Discover Britain's Glorious Heritage - 2018 Guaranteed Departures - National Trust Tours
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Discover Britain’s Glorious Heritage 2018 Guaranteed Departures
Dear National Trust Travelers, Delve Deeper into Britain’s Heritage
I am very pleased to present a selection of our 2018 heritage tours produced in Mount Stuart House, Isle of Bute
partnership with Albion. These unique group tours offer the chance to explore and enjoy
Mount Stuart House is located on the beautiful Isle of Bute, a peaceful island haven only
the vast cultural and natural heritage of Britain including many of the National Trust of
accessible by ferry. The spirit of 19th-century invention is embodied in Mount Stuart - a
England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s magnificent places, thanks to Albion’s partnership
feat of Victorian engineering, this magnificent Neo-Gothic mansion was one of the
with the National Trust.
most technologically advanced houses of its age and was the architectural fantasy of
Discover the history and hidden gems of Britain with behind-the-scenes tours, after the 3rd Marquess of Bute and his architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. Mount Stuart
dinner lectures and insights from the owners of the properties themselves. Our 2018 also houses the Bute Collection, one of the foremost private collections of artwork and
Highclere Castle
programs encompass a wide range of themes and places; from Areas of Outstanding artifacts in the UK.
Natural Beauty such as the Scottish Highlands and the north of England’s Lake District
Mount Stuart House features on the Edinburgh, Glasgow & the Scottish Highlands
National Park, to fine architecture such as lavish Elizabethan mansions and breathtaking
& Islands tour (page 24)
cathedrals.
The Aristocrats & Manor Houses & a Grand Tour to the North and Chelsea Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire Mount Stuart House
& Hidden London tours (pages 16 & 6) are both back by popular demand, while on the Having been closed to the public for over 25 years, Wentworth Woodhouse is now
unique Stately Homes of Oxford & the Cotswolds tour (page 8), we meet some of the open to the public once more and is in the process of being restored to its former glory.
owners of stately homes for a truly behind-the-scenes look at the reality of living in one Wentworth Woodhouse comprises of two houses of totally different styles (Baroque Meals
of these historic houses. and Palladian) built by the First Marquess of Rockingham between 1725 and 1750. The On every tour, breakfast is included at
Chelsea Flower Show magnificent State Rooms are acknowledged to be some of the finest of the Georgian era. your hotel each day. Certain lunches
If you are travelling solo, we have a dedicated tour, Castles & Mansions of Kent for the
Wentworth Woodhouse features on the Journey through Glorious Yorkshire & the Lake and dinners are also included (details
Single Traveller (page 28), allowing you to uncover some of the historic gems of Kent in
District tour (page 18) can be found on each tour page).
the company of like-minded people with no single supplement to pay. On all other tours,
Some evenings are left free for you to
there are a small number of rooms that are sold with no single supplement. These rooms
The majority of our tours include an after-dinner talk by an expert in make your own dinner arrangements,
Mark Fiennes - Royal Collection Trust , -® Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017
sell fast, so book early to avoid disappointment.
their field that promises to be both informative and engaging: giving you the flexibility to choose
Join one of these tours and you will have the unique chance to see the results of the your own restaurant as well as have
important work taken on by our counterparts the National Trust of England, Wales and Whether it is a leading historian, fascinating writer or learned expert, we arrange guest time to explore more of the town or
Northern Ireland in preserving and protecting their nations’ treasures. speakers who will enhance the themes of your tour and provide some captivating city you are staying in.
background or intriguing insight. With the opportunity for you to ask questions at the end
of the talk, these interactive experiences are an opportunity not to be missed. Extend Your Stay
We also provide reading lists, allowing you to do a little background If you would like to arrive a few days
before your tour departs or leave a
Scott Gerloff reading before the start of the tour:
few days after the end of the tour,
Director, National Trust Tours If you want to understand a little more about the themes of your tour, we provide a full we are happy to arrange extra nights’
reading list that should enable you to fully engage with the subject. We ensure that our accommodation at any of the hotels
reading lists are entertaining as well as informative, and they include a mixture of fiction that feature on your tour (a small
as well as factual tomes. It is up to you how much you want to use the reading list, but administration charge applies). Please
The King’s Bedchamber, Windsor Castle
you can be sure that it will help spark lively conversation! call us to discuss your requirements.
2 For more information or to register, call National Trust Tours on 888-484-8785 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST), Monday - Friday email: info@nationaltrusttours.com 3
Tour Highlights...
Stately Homes of Oxford & the Cotswolds - Meet the Owners
This is your chance to meet the owners of stately homes and find out first-hand what it is like
to live in and look after a historic house, as we enjoy private guided tours led by the owners
themselves. We are also given special access to other iconic properties in the area which all
offer a glimpse into the lives of their owners through the centuries.
England’s Finest Cathedrals Scotland
Visit some of the most breathtaking ecclesiastical buildings in the country; stunning examples of
some of the country’s finest architecture on the outside, filled with beautiful decoration on the Edinburgh, Glasgow & the
inside. On this progressive tour we traverse central and southern England, discovering quaint Edinburgh
Scottish Highlands & Islands
towns, historic cities and picturesque countryside along the way.
Aristocrats & Manor Houses
& a Grand Tour to the North
The English Arts & Crafts Movement
One of the UK’s most famous art movements became known as Arts and Crafts, in a nod to
A Journey through Glorious
its celebration of hand-craftsmanship and rejection of mass production. Its influence affected
Yorkshire & the Lake District
painting, ceramics, furniture and architecture, and the movement was responsible for the
York
revival of traditional crafts such as embroidery, weaving and stained-glass making. On this Elizabethans in the
fascinating tour, we travel from the rural Cotswolds home of its founder William Morris, up Heart of England The Regal Estates & Jacobean
to the North West of England, uncovering other Arts and Crafts properties and their contents Manors of Norfolk & Suffolk
Manchester
along the way. We also discover some stunning art, created by Morris’ contemporaries.
The English Arts &
Elizabethans in the Heart of England Crafts Movement England
No one liked to show off more than nobles in Elizabethan England! They made their houses as
lavish as possible, creating ‘noble palaces of an awesome scale’ in an attempt to impress their Birmingham
Queen and outdo one another. Luckily many of these houses survive today and we explore Historic Castles Wales Chelsea Flower Show
some of these opulent gems in the heart of England, a land populated with chocolate-box & Stately Homes & Hidden London
villages and beautiful landscapes. of Wales London
Historic Royal Houses
Castles & Mansions of Kent for the Single Traveller Stately Homes of Oxford & the
& Stately Homes of Kent
Join this sociable tour to uncover some of the gems of historic Kent, the ‘Garden of England’, Cotswolds - Meet the Owners
travelling with fellow single travellers. If you don’t want to travel with your partner or friends,
England’s Finest Castles & Mansions of Kent
or just want to journey solo and feel safe in the knowledge that you’ll be looked after, this tour
Cathedrals for the Single Traveller
will allow you to enjoy the beauty of Kent in the company of like-minded people, and best of all
there is no single supplement to pay!
A Wonderful Opportunity to Explore and Experience...
