Day 1: Following your home taxi collection, we join our luxury tour coach and make our way to Melton Mowbray. The town has a royal heritage that goes back to Richard the Lionheart and is home to Stilton, Red Leicester Cheese and of course the famous Melton Mowbray Pork Pie. Head inside Melton Carnegie Museum to see on original pie oven, grab a pie at Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe or visit the Anne of Cleves pub. Later on, we continue to Milford, arriving in the afternoon at the superb Makeney Hall for our four night stay.
Day 2: This morning we drive along the Derwent Gorge to the delightful little town of Matlock. There are opportunities in the town for a drink and a bite to eat before we leave for our afternoon visit to Haddon Hall - probably the finest example of a fortified medieval manor house in existence. Present-day Haddon Hall dates from the 12th century and was brought back to its former glory in the 1920s, when the 9th Duke and Duchess of Rutland restored the house and gardens. Wander around the house, and explore the stunning Elizabethan Walled Gardens, recently redesigned by Arne Maynard.
Day 3: Today’s outing takes us towards Sheffield to visit the delightful Renishaw Hall and Gardens. Renishaw is still very much a family home which adds to its unique atmosphere. Over 115 years ago Sir George Sitwell created what is today one of the most important classical Italianate gardens in Britain. Ornamental ponds, a spectacular fountain, secret garden rooms, classical statues, overflowing borders and long vistas all feature strongly in these totally unique gardens. In the Stable Block you can visit The Café at Renishaw and the Sitwell Museum, featuring an exhibition about The Literary Trio and the history of the gardens. We also enjoy an exclusive guided tour of the hall which takes visitors around the ground floor and lasts approximately 1 hour.
Day 4: This morning we visit the De Bradelei Mill Shopping Village in Belper – one of the many mills along the Derwent Valley dating back to the time of the Industrial Revolution. Here you can browse for a designer bargain and enjoy a drink before we leave for our afternoon visit to Melbourne Hall Gardens. Located to the south of Derby, the hall is the private residence of Lord and Lady Kerr who initiated an imaginative planting scheme in the gardens, including shrubs, specimen trees and a unique collection of magnolias and roses. Truely a garden of rare beauty.
Day 5: After breakfast we sadly depart our hotel and make our way to the National Memorial Arboretum. The NMA is the United Kingdom's living and lasting memorial to commemorate and celebrate those who have given their lives in the service of their country and all who have served and those who have suffered as a result of conflict.
It is the site of the Armed Forces Memorial and consists of 150 acres of wooded parkland within the National Forest in Staffordshire where visitors can both enjoy and learn about the trees and their surroundings, and reflect upon their special symbolism.
Later we rejoin our coach and head back to Norfolk where our taxi service will be waiting to take you home.
Holiday Information:
4 Nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast (Evening meals will be table service)
Price: £839pp
Single Supplement: £nil (Limited Availability)
Additional Singles Beyond Allocation From: £40 (Will be allocated a twin or double room for sole occupancy, depending on availability)
Insurance: TBC (Insurance not currently available)
Tour Reference: AWE4961
Deposit Required: £50pp
Balance Due: 8 weeks prior to departure