Tour Britain -uk travel agents customized vacations

With literally hundreds of places to see and things to do, we need to ascertain your personal preferences, so we can prepare an individual itinerary especially for you.

Your selection of day trips could include: -

	Quaint picturesque villages with chocolate box cottages & olde worlde inns;
	Glorious scenery – coast & countryside
	Historic castles & ancient monuments
	Magnificent stately homes, churches & cathedrals
	Museums & galleries to cover almost all interests
	Wonderful gardens & landscapes

Tewkesbury Abbey

We can even help you set up a themed visit -

	how about seeking out English Nature and Wildlife
	Interested in transport? Try a ride on a preserved railway or visit vehicle and aircraft museum collections
	The Antiques Trail – so many exciting items to see and buy
	Take a country walk to a pub for lunch, a visit to the theatre or concert hall
	Tracing your ancestors? - we could probably help

The Roman City of Bath - A world heritage city – with so much to see!

	The Roman Baths
	The elegant Pump Room is "a must"
	Regency Assembly Rooms
	The c15th Bath Abbey
	The Splendid Royal Crescent
	Nearby Bradford -on-Avon with its Saxon Church and 14th Century Tithe Barn

Exmoor National Park -

Famed for its wildlife and hardy little ponies

The isolated moorland scenery is spectacular, with pretty villages to explore

We could take in Dunster with its Woollen Yarn Market and hilltop Castle

The lonely Doone Valley (the setting for R D Blackmore’s book ‘Lorna Doone’) and.....

Some picture postcard villages with thatched cottages and coastal villages with stunning sea views

The Cotswolds -

	A memorable tour of quintessentially English towns and villages we can select to see
	Cottage gardens
	Historic houses as well as strolling through the picturesque streets
	Browsing the exquisite little shops and honey-coloured stone built houses that typify the area. It’s a "must do" day out

Cotswold Cottage

Bristol -

	An important historic port with its harbour at its centre
	Bristol is now the economic centre of the West of England
	John Cabot sailed from here in 1497 in the ‘Matthew’ (you may see the replica ship) and discovered North America
	We can wander along King Street to see where men were press-ganged and where inspiration came for the novels 'Robinson Crusoe' and 'Treasure Island'
	With Brunel's famous Suspension Bridge and SS Great Britain to view, there's plenty to see and do

Somerset -

	Cheddar Gorge and Cheese Factory
	Wells Cathedral – the smallest city in England
	Glastonbury – the Abbey, Chalice Well and Tor
	Iron age lakeland dwellers site

Iron Age Hut

The Legends of King Arthur -

Explore the myths and legends of King Arthur – we’ll spend time at Glastonbury Abbey founded by Joseph of Arimathea who was claimed to be the man who took down Jesus’s body for burial and brought the chalice cup from the Last Supper to Britain. King Arthur and his wife Guinevere were buried at the abbey

We’ll see the Chalice Well where legend says that the cup is hidden and from where water with a reddish colour (blood?) is seen

We can walk up Glastonbury Tor to see the countryside Arthur would have known. Camelot – King Arthur’s ‘castle’ is said to be at Cadbury in South Somerset – we’ll visit this hill-top fort and walk where the Knights of the Round Table waited until orders came to ride out with their king

We could visit Winchester here the Round Table can be seen

Cathedrals -

	With several magnificent cathedrals in this area, we can arrange a visit to include some of these wonderful ecclesiastical buildings with their ancient treasures
	Choose from Wells – magnificent West elevation and historic clock
	Salisbury – the tallest spire in England and home of the Magna Carta
	Gloucester – superb c13th window – also a location for the Harry Potter films
	Hereford – home of the Mappa Mundi dated 1290 – the first map of the world and the priceless, 1500 volume chained library
	Worcester – houses the tomb of King John and the Civil War Museum is nearby

Gloucester Cloisters

Ancient Stone Circles-

	Stonehenge (5000 year old), sited on Salisbury Plain, is will see a truly awe-inspiring and thought-provoking place.
	Avebury Circle with 200 standing stones is the largest megalithic ceremonial monument in Europe.
	Nearer to Bristol there is a smaller circle at Stanton Drew, complete with a Cove.