Chelsea Flower Show & Hidden London May 22 to 27, 2018 Page 6 A Journey through Glorious Yorkshire & the Lake District July 21 to 29, 2018 Page 18
Stately Homes of Oxford & the Cotswolds - Meet the Owners May 27 to June 3, 2018 Page 8 Historic Royal Houses & Stately Homes of Kent August 11 to 18, 2018 Page 20
England’s Finest Cathedrals June 10 to 19, 2018 Page 10 The Regal Estates & Jacobean Manors of Norfolk & Suffolk September 2 to 9, 2018 Page 22
The English Arts & Crafts Movement June 13 to 20, 2018 Page 12 Edinburgh, Glasgow & the Scottish Highlands & Islands September 9 to 18, 2018 Page 24
Historic Castles & Stately Homes of Wales June 20 to 29, 2018 Page 14 Elizabethans in the Heart of England September 16 to 22, 2018 Page 26
July 8 to 17, 2018
Aristocrats & Manor Houses & a Grand Tour to the North Page 16 Castles & Mansions of Kent for the Single Traveller September 24 to October 1, 2018 Page 28
August 12 to 21, 2018
Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
& Hidden London
May 22 to 27, 2018 from $3,950 per person Fenton House
Ham House Old Royal Naval College
Southside House Royal Observatory
The Chelsea Flower Show is the Royal Horticultural Society’s most prestigious and sought-after
Fenton House
©NTPL/John Hammond
event. We combine this iconic show with an exploration of many hidden and little known gems Royal Observatory
nestled amidst the streets of London, uncovering the history of the capital of England through
this eclectic mix of properties. We also spend time in Greenwich with its royal heritage, rich
culture and beautiful riverside setting.
Ham House
©NTPL/Arnhel de Serra
Special extras
included in your
©NTPL/John Hammond
itinerary
Entrance
to the RHS Chelsea
Flower Show Ham House Chelsea Flower Show What’s Included
Private
guided tour of Southside
Airport
transfers from London Heathrow*
House Next, we head to the Old Royal Naval College. May 26: Fenton House, Traditional
Built on the site of the old Tudor palace where 5
nights at the Pullman London St Pancras
Thames
riverboat journey to Afternoon Tea and the George Inn
Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born, this Hotel
Greenwich We start the day at Fenton House, a handsome
architectural masterpiece has a fascinating Welcome drink and canapés
Guided
tour and lunch at the Old 17th-century merchant’s house set in a beautiful
history that stretches back over hundreds of
Royal Naval College walled garden and one of London’s hidden Full
English buffet breakfast each day
years, which we discover on our guided tour.
gems. The house is filled with highly decorative
Afternoon
Tea at a historic The college is also home to the magnificent 1
dinner
collections of porcelain, Georgian furniture,
London hotel Painted Hall, recognised as the greatest
early musical instruments and 17th-century 1
lunch
piece of decorative painting in England and
needlework. The balcony of the house offers Services of a tour director throughout
described as ‘the Sistine Chapel of the UK’. We
panoramic views of the city on fine days. your stay
enjoy lunch here after our tour.
Chelsea Flower Show
Later, we enjoy a traditional English afternoon Travel
to and from all excursions
tea served at a historic London hotel. This
All
entrance costs
Six Day Itinerary May 24: Ham House and Southside British institution was started by the Duchess
©NTPL/Stephen Robson
East Garden, Ham House
House of Bedford in 1830 and includes classic tea, Porterage
May 22: Arrival sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and *supplement applies for transfers from all other
We take a scenic drive to Ham House this
(depart U.S. on 5/21) morning, one of Europe’s greatest 17th-
dainty cakes. airports
On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private century houses nestling on the banks of the Finally, we make a short stop at the National
transfer will take you to the Pullman London St River Thames. This atmospheric mansion has Trust owned George Inn. Built in 1677, it is the
Pancras Hotel, our hotel for the duration of our Your Hotel
©NTPL/Arnhel de Serra
remained virtually unchanged for 400 years. only remaining galleried inn in London and over
stay. In the evening you are invited to join the the years is believed to have been frequented
group for a welcome drink, followed by dinner. Our next visit is to Southside House. Pullman London St Pancras Hotel
by Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare.
Wonderfully eccentric in taste, the house
Ideally situated in central London, adjacent
Chelsea Flower Show reflects the lives and loves of generations of May 27: Departure
Fenton House to the British Library, the Pullman London
the Pennington Mellor Munthe families. With
A private transfer will take you back to St Pancras Hotel has recently undergone a
a super collection of art and historical objects,
Our final visit of the day is to Queen’s House Heathrow airport for your return flight home. multi-million pound transformation. The
Southside offers a wealth of fascinating family
which re-opened in 2016 after renovation. This Please note: This tour is on a bed and breakfast
modern rooms feature rain showers, tea and
stories, which we enjoy on our private guided
splendid 17th-century royal villa was the first basis (except on day one when dinner is included). coffee-making facilities and minibar. Other
tour.
Classical building in England and houses an This allows you to make your own evening meal hotel facilities include a bar and restaurant
extraordinary art collection including works by arrangements and explore London. plus a fitness lounge and sauna.
Great Masters such as Gainsborough, Hogarth The date of the visit to the Chelsea Flower Show may No single supplement – very limited availability
and the Van de Veldes. change in line with ticket availability.
May 23: RHS Chelsea Flower Show May 25: Royal Observatory, Old
We visit the Royal Horticultural Society’s most Royal Naval College and Queen’s
sought-after event, the Chelsea Flower Show,
House, Greenwich
held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital
Chelsea. Here we can enjoy the finest in garden We travel down the River Thames by boat
design and superb expert advice, and soak up to Greenwich, the ‘Home of Time’, where
the unique atmosphere of this world-famous our first visit is to the Royal Observatory.
show. The Great Pavilion is the centrepiece Commissioned by King Charles II in 1675, it
of the show, containing a wide-ranging mix played a major role in the history of astronomy
of floral displays, while the Show Gardens and navigation. It is also the location of the
showcase the exceptional talent of a handful of historic Prime Meridian, which divides the
carefully selected garden designers, delivering a earth’s eastern and western hemispheres, as
broad range of design styles and themes. Southside House well as London’s only planetarium.
6 For more information or to register, call National Trust Tours on 888-484-8785 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST), Monday - Friday email: info@nationaltrusttours.com
Old Royal Naval College 7
Stately Homes of Oxford & the What’s Included
Cotswolds - Meet the Owners
©NTPL/Derek Pelling
Airport
transfers from London Heathrow*
2
nights at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel
5
nights at the Macdonald Randolph Hotel
May 27 to June 3, 2018 from $4,190 per person Broughton Castle
Rousham House & Garden
Upton House
Oxford Waddesdon Manor
Welcome
drink and canapés
Waddesdon Manor
Blenheim Palace
Oxford
We all dream of living in a stately home but what is the reality actually like? On this unique Buscot Park
Milton Manor House
Chenies Manor House Full
English breakfast each day
Stonor Park
tour, we meet some of the owners who are lucky enough to call these historic houses their 4
dinners
homes, situated in the one of the most quintessentially English regions of Britain. We are also
2
lunches
given special access to other impressive properties as we take in the best of the Cotswolds, an
area known for idyllic, honey-coloured stone towns and villages set against a picturesque rural Services
of a tour director throughout
backdrop of gently rolling hills. These are complemented perfectly by some magnificent stately your stay
homes around Oxford, the city of Dreaming Spires. Travel
to and from all excursions
All
entrance costs
Special extras Broughton Castle
Porterage
*supplement applies for transfers from all other
included in your airports
May 30: Waddesdon Manor and June 1: Broughton Castle and
itinerary Upton House Rousham House & Garden
We head to Waddesdon Manor this morning. Our first visit is to Broughton Castle, a moated
Your Hotels
Bespoke
guided walking tour of
Built by the wealthy Rothschild family, and fortified manor house set in lovely gardens
Oxford Nights One and Seven
Waddesdon is a renaissance-style chateau and parkland, where we enjoy a private tour
Guided
tour of Buscot Park that looks as though it’s been transported to followed by lunch. Much of the original 14th- Macdonald Windsor Hotel
with Lord Faringdon (subject to The Macdonald Windsor Hotel is situated in
©NTPL/John Bigelow Taylor
the gentle Buckinghamshire countryside from century house remains including the Great
availability) France’s Loire Valley. Along with a guided tour Hall, but most of what we see today dates the heart of the historic town of Windsor,
of the sumptuous interiors, we also enjoy from the 1550s including magnificent plaster opposite the famous Windsor Castle. The
Guided
tour of Milton Manor
lunch here. ceilings and splendid panelling. Home to the classic interiors, with a contemporary edge,
House by the owner
21st Lord and Lady Saye & Sele, Broughton has fit perfectly with the Georgian elegance of
Guided
tour and lunch at We continue on to Upton House, the 1930s this townhouse hotel. The luxury bedrooms
Waddesdon Manor remained in the same family since 1447.
