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POPULAR DESTINATIONS
Although my guiding is geared to taking you wherever you want to go, the more popular sites include (click a site to jump to the section on this page):
London, Westminister Abbey, Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, Bath, Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cotswolds, Canterbury, Dover Castle, Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Hever Castle, Chartwell, and Highclere Castle.



  LONDON
Since 2017, I have been offering tours on foot in London. These can either be my standard walking tour in the City of Westminster, with visits inside Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London or maybe the Churchill War Rooms and St Paul’s Cathedral. The journey from Westminster to the Tower of London would be by Tube. Feedback on these foot tours has been very positive, with many clients glad that they have had the chance to be escorted on the Tube. This is a standard walk, happy to tailor the tour to your particular requirements:
bulletWestminster Walk passing the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, St James’s Palace, Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park and much more.  Sometimes it’s fun to watch the New Guard march to Buckingham Palace.
bulletA tour inside the beautiful Westminster Abbey, our 900 year old coronation church.  The Abbey is an ancient royal burial site, but also has memorials to other interesting people and events.  Followed by lunch in a 500 year old pub.
bulletTravel by Tube from Westminster to see the nearly 1,000 year old Tower of London with its gruesome tales of execution and torture and the highlight of the Crown Jewels.

Alternatively, I am still happy to provide a driver/guide tour.

     
HAMPTON COURT PALACE & WINDSOR CASTLE
Hampton Court Palace, built over 500 years ago and a favourite of Henry VIII.  Beautiful Tudor and Baroque architecture, perhaps sense the ghost of Katherine Howard, 5th wife of Henry VIII.  Ancient gardens and maze.
     
  Windsor Castle is one of the largest and longest continuously lived in castles in the world. Visit the magnificent State apartments and the beautiful St George’s Chapel, burial place of many sovereigns.  “Her Majesty the Queen’s favourite weekend cottage”. Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle may be toured separately in a “long half day” of 5 hours.
 
STONEHENGE (alone or with Windsor Castle or Salisbury Cathedral)
The atmospheric 5,000-year-old World Heritage Site, an extraordinary feat of engineering, now with an on-site Visitor Centre.  Stonehenge can either be a single venue or works well with Windsor Castle or Salisbury Cathedral.
     
  13th century Salisbury Cathedral is not far from Stonehenge, has the tallest spire in England and is the home of one of the original 1215 Magna Carta documents.
     
  BATH
Bath in the West Country is an 18th century spa town, with Roman Baths remains.  The 15th century Abbey stands on the site of the original Saxon Church, where the first King of all England, Edgar, was crowned in 973.  The Georgian splendour of the Assembly Rooms, The Royal Crescent, The Circus as written about by Jane Austen and much more. My recommendation is that we travel by train, a 90 minute trip each way as opposed to 180 minutes by car. My clients have been pleasantly surprised how comfortable this is, and cost effective if tickets are booked in advance and gives you more time in Bath.
 
WARWICK CASTLE &/or STRATFORD-upon-AVON & THE COTSWOLDS
11th century Warwick Castle, home of the King Maker (Earl of Warwick) during the 15th century Wars of the Roses, with displays, including State Rooms, Towers and Ramparts. The Horrible Histories Maze, Dungeon, Royal Weekend Party tableaux and the Gardens. Warwick Castle is strongly geared towards the entertainment for children.
     
  Stratford is William Shakespeare’s birthplace. Visit the Birthplace Visitors’ Centre, walk around the house where Shakespeare was born, grew up and owned in later life. There are a number of properties belonging to the Birthplace Trust which all have connections with Shakespeare. One can even visit where Shakespeare went to school. Holy Trinity Church is where Shakespeare is buried. As one visits the various properties, the walk around the town is very pleasant with hanging baskets of flowers everywhere (in the summer). On the way back, we will drive through some picturesque Cotswold villages.
     
  COTSWOLDS
A day out to the Cotswolds, is a joy in itself with picturesque villages in honey-coloured Cotswold stone, lunch in a nearby 300 year old coaching inn, finishing with the ancient market town of Stow-on-the-Wold for antique/gift/boutique shopping.
 

  CANTERBURY and DOVER CASTLE
Canterbury is the cradle of Christianity in England. Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales were told by pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St Thomas Becket, murdered in 1170 in the Cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral is a Norman (11th century) on the site of much earlier churches.

Dover Castle’s 12th century keep is one of the largest in England, surrounded by a double ring of concentric walls. The castle grounds are riddled with tunnels, from medieval to those dug during the Napoleonic wars in the late 18th century. Secret tunnels were added during World War II, only opened to the public in 2000.

     

OXFORD & BLENHEIM PALACE
Oxford is England’s oldest university (12th century). Visit colleges such as Christchurch and its chapel (Oxford Cathedral, the smallest cathedral in the country). Other university buildings include Sir Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian Theatre, the famous Bodlean Library, the Clarendon Building and the ancient 15th century Divinity School.

Blenheim Palace, built by Sir John Vanbrugh, gardens by “Capability” Brown, for the first Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill) and paid for by Queen Anne, as a reward for his decisive victory over the French at the Battle of Blenheim (1704). It was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill with a small museum dedicated to him.

Oxford is England’s oldest university (12th century). Visit colleges such as Christchurch and its chapel (Oxford Cathedral, the smallest cathedral in the country). Other university buildings include Sir Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian Theatre, the famous Bodlean Library, the Clarendon Building and the ancient 15th century Divinity School.

 

LESS WELL-KNOWN DESTINATIONS
There are so many interesting and famous locations that I could not possibly include them all in this brochure. Some of these do however close for the winter, but I can advise you about these at the planning stage.

HEVER CASTLE - Home of Anne Boleyn, the executed second wife of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves, the divorced fourth wife of Henry VIII! Later it became the country seat of the Astor family. The world famous gardens (including the Italianate garden) are a pleasure to walk around.  
 
CHARTWELL - The Country home of Sir Winston Churchill, the famous statesman and inspirational World War II leader. Set in the beautiful Kent countryside  
   
HIGHCLERE CASTLE ("Downtown Abbey") - Ancestral Home of the Earls of Carnarvon. This Victorian “castle” is a beautiful building in its own right, but is also the filming location of the popular TV drama, Downton Abbey.  

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