'Great Tours of London, Britain & Ireland'
Tours to the West
TOUR 20: Salisbury, Stonehenge & Bath (11+ hrs)
We first visit the historic Cathedral City of Salisbury. Both town and the great church are not to be missed. The cathedral's spire is England's tallest, at 404'; this picturesque scene has inspired many artists over the last few centuries, including the great C18th English landscape artist, John Constable. The Chapter House contains the best preserved of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta, the first English-speaking people's 'Bill of Rights', plus some fine medieval carvings portaying biblical stories. The glorious interiors of the Cathedral are sufficient to inspire in themselves, but the addition of some interesting models, works of art and a large mechanical clock installed in 1386 - the oldest surviving mechanical clock in Great Britain - will further enhance your visit. The cathedral's excellent shop and cafe may tempt you to linger too, but the Salisbury market and town areas are equally worthy of exploration. The town has many small shops, a weekly street market (if we're lucky) and many taverns which have been serving pilgrims through the ages. We're off to Stonehenge next! Where 5,000 years of mystery will intrigue and amaze. I'll share some secrets and debate some of her mysteries with you... |
 |
 |
After an interesting, somewhat thought-provoking forty-five minutes or so at Stonehenge, we'll take an easy drive to the Georgian City of Bath. Holding World Heritage status, it's certainly one of the most interesting towns in England. The Roman Baths here were excavated just over a century ago and the well-presented museum based on those excavations should not be missed. Those with an interest in Social History will enjoy the Museum of Costume. It beautifully displays one of Europe's best preserved collections of original garments of the last 400 years. |
 |
Another excellent museum, the C18th interiors at No 1 The Royal Crescent, gives a vivid glimpse of Bath in its C18th heyday; the Age of Elegance. If you're into the works of Jane Austen the Centre dedicated to portraying her life in Bath is another must for you. Finally, don't overlook the opportunity to stroll through Bath's attractive streets and riverside and perhaps take that last photo before we take the road home. |
||
IMPORTANT! Before booking this tour and paying your deposit please check my availability using my online diary
DT20: Up to 8 persons - £520
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 lies here in permanent dry dock. From this ship he commanded the great victory over the Napoleonic Franco-Spanish fleet at Cape Trafalgar, near Cadiz. The battle took place on 21st October 1805 and forced the abandonment of Napoleon's planned invasion of England. Thanks to this critical event and his many earlier successes Nelson is regarded as amongst England's greatest heroes. 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. IMPORTANT! Before booking this tour and paying your deposit please check my availability using my online diary DT 21: Up to 8 persons - £480 |
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. IMPORTANT! Before booking this tour and paying your deposit please check my availability using my online diary DT22: Up to 8 persons - £480 |
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 one of the country's largest private libraries, fine works of art and furniture, plus an eccentric painter-owner, whose work is worthy of inspection. 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. IMPORTANT! Before booking this tour and paying your deposit please check my availability using my online diary DT23: Up to 8 persons - £520 |
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! |
IMPORTANT! Before booking this tour and paying your deposit please check my availability using my online diary
DT24: Up to 8 persons £495
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. IMPORTANT! Before booking this tour and paying your deposit please check my availability using my online diary DT25: Up to 8 persons - £495 |
CLICK HERE FOR A $/£ CONVERTER
TOUR 26: Windsor Castle, Stonehenge & Bath (11+ hrs)
This tour is a new one for 2010 after many requests to combine these three popular venues. It needs an early 8.30 am start to get the most out of the daylight hours, especially in the shoulder/winter months. Leaving London we head straight to Windsor Castle. I normally accompany you into the Castle if you're doing it, but if you've already seen the castle and would prefer to explore the town - and it is a charming little spot - you've plenty of time to do so. But there is not really time to do both, except in high summer when the Roman Baths stay open later. Then we're off to Stonehenge, and sufficient time to do it justice, grab a snack, if desired, before the short drive to our final destination, Bath. I sometimes hear a litttle moan from people who've seen Bath previously with an organised bus tour, that they were not given sufficient free time to properly enjoy the attractions of this unique place. Worry not, friends! On my tours, you'll see all that you wish to see. Then we'll take to the Motorway for our journey home. |
IMPORTANT! Before booking this tour and paying your deposit please check my availability using my online diary DT26: Up to 8 persons - £520 |
 |
 |
Copyright © Ruddick Tours - 2005 - All rights reserved - Last up-dated: December 1, 2009