Waddesdon Manor country residence of millionaire oil magnate are individually-designed and the hotel also
Guided
tour of Chenies Manor Lord Bearsted. Set among stunning terraced Next we explore Rousham House and its offers a stylish bar and restaurant.
House by the owners gardens and with sparkling Art Deco interiors, magnificent landscaped garden, which has
the house was acquired for entertaining and to remained almost unaltered since it was Nights Two to Six
Guided
tour of Stonor Park by house Lord Bearsted’s important collections of designed in the early 18th century by William Macdonald Randolph Hotel
the owners art and porcelain, one of the finest private art Kent. Kent also redesigned the Jacobean The Macdonald Randolph Hotel is an
Private
guided tour and lunch at collections in England. interiors at Rousham which we discover on elegant, luxury hotel right in the heart of
Broughton Castle our private tour, led by a family member. The the city of Oxford. A landmark hotel with
This evening is free for you to make your own
house retains some 17th-century panelling and charm aplenty, it has recently celebrated
Private
guided tour of Rousham dinner arrangements.
the original staircases, furniture, pictures and its 150th birthday. The hotel’s architecture
House by a family member bronzes.
May 31: Chenies Manor House and is Victorian Gothic in style and features
©NTPL/Nadia Mackenzie
©NTPL/Rupert Truman
Guided
tour and afternoon tea at rich furnishings and a warm palette of
Blenheim Palace
Stonor Park The evening is left free to make your own
dinner arrangements. burgundies and sophisticated creams. The
Chenies Manor House is an enchanting
Themed
evening talk by a guest hotel also benefits from a recently opened
Tudor manor house with fortified tower and
speaker stepped gables. Originally the home of the June 2: Blenheim Palace and restaurant and stylish bar.
Upton House Upton House
Russell family, the manor was bought in the Woodstock No single supplement – very limited availability
1950s by the present owners, the MacLeod We head to Blenheim Palace, set in beautiful
Eight Day Itinerary May 28: Oxford on behalf of the National Trust. Subject to Matthews family, who take us on a guided parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown
Today we visit historic Oxford, famous seat availability, Lord Faringdon will show us around tour of their enchanting property. Winner of where we enjoy a guided tour. As the seat June 3: Departure
May 27: Arrival of learning. On our bespoke walking tour, the house where we can admire the family A private transfer will take you back to
the HHA/Christie’s Garden of the Year Award of the Dukes of Marlborough, the palace is
(depart U.S. on 5/26) we discover the history and many of the collection of pictures, furniture, ceramics 2009, the gardens are divided into a series of synonymous with the Churchill family and Heathrow airport for your return flight home.
On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private magnificent buildings of the city including and objets d’art, known as the Faringdon compartments, including a sunken garden, is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. A
transfer will take you to our overnight hotel, the colleges of the famous Oxford University. Collection. a parterre with a yew maze and a Victorian permanent exhibition commemorates the life
the Macdonald Windsor Hotel. In the evening Following our guided tour, we have free time We then head to Milton Manor House, kitchen garden. of this famous wartime Prime Minister, whilst
you are invited to join the group for a welcome to enjoy the city at leisure. The University of an elegant 18th-century red-brick house, the magnificent State Rooms reveal a superb
drink, followed by dinner. Oxford Botanic Garden, the Ashmolean (the Our next stop is Stonor Park, situated in a valley
traditionally designed for Bryant Barrett, the collection of tapestries, paintings, porcelain
world’s first public museum) and Bodleian in the Chiltern Hills. Home to the Stonor family
lace maker to King George III. The private and furniture. We enjoy afternoon tea after
Library are just some of the attractions here. for 850 years, it is one of the oldest family
home is set in a splendid location and includes our visit.
homes still inhabited today. The owners take us
Later, we check in to the Macdonald Randolph a walled garden, stables and fine old trees. on a guided tour of the house which contains We also make a short stop in Woodstock, a
Hotel in the heart of Oxford, where we stay for We enjoy a guided tour by the owner, where an impressive collection of art and artifacts picturesque, historic market town on the edge
the next five nights. Tonight we enjoy dinner highlights include the impressive Gothic amassed from across the globe. Highlights of of the Blenheim estate. Here, we have some
together at the hotel. Library and new Roman Catholic Chapel. the house also include the Gothic revival hall, free time to explore the antique shops, art
The evening is left free to make your own atmospheric 17th-century library and dramatic galleries and tea rooms.
May 29: Buscot Park and Milton long gallery opening on to beautiful Italianate
dinner arrangements. After dinner back at the hotel, we are treated
Manor House gardens.
Built in the late 18 century in Neo-classical
th to a fascinating talk by a guest speaker.
style, Buscot Park is the family home of Lord Tonight, we enjoy dinner together at a
Buscot Park Faringdon, who looks after the property restaurant in Oxford. Blenheim Palace
8 For more information or to register, call National Trust Tours on 888-484-8785 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST), Monday - Friday email: info@nationaltrusttours.com 9
England’s Finest What’s Included
Cathedrals Lincoln Cathedral
Airport
transfers from London Heathrow*
St Botolph's Church 3
nights at the Guildford Harbour Hotel
Peterborough Cathedral 1
night at the Chilston Park Hotel
June 10 to 19, 2018 from $4,950 per person Coventry Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral Stratford-upon-Avon
Ely Cathedral
2
nights at the Stapleford Park Hotel
Hereford Cathedral
England is home to a wonderful collection of cathedrals which are a major aspect of the 3
nights at the Queens Hotel
Gloucester Cathedral
nation’s artistic heritage. Seats of bishops and centers of worship and mission, they are often Oxford
St Paul's Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral Welcome
drink and canapés
the oldest, most architecturally complex and diverse buildings in the country. We explore Ely Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral Full
English breakfast each day
some of these iconic and magnificent places, with their centuries of history, sacred relics and
architectural splendors; a testament to the skill and talent of the finest artists, designers and 7
dinners
for its magnificent tower which, at 272ft cathedral houses international treasures
craftsmen of the time. high, is one of the tallest medieval towers in including the famous Mappa Mundi, the Services
of a tour director throughout
England. The church is particularly well known largest surviving medieval map of the world, your stay
for its close ties to the Pilgrim Fathers and the and the largest surviving medieval chained Travel to and from all excursions
Special extras
foundation of America. library.
