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TUDOR ENGLAND
4 days / 3 nights - Saturday to Tuesday
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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TUD
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Saturday
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Tuesday
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TUD 01
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24 May
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27 May
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TUD 02
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26 Jul
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29 Jul
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TUD 03
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11 Oct
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14 Oct
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Prices: GBP £460 pp twin share / GBP £485 single room /
Child (12 and under) GBP £329
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What your tour price includes
- Your accommodation for 3 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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| SUMMARY - Tentative Itinerary |
NIGHTSTOP
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DAY ONE - SATURDAY
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Departing London at 08.00, we first drive to Burghley House in South Lincolnshire. This sumptuous stately home was home for the great Cecil family, This largest and grandest house of the first Elizabethan age was completed by William Cecil, Lord Burghley in 1587. Today, eighteen state rooms are filled with wonderful paintings, furniture and fine art. The kitchens are truly amazing! Next to the battlefield which marked the demise of the House of York and the ascendancy of the Tudors; Bosworth. Here, in 1485, Henry Tudor slew Richard III ( his offer of a ‘my kingdom for a horse’ not being quite enough!). It’s an interesting site and we’ll take a guided walk of the battlefield.
Our night stop takes us close to the magnificent ruined castle of Kenilworth. Though the castle has a history preceding the Tudor period, we will visit it to learn of its connections with John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, who became virtual ruler of England at the time of the rule of the pre-ten King, Edward. It was Dudley who tried to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne, and who was beheaded to the Tower for his efforts by ‘Bloody’ Mary.
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Warwickshire in accommodation dating from Tudor times!
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DAY TWO - SUNDAY
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Today, we’ll change our focus and look at Tudor Literature, medicine and how the common folk lived. What finer place to use as our ‘classroom;’ than Stratford upon Avon and nearby Warwick.
Patently, the great Bard, Shakespeare, provides one major theme to the day , but we’ll also learn about daily life during the late Tudor period as we take visits to some of the houses associated with is life and family. Amongst many other fascinating things, you’ll hear how we come to use the phrase ‘to let one’s hair down’ as a synonym for having fun!
We’ll also see Harvard House was the home of Katherine Rogers, mother of John Harvard, whose bequest made possible the foundation of Harvard University. Built in 1596 it is a fine example of an Elizabethan town house and also the home of the Museum of British Pewter.
Nearby, in Warwick, we’ll visit the Lord Leycester Hospital. Robert Dudley (another one!), Earl of Leicester, and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, converted the picture-book buildings of the dissolved Warwick Guilds into a retreat for old soldiers and it has continued to serve that purpose until the present day.
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as above
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DAY THREE - MONDAY
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We turn south and drive to Oxford. Many of the colleges here were endowed during the Tudor period by such as Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII. We will see Christchurch, originally known as Cardinal College and then King Henry VIII’s college.
We travel through the Chilterns Hills, following the Thames Valley. Our destination for a visit this afternoon is Dorney Court. This fabulous Manor House has been in the ownership of the same family for nearly 450 years and our tour of the low-beamed house and its gardens is a highlight of our Tudor experience.
Tudor buildings in England are often half-timbered or black-and-white, with ornate brick chimneys and diamond-leaded windows. This is a perfect example.
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nr Windsor
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DAY FOUR - TUESDAY
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We’ll start the day with perhaps the jewel in the Tudor crown is Hampton Court Palace. We’ll visit this afternoon, taking time to explore in detail. The gardens, kitchen and external architecture are all absolute gems.
Our final visit of the day, and tour, will be to Hever Castle, in Kent. This was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and later given to another of Henry’s wives, Anne of Cleeves as part of her divorce settlement.
Our tour ends in London where you’ll be dropped at a hotel of your choosing. Accommodation is not included in the tour price. We can make any additional arrangements as required.
>> Go to tours departing from London
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Returns London
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TOUR EXTENSION DAYS
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The following days are special days for those who might like to extend their time in the UK and see more of our Tudor heritage. They would be offered to all participants on the 4-day tour but may have to be to be booked as customised day tour packages if there were insufficient takers from the main tour.
Tudor London and Greenwich
The city is full of Tudor History, from the Tower of London, to Ely and Winchester Palaces. Our day would concentrate on exploring both the main city and the areas around Greenwich.
Cost: Dependent on the number of participants.
Windsor and Portsmouth
We’d begin our day with at Windsor Castle. Here a highlight will be the tomb of Henry VIII in St George’s Chapel.
The object of our explorations would specifically be Tudor Maritime history with a visit to henry VIII’s ill-fated warship the ‘Mary Rose’. We’d also see some of the coastal Tudor fortifications.
Cost: Dependent on the number of participants.
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