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IN SEARCH OF ARTHUR & THE LAND OF THE RED DRAGON
8 days / 7 nights - Saturday to Saturday
DEPARTURE DATES & PRICES FOR YEAR 2008
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Tour Code
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Depart London
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Return London
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ART & SWS
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Saturday
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Saturday
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Departs every Saturday March 22 to October 25
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Price: GBP £975 pp twin share / GBP £1035 single room
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What your tour price includes
- Your accommodation for 7 nights while on the tour is included in your tour price, and this includes both full breakfasts and dinners
- Your price also includes all entrance fees to attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide
- Airport transfers and accommodation pre and post tour is not included but can be reserved at a specially discounted price.
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| TENTATIVE ITINERARY |
NIGHTSTOP
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DAY ONE - Saturday
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Departing London, we drive through England's oldest county, Wiltshire, across the amazing Salisbury Plain where you'll see the great prehistoric temple of Stonehenge and a landscape simply littered with ancient burial sites. You'll also see the evidence of Iron Age hill forts, possible sites of where the great Celtic king, Arthur and his Round Table knights took on the Saxon invaders. Then to Winchester to see the great Round table in the mediaeval hall. Then, we'll take time to explore Cadbury Castle, perhaps the site of Camelot, and some lovely surrounding thatched villages before arriving at our accommodation base.
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Somerset or Dorset border
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DAY TWO - Sunday
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Today, we explore the lovely, timeless country of Dorsetshire.This is real back-roads country where you'll believe time has stood still amidst the villages and harbours of the region. Jane Austen's Lyme Regis is one of the highlights of our day, as will be Thomas Hardy's cottage and monument. We'll introduce you to a few matyrs (such as the trade unionists of Tolpuddle, and those who died at the 'bloody Judge' Jefferies hand). You'll also see the famed Chesil beach and the quaint town of Dorchester. And there'll be time for shopping in the lace and antique town of Honiton.
Dependent on time and group interests we might find time to include Lawrence of Arabia's home, a carved giant and England's smallest pub!
This is a day that we can really call getting down the 'back-roads'.
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as above
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DAY THREE - Monday
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Today is a day packed with a range of memorable sights and experiences. You'll cross the beautiful and awesome landscape of the Dartmoor National Park, en route to the north Cornwall coast. Here, you'll visit Tintagel castle, the reputed birthplace of King Arthur. The castle sits on top of the wild cliffs accessible only by walking. Later, we'll visit a selection of the quaint fishing villages of the north Cornwall and Devon coasts. This is a day where photographers need to ensure a plentiful supply of film! Finally, our day in Cornwall would not be complete if we didn't stop for a famed Cornish 'pastie' somewhere on route, perhaps in a thatched-roofed country pub?
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as above
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DAY FOUR - Tuesday
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On today's itinerary is Cheddar Gorge and the mystic town of Glastonbury, site of Arthur's burial and 'New Age' capital of England. Here you'll see the ancient abbey and the mysterious 'Tor'. Next, we'll visit Wells and its famed Norman 12th century cathedral before travelling the short distance to the stunning city of Bath. You'll have time to explore this elegant Georgian city and its Roman remains .
We travel along the old coaching road to our nightstop at Hungerford. This small, quaint place, sized somewhere between a village and town, has witnessed some important events in its history, most notably a Royal visitor in William of Orange how stayed in the local inn on his way to claim the crown in 1688. The famed Avon canal passes through the town and it's imposing high street is noted for the huge number of antique shops it houses. You arrive here at approximately 4 pm and leave at 11.00 on the following morning. This allows time to walk the canal, shop pr simply wander around a real back-roads location, sampling local culture.
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Hungerford
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DAY FIVE - Wednesday
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Leaving London early, we shake off the city dust using the M40 freeway to speed our journey to wonderful Wales. Our route will give us a glimpse of the the beautiful English Cotswolds as we head for the Royal Forest of Dean, bordering Wales, and the stunning Wye Valley, with a lunch stop beside the river Wye. What better introduction to Wales, "Land of Song", than the imposing 12th century Norman castle of Chepstow Chepstow Castle. and the romantic Tintern Abbey (inspiration for one of William Wordsworth's loveliest poems). If there's time we'll also see the fallen walls of the once mighty Roman city of Caerwent, reputed by some to be the home of the great King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
Overnight Centre: our accommodation is at a 17th century working South Wales Farmhouse, imposing country manor or vineyard depending on the time of year.
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South Wales
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DAY SIX - Thursday
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The civic centre of the Welsh capital - Cardiff - is magnificent by world standards. It will be the showpiece of a panoramic city tour (which will also feature the Millennium Stadium, formally known as the Arms Park, Mecca for the millions of Rugby Football fans worldwide). On then to the superb cathedral at Llandaff before arriving at the open-air Museum of Welsh Life in the nearby village of St Fagans. This fascinating mirror of hundreds of years of Welsh life embraces dozens of authentic buildings, removed from all corners of the country and painstakingly and faithfully rebuilt and refurbished here. Houses, churches and chapels, a mill, bakery, pubs and even a school, have been wonderfully preserved. This afternoon we explore the verdant Vale of Glamorgan, choosing from the market town where Sir Anthony Hopkins went to school, the Valley of Kings where the wizard Merlin was schooled, rugged coastline where smugglers lured ships to the rocks, and we'll cross a river by 13th century stepping stones.
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as above
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DAY Seven - Friday
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According to our accommodation stop, today will either begin or end in the once grey and hard world of a Welsh mining valley, now transformed, but a time so memorably captured in the great novel of industrial Wales, 'How Green Was My Valley'. We'll climb the rim of the saucer of the coal-seam bearing, Rhigos Mountain to view the sole surviving deep Welsh coal mine and the breathtaking scenery of the Brecon Beacons, our next calling point. 'There'll be a welcome in these hillsides' sing the Welsh. The market town of Brecon could be our lunch stop (where there's an interesting military museum ), or perhaps Wales's oldest inn, used by the infamous 'Hanging Judge' Jefferies as a court room. We'll also view the remote and atmospheric ruins of Llantony Priory and a historic 'hidden' rural church.
Depending on time, we'll also be visiting Abergaveny and its cattle market or the historic town of Monmouth, well-known to Admiral Nelson, Mr Rolls of Rolls Royce and Henry V.
As with all Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd tours, tour participants will be able have an input into what we visit as we'll make allowance for weather conditions, local festivals and individual interests.
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as above
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DAY Eight - Saturday
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On our way back to London we'll visit the mysterious ancient standing stones of Avebury and the amazing Silbury Hill. But this will only be after a final memorable morning in Roman Wales. The now small village of Caerleon was named after the camp of the Roman Legions - perhaps up to 6000 Roman legionaries were based here almost 2000 years ago. The imposing remains of that camp remain and can be visited and include the barracks, the only complete amphitheatre in Britain, the Roman baths, and the remains of a Roman port.
We'll take our leave of the land of the Red Dragon, crossing the river Severn in a most unusual fashion before heading east and experiencing a spectacular exit from Wales. Our drive back to London sees us passing through some of England's timeless West Country scenery and we'll arrive back into London in the late afternoon.
Go back to tours departing from London
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