All
entrance costs
included in your Continuing north, we visit Lincoln Cathedral. After dinner back at the hotel, we are treated
Porterage
Built in 1088, for over 200 years the cathedral to a fascinating talk by a guest speaker.
itinerary could claim to be the tallest building in the *supplement applies for transfers from all other
world until the central spire collapsed. One of June 17: Bristol Cathedral and airports
Guided
tours of Westminster Europe’s finest Gothic buildings, the cathedral Gloucester Cathedral
Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, is filled with intricate detail and beautiful We head first to Bristol where we visit Bristol
Coventry Cathedral and medieval decoration, which we discover on our Cathedral. The origins of the cathedral lie Your Hotels
Worcester Cathedral guided tour. in the abbey founded in 1140 by Robert
Fitzharding. The remains of the abbey can still Nights One, Two and Nine
Guided
walking tour of On returning to our hotel, we dine together this
Canterbury evening.
be seen in the stunning chapter house and Guildford Harbour Hotel
Abbey gatehouse. The cathedral is one of the Set in a contemporary glass-fronted building,
Evensong
at Gloucester Cathedral world’s finest examples of a medieval ‘hall
June 15: Coventry Cathedral and the Guildford Harbour Hotel is centrally
Guided
walking tour of Oxford Stratford-upon-Avon church’, where the vaulted ceilings in the nave, located in the heart of Guildford. The
choir and aisles are all at the same height. hotel offers bedrooms with contemporary
Themed
evening talk by a guest Today we head south west, stopping first
speaker furnishings, two stylish restaurants and a
in Coventry where we enjoy a guided tour We then discover 1,000 years of history at
St Paul’s Cathedral Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral lounge bar. Leisure facilities include an indoor
of Coventry Cathedral. The cathedral is Gloucester Cathedral. With centuries of
pool, sauna, steam room, gym and spa
in fact two buildings; the ruins of the ‘old craftsmanship on display, the architecture,
Ten Day Itinerary June 12: Canterbury, Canterbury June 13: Ely Cathedral and (treatments are at an additional cost).
Cathedral’, a medieval parish church that was stained glass and artifacts are some of the
Cathedral and St Augustine’s Abbey Peterborough Cathedral bombed during the Second World War, and best examples of their kind in the country. Night Three
June 10: Arrival the ‘new Cathedral’, designed by architect Highlights include the 15th-century Lady
Leaving our hotel, we travel to Canterbury. We head north to Cambridgeshire to visit Chilston Park Hotel, Maidstone
(depart U.S. on 6/9) One of medieval Europe’s great places of magnificent Ely Cathedral. Founded as a Sir Basil Spence and containing some of the Chapel, the tomb of King Edward II and the
On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private pilgrimages and knowledge, the city has a monastery in 673, work on the present finest examples of 1950s and 1960s Art and Great East Window. Installed in the early Nights Four and Five
transfer will take you to the Grand Harbour fascinating history which we learn about on building dates from the early 1080s. A Architecture in the country. 1350s, it is one of the greatest landmarks of Stapleford Park Hotel
Hotel, where we stay for the next two nights. In our guided walking tour. remarkable example of both Romanesque and European stained glass. The medieval monastic
Our next stop is the charming town of The Stapleford Park Hotel is situated close
the evening you are invited to join the group for Norman architecture, its most famous feature cloisters are famous for their breathtaking
Next we visit Canterbury Cathedral, the oldest Stratford-upon-Avon, forever associated with to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.
a welcome drink, followed by dinner. is the central Octagon Tower which, along fan vaulting as well as their appearance in
cathedral in England, dating back to Norman William Shakespeare, where we have time to Surrounded by 500 acres of Capability Brown
with the West Tower, gives a unique exterior the Harry Potter movies! We arrive in time to grounds, this beautiful country house hotel
June 11: Westminster Cathedral and times. In 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket explore at leisure. Fans of the bard can visit the
landmark that dominates the surrounding enjoy Evensong at the cathedral. bears the imprint of architectural styles, from
St Paul’s Cathedral was murdered in the cathedral and ever since, house in which he was born, and there’s also
landscape. the chance to wander the riverside gardens This evening is free for you to make your own Tudor to Victorian with all the 21st century
This morning, we head into London to visit it has been a site of Christian pilgrimage. The
cathedral contains one of England’s largest We continue on to Peterborough Cathedral, along the Avon or discover the town’s theatres, dinner arrangements. amenities you would expect in a luxury hotel.
Westminster Cathedral, the head of the
collections of early medieval stained glass one of the finest Norman cathedrals in including the home of the Royal Shakespeare
Catholic faith in England and Wales. Built in June 18: Oxford Nights Six, Seven and Eight
while its awe-inspiring architecture includes a England. Founded as a monastic community in Company.
an intricate neo-Byzantine style, this striking Leaving Cheltenham, we travel to historic
cathedral is crowned with four domes and sweeping Gothic nave and cavernous crypt. AD 654, it became one of the most significant We continue on to Cheltenham and check in to Queens Hotel
medieval abbeys in the country. The present Oxford, famous seat of learning. On our The Queens Hotel boasts a majestic setting
a 284ft campanile from where there are We then explore the impressive ruins of St the Queens Hotel where we stay for the next bespoke walking tour, we discover the history
magnificent views of London. The richly building was begun in 1118, consecrated three nights. The evening is left free to make in the Montpellier area of Cheltenham
Augustine’s Abbey, England’s first seat of and many of the magnificent buildings of the
decorated interior follows the Byzantine in 1238 and the structure of the building your own dinner arrangements. overlooking Imperial Gardens. Dating back
learning, situated outside the city walls. city including Christ Church, one of the most
tradition of beautiful mosaics and marble, and remains essentially as it was on completion. to 1838, this elegant hotel offers impressive
After our visit, we travel on to the Chilston Most significantly the original wooden ceiling June 16: Worcester Cathedral and famous colleges of Oxford University. Following neoclassical architecture and a rich heritage.
we discover more on our guided tour. our guided tour, we have free time to enjoy
Park Hotel where we stay overnight with survives in the nave, the only one of its type Hereford Cathedral The beautifully appointed guest rooms are
Afterwards, we visit St Paul’s Cathedral, with dinner included. in the country and one of only four wooden the city at leisure. The University of Oxford air-conditioned and equipped with satellite
We start with a guided tour of Worcester Botanic Garden, the Ashmolean (the world’s
its world-famous dome that remains an iconic ceilings of this period surviving in the whole of TV and tea and coffee-making facilities. The
Cathedral which rises majestically above the first public museum) and Bodleian Library are
feature of the London skyline. The present Europe. hotel also features a bar, restaurant and
River Severn. Built between 1084 and 1504, just some of the attractions here.
cathedral was the masterpiece of Britain’s characterful Orangery.
