11 Day Elegance Of Great Britain

Tour Description

While you might not meet Mr Darcy on this tour, it certainly evokes a bygone age, imbued with archetypal villages, stately homes, historic castles and beautiful gardens. This tour features two-night stays throughout. In each overnight destination there are expertly planned day excursions, or city tours, with fabulous visits designed to showcase each region in depth. An engaging, yet balanced itinerary. Enjoy both modern and traditional hotels – from the contemporary Botley Park to the historic grand Victorian Marriott Hollins Hall, set in 200 acres of Brontë Country.

Highlights

• Chartwell: See Winston Churchill´s statue in the village of Westerham before visiting his former country residence
• Hever Castle: Visit the childhood home of Anne Boleyn
• Beaulieu: Tour the Palace House and National Motor Museum
• Winchester: Visit the cathedral town.
• Salisbury: See the highest spire in England.
• Avebury: Visit the famous stone circle
• Stratford: Visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
• Cotswolds: Visit magnificent Blenheim Palace & Gardens Visit the award-winning gardens of Sudeley Castle
• Ludlow: See the ruined castle and Jacobean timbered buildings
• Ironbridge: Enjoy an introduction to the engineering miracle that spawned the Industrial Revolution
• Lake District: Learn about the life of the poet William Wordsworth and visit his grave in Grasmere
• Edinburgh: Visit the castle housing the `Honours of Scotland´. Selected departures experience the Edinburgh Military Tattoo Visit the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. See the castle, Holyrood house Palace and the `New Town´
• Borders: See Jedburgh Abbey and stop at Hadrian´s Wall
• Haworth: Tour the Brontë Parsonage Museum
• York: See York Minster, city walls and medieval “Shambles”
• Castle Howard: Visit the fabulous 18C castle and gardens
• Stamford: Visit one of England´s oldest coaching towns
• Scenic drives – Cotswolds, New Forest, Lake District

Stay at the following (or similar):

• Botley Park Golf & Country Club
• Swans Nest
• Hydro
• Hilton Grosvenor
• Marriott Hollins Hall

Hotel Classifications: Deluxe (D), Superior First Class (SF), First Class (F)

Quality Dining

• A Welcome Reception with light informal meal (WR)
• Choose from a selection of restaurants in Stratford (DA)
• Enjoy a Yorkshire restaurant Celebration Dinner with wine (CD)
• 10 full Breakfasts (FB), 3 three-course Evening Meals with choice, or buffets, plus tea or coffee (D)

First Class Services

• Escorted by a professional Tour Director
• Headsets for all guided visits and walking tours
• Enjoy the unique comfort of Insight´s Luxury air-conditioned 40 seat coach with extended leg room and on-board restroom
• Insight Hotels include all service charges, taxes and porterage
• Insight Traveller Welcome pack
• London Airport transfer service available

Itinerary

Day 1 London – Hampshire

After a warm welcome from your Tour Director, make your way into the Kent countryside. At the pretty village of Westerham, Winston Churchill watches over the neat village green and you visit his nearby residence of Chartwell next. Continue through brilliant yellow and green pastures to Hever Castle, home to the tragic tale of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Cross the moat to explore the fortified manor house and stroll in the delightful gardens. Move on to your country style hotel for a Welcome Reception and light informal meal.
Stay: Botley Park Golf & Country Club (RW)

Day 2 New Forest Excursion

A scenic drive through the woods and glades of the New Forest brings you to Beaulieu Abbey, once a Cistercian Abbey, now the stately home of Lord Montagu. Tour the Palace House, Abbey ruins and visit his lordship´s collection of cars in the National Motor Museum. Travel on to Salisbury to see the tallest spire in the land atop the 13th century cathedral. Return to your hotel where the remainder of the day is at leisure (FB)

Day 3 Hampshire – Avebury – Stratford

Visit the cathedral town of Winchester this morning, where King Alfred stands guard in the High Street. The country roads lead you past pretty villages en route to Avebury, which is partially situated in a huge prehistoric henge monument of several stone circles. Next visit the gardens of Sudeley Castle, former home to one of King Henry VIII´s wives, Katherine Parr. Continue on to pretty Stratford nestled on the River Avon. Visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare, full of interesting memorabilia and artefacts relating to his life.
Stay: Swans Nest (FB)

