ENGLAND LUXURY SELF DRIVE
Drive down a highway in a Mini Cooper Convertible or take to a winding mountain road in a sleek Jaguar. Whether it’s browsing the antique or craft shops, ambling along the cobbled pedestrian areas, or hiring a small boat and drifting along the river, there are many things to do in England. To make these luxury vacations even more enticing, the specialists at Lynott Tours have put together this wonderful collection of extraordinary hotels and inns.
Day 1 – ROCHESTER/CANTERBURY Travel to Rochester, once of the home of Dickens. The city’s Victorian High Street glows with the sights and sounds of a scene of more than a century ago. You wander the streets of the charming village to enjoy the spirit of the past that is recreated here. Continue on to the lovely old city of Canterbury. In the early evening, you may attend “Evensong” at the majestic Canterbury Cathedral, immortalized since the days of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Dating back to the 1830s, Abbots Barton Hotel is set within two acres of tranquil gardens, a short walk from the town centre.
Day 2 – AVEBURY/BATH Visit Avebury. Not as well known as Stonehenge, it is the largest and most impressive of the great stone circles of the Bronze Age. Today you travel to Bath, the most elegant of cities, with its World Heritage Sites. Leigh Park Hotel & Vineyard is a classical Georgian Country House hotel set in five acres of landscaped gardens with its own walled garden and vineyard, overlooking the picturesque Wiltshire Downs.
Day 3 – BRISTOL/PLYMOUTH/DEVON This morning, after a drive to admire the rugged beauty of Cheddar Gorge, continue on to Glastonbury, the legendary burial site of King Arthur, with its Abbey ruins. From here, drive into Devon by the wild and rugged Dartmoor National Park, and to the historic naval port of Plymouth, where the Mayflower set sail. The boggy moorland of Dartmoor contrasts with the genteel towns of the coastal areas. “The Remains of the Day” was filmed at Powderham Castle, Devon, and Corsham Court in Devon.
Day 4 – CORNISH EXCURSION Enjoy a delightful day touring this beautiful area and rugged coastline of Cornwall where the melodic voices of fishermen singing sea shanties still reverberate around quaint fishing villages. Visit the artists’ colony of St. Ives, Land’s End, and St. Michael’s Mount near Penzance. At this point you are standing on the most westerly point of the English mainland. St. Ives is also the home of the Tate Gallery, that offers a unique introduction to modern art, and the stunning Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Day 5 – COTSWOLDS Half the joy of antique buying comes from the thrill of discovery. Experience it for yourself in the Cotswolds. Set amidst the honey colored stone villages are many small and interesting outlets. Visit Burford, which specializes in hunting and sporting antiques, an example of the diversity of the area. The market town of Stow on the Wold is your Cotswolds hotel - home for the night. The Grapevine Hotel is a 17th-century townhouse hotel with a country house feel .
Day 6 – OXFORD/BLENHEIM PALACE Once in Oxford, wander around Oxford’s famous college quads, which have provided inspiration to the likes of Lewis Carroll and J.R.R. Tolkien, and set locations for Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter. Visit Blenheim Palace, residence of the Dukes of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill, his cousin. It is the greatest building of the English Baroque style. Linton Lodge is an Edwardian townhouse set in 11/2 acres of gardens. Facilities available include fine dining in the oak paneled restaurant, croquet lawn and a 9-hole putting green.
Day 7 – YORKSHIRE DALES/CASTLE HOWARD You explore the gentle Yorkshire Dales, with their many hues of green. Lush farmland and stone walls blend into an area of unique contrasts and beauty. Travel to Haworth where the Bronte Parsonage stands. This is where Emily wrote Wuthering Heights – you may still feel the presence in the moors of Heathcliff and Catherine. There are miniature books that the sisters made as children, tiny slippers, and manuscripts and drawings. You visit Castle Howard, containing many treasures, and known as the setting for “Brideshead”. Stay at Middlethorpe Hall, a William III country house, close to the city, set in 20 acres of its own gardens and parkland. Built in 1699, it was once the home of the famous diarist, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. The gardens and parkland have also been restored and include ha ha’s, a white garden, a walled garden, and a small lake.
Day 8 – DISCOVER YORK/SHOPPING Visit York, another great city dating back to the Romans and Vikings, with its stately Minster and narrow streets. The finest feature of York Minster is the rose window commemorating the end of the War of the Roses. You shop in the medieval Shambles, the shopping district with streets so narrow that the buildings on both sides of the streets nearly touch.
Day 9 – ANCIENT LINCOLN/ CAMBRIDGE The old Roman city of Lincoln boasts a Normal Cathedral, built in 1072 and now one of the finest medieval buildings in Europe. Cambridge is next. The Romans used Cambridge as an inland port. In 1068, William the Conqueror built a castle here. Cambridge has a wealth of historic buildings, and much of its charm lies in winding back streets and passages. You take a walk among the “Backs”, the Mathematical Bridge and venerable colleges, or take a scenic punt or gentle gondola cruise along the river Cam.
Day 10 – HOMEWARD OR ASK US FOR OTHER GREAT IDEAS TO EXTEND YOUR TRIP.
Ellen McNulty is President of www.lynotttours.com
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