Later we check in to the Stapleford Park Hotel, the cathedral represents every style of English
famed architect Sir Christopher Wren, built Later, we enjoy a farewell dinner together
our base for the next two nights. Tonight, we architecture from Norman to Perpendicular No single supplement – very limited availability
between 1675 and 1710 in Baroque style. at a restaurant in Guildford before staying
enjoy dinner together at the hotel. Gothic and boasts royal tombs, medieval
The cathedral has long been at the centre of overnight back at the Guildford Harbour
cloisters, a Norman crypt and magnificent
national events from surviving the Blitz to state
June 14: St Botolph’s Church, Victorian stained glass. Hotel. Please note: As this tour includes visits to a number
funerals and royal weddings. We have time of prominent cathedrals around England, some days
to discover the spectacular interiors and the Boston and Lincoln Cathedral Built on a place of worship used since Saxon June 19: Departure will involve fairly long journeys.
crypt with its tombs of historical British figures We begin our day in the market town of Boston times, Hereford Cathedral has some of A private transfer will take you back to Access to and around the cathedrals may be difficult
including Admiral Lord Nelson. to visit St Botolph’s Church, otherwise known the finest examples of art and architecture Heathrow airport for your return flight home. due to steep steps and uneven surfaces; therefore
Peterborough Cathedral as Boston Stump. The church is most notable from Norman times to the present day. The
Tonight we enjoy dinner together at the hotel. this tour is unsuitable for those with limited mobility.
10 For more information or to register, call National Trust Tours on 888-484-8785 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST), Monday - Friday email: info@nationaltrusttours.com 11
The English Arts & Crafts Liverpool
Speke Hall
What’s Included
Movement
Airport
transfers from London Heathrow*
Wightwick Manor
1
night at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel
Birmingham
2
nights at the Greenway Hotel
June 13 to 20, 2018 from $4,250 per person Winterbourne House and Garden
Speke Hall ©NTPL/Andrew Butler Stained glass at Birmingham Cathedral 3
nights at the Hard Days Night Hotel
Hidcote Manor Garden
The Arts and Crafts Movement was one of the most influential, profound and far-reaching Broadway plants that were collected on Johnston’s trips to Next we visit the Lady Lever Art Gallery,
1
night at the Hartwell House Hotel
design movements of modern times. The aim of the movement’s reformers was to re-establish Sapperton
Painswick
far flung places. founded by William Hesketh Lever and Welcome
drink and canapés
a harmony between architect, designer and craftsman and to emphasise the importance of Rodmarton Manor
Kelmscott Manor
dedicated to the memory of his wife. The
Continuing north, our next stop is Wightwick Full
English breakfast each day
handcraftsmanship. On this insightful tour, we explore many of the properties and gardens gallery houses one of the UK’s finest collections
Manor, a quirky Victorian, timber-framed 6
dinners at the hotels (with after dinner
designed by these influential figures; discover country retreats that were a source of inspiration of fine and decorative art along with many
house with interiors decorated with the designs tea and coffee)
and visit galleries renowned for their Arts and Crafts collections. Our tour will be accompanied world famous Pre-Raphaelite artworks.
of William Morris and his Arts and Crafts
by an expert in the Arts and Crafts Movement. contemporaries. Owned by the Mander family, We continue on to the Williamson Art 1
lunch
the house was given to the National Trust in Gallery. Opened in 1928, the gallery houses Services
of a tour director throughout
your stay
©NTPL/JAndreas von Einsedel
1937, although the family remained as live-in one of the best art collections in the North
©NTPL/John Millar
Special extras curators. The house also contains a remarkable West of England. Paintings, especially British Travel
to and from all excursions
collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings while watercolours, join highlights of the decorative
included in your outside are gardens created by the celebrated arts collections such as Liverpool Porcelain and All
entrance costs
itinerary Arts and Crafts landscape architect Thomas
Mawson.
Della Robbia Pottery, a fascinating local Arts and
Crafts enterprise.
Porterage
*supplement applies for transfers from all other
Guided
tour at the Wilson Art Arriving in Liverpool in the early evening, we We return to Liverpool on the ferry ‘cross the airports
Gallery check in to the Hard Days Night Hotel, our Mersey, taking in the sights and panoramas
Wightwick Manor Broadway Tower base for the next three nights. The rest of the along the river including Liverpool’s skyline.
Themed
guided tour of Liverpool
River crossing on the Mersey
evening is left free to make your own dinner Afterwards, we visit the Victoria Gallery, home Your Hotels
©NTPL/James Mortimer
arrangements in the city. to an incredible collection of art and curiosities
Ferry from the 120 year history of the University of
June 17: Walker Art Gallery, Night One
Lunch at Birmingham Museum Liverpool. Housed in the restored Gothic style
Macdonald Windsor Hotel, Windsor
and Art Gallery Liverpool and Speke Hall Victoria Building, the collection includes fine
We head to Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery with art, sculpture and ceramics as well as objects
Introductory
talk at Nights Two and Three
its outstanding art collection spanning over relating to innovation and research such as
Winterbourne House dentistry and zoology.
Greenway Hotel
six hundred years from the Renaissance to the
Themed
evening talk by a guest present day. The diverse range of art on display The Greenway Hotel is a charming honey-
We dine together back at the hotel this evening. coloured stone, Elizabethan manor located
speaker includes sculpture, fashion, decorative art and
paintings with works by the likes of Rembrandt, on the outskirts of the Regency town of
Tour
accompanied throughout by June 19: Birmingham Museum & Cheltenham. Set in eight acres of manicured
an expert Turner, Rossetti, Monet and Hockney. Art Gallery, Birmingham Cathedral
Wightwick Manor Broadway Speke Hall gardens with views over the rolling Cotswold
Afterwards, we enjoy a guided tour of and Winterbourne House & Garden Hills, the hotel offers a lounge and bar with
Liverpool, where we discover its history In the morning, we travel by train to open stone fireplaces, a restaurant and rooms
Eight Day Itinerary historic town of Painswick which has a number Our next stop is the quintessential Cotswold
as an industrial force. We also encounter Birmingham. We pay a visit to the Birmingham decorated in a mix of traditional country
of Arts and Crafts buildings. village of Broadway with its picturesque High
June 13: Arrival elements of the Arts and Crafts Movement Museum and Art Gallery. First opened in 1885, manor and boutique style. The luxurious spa
Street lined with honey-coloured Cotswold
From here we travel to Rodmarton Manor, on the architecture of the city and visit the it is famous for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings, boasts a hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam
(depart U.S. on 6/12) one of the last country houses to be built and
stone buildings. Here we visit the Gordon
Philharmonic Dining Rooms’ lavishly decorated room and outdoor hot tub. Spa treatments
Russell Design Museum which celebrates the which are part of the largest public Pre-
On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private furnished according to the ideals of the Arts interior. are available at an extra cost.