South Wales -

	There are mixed interest possibilities after we cross the Bristol Channel into the Principality of Wales
	Caerwent, the very first Roman town in Wales
	Chepstow has the first Norman stone Castle
	Tintern Abbey is the first Cistercian abbey in Wales and was begun c125
	For book lovers we can call at Hay on Wye – a small town crammed with second hand book shops
	Then there are the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons

Tintern Abbey

"The country of Wales needs Myra and Val as PR agents! From the picture-perfect town of Hay-on-Wye to the ancient Roman ruins of Caerwent we found Wales to be more scenic and more interesting than we expected. These are places we would never have been able to find on our own and are off the tourist path.
MaryLou Ventre - Scituate, MA, USA

Wiltshire -

	First stop: an idyllic “picture-book” village, which typifies the postcard impression of England.
	Quaint old cottages, a stone canopied market cross, delightful church and triple arched bridge over the stream await our visitors.
	The film Doctor Doolittle was made on location here.

	Next, a fabulously preserved small medieval town with buildings dating back to the 13^thcentury - prosperous times when wool was a major commodity. The National Trust owns most of this village, including the abbey. One of the foremost pioneers of photography, William Henry Fox-Talbot, lived here, and there is a museum of his work in the 16^th century barn.
	Finally, stand in the room where Joseph Priestly discovered oxygen in 1774. The house is long, low and classical, beautifully proportioned and set in about 100 acres of stunning grounds - with its centrepiece 40 acre lake - landscaped by Capability Brown in the 1760s.

Lacock

Uffington Horse from the air

Wiltshire White Horse

The Uffington Horse is the oldest surviving horse, about 3000 years old

detail of the horse's head on the chalk hill

Longleat House -

This is one of the grand houses of England. Built in Elizabethan times in Italian Renaissance style, this estate also comes complete with a Capability Brown landscape. The house is festooned with gorgeous decorations, from gilded and painted Italian ceilings to inland marquetry work and sumptuous marble. The rooms are full of treasures from early 16^th century tapestries and paintings. Rare books and manuscripts located in the Library include the first folio of Shakespeare and letters of Queen Elizabeth I.

oxford

Oxford -

	One of the most famous university cities in Britain. We can show you some of the many colleges and historic churches and buildings before, perhaps, enjoying a quiet walk by one of the rivers
	Outside the city we can visit the grand c18th Blenheim Palace birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill – Also his tomb at the little church in Blagdon
	Additional places we could consider in the area are Burford - a charming Cotswold town and the Great Coxwell Barn

Shakespeare Country and the Heart of England -

	Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of William Shakespeare, is a market town located on the River Avon.
	Our tour will take in his birthplace and museum; Mary Arden’s House (his mother's home), which is now an excellent farming museum; Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (home of his wife before they married). It is a charming building with a fine garden.
	Finally we’ll look at his burial place in the parish church.

	In Plymouth, you can actually call in at the hostelries frequented by Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. See where the Pilgrim Fathers left England for America in 1620. And where The Golden Hind shipped with Sir Walter Raleigh to circumnavigate the globe for the first time in 1577, and also where he left to fight the Spanish Armada in 1588.
	Feel the desolation of nearby Dartmoor, a granite plateau - remote and rugged but with peaceful wooded valleys - a contrasting landscape. Widecombe in the Moor is a good example of an isolated moor community.
	Whatever you choose, we mustn't forget to try a Devon Cream Tea: scones with strawberry or raspberry jam and clotted cream.

Cornwall –

the southwest peninsula of England – has its own beauty, and the rugged north coast boasts the best surfing beaches in the UK. The coastal landscapes are superb: the south coast provides visitors with a host of quaint harbours, sea inlets and broad beaches to explore. There is something compelling about standing on the most south-westerly point of the Britain.

