| Day 1 - June 29th, 2011 - Arrive London Gatwick but our first stop of the day will be on Chawton to visit the Jane Austen House Museum. Jane spent the last eight years of her life here at Chawton in the 17th century house which is now preserved in her memory. Important objects include her writing table, some of her jewellery and the patchwork quilt made by Jane, her mother and Cassandra. The collection also includes other Austen family items and furniture. From here we make our way to Winchester and Winchester Cathedral. Winchester Cathedral dates from 1079 with a church on this site since 648. Jane Austen is buried here and the cathedral possesses the only diatonic ring of 14 church bells in the world, with a tenor (heaviest bell) weighing almost 2 tons. Then we are off to Audleys Wood Hotel in Basingstoke for a Traditional Afternoon Tea. Following tea we make our way to Oxford which will be our home for the next 2 nights. Take some time to relax before a Welcoming Dinner. Dinner and Overnight near Oxford in an 18th century traditional farmhouse. (L,D) Day 2 - Today it is all about C. S. Lewis. It was here in Oxford that Lewis was educated, taught literature, met J.R.R. Tolkien, converted to Christianity, wrote the Chronicles of Narnia and other classics, drank at pubs, worshipped every Sunday at his local parish church, famously fell in love late in life, and was buried. Unfortunately University College where he studied and Magdalen College where he taught are not open to the public but we will see them from the outside. What we can do however, is visit the Bodleian Library on a behind the scenes tour, where you will certainly recognize areas used in filming the Harry Potter movies. We will stop at the Eagle and Child for Pub Lunch. Lewis frequented this pub and it was here that he met weekly with Tolkien. After lunch, if we are very, very lucky we may be able to arrange a tour of the Kilns. Lewis lived here from 1929 to 1963 and it was here where he wrote all the Narnia books and his other classics. The house plays a significant role in the stories as well. In real life, a few children who were evacuated from London during the WWII bombing came to stay at the Kilns. And that's how The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe story began. Dinner and Overnight near Oxford. (B,L,D) Day 3 - As we make our way north our first stop will be Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, steeped in culture and history in the beautiful rural Warwickshire Countryside, on the banks of the River Avon. The home that he lived in on Henley Street is preserved intact. After visiting the home where Shakespeare was born and raised, you will have some free time before Afternoon Tea at Benson's in Stratford. This afternoon we visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Gardens. The beautiful thatched farmhouse was occupied by descendants of the Hathaway family until it's purchase by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1892 and still contains many rare family items of furniture that date back to Anne's time. Pub Dinner at the Shakespeare Tavern. Overnight Chipping Campden in a 15th century honey coloured Cotswold stone house. (B,L,D) Day 4 - This morning you will want to explore this beautiful Old Cotswolds Market Town before our days journey. Chipping Campden was the centre for wool trade during the 14th and 15th centuries and has retained its feel of a place stepped back in time. Then, just a short ways away, we find Hidcote House and Gardens, one of England's great gardens. Designed and created by the horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston in the Arts & Crafts style, it is made up of exquisite garden rooms, each possessing its own special character. This afternoon we visit Broadway where we Lunch at Tisanes Traditional English Tea Rooms before we visit the Broadway Tower. Built in 1799, it is a perfect example of an 18th century Gothic folly. At 1024 feet above sea level you can see 13 counties! Dinner on your own in Chipping Campden. Overnight Chipping Campden. (B,L) Day 5 - Today we journey to Nottingham and the homes of D. H. Lawrence and Lord Byron. J. M. Barrie creator of Peter Pan began his career in journalism here as well. Lawrence, the inspirational author of Lady Chatterley’s Lover attended Nottingham High School and then Nottingham University. We will visit the D. H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum before a visit to the Hatter's Tearoom for Lunch. The museum has been restored to look as it did then, in 1885 and we will have a guided tour. Mad, bad and dangerous to know, the Romantic poet Lord Byron is famous the world over as a passionate lover, a political revolutionary and a man who inspired the Greeks to victory over Turkish rule. One of England’s greatest literary heroes, Byron’s first poem was written about Nottingham at the age of ten. This afternoon we will visit Newstead Abbey, best known as the former home of the poet Lord Byron, was originally an Augustinian priory founded by Henry II in about 1170. Dinner and Overnight North of Nottingham in a beautiful 5 star guest house and coach house in over an acre of mature gardens with uninterrupted views over the Derwent Valley. (B,L,D) Day 6 - On our way north today we stop and visit Conisbrough