work of the renowned 20th-century furniture Raphaelite collection in the world, as well as
transfer will take you to our overnight hotel, and Crafts Movement. Ernest Barnsley and
designer Sir Gordon Russell and his Company Later we visit Speke Hall, a rare Tudor timber- collections of silver, sculpture, ceramics and
the Macdonald Windsor Hotel. In the evening the Cotswold group of Craftsmen took over 20 Nights Four to Six
of highly skilled craftsmen. Russell was greatly framed manor house with Victorian Arts and ancient and social history galleries. We also
you are invited to join the group for a welcome years to build and furnish the house and were
influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement Crafts aesthetics as well as some fine Jacobean learn about the Birmingham School of Art and Hard Days Night Hotel
drink, followed by dinner. Later, we enjoy a responsible for the revival of many traditional
and the museum is housed in his original plasterwork and a spectacular Great Hall. The its role in the Arts and Crafts Movement. We The Hard Days Night Hotel is the world’s only
short introductory lecture on the Arts and Crafts crafts in the Cotswolds which were in danger
workshop, adjoining the historic Lygon Arms. fully equipped Victorian kitchen recreates the enjoy lunch here after our visit. Beatles inspired hotel, located in the heart
Movement. of dying out. Most of the wonderful furniture
existence of the hall’s servants in the past. A fine example of English Baroque architecture, of Liverpool, adjacent to the world famous
on display was made especially for the house, We also visit Broadway Tower, the second
June 14: Kelmscott Manor, Outside, admire the eye-catching black and Birmingham Cathedral was built as a parish Cavern Club. Housed in the magnificent
crafted locally by Ernest Gimson, Peter Waals highest point in the Cotswolds. Built in 1798, Central Buildings, dating back to 1884, this
Sapperton, Painswick and white timber exterior and the beautiful restored church in 1715. The church became a cathedral
and the Barnsley brothers. the Tower has had many uses over its history beautifully restored hotel offers individually
Rodmarton Manor gardens. in 1905 and is home to a remarkable set of
including becoming a countryside retreat for designed rooms elegantly furnished with
Later, we check in to the Greenway Hotel on stained-glass windows designed by Edward
Our first stop is 17th-century Kelmscott Manor, members of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Tonight we enjoy dinner together at the hotel. specially commissioned Beatles-inspired
the outskirts of Cheltenham where we spend Burne-Jones and manufactured by the firm of
the Cotswolds retreat of William Morris, his with Sir Edward Burne-Jones renting the Tower artwork, an innovative restaurant and stylish
the next two nights. After dinner at the hotel, June 18: Port Sunlight, Lady Lever William Morris & Co.
family, friends and colleagues. This tranquil with his friend William Morris in the late 19th cocktail bar.
we are treated to a fascinating talk by a guest
haven inspired many of Morris’s most important century. Art Gallery, Williamson Art Gallery, We rejoin our coach and travel to
speaker.
designs and writings and the evocative house Ferry ‘cross the Mersey and Victoria Winterbourne House and Garden where we Night Seven
We enjoy dinner together back at the hotel this
contains an outstanding collection of the June 15: Wilson Art Gallery, have a short introductory talk. Designed by
evening. Gallery Hartwell House Hotel, near
possessions and works of Morris and his architect J L Ball, a champion of Arts and Crafts
associates including furniture, textiles, paintings
Broadway, Gordon Russell Design We head to Port Sunlight, a unique garden Aylesbury
Museum and Broadway Tower June 16: Hidcote Manor Garden and village built by William Hesketh Lever to house style, the house has been restored to its former
and ceramics. glory. The period rooms are filled with antiques No single supplement – very limited availability
We begin our day with a visit to the Wilson Wightwick Manor his soap factory workers in 1888. Thought
We continue our journey, stopping in the village We leave Cheltenham and head to Hidcote to be the finest surviving example of early and Edwardian era soft furnishings while
Art Gallery, renowned for its Arts and Crafts outside, the seven acre garden is one of the
of Sapperton, famous for its connection with collection of furniture, textiles, ceramics, Manor Garden, an exquisite Arts and Crafts urban planning in the UK, the village offers a June 20: Departure
the Cotswold Arts and Crafts Movement, with garden. Created by the reclusive American mix of architectural styles set in 130 acres of best surviving examples of an Edwardian Arts
carvings, silver and jewellery; recognised as and Crafts villa garden. A private transfer will take you back to
several buildings designed by Ernest Gimson, an outstanding collection of international horticulturist, Major Lawrence Johnston, the beautifully maintained parkland.
Heathrow airport for your return flight home.
Ernest and Sidney Barnsley and Norman importance, which we learn about on our garden is laid out as a series of colourful and We continue on to Hartwell House Hotel, one
Jewson. We also make a stop in the beautiful guided tour. intricately designed ‘rooms’ and features many of the National Trust’s Historic Hotels, where we
enjoy a farewell dinner together.
12 For more information or to register, call National Trust Tours on 888-484-8785 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST), Monday - Friday email: info@nationaltrusttours.com 13
Historic Castles &
©NTPL/Andreas von Einsiedel
What’s Included
Stately Homes of Wales
Airport
transfers from London Heathrow*
1
night at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel
Dinefwr Castle
Cheltenham Tredegar House 6
nights at the St David’s Hotel & Spa
June 20 to 29, 2018 from $4,990 per person
Laugharne Castle
Stradey Castle Tintern Abbey
Dyffryn Gardens
Tredegar House
Chavenage House
1
night at the Ellenborough Park Hotel
Fonmon Castle Cardiff Castle Stonor Park
We journey west to experience the romantic landscapes and rich history of Wales, a country 1
night at the Hartwell House Hotel
steeped in myth and legend, with its own distinctive language and Celtic culture. We uncover Welcome
drink and canapés
an array of fairytale castles, splendid stately homes and beautiful ruins while discovering some
Full
English breakfast each day
of Wales’ most famous artists and writers along the way.
4
dinners
Caerphilly Castle Stradey Castle 1
lunch
Special extras Services
of a tour director throughout
In the afternoon we visit Stradey Castle, home acres of beautiful gardens and parkland. For
included in your to the Mansel Lewis family since it was built in more than 500 years it was home to one of
your stay
Travel to and from all excursions
itinerary the 1850s. This stunning Victorian house has the greatest Welsh families, the Morgans, later
remained virtually unchanged and contains Lords Tredegar, and their fascinating narrative
©NTPL/John Millar
All
entrance costs
a fine collection of paintings by the current is told throughout the house.
Guided
tour and lunch at Porterage
owner’s great-grandfather and his artist friends.
Chavenage House We end the day with a visit to Caerphilly *supplement applies for transfers from all other
Dyffryn Gardens Back at the hotel this evening you are free to Castle, built by Gilbert de Clare in the 13th airports
Guided
walking tour of Cardiff
make your own dinner arrangements in Cardiff. century. The second largest castle in Britain,
Guided
tour of Cardiff Castle the rings of stone and extensive water
June 25: Dinefwr Castle, Laugharne,
Afternoon
tea at Fonmon Castle
Dylan Thomas’ Boathouse and
defences are formidable even today.
Your Hotels
Guided
tour at Number 5 In the evening we enjoy a traditional Welsh
Cwmdonkin Drive
Laugharne Castle tasting menu at our hotel, featuring many local Night One
Our first visit is to Dinefwr Castle, the ruins specialities, followed by an interesting themed Macdonald Windsor Hotel, Windsor
Guided
tour at Stonor Park of which tell the story of battling Welsh noble talk from a guest speaker.
Welsh
tasting menu dinner on families and their struggles with the English Nights Two to Seven
one evening kings, which saw this 12th-century castle June 27: Llancaiach Fawr Manor St David’s Hotel & Spa
©James Kerr 2010
change hands across the borders many times. and Hay-on-Wye The contemporary St David’s Hotel & Spa,
Themed
evening talk by a guest
Set within the National Trust owned Dinefwr Before leaving Wales, we stop to visit with its dramatic glass-fronted façade,
speaker
Cardiff Castle Chavenage House Park, we’ll also be able to visit nearby Newton Llancaiach Fawr Manor. Designed during the boasts a waterfront position on Cardiff Bay.
