CASTLEROCK TOURS INTERNATIONAL
"a minimum of 6 people is required for these tours"
One of the most wonderful attributes of England is its broad appeal to all types of people. If the rush of London is not appealing, then perhaps the countryside with its national and country parks and 600 miles of coastline will be more to your liking. The country has always attracted visitors who are drawn by its varied landscapes, rich history, curious customs and world-recognized education system.
KENT, THE INVADERS GATEWAY & EASTERN ENGLAND 6 Days /5 Nights - $1390.00 p/p
IN SEARCH OF ARTHUR & THE HEART OF ENGLAND- 7 Days / 6 nights - $1595.00 p/p
STATELY HOMES & BEAUTIFUL GARDENS and LEGENDARY ENGLISHMEN (AND WOMEN)
8 Days / 7 Nights - $1950.00 p/p
KENT, THE INVADERS GATEWAY & EASTERN ENGLAND
6 days / 5 nights - Sunday to Friday
$1390.00 p/p Dbl. Occ.
$1495.00 p/p Sgl. Occ.
What your tour price includes:
Your accommodation for 5 nights while on the tour is included in your tour price, and this includes both full breakfasts and dinners;
Your price also includes all entrance fees to attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide;
Airport transfers and accommodation pre and post tour is not included but can be reserved at a specially discounted price.
ITINERARY
DAY ONE SUNDAY
We leave London following the Thames towards the North Sea. Our sightseeing today features a range of fantastic sites, many evoking London's maritime past including a pub with connections to 'the Mayflower', and the wonderful Greenwich (where you'll straddle the meridian line separating east from west, see the Cutty Sark and visit the naval museum). Then, there's the Pocahontas memorial, Henry VIII's Chatham docks and last but certainly not least, the tiny city of Rochester.
Rochester is an undiscovered pearl and deservedly on the itinerary taking you behind the tourist facade. There's an exquisite cathedral, a well-preserved 12th century castle and a medieval shopping street. It also boasts connections with Charles Dickens who lived here and set many of his tales in the city.
DAY TWO MONDAY
The mighty Canterbury cathedral, the pretty Leeds Castle and historic Dover are the main features of our day's touring. All are major icons and, being essential must-sees for the visitor to the UK, are often visited as a day tour from London. As we're based in the area, we'll be enjoying a much more leisurely day than the day-trippers will be having! And, in typical style, we'll be able to add one or two other attractions, such as the fishing village of Whitstable, an emotive Battle of Britain memorial and a few real back road drives through this scenic county of England.
DAY THREE TUESDAY
We'll begin another memorable day's touring with a drive across Romney marshes, once a haunt of smugglers, to the old cinque port of Rye. This picturesque town, so loved by the novelist Henry James, always has our tour participants cooing with delight and using much film! It's another day where you'll see coastal fortresses built to repel the invader, though this time Napoleon.
Then to a place all have heard of, Hastings! We'll explore the site of this most famous of battles. 1066 changed the course of the history of the English-speaking peoples and it is a spine-tingling exercise to walk part of the actual battlefield.
Next on our itinerary is Chartwell, home to Winston Churchill. Here you can almost still smell the great man's cigar smoke as we tour the house to discover his life and times.
Add to these attractions more scenic touring through 'the garden of England' and a few 'serendipity stops' and you have a perfect day!
DAY FOUR WEDNESDAY
An hour or so drive sees us at our first stop, the university city of Cambridge. This sleepy, easily walked medieval city provides a superb gateway to East Anglia. We'll visit one of the colleges, and see students punt on the backs of the River Cam. There's also the excellent Fitzwilliam Museum to visit and great shopping! We continue into the county of Suffolk and make our next stop the museum of East Anglia life in Stowmarket. This 70-acre all weather museum has reconstruction of buildings, including a water mill. There are displays on Victorian domestic life, gypsies, farming and industry, plus historic films and videos, all of which make it an ideal place to spend a couple of hours.
DAY FIVE THURSDAY
Our first stop today will be at one of the UK's most important archaeological sites, that of the Anglo Saxon Royal Cemetery at Sutton Hoo. Here you'll see the uncovered remains of our earliest Saxon ancestors, and learn about their way of life and death.
Next on our itinerary will be the impressive Framlingham Castle, a superb 12th-century castle which, from the outside, looks almost the same as when it was built. From the continuous curtain wall, linking 13 towers, there are excellent views over Framlingham and the charming reed-fringed mere. At different times, the castle has been a fortress, an Elizabethan prison, a poor house and a school.
Then we'll follow the coast road visiting charming coastal villages like Aldeburgh (home of classical composer Benjamin Brittain) and Southwold.