The Eden Project is a New Millennium project where plants from all over the world are housed in giant biomes. Because it only opened in 2001, the plants have some way to go before maturity; however, it’s worth a visit for those so inclined. Cornwall boasts numerous exquisite houses and gardens that are open to the public – for garden lovers we’ll have no difficulty preparing a horticultural extravaganza.

Dorset – The Jurassic Coast and Countryside -

	Visit the quaint old smugglers town of Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep filmed The French Lieutenant’s Woman; this picturesque town is also featured in Jane Austen's Persuasion after she stayed there in 1803/4. This coastline is well known for fossils – you may want to wander along the stony beaches in search of these.
	We can view Poole Harbour; visit the famous Poole pottery factory shop and then cross by chain ferry to the Isle of Purbeck.
	At Lulworth Cove, you can see how the erosion has eaten into the rocks and visit the Castle ruins at nearby Corfe.
	The author Thomas Hardy was born locally, and the cottages where he was born and later lived are open to visitors.
	Also, the Tolpuddle Martyrs – pioneer trade unionists - are commemorated at their museum in the village of Tolpuddle.
	In the ancient town of Shaftesbury, we can probably see Britain's most photographed street, and at Sherborne, the castle and abbey can also be included in your itinerary.

The New Forest -

	It is far from new! It was established as preserved woodland for hunting in the time of William the Conqueror over 900 years ago and covers over 90,000 acres, it is home to the hardy New Forest ponies that wander freely through the ancient oak and beech trees.
	Nearby is Beaulieu, home of the National Motor Museum with over 250 vehicles. Beaulieu Abbey and grounds is also worth a visit with its variety of attractions.
	We should also visit Bucklers Hard, where the maritime museum shows how this village was once a major shipbuilding centre for about 100 years starting in 1745.
	In this area we could visit Winchester – you can see the cathedral and the Great Hall, which houses the 18-foot Round Table of King Arthur fame.

Transport Museums -

Visit nearby museums for cars, aircraft, army tanks and helicopters. The Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth houses the 400 year old ‘Mary Rose’ which was recently lifted from the sea bed, HMS Warrior –the earliest iron warship and Nelson’s flagship c18th ‘Victory’. A harbour boat tour is optional.

Historic Houses and Gardens - With many properties and gardens in the area beautifully With many properties and gardens in the area beautifully

	We could visit Barrington Court, a c16th century house with Gertrude Jekyll designed gardens,
	The medieval house at Lytes Cary,
	Romantic gardens at Tintinhull House and
	The Elizabethan mansion house at Montacute with superb paintings and furniture.
	The restored gardens at Hestercombe House might be another choice, as could
	The medieval ruins of Farleigh Hungerford castle
	Wilton House, near Salisbury is a "must do" with its priceless furnishings and paintings.

Thomas Hardy’s Wessex Country -

The author Thomas Hardy lived in Dorset, so we can visit his cottage and birthplace as well as some of the locations featured in his novels. There are pretty villages to photograph and glorious countryside to see as well as the prehistoric Giant of Cerne Abbas.

A Local day out............... For a shorter day out we could visit one or two of the following places -

Clevedon Court - c14th manor house , Clevedon Pier, a beautifully restored c19th pier in this pretty Victorian seaside town.

	Berkeley Castle – dates from 1117 – King Edward II was murdered here. Edward Jenner Museum – shows the history of human vaccination -especially smallpox .
	Slimbridge Wildfowl Centre – home to thousands of migrating birds, on the banks of the River Severn – a must for bird watchers.

The more you let us know about what's of interest to you, the better we will be able to prepare your personal itinerary and fit in as many attractions as we can. Alternatively, you can just tell us which of these recommended tours you would like to experience and we will build a tour especially for you.

Tour Britain with Val Edwards and Myra Higgins Tel +44(0) 117 924 5757 / +44(0) 117 968 1350

myval@wessex-wales-and-beyond.co.uk

Tour Britain - Choosing your Itinerary..............

Some suggestions of trips from Bristol