House, built in the 17th century but given a turbulent reigns of Tudor kings and queens, All the rooms feature luxury bathrooms,
fashionable Gothic facelift in the 1850s. it is one of the finest examples of a semi- air-conditioning and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ten Day Itinerary Wales. Falling into ruins after the Dissolution June 23: Dyffryn Gardens and
fortified manor in Wales today. The manor is The hotel also offers a bar and restaurant
of the Monasteries in the 16th century, these Fonmon Castle In the afternoon we visit Laugharne, best
June 20: Arrival atmospheric, romantic remains have inspired known for its associations with Dylan Thomas best known as the home of Colonel Edward overlooking Cardiff Bay while the Marine Spa
We start the morning at Dyffryn Gardens, Prichard who hosted a visit by King Charles I features an indoor swimming pool, spa pool
(depart U.S. on 6/19) poets and painters ever since.
an exceptional example of Edwardian garden and thought to have been an inspiration for
the fictional town of Llareggub in Under Milk of England in 1645 and has now been restored and fully equipped gym. Spa treatments are
On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private Later, we check in to the St David’s Hotel & design. Designed by eminent landscape
Wood. We visit Dylan Thomas’ Boathouse and furnished as it would have been during available at an extra cost.
transfer will take you to our overnight hotel, Spa, where we spend the next six nights. The architect Thomas Mawson, the gardens
the Macdonald Windsor Hotel. In the evening where the poet lived with his family from Prichard’s tenure.
evening is left free to make your own dinner feature a stunning collection of intimate Night Eight
you are invited to join the group for a welcome garden rooms, formal lawns and an extensive 1949 to 1953. Now a museum, it also offers Our next stop is at a pretty little town which
arrangements. Ellenborough Park Hotel,
drink, followed by dinner. arboretum. wonderful views of the Taf estuary. There promises to be a treat for bibliophiles: Hay-
June 22: Cardiff, Cardiff Castle and will also be a little time to explore further or on-Wye. Often described as “the town of Cheltenham
June 21: Chavenage House and Next, we visit Fonmon Castle. Built in 1180, visit the romantic ruins of Laugharne Castle. books”, it is the National Book Town of Wales
Cardiff National Museum & Art this stunning medieval castle boasts beautiful
Tintern Abbey Built in the 13th century by the de Brian and home to over 20 independent bookshops Night Nine
Gallery Georgian interiors, art and antiques. Owned family, the castle was later transformed into
En-route to Wales, we visit Chavenage House, selling second hand, antiquarian and rare Hartwell House Hotel, near
We begin our day with a walking tour of by just two families in its 800 year history, it is an Elizabethan mansion. During the Civil War
an Elizabethan era manor house largely books. Aylesbury
historic Cardiff, the capital of Wales. We then one of the few medieval castles still lived in as it was partially dismantled by parliamentary
unchanged for 400 years, where we are treated
visit Cardiff Castle, where we enjoy a guided a family home. We enjoy afternoon tea after forces, but these noble ruins continued to We continue on to our overnight hotel, the No single supplement – very limited availability
to an exclusive guided tour by a member of the
tour. The castle’s history spans over 2,000 our visit. inspire Dylan Thomas and others. Ellenborough Park Hotel. Later, we enjoy
family. The house has a rich history and many
years, although the Gothic Victorian fantasy dinner together at the hotel.
Civil War associations including the rooms We then return to the hotel with the evening The evening is free for you to make your own Highlights of the house include the Gothic
castle we see today was created for the 3rd
where Cromwell stayed and an interior packed free for your own dinner arrangements. dinner arrangements. June 28: Cheltenham, Wilson revival hall, 17th-century library and dramatic
Marquess of Bute. We discover the lavish and
with period furniture, historic tapestries and long gallery opening on to beautiful Italianate
fascinating relics from the Cromwellian era.
opulent interiors, rich with murals, stained June 24: Dylan Thomas’ Birthplace June 26: Castell Coch, Tredegar Gallery and Stonor Park
glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood gardens. Within the sweeping grounds sits a
After our tour, we enjoy lunch here. We spend time in Cheltenham this morning,
carvings. at Number 5 Cwmdonkin Drive and House and Caerphilly Castle with time to admire the Regency town
perfectly preserved prehistoric stone circle!
Stradey Castle We start the morning with a visit to Castell houses, intricate ironwork balconies and We continue on to Hartwell House Hotel, one
After free time in the city to find lunch, we Coch, a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle
This morning we travel to Swansea to visit the painted stucco facades that line the historic of the National Trust’s Historic Hotels, where
visit Cardiff National Museum & Art Gallery. built on the site of an original 13th-century
Uplands suburb that played a huge part in promenade, squares and terraces. We also pay we enjoy a farewell dinner together.
Alongside one of Europe’s best collections of castle. The castle’s fairytale appearance,
shaping the style of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. a visit to the Wilson Gallery, an outstanding
Impressionist works, the museum houses 500
We begin with a short walking tour, passing with its towers, turrets and elaborately museum and art gallery with an important June 29: Departure
years of paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver decorated interiors, comes courtesy of the
many landmarks from his life, before visiting collection of Arts & Crafts movement furniture. A private transfer will take you back to
and ceramics from across the world, and an architect William Burgess, employed by the
his birthplace. Dylan was born at Number 5 Heathrow airport for your return flight home.
important collection of Welsh art. 3rd Marquess of Bute to create a rural retreat As we travel east we visit Stonor Park, where
Tintern Abbey Cwmdonkin Drive in 1914 and continued to live
to complement the opulence of his main we enjoy a guided tour. Home to the Stonor Please note: This tour involves a fair amount of walking
This evening is free for you to make your own there until his parents moved out in 1937. on sometimes steep or rugged terrain and some of the
Built by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow dinner arrangements. residence, Cardiff Castle. family for 850 years, it is one of the oldest
castles we visit have a large number of stairs to climb.
in 1131, Tintern Abbey was only the second family homes still inhabited today. The house
Our next stop is Tredegar House, a late 17th- We would recommend being able to undertake a good
Cistercian foundation in Britain, and the first in contains an impressive collection of art and level of walking to benefit from the tour.
century restoration house surrounded by 90 artifacts amassed from across the globe.
14 For more information or to register, call National Trust Tours on 888-484-8785 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST), Monday - Friday email: info@nationaltrusttours.com 15
Alnwick Castle
Cragside
Aristocrats & Manor Houses What’s Included
©NTPL/John Millar
Shandy Hall
& a Grand Tour to the North
Fountains Abbey Castle Howard
Beningbrough Hall
Airport
transfers from London Heathrow*
Fairfax House
Nostell Priory 1
night at the Woodlands Park Hotel or the
Macdonald Windsor Hotel
Hardwick Hall
July 8 to 17, 2018 from $4,990 per person
Renishaw Hall
Chatsworth House Hardwick Hall
3
nights at the Stapleford Park Country
House Hotel
August 12 to 21, 2018 from $4,990 per person
2
nights at the Wood Hall Hotel
Our unforgettable tour explores the architectural grandeur and superb collections of some of
©Simon Watkinson
2
nights at the Linden Hall Hotel
Britain’s finest estates, some still family homes to this day. We also discover how these dramatic Blenheim Palace
1
night at the Hartwell House Hotel
properties and their society stories have inspired literature through the centuries as we travel Highclere Castle
from the Home Counties up to the rugged landscapes of the north. Welcome
drink and canapés
Renishaw Hall Chatsworth House
Full
English breakfast each day
After dinner at the hotel this evening, we enjoy Later, we check back in to the Stapleford Park 3-course table d’hôte dinner on 7 nights
Special extras a fascinating talk by a guest speaker. Country House Hotel, where we stay overnight
After
dinner tea and coffee
included in your Day 6: Castle Howard
with dinner included.
