| Highlights: Chepstow Castle * Tintern Abbey * Cardiff * Carmarthen * Laugharne * Preseli Mountains * St. Davids * Kilkenny * Jerpoint Abbey * Waterford Glass factory * Kilmore Quay * The Wicklow Mountains * Glendalough * Powerscourt Falls * Dublin * Caernarfon Castle * Snowdonia National Park * Portmeirion * Beddgelert * Conway Castle * Penrhyn Castle * Brecon * Hay-on-Wye
Day One
Our first day's touring takes us into England oldest counties, Hampshire and Wiltshire. The purpose of our visit is to see King Arthur's Round Table at the Great Hall in Winchester, before continuing through the timeless landscape of Thomas Hardy's Dorset to Honition in Devon. En route, we'll stop at Cadbury castle, an iron-age, hilltop fortress and one of the possible sites of Camelot. A further highlight of our day will be a local stately home such as Montacute House or Stourhead.
Day Two
Our routing for the day will offer us great choice. There's the maritime city of Exeter, the English Riviera, and Plymouth, and here we'll see the harbour from which the Mayflower set sail. Next, we follow the Cornish coast through delightful fishing villages and harbours stopping en route, perhaps, to visit the pirate museum at Looe or the shipwreck centre at St Austell. Readers of Daphne Du Maurier will also enjoy our time at Fowey and discovering the real Jamaica Inn.
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Day Three
There's so much to see in this region. There are the wonderful harbours of St Ives and Penzance, the coastal walks along cliff tops and beaches, the prehistoric village at Chysauster, the famous open-air Minack theatre, some of the most beautiful gardens in Britain, including the new Eden Project. There are old lead and tin mining museums, castles and Land's End itself. And then, of course, we've afternoon cream teas to take and Cornish pasties to eat! Our flexible touring concept will allow tour participants to decide on the day's priorities in consultation with their guide.
Day Four
Continuing our Cornish adventures. Today we'll spend enjoying the atmosphere of St Ives. There's plenty to entertain. This is an artists' haven and you'll delight at the range of local galleries, but perhaps of even greater interest will be the extension of the prestigious Tate Gallery. There are also some fine walking opportunities. The sailors or deep sea fishers amongst you might just find the opportunity of taking to the water just to good too pass up! You're free to dine independently in St Ives this evening and to return to our accommodation by local taxi at your leisure.
Day Five
We turn north, following the north Cornwall and Devon coasts. Our itinerary today will include Padstow, King Arthur's Tintagel, the impossibly pretty village of Clovelly (where donkeys are still used to haul goods and people up and down the narrow cobbled street to the sea), and the Devon countryside north of Dartmoor and Dartmoor itself.
Day Six
We tour today through Somerset. This is a county famed for its cider apples and so we must, of course, visit a cider farm and sample the wares! There are also the mystic town of Glastonbury where Arthur is said to have been buried, and the magnificent Wells cathedral. If time permits, perhaps we can also visit the massive gorge and caves at Cheddar.
Day Seven
This morning we'll spend time soaking up the Roman/Georgian elegance of Bath.
The tour now crosses the Severn River to Wales and we make our way to Cardiff, Europe's youngest capital city. The civic centre of Cardiff is magnificent and 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)..
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If we've time, we see 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. Tonight, if it's running, we'll attend a Welsh Male Voice Choir practice to hear some superb singing and meet some new friends. If it's not on then we're sure to find an alternative evening in this Land of Song!
Day Eight
Leaving Glamorganshire behind, we'll head for Swansea and the Gower Peninsula. This small 18 by 5-mile peninsula contains some of the most unspoilt and beautiful scenery in South Wales. Close by is The Mumbles, where we'll promenade on the Victorian pier and visit the lifeboat station. We continue our journey west, to Merlin's town of Carmarthen, the centre for Welsh-speaking West Wales. After exploring this interesting town, we move on to Laugharne, where Swansea-born Dylan Thomas lived for 16 years. Many characters from his poem 'Under Milk Wood' were based on local people. We'll follow a cliff walk to visit his house and hear of his life and works.
Day Nine
Crossing the Preseli Mountains from whence, it is thought, some of Stonehenge's boulders came; we'll find one of the finest megalithic monuments in Britain, Pentre Ifan. This striking burial chamber dates from around 3000-4000BC. Our next stop is at St. David's. It was here that the patron saint of Wales was born and lived. There'll be time for you to explore this fascinating little town with its cathedral and bishop's palace before we continue our explorations. Further highlights of the day will include seeing farmhouse cheese being made and visiting a centre where the unique boat of this region, the coracle, is still made and used.
Day Ten
Was this the real land of Arthur, for all that the Cornwall legend claims? It is certainly possible that this great warrior who united a people against Saxon invaders was indeed a Welsh prince. We'll learn about another, one who definitely lived, Owain Glyn Dwr and visit the site of his 15th century parliament at Machynlleth. We'll also be exploring the west Wales coastline, alternative rugged and pretty with its small harbours. Then there's the Victorian resort and university harbour town of Aberystwyth. And finally, the impressive hill side castle at Harlech.
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Day Eleven
A leisurely day absorbing the stunning mountain scenery of the Snowdonia National Park. Depending on time, we'll lunch in the beautiful wooded village of Beddgelert and hear the sad story of how the village came to get its name. We'll be able to see Snowdon, the highest peak south of Scotland. This afternoon we'll visit the slate caverns at Blaenau Ffestiniog and learn about the underground world of the Victorian slate miner. A Welsh woollen mill is also planned today and, if time permits, Caernarvon and perhaps Conwy or Beaumaris on the isle of Anglesey.
Day Twelve
Leaving North Wales behind us, we drive into mid-Wales. Much of the countryside we'll initially pass through is open moor-land, scored by the occasional river valley. Our drive to Lake Vyrnwy could not be more of a back-roads route through rolling hills and sheep-covered moors. We'll take morning tea beside the lake before continuing through further scenic beauties to Welshpool. One of the highlights of our visit to this market town will be to Powis castle. Owned and lived in by old Welsh aristocracy, you'll get a good idea of the wealth and opulence that once distinguished all our grand homes.
Finally, to Hay on Wye. The used book capital of the world and a paradise for the reader! Here, even the old cinema and castle dungeons have been converted to used-book shops! It is not surprising that this is now the location for one of the UK's principal literary festivals.
Day Thirteen
We've saved one of the most spectacular day (if more were possible!) for this, our last touring day. Leaving Hay, we take a breath-taking drive through the Black Mountains to a 14th Century priory, now a private pub set in unbelievable majesty and miles from anywhere. We'll visit the unique Partricio church nearby, if time permits. Also on today's itinerary will be hidden Border castles and the oldest pub in Wales before we follow the winding river Wye, through the border valley between England and Wales. The majestic ruins of Tintern Abbey, and the mighty 12th century Norman castle at Chepstow are all on our itinerary before we take the freeway for a 2 hour drive back to London.
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