation and
a farewell dinner is held at a well
known local restaurant.
Day 8. After a leisurely
start to the day you say farewell to
your hosts and head for home with
memories of an unforgettable
vacation.
The cost of the tour for one week is
$3,069.00 per person. Based on
double occupancy. Single supplement
$450.00
Included in the price is your
accommodation at either St Leonards
House or Warmington House, full
Cornish breakfast, 5 x 3 course
dinners (including wine and pre
dinner drinks) provided by your
hosts, 2 x 3 course dinners
(excluding wine) at local
restaurants or hotels, all entry
fees to houses, stately homes and
gardens, fuel and all motoring
costs.
Not included is the cost of morning
coffees, lunches or afternoon teas,
travel or medical insurance
The cost of your tour is based upon
two people sharing a double or twin
en-suite bedroom.
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