Further north there's an area of outstanding scenic beauty, the Norfolk Broads. The Broads is a network of 200 miles of internal waterways, initially dug to drain the local fens and reclaim the land. Now there are used extensively for leisure activities and are home to a wide variety of wild life and birds.
DAY SIX FRIDAY
Lavenham is often referred to as the prettiest village in England. It's certainly historic with its streets of restored Tudor timber-framed buildings. One such is the Guildhall Museum with exhibits on wool industry of East Anglia. The garden contains examples of plants used in wool industry, plus a parish 'lock-up' and mortuary!
Nearby, Sudbury offers us a completely different attraction, the home and studio of the 18th century artist Thomas Gainsborough with its large display of artists' work, 18th-century furniture and memorabilia.
We've some lovely rural scenery to tour through and at certain times of the year we'll see the great lavender field in bloom. On our return to London, we'll tour through Essex, and definitely take in the villages of Thaxted and Finchingfield where the typical black and white cottages, gathered around village ponds, make it seem unbelievable that barely an hour's drive away is the great London metropolis.
We'll arrive back into London by 6 p.m. Your accommodation tonight is not included but can be booked on your behalf.
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IN SEARCH OF ARTHUR & THE HEART OF ENGLAND
7 days / 6 nights - Saturday to Friday
$1595.00 p/p Dbl. Occ.
$1600.00 p/p Sgl. Occ.
What your tour price includes
Your accommodation for 6 nights while on the tour is included in your tour price, and this includes both full breakfasts and dinners;
Your price also includes all entrance fees to attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide;
Airport transfers and accommodation pre and post tour is not included but can be reserved at a specially discounted price.
ITINERARY
DAY ONE - Saturday
Departing London, we drive through England's oldest county, Wiltshire, across the amazing Salisbury Plain where you'll see the great prehistoric temple of Stonehenge and a landscape simply littered with ancient burial sites. You'll also see the evidence of Iron Age hill forts, possible sites of where the great Celtic king, Arthur and his Round Table knights took on the Saxon invaders. Then to Winchester to see the great Round table in the medieval hall. Then, we'll take time to explore Cadbury Castle, perhaps the site of Camelot and some lovely surrounding thatched villages before arriving at our accommodation base.
DAY TWO - Sunday
Today, we explore the lovely, timeless country of Dorsetshire. This is real back-roads country where you'll believe time has stood still amidst the villages and harbors of the region. Jane Austen's Lyme Regis is one of the highlights of our day, as will be Thomas Hardy's cottage and monument. We'll introduce you to a few martyrs (such as the trade unionists of Tolpuddle, and those who died at the 'bloody Judge' Jefferies hand). You'll also see the famed Chesil beach and the quaint town of Dorchester. And there'll be time for shopping in the lace and antique town of Honiton.
Dependent on time and group interests we might find time to include Lawrence of Arabia's home, a carved giant and England's smallest pub!
This is a day that we can really call getting down the 'back-roads'
DAY THREE - Monday
Today is a day packed with a range of memorable sights and experiences. You'll cross the beautiful and awesome landscape of the Dartmoor National Park, en route to the north Cornwall coast. Here, you'll visit Tintagel castle, the reputed birthplace of King Arthur. The castle sits on top of the wild cliffs accessible only by walking. Later, we'll visit a selection of the quaint fishing villages of the north Cornwall and Devon coasts. This is a day where photographers need to ensure a plentiful supply of film! Finally, our day in Cornwall would not be complete if we didn't stop for a famed Cornish 'pasty' somewhere on route, perhaps in a thatched-roofed country pub?
DAY FOUR - Tuesday
On today's itinerary are Cheddar Gorge and the mystic town of Glastonbury, site of Arthur's burial and 'New Age' capital of England. Here you'll see the ancient abbey and the mysterious 'Tor'. Next, we'll visit Wells and its famed Norman 12th century cathedral before traveling the short distance to the stunning city of Bath. You'll have time to explore this elegant Georgian city and its Roman remains.
We travel along the old coaching road to our night stop near the old town of Beaconsfield. This attractive Buckinghamshire town is quintessential England with its ancient inns, 500-year-old church and connections to literary giants such as G K Chesterton, T S Elliot and Enid Blyton. You've time here to explore a real back-roads location meeting the locals and feeling you're really getting 'inside' the country. Dinner is taken independently tonight in one of the local restaurants or inns.
