2008
Tours to the West
TOUR 20: Salisbury, Stonehenge & Bath (11+ hrs)
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We first visit the historic Cathedral City of Salisbury where both the town and the great church are not to be missed. In fact the Spire cannot be missed as it's England's tallest, at 404'. The Chapter House contains some fine medieval carvings plus one of the few extant originals of Magna Carta, the first English-speaking people's 'Bill of Rights'. |
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Stonehenge next, where 5,000 years of mystery will intrigue and amaze. After a half hour or so, we take a pleasant drive to the Georgian City of Bath. The Roman Baths here were excavated just over a century ago and the museum and excavations should not be missed. Those who are interested in Social History should make a point of visiting the fine Museum of Costume, which beautifully displays one of Europe's best preserved and presented collections of original garments of the last 400 years. |
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TOUR 21: D-Day Museum, Historic Ships & Winchester (11+ hrs)
First we travel through the county of Surrey to the Hampshire coast for the D-Day Museum at Southsea. It contains the Overlord Embroidery a massive undertaking which is actually longer than the historic Bayeux tapestry. It is beautifully made and depicts all the events up to and including the operations of 6th June 1944, including the main characters involved in planning and carrying out the single largest naval assault and landing in the history of the world which ultimately led to the liberation of occupied Europe. The Overlord's panels are described and interpreted by an excellent audio guide. The adjoining museum contains excellent WWII artefacts and audio-visuals too. It's a very short journey to the Historic Ships at the Portmouth Naval Dockyard. Here there's lots to see: King Henry VIII's ship, The Mary Rose, one of his favourite ships, which sank during an engagement with the French in view of the King with the loss of 800 lives, and less than a mile offshore. It lay lost, protected by a covering of mud and silt until discovered quite recently by a sport diver and eventually raised and now stored in the special environment you'll visit. |
Admiral Horatio Nelson's flagship, The Victory, in which he commanded the great victory over the Napoleonic Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar is here. The battle took place on 21st October 1805 - so this is a big year for the Dockyard, the Navy and indeed the whole country. Nelson is one of England's greatest heroes, and the excellent conducted tour of the ship is not to be missed! Last, but certainly not least, there's The Warrior, a magnificent warship of the 19th century to be explored. Lunch can be taken in the Dockyard and there's also the chance to take a short boat trip around the Harbour, which will allow a closer look at the Navy's ships in port. We end the day at Winchester, with the opportunity to admire both the fine cathedral and its' picturesque precincts. Why not take a stroll around the town's charming historic centre, too? If it's open, the Great Hall of the Norman Castle contains a round table of late-medieval origin which names the knights of the legendary hero of the West, King Arthur. Leaving Winchester, we return to London with a 90 minute motorway drive.
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TOUR 22: King Arthur's Wessex (10+ hrs)
This journey takes us to a hill-fort at least 3,000 years old which medieval man described as being the location of King Arthur's Camelot. A bracing short climb delivers fantastic views of the lovely surrounding countryside from the summit. |
Less than an hour away is Glastonbury and we'll take a look at the monastery and the graves of Arthur and his Queen. This is quite a mysterious place too, with Biblical connections, stories of miracles and a local population swelled during the summer months by 'pilgrims' and 'searchers after truth'. An historic old Traveller's Inn will offer a good lunch to tempt, a word which could also be used in connection with some of the unusual shopping opportunities! The afternoon can be rounded off with a climb to the top of Glastonbury Tor for a view of the 'Somerset Levels' from where some believe King Arthur's defense of his native land was mounted. There may be time for afternoon tea on the way home if you wish.
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TOUR 23: Stonehenge, Longleat & Bath (11+ hrs)
This tour is deservedly popular, perhaps because it offers an intriguing mix of mystery, grandeur and Georgian elegance. We journey first to Stonehenge, and if you've not been here yet, you'll be pleasantly surprised that despite all the hype this truly is an amazing structure. We'll explore facts, theories and legends. Then we visit one of Britain's 'treasure houses', the Marquess of Bath's very grand residence, Longleat House. It's a fine Elizabethan home on a truly palatial scale, housing the country's largest private library, fine works of art and furniture, plus an eccentric painter-owner, whose work is worth seeing. Add Tigers, Lions, African plains species plus monkeys roaming relatively free in the Animal Park, plus a children's zoo, rides and England's largest maze, it's all here! |
The day is concluded with a couple of hours to enjoy the offerings of the World Heritage City of Bath. It's an 18th century extravaganza with something for everyone: from Roman Baths to fine architecture, colourful street markets and one of the world's best museums of costume.
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TOUR 24: Bath, Castle-Combe, Lacock Abbey & Stonehenge (11+ hrs)
This journey takes us first to the World Heritage City of Bath. We have time for a thorough visit which can include the Roman Baths and a stroll around the interesting streets of the town. Lunch is recommended to be taken at the Manor Hotel, Castle Combe. This is a lovely old village, and was the set for the original Dr Dolittle movie. The food and the setting will truly not disappoint! A pleasant afternoon will be spent at Lacock Abbey and village - all is now owned and protected by the National Trust. It's also where some of the Harry Potter movie scenes were shot, and fans will certainly recognise some of the locations. We can return to London via Stonehenge if you've never seen it, or if you have, we highly recommend seeing Avebury instead on the return journey; it's another fine structure of around 5,000 year's antiquity which although less well-known has just as much to see, with the advantage that the stones can actually be touched! |
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TOUR 25: Bath, Malmesbury Abbey & Lower Cotswolds villages (11 hrs)
See details for Bath below. After lunch in one of the Cotswold villages we visit the attractive town of Malmesbury with its splendid Abbey originally founded in the 7th century. With the exception of Bath, this tour will delight those who think they have seen all England has to offer, as we shall visit many places which are definitely not on the popular tourist routes. |
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Copyright © Ruddick Tours - 2005 - All rights reserved - Last up-dated: April 4, 2008