THE COTSWOLDS

WHAT’S INCLUDED
Departure dates throughout  the year
From 3 days
From 2 nights at a centrally located 3 star Hotel.
Al rooms with private en-suite facilities
Return executive coach travel
Half board

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1 En-route to the region we can make a stop. E.g. Snowshill Manor (NT), a Tudor manor house of Cotswold stone, Snowshill houses Charles Paget Wade's collections of design and craftsmanship. Snowshill is a typically charming Cotswold manor, built in the Tudor period, but based on an even earlier medieval monastery and boasts a Georgian front on one side of the exterior. The appeal of Snowshill is not in the architecture but the interior furnishings. Within the house is a maze of rooms crammed full of the decidedly eclectic (and eccentric) collections of Charles Paget Wade, who rebuilt the ruined manor beginning in 1919. Wade spent a lifetime acquiring items of the highest workmanship and design quality from around the world, in accord with his Arts and Crafts Movement philosophy of the value of the individual artisan. From here we can continue onto the city of Gloucester for an afternoon at leisure before arriving at the hotel in time to freshen up for dinner.
Day 2 - Included full day starting with an included visit to Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury. With their experts predicting a spectacular autumn show, following one of the hottest summers on record, Westonbirt should be ablaze with colour from late September to November. Trees that contribute to the famous "New England Glow" - scarlet oak, sugar maple, red maple and silver maple - are expected to blaze a trail this year as a result of extreme temperatures and bright sunlight, conditions which the American species experience in their natural habitat in the north east USA. A guided tour can be arranged here if required at a small additional cost but is not currently included. You will have several hours at your leisure here before we continue onto Dryham Park (NT), a fine William and Mary house set in 265 acres of ancient deerpark which was built between 1691 and 1702 for William Blathwayt, William III's Secretary at State and at War. Rooms have changed little since they were furnished by Blathwayt in the Dutch style with Delft China, Dutch Paintings, and fine 17th Century textiles. What the visitor sees today is a superbly restored property containing many of the fine textiles, paintings, and Dutch ceramics collected by the builder. At the time of the Colonel's modernisations, the domestic rooms were relaid and the splendid Victorian kitchen, bakehouse and dairy make fascinating viewing. The remainder of the afternoon is to be spent here before returning to the hotel for dinner.
Day 3 - After breakfast this morning we depart the hotel and travel to Cirencester where those that choose can attend the main morning service which is a Common Worship sung Eucharist at 10.00 am at St John the Baptist. Often called the 'Cathedral of the Cotswolds', St John the Baptist is one of the largest and most elegant medieval churches in the county, if not the entire country. Cirencester was a regional capital at the time of the Roman occupation of Britain. The Romans built the first known church here, though we cannot be certain of its location. The Roman church was destroyed by the Saxons when they gained control of the area after the Battle of Dyrham in 577 AD. The Saxons then built a church in this location, which stood for over 400 years. Then, in 1117 AD King Henry I founded an abbey and parish church to replace the old Saxon church. The abbey is gone now, though remnants can be seen in the Abbey Grounds beside the current church building King Henry's church was rebuilt around 1240, and again in Perpendicular Gothic style around 1520 and it is largely this church that we see today. From here we continue through the Cotswolds to Asthall for lunch at The Windmill Carvery (example), which is a Cotswold Stone Barn, converted in 1981. The Barn dates back to the 1800’s and is typical of many in this area. The conversion was carried out with particular care to maintain the character such as the original Flagstones in the Bar area. The balcony was added later and is made from local elm trees. The water supply, still provided by their own well, was originally pumped by a windmill which, sadly, had to be removed due to storm damage. Having enjoyed lunch in this unusual venue we continue your journey homeward.

PRICE & SUPPLEMENTS
Price on application
Single supplements & minimum numbers will apply

HOW TO BOOK
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