Day 4 Cotswolds Excursion

An enchanting day takes you across the beautiful Cotswold hills, a chocolate box scene of golden stone villages with roses round the doors. Visit Blenheim Palace, the greatest building of the English Baroque. After touring the house and gardens, return to Stratford where you are offered a choice of restaurants for your dining pleasure tonight. (FB/DA)

Day 5 Stratford – Ludlow – Lake District

Travel through the orchards of Worcestershire to elegant Ludlow, where 18C mansions rub shoulders with half-timbered Tudor buildings. The town is dominated by its castle, rich in tragic royal history. Explore the lanes and hidden courtyards, before continuing through the remote Shropshire hills. Pass by Wenlock Edge, as celebrated in the poetry of AE Housman, to reach Ironbridge Gorge, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. From the eponymous 200-year-old bridge the smooth motorway carries you north to the Lake District.
Stay: Hydro (FB/D)

Day 6 Lake District Excursion

A whole day is devoted to this scenic wonderland of rugged mountains and tranquil waters – an inspiration to a host of English poets. Visit Wordsworth´s grave in the small churchyard at Grasmere, then admire the vast expanse of Windermere, largest of the lakes. Perhaps even consider a cruise on its peaceful waters? (FB/D)

Day 7 Lake District – Edinburgh

Cross the Scottish border at Gretna – for years the destination of eloping English lovers, before continuing through the Southern Uplands to Edinburgh. Discover the wonders of the plant kingdom in the Botanical Gardens, a remarkable haven of tranquillity in the south of the city, as well as a world-renowned centre for botanical science.
Stay: Hilton Grosvenor (FB)

Day 8 Edinburgh Sightseeing

A local expert guides you through Edinburgh Castle containing the Honours of Scotland, the oldest Royal regalia in the British Isles. Follow the Royal Mile to Holyroodhouse Palace where Mary Queen of Scots lived. Drive along Princes Street, past the ornate Scott Memorial, to the 18th century `New Town´ with its classical Adam facades. The rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight, selected departures attend the spectacular Edinburgh Military Tattoo. (FB)

Day 9 Edinburgh – Brontës Country

Head south past ruined Jedburgh Abbey and over the border to visit Hadrian´s Wall, boundary of the civilised world in Roman times! Now discover the fascinating history of the Brontës, the world´s most famous literary family as you visit their Parsonage home in the village of Haworth. It is preserved as near as possible as it was in the day when `Jane Eyre´ and `Wuthering Heights´ were written. Stay for the next two nights in a grand Victorian hotel, set amidst a landscape that fuelled the imagination of the Brontë sisters in writing their classic novels.
Stay: Marriott Hollins Hall (FB/D)

Day 10 Yorkshire Excursion

After breakfast, arrive in the walled city of York, one of the most historic cities in Britain. See the huge Minster, Britain´s largest medieval cathedral, and explore the maze of narrow streets, including the Shambles. Head out now through rich farmland to visit the fabulous 18th century Castle Howard, one of Britain´s grandest historic houses with its fine furniture, paintings, tapestries and extensive gardens. Later this evening, enjoy traditional Yorkshire hospitality at your finalé Celebration Dinner. (FB/HD)

Day 11 Brontës Country – Stamford – London

Hear legendary tales as you journey towards `Robin Hood Country´ even though little remains of his beloved Sherwood Forest. Visit the quintessential English town of Stamford, an attractive mix of narrow passageways and cobbled streets, medieval churches and Georgian buildings. Your tour concludes on return to London. (FB)

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Accommodation rating Represents the standard of hotel used most frequently throughout this tour

Extras Represents the individual operators suggested budget to pay for additional activities on tour (dinners,entertainment,excursions etc) NOT included in base tour price

Hotel legend:
D deluxe | SF superior first | F first | MF moderate first | ST superior tourist | T Tourist