13 nights/ 14 days
Mon, Sept 22
Depart Boston at 7:10 pm, Northwest Airline #38 via
AMS
Tues, Sept
23 Arrive Bristol 9:35 am. From the airport you will take a
taxi to Bristol Parkway Rail Station where you will take the 11 min train
journey to Bath. Departures every 10-20 min.
Take 3 minute cab ride from Bath Spa rail station, or catch a number 3 or 14
bus (Bus stops to the left of the station) which will drop you at the door
of the guesthouse.
Upon arrival you can drop your bags at
your accommodation and then set out to do
some sightseeing in Bath. A few of the
main places of interest in Bath include:
The Roman Baths and Pump Room, Royal Crescent and Circus
(Britain’s
most
famous intact Georgian terraces), the Jane Austen Centre, the
American Museum, Becksford’s Tower, and the Museum of Costume
(please note: you will not have time to see all of these places).
Overnight
in Bath at The Highways House, a 4 star townhouse, an easy walk
to the city centre.
Bed and Full
English Breakfast included
Weds, Sept
24 Today you can take a take the 9:00 am bus to
Glastonbury. Arrival time is 10:43.
Glastonbury, England’s New Age Centre!
There are many hippies, new agers and spiritualists who have been drawn to
the legends of Arthur. There is a tourist centre at The Tribunal.
The main attraction is the Glastonbury Abbey, though no more than a ruin.
The ancient gatehouse entry to the abbey is a museum. Open daily
9:30-6:00 pm. The remainder of the town is a typical market town. From
Glastonbury you will take the 12:42, 12:53, 1:12 or 1:42 to Wells.
This is a 20-25 min journey. Upon arrival you can visit the Wells
Cathedral a well preserved 12th century medieval building.
The stained glass dates to the 14th century. Free admission.
Open 7:am-7:00 pm.
You can take time to wonder around the
cloisters to the Bishop’s Palace which is surrounded by a moat. The
street called Vicar’s Close is known as one of the prettiest streets
in Europe. You can return to Bath from Wells by bus to Bristol and train to
Bath, leaving every 20-25 min, journey lasting 1 hour 35- 2 hours depending
upon your departure time.
Overnight Bath, accommodation as
above
Bed and Full English Breakfast included
This evening, you can take the Bath
Ghost Walking Tour (see signs in the bath for
Ticket locations).
Overnight Bath, accommodation as
above
Bed and Full English Breakfast included
Thurs, Sept
25 This morning you will take the Mad Max mini bus tour to
Stonehenge, Avebury and
Lacock Village. (please note: you must
pay at the start of the tour.
You will meet at the Glass House
in central Bath at 8:40 am and
return
at 4:30 pm. You will visit Avebury, the small village and stone circle
which has
unrestricted viewing of the stones (yes,
you can touch them!). The circle is 16 times
bigger and 1,000 years older than
Stonehenge! You will also visit Silbury Hill,Cherhill
White
horse
and Lacock
Village, a National Trust Village and filming location of Prideand
Prejudice and Harry Potter (in the
abbey). You will most likely have your lunchstop in Lacock. The
George Inn is an excellent pub serving a wide variety of food.
From Lacock you will go to
Castle Combe, an idyllic Cotswolds village nestled in a
small wooded valley with its
meandering stream and weaver’s cottages. The castle is no longer there, but
the stones have been used to make for the buildings and houses aswell as the
impressive hotel.
Note: Please pay GBP 27.50 per
person the day of the tour.
Entrance fee into Stonehenge is
additional at GBP 6.30, however your Great
British Heritage Pass will cover the
entrance.
Overnight Bath,
accommodations as above
Bed and Full English Breakfast
included
Fri, Sept
26 This morning you will depart Bath by train to
Morton-in-Marsh. There is a 8:43 departure, 1 change, 2 hrs 41 min or
10:09 departure, 1 change, 3 hrs 12 min.
Upon arrival you will walk to your
cottage.
After settling in, you can head out to
get some provisions for your stay in the cottage and walking around the
village of Moreton.
Overnight Morton-in-Marsh at the
Coach House, a lovely small cottage in the middle of the village.
Self Catering:
http://www.discoverthecotswolds.net/properties/coach-house.html
Sat, Sept 27 This morning you can take the bus to
Stow-on-the-wold, one of the most popular villages in the Cotswolds.
Bus departs at 9:15 or 10:45 am, a 15 min journey) (I suggest the
9:15 ). Stowe has many shops and restaurants to browse in.
From Stow (bus departs at
12:25 or 1:55, 10 min journey) you will go to Bourton on the
Water where you can visit the Cotswold Perfumery. There are
guided tours which start in the perfume garden and include the
perfume
laboratory, compounding
room and packing area. All tours must be pre-booked and last approximately
45 minutes. Note: The Perfumery is currently closed due to the flood of
July 2007. They are still waiting for the concrete floor to dry out before
they can lay new flooring. Anticipated reopening will be in April.
Therefore we need to wait to make a reservation. Cost of tour is GBP 5.00
per person. Return to Moreton at 2:05, 4:20, 5:35 or 6:35, 20
min journey).
Overnight Moreton-in-Marsh,
accommodation as above
Self-catering
Sun, Sept 28
After a leisurely breakfast you can take a bus to Broadway where you
can spend time wondering around the town (this is a popular tourist town)
and then, if your energy affords you, take the 2.5 mile walk to the village
of Snowshill where you can visit Snowshill Manor. The manor
was purchased in an auction by Charles Paget Wade, an eccentric collector,
who packed the house to its brim with his collections of anything made by
hand from all of the globe. It is quite an interesting home and the
gardens, however not what normally attract people to the house, are quite
lovely due to the view over the Vale of Evesham and the way that it is
constructed around the home. It is a lovely setting for photo taking. The
village of Snowshill is mainly homes, but gorgeous cottages set up on
small hills. This is one of my favorite spots…very peaceful.