Castle with almost 1,000 years of history. The lofty 12th century keep of this very well-preserved building, now complete with its restored roof and floors, is a spectacular sight. It had a major role to play in the Wars of the Roses and was once owned by Richard of York. Conisbrough Castle featured in Sir Walter Scott’s 'Ivanhoe', and with its many reminders of the golden age of knights in armour it makes for a lovely visit near Doncaster. We then continue our journey to one of my favorite places in the English countryside, Haworth. Upon arrival, we will have Afternoon Tea before a visit to the Bronte Parsonage Museum, which from 1820-1861 was home to novelists Charlotte, Emily and Ann Bronte. After visiting the museum, we go next door to the 15th Century Haworth Church and Graveyard, final resting place of many of the Bronte family members. Pub Dinner and Overnight Haworth in a 5 star luxury Yorkshire guest house with lots of history. (B,L,D) Day 7 - Following breakfast we take a short drive to Skipton Castle, over 900 years old, Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England. We will explore every corner of this impressive history-rich castle, which withstood a three-year siege during the Civil War. We will view the Banqueting Hall, the Kitchen, the Bedchamber and Privy and climb from the depths of the Dungeon to the top storey of the Watch Tower. Next we stop in Kirkby Lonsdale for lunch before continuing to Sizergh Castle and Gardens. Home of the Strickland family for over 750 years, Sizergh is a romantic fortified mansion that contains some of the finest Elizabethan carved overmantels in the country. We continue on to Ambleside in the Lake District. Ambleside is a lovely village nestled alongside the shores of Lake Windermere. Dinner and Overnight Ambleside. (B,D) Day 8 - This morning we visit Rydal Mount and Gardens, the famous home of William Wordsworth. With the breathtaking views of the lakes you can understand why he loved to write here. This was Wordsworth's best loved family home for the greater part of his life from 1813 to his death in 1850 at the age of 80. We next visit Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth from December 1799 to May 1808, the years of his supreme work as a poet. The cottage used to be an inn called the Dove and Olive and many of the building's distinctive features date from this time with white-washed walls, flagstone floors and dark, wood panelling. Afternoon Tea at the Wordsworth Hotel before we drive to Cockermouth and Wordsworth House where William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in a fine Georgian house. His father John was estate agent to Sir James Lowther, who owned the house. The garden at the back, with the River Derwent flowing past, was a place of magic for the young William. Dinner on your own in Ambleside. Overnight Ambleside in a lovely small Lake District hotel. (B,L) Day 9 - Next stop is the Beatrix Potter Gallery at Hawkshead where you can see the original artwork for her books. The gallery was once the office of her husband William Heelis. Inside you will find that the interior remains virtually unaltered since his day. Within the gallery you will find displays of her original drawings and information about the life of Beatrix Potter as an artist, author, farmer and the involvement in the conversation movement. We will lunch in Hawkshead before to Beatrix's home at Hill Top. It is kept exactly as she left and complete with treasured furniture and china. You will feel as if you stepped into her books! Full of her favourite things, the house appears as if Beatrix had just stepped out for a walk. Every room contains a reference to a picture in a 'tale'. The lovely cottage garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Dinner and Overnight Ambleside. (B,D) Day 10 - We make our way to the Yorkshire Dales today with a stop at Kirkby Stephen where we view the Loki Stone, a symbol of an 8th Century Norse God, which is one of only two such stones in the whole of Europe. We now head south over the winding roads and hills that make up James Herriot's Yorkshire Dales. Our next stop is Wensleydale Creamery at Hawes in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The creamery incorporates a museum, viewing gallery, specialist cheese shop and fully licensed restaurant. Lunch at Hamilton's Tea Rooms in Aysgarth. This afternoon we visit Bolton Castle, a spectacular mediaeval fortress, situated in the heart of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, on the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Built in 1399, the castle is famous for having been the prison of Mary Queen of Scots for 6 months. Afternoon and evening free to explore Richmond with Dinner on your own. It is here, in the small Richmondshire Museum, that the original TV set for the veterinary office resides. It was also here that Lewis Carroll attended boarding school at the Old Richmond School. Overnight near Richmond in a 1797 Georgian Farmhouse on a working north Yorkshire farm. (B,L) Day 11 - This morning we drive to Barnard Castle and to the Bowes Museum. The Bowes Museum is a hidden treasure, a jewel in the heart of beautiful Teesdale. The magnificent building stands proud in the historic market town of Barnard Castle housing internationally significant