Services
of a tour director throughout
itinerary and Shandy Hall Day 9: Blenheim Palace your stay
Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, Castle Howard We travel south and visit Blenheim Palace, Travel
to and from all excursions
Guided
tour and morning coffee has twice appeared as Brideshead in film undoubtedly one of Britain’s greatest houses.
Seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the All
excursion costs
at Renishaw Hall and television adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s
classic novel. Home to the Howard family for birthplace of Winston Churchill, Blenheim Porterage
Introductory
house tour and was designed on an awe-inspiring scale by
over 300 years, this magnificent 18th-century *supplement applies for transfers from all other
Blenheim Palace Highclere Castle Devonshire Cream Tea at Vanbrugh and is set in over 2,000 acres of
residence offers world-renowned collections airports
Chatsworth House beautiful parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’
and stunning architecture, all set within 1,000
Refreshments
at Fairfax House acres of breathtaking scenery. We enjoy a Brown. We enjoy afternoon tea after our visit.
Blenheim Palace
Guided
tour of Fountains Abbey private guided tour followed by coffee. From here we travel to Hartwell House Hotel,
We then make a stop at Shandy Hall, former one of the National Trust’s Historic Hotels,
Private
house tour with morning
home of the 18th-century novelist Laurence where we enjoy a farewell dinner together.
coffee and biscuits at Castle
Howard Sterne. Now a museum, the rooms are filled
with books, paintings, manuscripts, prints and
Day 10: Departure
Guided
State Rooms tour at ephemera relating to the history of the house A private transfer will take you back to
Alnwick Castle and its famous inhabitant. Heathrow airport for your return flight home.
©NTPL/John Millar
Afternoon
tea at Blenheim Palace Please note: As this tour travels from the Home
Later, we check in to the Linden Hall Hotel, our
©Andy Bulmer
Counties to the north of England and back, some
Themed
evening talk by a guest base for the next two nights where dinner is days will involve fairly long journeys.
speaker included on both nights of our stay.
Fountains Abbey Castle Howard
Day 7: Alnwick Castle and Cragside
Ten Day Itinerary sense of the history of the generations who Georgian town house that has been returned Still home to the Duke of Northumberland
have lived there, with a stunning collection to its former glory, providing a perfect time and his family, Alnwick Castle is the second
Day 1: Arrival of art and furniture. We also visit the gardens capsule of life in Georgian times with a richly largest inhabited castle in England. Inside the Your Hotels
(depart U.S. on 7/7 or 8/11) that won the 2015 HHA/Christie’s Garden of decorated interior and a fine collection of medieval walls are lavish State Rooms filled
On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private the Year Award. English 18th-century furniture. We enjoy with an eclectic array of furniture, ceramics Night One (July 8 tour) Woodlands Park Hotel, near Cobham
transfer will take you to our overnight hotel. In refreshments here after our visit. and art collected by the Percy family over
We then visit Chatsworth House where
the evening you are invited to join the group for we enjoy an introductory house tour. This Afterwards, we make our way to our hotel hundreds of years, which we discover on our Night One (August 12 tour) Macdonald Windsor Hotel, Windsor
a welcome drink, followed by dinner. magnificent pile is home to the Duke and for the next two nights, the Wood Hall Hotel. guided State Rooms tour. Alnwick Castle has
also featured in Downton Abbey and Harry Nights Two, Three and Eight Stapleford Park Country House Hotel
Duchess of Devonshire and has witnessed The evening is free for you to make your own
Day 2: Highclere Castle Potter. Stapleford Park Country House Hotel is a beautiful country house hotel and golf course
sixteen generations of the powerful Cavendish dinner arrangements. surrounded by 500 acres of Capability Brown grounds. The mansion bears the imprint of
After breakfast, we journey to the world-
family and boasts grandiose interiors, We enjoy a scenic coastal drive to Cragside, architectural styles, from Tudor to Victorian with all of the 21st century amenities you would
famous Highclere Castle, residence of the Day 5: Fountains Abbey and
wonderful grounds and a superlative art built high into the rock above the clear waters expect in a luxury hotel. Each room is individually decorated and many have been designed by
Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and filming Beningbrough Hall
collection. Chatsworth also appeared as of Debdon Burn. Once the home of Victorian famous names.
location for the much loved Downton Abbey
Pemberley in the film Pride and Prejudice. We This morning we go to the largest monastic ruin inventor Lord Armstrong, this imposing house
television series. Entrance includes access to
finish our visit with a Devonshire Cream Tea. in Britain, Fountains Abbey, where we enjoy a is packed to the rafters with fascinating Nights Four and Five Wood Hall Hotel
the Egyptian Exhibition in the cellars of the
guided tour. Nestling in the Skell Valley, the ruin gadgets from the era. It was also the first
castle, which explores the achievements of the The evening is left free to make your own Originally built as a country escape in 1790, the Wood Hall Hotel is a tranquil country house
is surrounded by some 800 acres of gorgeous house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity
5th Earl of Carnarvon who discovered the tomb dinner arrangements. hotel perched high on a hill amidst 100 acres of rolling Yorkshire countryside. The hotel offers
countryside, including the Georgian Studley and in 2014, a fully-working Archimedes Screw
of Tutankhamen in 1922. an elegant drawing room, Georgian restaurant and a small health club and spa with swimming
Day 4: Hardwick Hall, York and Royal Water Garden with its wonderful views, was installed, once again producing enough pool, spa pool, steam room and gym while the bedrooms blend contemporary comforts with
From here, we travel to Leicestershire and the Fairfax House cascades, follies and statues, and a medieval energy to light the house. traditional country house charms.
Stapleford Park Country House Hotel where we deer park.
Our first visit is to Hardwick Hall. Ordered in Day 8: Nostell Priory
stay for the next two nights. We enjoy dinner
the 16th century by Bess of Hardwick, England’s Our next stop is Beningbrough Hall. This Nights Six and Seven Macdonald Linden Hall Hotel
tonight at our hotel. Today we visit Nostell Priory, an 18th-century
richest woman after her Queen, Elizabeth I, imposing Georgian pile contains a famous Nestling in 450 acres of Northumberland parkland close to Newcastle, the Linden Hall Hotel is
architectural masterpiece which has been the
Day 3: Renishaw Hall and Hardwick is a striking Elizabethan treasure. art collection; an imaginative collaboration a beautiful 18th-century manor house. The hotel boasts classically furnished bedrooms, a luxury
home of the Winn family for 300 years. Set
The lavish number of windows (at a time when between the National Trust and the National spa with indoor pool, sauna and gym plus a tennis court and golf course. A cosy pub, lounge bar
Chatsworth House in landscaped parkland, Nostell is also home
glass was a luxury) inspired the neat phrase, Portrait Gallery in London. Outside are and restaurant complete the amenities here.
We start the day with morning coffee and a to England’s best documented collection of
‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’. magnificent grounds including a wonderful
guided tour of Renishaw Hall, home to the Chippendale furniture, designed especially for Night Nine Hartwell House Hotel, near Aylesbury
Victorian Walled Garden and labyrinth.
Sitwell family for nearly 400 years. Still very We then travel north to the historic city of the estate.
much a family home, Renishaw reveals a real York. Here we visit Fairfax House, a stunning No single supplement – very limited availability
16 For more information or to register, call National Trust Tours on 888-484-8785 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST), Monday - Friday email: info@nationaltrusttours.com 17
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