Overnight Moreton-in-Marsh,
accommodation as above.
Self-catering
Mon, Sept 29
This morning you will take the train to Stratford upon Avon. You
will need to leave on the 10:47 am Bus #22, arriving Stratford at 11:47.
You can get a bite to eat and then start on your hop on hop off bus tour of
Stratford (double decker bus).
Travel to all the Shakespearean Houses: Shakespeare's Birthplace,
Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Mary Arden's House, New Place, Nash's House and
Hall's Croft. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre where the Bard's
plays are performed for the majority of the year. The Holy Trinity Church
where Shakespeare is buried, protected by a cursed tombstone.
The Old 15th Century Grammar School where Shakespeare was educated.
You also get to enjoy a lovely tour through the scenic Warwickshire
countryside, visiting Wilmcote, the village where Mary Arden's
House (Shakespeare's mother) can be found. You can take a short taxi
ride to Warwick Castle, the best example of a medieval castle in all
of England. It has a terrific display of wax people which helps to depict
the story of the castle and its famous residents and visitors. The village
of Warwick itself is very old and medival looking. You can spend some time
wondering around before taking the train back from Warwick, departing
at 2:45, 2:59. 3:44. 4:24, etc. It is a 1 hour 40 min journey with 2
changes
Overnight Moreton-in-Marsh,
accommodation as above.
Self-catering
Tues, Sept 30
Today you can take the bus to Chipping
Campden, one of the loveliest villages in the Cotswolds! The houses are
picturesque, surrounded by lovely gardens. It is a small village where you
can spend time wondering around and looking in the shops. Afterwards, take
the bus to Mickleton where you will need to walk 1.7 miles to
Hidcote Manor (open 10:00-6:00 pm) or take a taxi. Hidcote is
a serious of small gardens with hedges. In fall there are red flowers. You
will take a taxi back to Mickleton and bus back to Moreton.
Overnight Moreton-in-Marsh,
accommodation as above.
Self-catering
Weds, Oct 1
Today you can take the bus to Winchcombe (only operates on Weds) in
order to visit Sudeley Castle, open . The castle has a long and
distinguished history, including Edward IV, Henry VIII, Henry’s wives,
Thomas Seymour, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth! There is an excellent
exhibit of Henry and his wives along with tapestries and you can visit
inside the private quarters of the castle on Wednesdays In Winchcombe there
is a nice bakery and wine store where you might pick up some items to take
back with you.
Overnight Moreton-in-Marsh,
accommodation as above.
Self-catering
Thurs, Oct 2 Market day in Moreton! There is supposedly
an open air market on Tuesdays.
If you desire, you can take a taxi to
Chastleton House, 4 miles from Moreton.
It is a Jacobean manor built around the
turn of the century. The furnishings are also turn of the century. The
gardens are very popular due to the Victorian topiary shrubs
Overnight Moreton-in-Marsh,
accommodation as above.
Self-catering
Fri, Oct 3 This morning you can take the train from
Moreton in Marsh to Oxford (depart at 8:14, 9:19 or 10:18, no
changes, 30-40 min) and then bus No. 20 from Oxford to Woodstock
(30 min) where you can visit Blenheim Palace(opens at 10:30),
childhood home of Winston Churchill. Blenheim is the only historic
house in Britain to receive the honor of a World Heritage Site. There is
also impressive gardens along with the Marlborough Maze, the largest
symbolic hedge maze on earth! On the return to Oxford you can spend some
time there walking around the University (there are blue badge guide walking
tours that might be very helpful, for there are 39 colleges in all). If you
have interested in Harry Potter films sights, there is The Bodeian
Library (Sanatorium Scenes, Divinity school, and Duke Humfrey’s Libarary)
and Christ’s Church College (referred to as “The House”). Return
trains run every 40 min up until 11:00 pm.
Overnight Moreton-in-Marsh,
accommodation as above.
Self-catering
Sat, Oct 4 This morning you will depart the Cotswolds and
take the 8:14 am or 9:19 departure from Moreton-in-Marsh to Ware (3 hour
36 min or 3 hour 11 min journey, 2 changes, via London). From the train
station you will make your own way to your relatives home.
Overnight Wadesmill (Ware) at the
Feather’s Inn, 2.5 miles from the Ware Rail Station OR take the late train
out of Ware at 5:12 to Horley (2 hours), overnight as below.
Alternative: You can take the train from Moreton at 8:14 or 9:19 to London
Paddington Station (1 hr 40 min, no changes). You can then take the Hop on
Hop off Bus tour of London. Then take the Gatwick Express (rail) from
London Bridge or Victoria Station, 30 min journey, departs every 4 min-5
min. The tour bus stops at either one of these stations.
Overnight Horely at the Trumbles Guest
House
Bed and Full English breakfast included
Sun,
Oct 5 Today you can visit Hever Castle, taking the
9:14, 9:45 or 9:55 train to Edenbridge where you will take a taxi
to Hever. Hever Castle is the childhood home of Anne
Boleyn. The gardens are an amazing Italianate style with little “room”
throughout, a lake and a water maze.
Return to Horley.
Overnight Horley, at Trumbles, a 4 star
guest house located in the village of Charlwood. This is located 10 min
drive by taxi to LGW. You will have a free transfer on your departure day.
Bed and Continental Breakfast included
Mon, Oct 6 Today you will prepare to take your return flight
back to the states. Your Northwest Flights #31 departs LGW at 1:45 PM.
You need to arrive at the airport by 11:30 am. Therefore, you
have a few hours in the morning at leisure and to wonder around the village.
