LONDON & CORNWALL SMALL GROUP TOUR
This
well-balanced tour features the best of the UK's southwestern region. It's a
cliché to write that there's something for everyone here but sometimes the
cliché is the most accurate word or phrase to use. For lovers of countryside
there are rolling downs, rugged seascapes, atmospheric moorlands and the lush,
green country that is so representative of England. For those who enjoy history
there are castles aplenty, the King Arthur connections, the prehistoric and
Roman sites, the more recent war time remains and everywhere the mighty maritime
past.
Literature lovers will be
thrilled to see the lands of Thomas Hardy and Daphne Du Maurier. Gourmets will
die for the cream teas, real Cornish pasties and farmhouse cooking.
You'll never forget the
narrow country lanes where the hedgerows grow higher than the cars, the villages
where it's difficult for bicycles to pass let alone motorized vehicles, the
thatched cottage hamlets and small fishing harbours accessible only on foot.
This itinerary ideally combines
with our 4-day Red Dragon (or our longer tour of Wales , the 8-day 'The Land of
Song') to make the 15 day 'Land of the Celts' tour.
TENTATIVE ITINERARY
NIGHTSTOP
DAY ONE
You are collected from one of
our hotel collection points as per your choice. Then our first day's touring
takes us into England oldest counties, Wiltshire and Hampshire. The purpose of
our visit is to see King Arthur's Round Table at the Great Hall in Winchester,
before continuing through the timeless landscape of Thomas Hardy's Dorset to
Honition in Devon. En route, we'll stop at Cadbury castle, an iron-age, hilltop
fortress and one of the possible sites of Camelot. A further highlight of our
day will be a local stately home such as Montacute House or Stourhead.
Honiton,
Devon
DAY TWO
Our routing for the day will
offer us great choice. There's the maritime city of Exeter, the English Riviera,
and Plymouth, where we'll see the harbour from which the Mayflower set sail.
Next, we follow the Cornish coast through delightful fishing villages and
harbours stopping en route, perhaps, to visit the pirate museum at Looe or the
shipwreck centre at St Austell. Readers of Daphne Du Maurier will also enjoy our
time at Fowey and discovering the real Jamaica Inn.
Falmouth/St Ives
DAY
THREE
There's so much to see in
this region. There are the wonderful harbours of St Ives and Penzance, the
coastal walks along cliff tops and beaches, the prehistoric village at
Chysauster, the famous open-air Minack theatre, some of the most beautiful
gardens in Britain, including the new Eden Project. There are old lead mining
museums, castles and Land's End itself. And then, of course, we've afternoon
cream teas to take and Cornish pasties to eat! Our flexible touring concept will
allow tour participants to decide on the day's priorities in consultation with
their guide.
Falmouth/St Ives
DAY
FOUR
Continuing our Cornish adventures. Today we'll spend enjoying the atmosphere of
St Ives. There's plenty to entertain. This is an artists' haven and you'll
delight at the range of local galleries, but perhaps of even greater interest
will be the extension of the prestigious Tate Gallery. There are also some fine
walking opportunities. The sailors or deep sea fishers amongst you might just
find the opportunity of taking to the water just to good too pass up! You're
free to dine independently in St Ives this evening and to return to our
accommodation by local taxi at your leisure. Falmouth/St
Ives
DAY
FIVE
We turn north, following the
north Cornwall and Devon coasts. Our itinerary today will include Padstow, King
Arthur's Tintagel, the impossibly pretty village of Clovelly (where donkeys are
still used to haul goods and people up and down the narrow cobbled street to the
sea) and the Devon countryside north of Dartmoor and Dartmoor itself.Dartmoor
or Exmoor
DAY SIX
We tour today through
Somerset. This is a county famed for its cider apples and so we must, of course,
visit a cider farm and sample the wares! There are also the mystic town of
Glastonbury where Arthur is said to have been buried, and the magnificent Wells
cathedral. If time permits, perhaps we can also visit the massive gorge and
caves at Cheddar. Even with all of the other memorable days on this tour, past
participants have still named it one of their most memorable - perhaps because
the treasures we discover are just so unexpected.
Bath
DAY
SEVEN
Today, we'll first soak up the splendour of Gerogian Bath. Your guide will
deliver a panoramic tour on our mini-coach, introducing you to the many fine
aspects of this famed city. You'll then have some free time to visit the Roman
Bath pump room, the cathedral, or simply to shop.
This
afternoon we take the olde coaching road back to London, stopping en route at
the unspoilt mediaeval Lacock (home of photogaphy and a well-known film location
site), the prehistoric World Heritage site of Avebury, and perhaps the antique
centre of 17th century Hungerford depending on time and group choice.
You'll be dropped back at one of our central London
hotel pick up points as per your choice.
London
NOTE:
Many of the historic properties we visit on our tours are either owned by the
National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)
or the English Heritage (www.english-heritage.org.uk).
Why not visit their sites to get further descriptions of some of the super
places included on the tour?
DEPARTURE DATES & PRICES FOR YEAR 2008
|
Tour Code |
Depart
London |
Return
London |
|
CTEA |
Sunday |
Saturday |
|
|
|
|
|
CTEA2
|
07 Sep
|
13 Sep
|
Prices: twin share
£945 / single: £1065
Click here to work out
prices in other currencies
http://www.xe.com/ucc
