England and Wales 7 nights Linking England with Wales: a tour with varieties of landscapes, culture and experiences Snowdonia National Park 1
Day 1. Meet and great London Heathrow, Stonehenge and Bath Your Chauffeur will meet you inside the arrival hall, assist with luggage and escort you to the vehicle. Enjoy a private guided tour of the mysterious site of Stonehenge. This ancient temple was built around 5,000 years ago, making it older than the pyramids of Egypt. It is now classed as a World Heritage Site. It was thought to be a place of healing, as well as an astronomical clock and a religious site. Arrive in the world heritage city of Bath with its grandiose Georgian architecture, boasting more listed buildings than London. The Circus and Royal Crescent represent Georgian architecture at its finest. Tour the ancient Roman Baths. Built over 2,000 years ago, the Romans harnessed the hot local springs and engineered a magnificent complex of plunge pools, steam rooms and saunas. Visit Bath Abbey, known as the lantern of the west due to its bright interior. The Gothic fan vault over the nave in the abbey is quite simply breath-taking. Overnight: Bath Day 2. Chepstow Castle, Tintern Abbey and Symonds Yat Chepstow Castle and Tintern Abbey We head west on a modern freeway before getting off the main road and join the old coaching road to Bath. The Bath road as it was once known passes through various towns equipped with stables and inns for weary travelers. Then see views of Chepstow Castle, the first stone castle in Britain which was constructed during the 11th century. Playing a major part in the Civil War, the castle is now a dramatic cliff top monument within the town. The 800-year-old castle door is the one of the oldest in Europe. On the border of England and Wales, the views from Symonds Yat Rock are simply incomparable. Look down to see the River Wye or above to see rare raptors circling overhead. Visit Tintern Abbey. The abbey suffered at the hands of Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries. After the roof was stripped of its lead, the abbey fell into ruin and 2
consequently became a source of romanticism for the painter JMW Turner, William Wordsworth and other poets. Dinner: 7.30pm at the hotel Overnight: Llangoed Hall, Brecon Beacons, South Wales 3
Day 4. The Brecon Beacons National Park and Carreg Cennen Castle The story of Carreg Cennen Castle is a long one, going back at least to the 13th century. There is archaeological evidence, however, that the Romans and prehistoric peoples occupied the craggy hilltop centuries earlier (a cache of Roman coins and four prehistoric skeletons have been unearthed at the site). Although the Welsh Princes of Deheubarth built the first castle at Carreg Cennen, what remains today dates to King Edward I s momentous period of castle-building in Wales. The site has some spooky secrets to be discovered. Carreg Cennen Castle Continue your tour of the Beacon Brecons. See buzzards, red kites, waterfalls and romantic ruined castles while touring the emerald rolling hills. Lunch: Wrights Food Emporium Dinner: 7.30 pm at the Hotel Overnight: Llangoed Hall, Brecon Beacons, South Wales 4
Day 5. Powis Castle and Gardens, Conwy Castle and town Conwy Castle and Powis Castle Powis Castle is a castle with a long history, unlike many Castles in Wales, Powis also has spectacular interiors and gardens. Conwy Castle and town walls are the most impressive fortresses built by King Edward I. The remarkably well-preserved town walls are over 4000 feet long and fortified with 21 towers and 3 gates. Lunch: Lunch at Powis Castle Dinner: 7.30 pm at the hotel Overnight: Bodysgallen Hall, North Wales 5
Day 6. Reach Snowdon via the famous Mountain Railway The highest peak in England and Wales is Mount Snowdon. Craggy mountains, steep valleys and jewel-like lakes make up Snowdonia National Park. We can reach the summit of Mount Snowdon by the famous mountain railway, weather permitting. Snowdonia National Park, North Wales Briefly stop in the town of Caernarvon. Caernarvon Castle is architecturally one of the most impressive of all castles in Wales. Its defensive capabilities were not as overt or as powerful as those of Edward I's other castles such as Harlech and Beaumaris, but Caernarvon was instead intended as a seat of power - and as a symbol of Edward s dominance over the Welsh. Overnight: Bodysgallen Hall, North Wales 6
Day 7. Chatsworth House and Peak District National Park The Peak District was the first National Park to be established in Britain and one of the most visited in the world. From upland peaks, covered in peat to rolling lowland hills, the scenery is a patchwork landscape of moors, woods and pastoral valleys. One of Britain s greatest treasured houses, Chatsworth House is renowned for the quality of its paintings and sculptures. The gardens feature a maze, 200 metre cascade and the Emperor Fountain, one of the tallest gravity-fed fountains in the world. Lunch: Casual at Chatsworth House Dinner: 7.30pm at the hotel Overnight: Cliveden House Hotel, near Heathrow 7
Day 8. Friday 13 th October Chauffeur-driven Transfer to London Heathrow Enjoy your breakfast overlooking the beautiful Thames valley. You chauffeur will be at the hotel ready to load the vehicle for the short transfer to Heathrow airport. 8