Day 1: Following your home taxi collection we head to Swindon in Wiltshire and Tthe Best Western Angel Hotel for our 4 night stay on a dinner bed & breakfast basis
Day 2: Our excursion today takes us to Devizes and the famous Caen Hill Locks, a staircase of 16 locks on the Kennet and Avon canal. Caen Hill (pronounced ‘cane'), is one of the longest continuous flight of locks in the country. A total of 29 locks with a rise of 237 feet over two miles with a 1-in-44 gradient.
From here we head into Devizes town centre for some time at leisure. Devizes, "Wiltshire's hidden gem", is a medieval market town in the centre of Wiltshire just north of Salisbury Plain. The building of a castle in Norman times dictated the layout of the town which is still visible in the ‘D’ shape plan today. The town now contains over 250 shops, 50 Heritage Plaques, plentiful eateries, 3 ancient churches and 2 museums, including the awarding winning Wiltshire Museum and Victorian Wadworth brewery
From here we continue across Salisbury Plain, past historic Stonehenge and Amesbury to the cathedral city of Salisbury. Salisbury is a Cathedral city of ageless beauty and captivating history, Salisbury has been welcoming travellers since 1227. At the city’s heart is Salisbury Cathedral, a beacon that has attracted visitors for centuries. Gathered around the Cathedral is a modern medieval city, full of buildings crafted with the care of another age. At the Cathedral you will find the best preserved of the four original Magna Carta manuscripts dating from 1215AD, and nearby, the famous Cathedral Close houses attractions like Arundells, Mompesson House, The Rifles Military Museum and Salisbury Museum. (attractions in Salisbury subject to individual choice and payment) Here we have time for lunch and to explore the city before we head back to the hotel.
Day 3: We enjoy a leisurely morning in Chippenham, Nestled on the banks of the River Avon, this compact town offers a combination of old and new – with historic architectural gems and modern shopping areas – making it an ideal place for a morning at leisure. This afternoon we head to beautiful Bradford-on-Avon for a short break before moving on to the time-warp village of Lacock. The village, which dates from the 13th century, has many limewashed half-timbered and stone houses, which have been used as a location in the TV and film productions of Pride and Prejudice, Moll Flanders and Emma. The Abbey has also featured in the hugely popular Harry Potter films.
Day 4: This morning we head into the Cotswolds to visit the town of Tetbury. Set in an area of outstanding beauty, it is where the private home of King Charles III and Camilla Queen Consort of the United Kingdom is located. Tetbury was an important market for Cotswold wool and yarn during the Middle Ages. Today, it is better associated with boutique shops, great food, and of course its Royal Connections.
Afterwards, we visit the superb ‘Steam’ - the museum of the Great Western Railway which is housed in a beautifully restored Grade II railway building in the heart of the former Swindon railway works. Here, the story is told of the men and women who built, operated and travelled on the Great Western Railway. The engineering genius of Isambard Kingdom Brunel led to the Great Western Railway network becoming regarded as the most advanced in the world. As well as locomotives such as ‘Caerphilly Castle’ and ‘King George V’, the museum features audio visual and interactive displays.
Day 5: Sadly this morning we depart our hotel and head back to Norfolk making suitabl stops en route. Arriving late afternoon we are met by our door to door taxi service who will return you home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast (Dinner will be table service)
Price: £767pp
Single Supplement: £Nil (Limited Availability)
Additional Singles Beyond Allocation From: £80 (Will be allocated a twin or double room for sole occupancy, depending on availability)
Tour Reference: AWE5124
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 8 weeks prior to departure