Day 1: Following your home taxi collection we board our luxury tour coach and head west to Malvern and our hotel for the next four nights, The Abbey Hotel, on a dinner bed and breakfast basis. Tea/Coffee & biscuits are served upon arrival.
Day 2: The towns and villages of the northern Cotswolds are on our itinerary for today. We begin with a drive to Evesham before calling in on Broadway. A famous Cotswold beauty spot, Broadway is nestled at the foot of the rolling Cotswold hills. As its name suggests, Broadway is dominated by a wide tree-lined street packed with independent shops, restaurants, hotels and a couple of excellent museums. Don’t miss the Gordon Russell Design Museum, which celebrates the work of the renowned 20th century furniture designer, or the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery where you can gain an insight into the history of the village and its cultural heritage. (attractions in Broadway subject to individual choice and payment).
Continuing through Moreton-in-Marsh we come to Stow-on-the-Wold. At nearly 800ft, Stow is the highest of the Cotswold towns, located on the Roman Fosse Way and at the point where several roads meet. The Market Square is large and impressive and testifies to the town’s former importance. It is surrounded by town houses, independent shops, antique centres, cosy cafes and inns all built in the mellow local stone, and it has been the focus of town life over many centuries, with the medieval market stocks at one end, the ancient market cross at the other and the impressive St Edwards Hall standing in the centre.
It has a long history and had a special importance in the English Civil War - the Battle of Stow on the Wold, fought at nearby Donnington in 1646, saw the defeat of the last royalist field army. St Edward’s Church, was used as a prison for the defeated Royalist troops, as it was the only lockable building in the town. Some of the damage sustained at this time can still be seen today and in the churchyard is the tombstone of Captain Hastings Keyte, who died at the battle. St Edwards church is also famous for its‘Tolkienesque’ North Door flanked by two ancient yew trees, supposedly the inspiration for the 'Doors of Durin' in the Lord of the Rings.
We have time for lunch in Stow before we have a short ride to the delightful Bourton-on-the-Water, with the River Windrush flowing gently through the village. This is our last stop of the day before heading back to Malvern.
Day 3: We start today by driving east to the Oxfordshire Cotswolds where we come to pretty Burford. Burford’s famous High Street sweeps downhill towards the River Windrush, its three-arched medieval bridge and its impressive church, both sides of the street flanked by an unbroken line of ancient houses and shops.
Little has changed over the centuries, Burford is popular with visitors, both for its beauty and history but also for its shopping, especially antiques, and for the wide variety of places to eat, with restaurants, pubs and teashops. Here you can stay in a hotel frequented by King Charles and Nell Gwynn, dine where Nelson dined or visit England’s oldest pharmacy, a chemists since 1734.
Half way down the hill, the 16th century Tolsey building, once the meeting place for medieval merchants, now houses The Tolsey Museum, a delightful, local museum illustrating the town's social and industrial past.
There are wonderful alleyways and side streets just waiting to be explored and next to a set of medieval almshouses stands St John’s church, a permanent memorial to Burford’s medieval wealth. This fine church is a real gem with many interesting memorials charting some of Burford's great families including one to Henry VIII’s barber surgeon, which includes one of the earliest depictions of native Americans and the ostentatious Tanfield tomb. On the baptismal font is the scratched name of Anthony Sedley, one of the Levellers, mutinous rebels in Cromwell’s army, who were besieged in the church in 1649 and had to watch from the roof as their ringleaders were executed in the churchyard.
Leaving Burford we head for Cirencester, Cirencester, known as the Capital of the Cotswolds, is a lovely market town with a fascinating history. Boasting a fantastic array of independent shops, cafes and restaurants, there will be plenty of opportunity to grab a bite to eat. If you would prefer to take advantage of the peaceful surroundings and learn more about the history of the area, why not visit the Roman Amphitheatre, the Corinium Museum or explore Cirencester Parish Church (attractions subject to individual choice and payment)
Returning via Malmesbury our final stop is in the ancient market town of Tetbury, with its wonderful market house dating back to 1655. Tetbury is close to Highgrove, The family home of King Charles III, and many of the shops bear the feathers logo as a sign they hold the Royal Warrant. From here we make our way back through Stroud to the hotel.
Day 4: This morning we make our way to Worcester for some free time. With the River Severn flowing through the city and its attractive jumble of medieval, Tudor, Georgian and modern architecture it is a lovely city to explore. At its centre is a magnificent cathedral, perched along the riverbank. This afternoon we head back to Malvern for an afternoon at leisure. The oldest part of the town can be seen around the Priory church which was founded in 1085 when Benedictine monks settled here and built a priory which was a daughter house to Westminster Abbey.
Day 5: Sadly, this morning we depart our hotel and head back to Norfolk making suitable stops en route. Upon arrival our door to door taxi service will be waiting to take you home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
Price: £658pp
Single Supplement: £nil (Limited Availability)
Additional Singles Beyond Allocation From: £60pp (May be allocated a true single or twin/double for sole occupancy, not guranteed)
Insurance: £POA Due to crossover renewal dates over the festive period, new insurance policies cannot currently be purchased online. Please contact our office in the new year for further details.
Tour Reference: AWE4769
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 8 weeks prior to departure