collections of fine and decorative arts. We then continue on to Reeth(home of Skeldale House in the All Creatures Great and Small television series) where we visit the Swaledale Folk Museum, a treasure house of over 500 objects connected with life and work in the dale. We'll Take Tea at the Copper Kettle before we drive way up on the hillside to get some of the most spectacularly panoramic views of you will ever see! This drive will also cover Arkengarthdale and Langthwaite which you will recognise as filming locations for the series. This afternoon finds us back in Historic Market Town of Richmond for a Pub Dinner. Overnight near Richmond. (B,L,D) Day 12 - Todays journey takes us to Thirsk which is the Darrowby of James Herriot's Novels. On the way we stop at Mount Grace Priory, tranquil ruins of a late 14th Century Carthusian Monastery, the most important in England. Once in Thirsk, we visit Skeldale House at 23 Kirkgate, the actual residence and surgery in James Herriot's Darrowby which now houses The World of James Herriot Museum. The museum encompasses the very essence of the world renowned vet James Herriot. It offers visitors an unforgettable interactive experience of the life and times of a man, who became a national celebrity after the airing of the BBC drama "All Creatures Great and Small". This afternoon we take a short journey to the wooded valley of the River Skell where we find Britain's largest monastic ruin of Fountains Abbey and the outstanding Water Garden of Studley Royal established in 1132. Yorkshire’s first World Heritage Site is a huge estate of beauty, contrasts and surprises including the abbey ruins and one of England’s most spectacular Georgian water gardens. Dinner and Overnight near Harrogate in a lovely 5 star guest house situated on the edge of Nidderdale in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales. (B,D) Day 13 - This morning we take in the Cathedral City of Ripon and the 800 year old cathedral built over a 7th century Saxon crypt. The Old Hall, next door to the Cathedral, was home to Lewis Carroll and his family in the 1850s. Then we are off to Harrogate, which at the turn of the 20th century was the north's leading spa town, with nearly 90 medicinal springs. Today it is a lovely town of fine architecture and public gardens. We'll visit the Royal Pump Room Museum as well as Betty's Café Tea Rooms for Lunch. After lunch, we are off to Ripley with its cobbled market square and quaint cottages. We'll visit the Castle and Gardens of Ripley. In 2009 the Ingilby family celebrated 700 years at Ripley Castle. For any family to occupy the same house for 700 years is truly remarkable. All those letters, deeds and documents that tend to get lost, damaged or thrown away when you move from one house to another have survived, and give a unique record of the family's history, their births, marriages and deaths, their trials and their tribulations, during the course of the last seven centuries. Dinner and Overnight near Harrogate. (B,L,D) Day 14 - This morning we are off to Leeds/Bradford Airport for the journey home. (B) |
| Scottish Dream Tours Presents A Literary Journey Through England June 29th - July 12th, 2011 Featuring Jane Austin, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, William Shakespeare, D. H. Lawrence, Lord Byron, the Bronte sisters, William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, Lewis Carroll and James Herriot featuring historic homes, castles, museums, pubs, gardens and tearooms. With visits to: Jane Austen House Museum, Lewis and Tolkien's Oxford, Shakespeare's Stratford and Birthplace, Ann Hathaway's Cottage, Lawrence and Byron's Nottingham, Conisbrough Castle, Bronte Parsonage Museum, Skipton Castle, Sizergh Castle, Ambleside, Rydal Mount and Gardens, Dove Cottage, Wordsworth House, Beatrix Potter Gallery and Hill Top, Wensleydale Cheese Museum, Barnard Castle and Bowes Museum, Bolton Castle, Swaledale Folk Museum, Mt. Grace Priory, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, Skeldale House, Cathedral City of Ripon. A small intimate tour of England and the English Countryside featuring famous writers. Each tour is designed to accommodate only 8 - 10 people for a more personal experience and to allow you to get the most of your holiday. Keeping the tour size small gives us the leeway to veer from the beaten path and take advantage of accommodations, restaurants and sightseeing that would not be available to larger groups. You may find yourself staying in a delightful guest house, a small country house hotel, a comfortable farmhouse and an old coaching Inn all in the same visit. We do not rush from venue to venue and we spend as little time on the bus as possible. Tour includes all accommodation in top rated British Tourist Board Approved accommodations. Full English breakfast each morning. All lunches and dinners as listed in itinerary. Porterage of one suitcase per person. Minibus travel including tour guide. Knowledgeable guide for all tourist venues. All sightseeing as indicated in itinerary including any entrance fees. All taxes and service charges. $4495US per person double. Only 2 spots left! $500 per person deposit required to book your tour. Deposit By PayPal Click Here for route map. |
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