DAY FIVE - Wednesday
Our first port of call is the ancient town of Beconsfield and see the nearby Mayflower Barn - a Quaker Meeting House built from timbers of this historic ship. Beconsfield is Britain's richest neighborhood and home to countless celebrities. You'll hardly believe the homes you'll see here! Less then an hour's drive through the picture post card Chiltern Hills lies medieval Oxford, 'city of the dreaming spires'. Here you'll enjoy a guided walk through the colleges. Literature fans will delight to see the places associated with C S Lewis, Tolkein, 'Alice in Wonderland', and even Harry Potter's 'Hogwarts'! Next on our perfect day we'll see Winston Churchill's tomb at Bladon and visit his remarkable birthplace Blenheim Palace.
DAY SIX - Thursday
Stratford-upon-Avon with its Shakespearean sites is first on today's visits. Stratford can be busy, being England's most popular tourist destination outside of London, but as we're staying close by, we'll arrive early and leave before the large tour coaches arrive! There'll be free time to explore this interesting town before we visit the lesser-known house of Shakespeare's mother and take a most informative tour learning about life in the 1500's. This afternoon sees us at the incredible Warwick Castle where there will be ample time to explore both the castle and the medieval town itself. The prehistoric Rollright Stones are also on today's agenda, and we'll use the time we've saved by not having to dash back to London to see the picturesque Kenilworth Castle.
DAY SEVEN - Friday
Our morning sees us exploring the very best of the Cotswolds. With our small vehicle we'll get where larger coaches can't and avoid the commercialized 'honey-pots'. Naturally we'll not miss seeing the most famed market towns like Chipping Camden, but we think you'll enjoy the hidden, less visited villages somewhat more! Then to the preserved village of Lacock. This lovely place, where TV aerials, telephone wires and advertising are banned, has been used as a film set in everything from 'Pride and Prejudice' to 'Harry Potter'. Fittingly, the local abbey was where George Fox Talbot pioneered photography.
Our final visit of the day, and tour, is at Avebury. This incredible World Heritage prehistoric temple site is more impressive for many than even Stonehenge. You'll also see the mysterious Silbury hill.
We return to London arriving at approximately 6 pm. Your accommodation is not included tonight.
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STATELY HOMES - BEAUTIFUL GARDENS and LEGENDARY ENGLISHMEN (AND WOMEN)
8 Days / 7 Nights Saturday to Saturday
$1950.00 p/p Dbl. Occ.
$2100.00 p/p Sgl. Occ.
What your tour price includes
Your accommodation for 7 nights while on the tour is included in your tour price, and this includes both full breakfasts and dinners;
Your price also includes all entrance fees to attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide;
Airport transfers and accommodation pre and post tour is not included but can be reserved at a specially discounted price.
ITINERARY
DAY ONE
RHS Wisley/ Polesden Lacy/ Clandon Park or Nymans
We start our tour discovering these magnificent gardens the Royal Society Gardens at Wisley. Here you can not only enjoy a garden with something for everyone but a well-stocked bookshop means you have no excuse for not taking home a few ideas for remodeling your own backyard!
Polesden Lacey represents the Regency period (1820s) in our historical panorama. Sumptuous? Certainly sumptuous enough to have attracted King George VI and wife Elizabeth (our beloved and much missed Queen Mother) to spend part of their honeymoon here. In addition to the magnificent interior, there's the lovely walled rose garden to walk through.
We've a choice of either Clandon Park or neighboring Hatchlands Park to visit next (dependent on time) and you'll have an opportunity of deciding which depending on tour participants' interests. The former is a Palladian pile, acclaimed for its collection of porcelain and tapestries. The latter boasts wonderful Robert Adam interiors and the Cobbe collection of historic keyboard instruments including those owned and played by Bach, Mahler and Chopin.
Our alternative garden is Nymans. Tour participants can decide on the day. After all, it's your tour!
DAY TWO
Chartwell / Knole / Scotney Castle & Quebec House
Does Winston Churchill home of Chartwell require an introduction? What makes it such a memorable visit is not only the view from the garden (that inspired his painting) but the fact that the interior is almost as he left it. You can almost smell the cigars!
Scotney Castle has been termed England's most romantic garden with Victorian terraces covered in a riot of colored shrubs overlooking a 14th century moated castle.
Then to Knole. This is one of England's great 'treasure houses'. Home of the Lords Sackville since 1603, the property has much to offer including Royal Stuart furnishings and a fine art collection of English masters. Knole was the birthplace of Vita Sackville-West (whose own garden creation we'll see tomorrow) and was used by Virginia Woolfe as the setting for her novel 'Orlando'. A visit here is like stepping back in time.
DAY THREE
Ingham Mote / Penhurst Place / Hever Castle
Penhurst Place is another of our finest family-owned stately homes with a history stretching back six and a half centuries. Perhaps its most memorable feature is the 60-foot high, chestnut-beamed medieval hall. It doesn't take much imagination to see the feast of old being enjoyed here! In addition to the fine 'objects d'art', furnishings and paintings displayed inside, Penhurst has a lovely garden, uniquely divided into 'rooms' by yew hedges.
