Day1: Following your home taxi collection you will join our luxury tour coach and we will head south to Hampshire and our hotel for the next 4 nights, the Botleigh Grange Hotel & Spa, on a dinner bed & breakfast basis.
Day 2: This morning we depart our hotel and make our way through the Meon Valley, following the course of the River Meon. famous for its Watercress beds. Our first stop of the day is Alresford for a trip on the Watercress line to Alton. Alresford is the home of the Hampshire watercress industry, from which the line takes its name. Watercress was sent all over the country by train from the goods platform which you can still see behind the signal box.
Following your single journey over the Hampshire Alps, you rejoin the coach and we head to the little village of Chawton, the former home of Jane Austen. We have included a visit to Jane Austens House, where she wrote or revised all of her novels. You can also see the Chawton House Library where Jane's brother, Edward Knight lived.
Day 3: Today, after a leisurely breakfast we head to Mottisfont House and Gardens. This former priory has an incomparable beauty, and is full of delights and surprises. Discover a wealth of creativity, conflict, love and loss as the house is brought to life through a changing array of exhibitions. 20th century society hostess Maud Russell hosted numerous events here, with guests including The Churchills, Ian Fleming and the Bloomsbury Group. Outside, carpets of summer flowers and the walled gardens create a feast for the senses.
Later we make our way to Winchester for an afternoon at leisure. Popular for its bustling shopping streets, Winchester is best known for its eleventh century Cathedral and for the Great Hall which for over 700 years has housed the mysterious King Arthur's Round Table.
Day 4: This morning we take a leisurely drive through the New Forest stopping in Ringwood. This unspoilt market town dating back to 1226 stands on the western edge of the New Forest at a crossing point of the River Avon and has plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes to explore.
From the town, take a wander down West Street to view the River Avon from the old three-arched stone bridge or enjoy a stroll around Jubilee Garden.
We continue our day with a visit to Exbury Gardens. Now celebrating more than 100 years, Exbury Gardens encompasses a spectacular collection of woodland, herbaceous, contemporary, formal and wildflower gardens. At over 200 acres, these impressive gardens located in Hampshire, were created, and are now managed by the Rothschild family. They boast several special collections including world-famous rhododendrons and azaleas, unprecedented swathes of hydrangeas and the National Collection of Nyssa trees.
Day 5: Sadly we depart our hotel and make our way back to Norfolk making suitable stops en route. Arriving late afternoon we re-join our door to door taxi service who will return you safely home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Price: £652pp
Single Supplement: £220 (Will be allocated a double room for sole occupancy)
Tour Reference: AWE5155
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 15 weeks prior to departure