Then to Ingham Mote, deservedly one of the most popular small gardens in the region.
Hever Castle is the jewel we leave to climax our day. Hever is many people's idea of what a 'real' castle should look like, from its gateway and courtyard to its surrounding moat. It is the most fairy-tale like. Though dating back to 1270, and being the family home of one of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives (Anne Boleyn), it also has a relatively contemporary feel provided by the Astors who took over and restored the castle in the early part of last century.
With a 30-acre garden including a unique Italian garden filled with roses and statues, there's plenty to admire here.
DAY FOUR
Sissinghurst/ Great Dixter / Bodiam Castle & Battle Abbey
We travel the short distance to the fabulous Sissinghurst Castle. Vita Sackville-West's world famous garden requires no introduction to garden enthusiasts. You'll have plenty of time to explore this intimate and intricate garden and to visit those parts of her home open to the public.
Another iconic garden and house is that of Great Dixter. This is the largest half-timbered house in England but it's the garden that really grabs the attention with it topiary, wild meadows and famed Long Border.
We've an opportunity of a slight change of pace and period for today's final visits. You'll have the choice of seeing the magnificently preserved 15th century Bodiam Castle, the Abbey connected with the famed 1066 Battle of Hastings or, perhaps, Kipling's house, Batemans.
DAY FIVE
Essex.
Our first stop of the morning is at the picture postcard village of Thaxted, often described as England's prettiest 'hidden' village. Next, via country lanes to Saffron Waldon, a village once famed for growing saffron. In the late morning we arrive at the medieval university city of Cambridge and have time here to discover the colleges and Fitzswilliam Museum. The brave may wish to try their hand at punting on the river!
This afternoon we travel to the cathedral town of Ely. This was once an island in the middle of the fens - an area of low lying marsh lands. This is a city of stained glass, and two great Englishmen, Hereward the Wake and Oliver Cromwell. We'll figuratively introduce you to both. We arrive at our accommodation base in Oakham in plenty of time to relax and enjoy our surroundings on the edge of the scenic Rutland water.
DAY SIX
We've an unforgettable day in store with something for everyone. Our day sees us in Lincoln exploring the breathtaking medieval, cathedral, perched with neighboring castle on a hill top. You'll see an original Magna Carta signed by 'bad' King John in 1215. There are the winding lanes of the old Jewish quarter and the new state of the art, interactive Lincoln museum to visit. Then through the villages of the rolling hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds. In many we find links to pilgrims and famed explorers of America and Australia. We'll choose from places such as Horncastle (dubbed the 'Best Antiques Town' in England), Woodhall Spa, and Market Rasen. Next, a visit in keeping with more contemporary history with a visit to the World War Two 'Dambusters' 617 Bomber Squadron memorial and museum. Alternatively, we can visit the Battle of Britain Flight at Conigsby.
DAY SEVEN
Today we go in search of a figure of great romance and mystery in English folklore - Robin Hood. Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, Little John and all of the men of the green wood will be with us in spirit today as you discover the truth and legend of the hooded man.
We will visit Nottingham and see the castle of the infamous sheriff of the city. You'll also enjoy a beer in one of England's oldest pubs, carved out of the rock beneath the castle and so beloved of crusaders.
There'll also be time to shop and explore at leisure. Thence to Sherwood Forest and a pleasant stroll through the famed 'greenwood' to the 'great oak' under which Robin is said to have camped.
We'll also visit some ancient villages and Newstead Abbey, home of Lord Byron. And, as we make our way homeward, the birthplace house museum of Mrs Margaret Thatcher.
DAY EIGHT
The day's first jewel, Burghley House, is the largest and grandest house of the first Elizabethan Age. Built by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Elizabeth I, and still a family home for his descendants to this day. Eighteen State Rooms contain unique and important collections of porcelain, art, furniture and textiles. This is guaranteed to bring gaps of amazement to even the most traveled amongst us.
Nearby is the perfectly preserved town of Stamford. Many who have enjoyed Jane Austen and George Elliot costume dramas will find the streets somewhat familiar as the BBC, and others, have used the town extensively for location shoots recreating the 18th century.
Turning south we call in at the pretty Ouse river villages of Huntingdon and St Ives. The former boasts the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell.
Our final visit of the day will be at the John Bunyon Center. Alas, who now remembers or reads 'The Pilgrim's Progress'? Bunyon's story though, and the local museum are excellent visits and explain why colonists fled to the New World.
We return to London arriving at approximately 6 pm. Your accommodation is not included tonight.
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Itinerary note: please note, the order of attractions visited may change depending on opening times and seasons.
