WEST COUNTRY
MULTI DAY TOUR

Day 1 - Thursday 17th September

• I will collect you from Heathrow Airport at 8am and will drive you to Salisbury Cathedral, approx. 1.5 hours away.

• I will take you on a guided tour of the cathedral - the cathedral was the inspiration behind the cathedral in the Ken Follett "Pillars of the Earth" novel! During the tour we will visit the Magna Carta exhibition which houses an original copy of the 1215 Magna Carta.

• After visiting Salisbury Cathedral we will visit the 4 churches connected to your ancestors (I will advise you before visiting if it is possible to go inside the churches). We will visit the churches in the following order: St George's Church - West Harnham, St Michael & All Angels Church - Coombe Bissett, St Martins Church - Barford St Martin, St Leonard's Church - Semley. We will stop for lunch at 1pm at one of the village pubs.

• Assuming we spend approx. 45 minutes at each of your ancestral locations we will reach your hotel in Bath around 6:30pm.

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Day 2 - Friday 18th September

• Day at leisure. You may like to use this day to visit the museums in Bath and/or the beautiful Bath Abbey.
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Day 3 - Saturday 19th September

• I will collect you from your hotel in Bath at 9am and take you on my Bath City Tour. We will first drive to my favourite viewpoint overlooking the city centre where I will explain about the history of Bath. We will then continue on foot in the city centre where I will show you the famous buildings and streets and tell you interesting stories about them and the city and past residents.

• After lunch at a local pub  I will drive you to a non-for-profit falconry on the outskirts of Bath where you will have the unique opportunity to fly one of their hawks in the surrounding countryside. We will be walking in fields (which may have thistles) so please bear this in mind for your clothing. Long sleeves are recommended for the hawk flying.

• We will return to Bath around 3:15pm. The rest of your afternoon will be at leisure.
   

Day 4 - Sunday 20th September

• Day at leisure.
   

Day 5 - Monday 21st September​

• Day at leisure.
   

Day 6 - Tuesday 22nd September

• I will collect you at 8:30am and drive you to Stonehenge, approx. 50 minutes away.

• I will guide you around the Visitor Centre and the ancient stone circle. I have visited Stonehenge over 500 times and it still impresses me each time I visit! Knowing the history and theories behind Stonehenge really enhances a visit so I will share these with you along with its unusual stories! I have attended talks by archaeologists who have worked at Stonehenge and I will share with you the latest discoveries. You will have plenty of time to explore the site and take photos. We do not go inside the stone circle but we will get close to the stones.

• After exploring Stonehenge I will drive you to Avebury, approx. 50 minutes away.  Avebury is home to the remains of England's largest stone circle. Few tourists know about Avebury and unlike Stonehenge visitors are free to wander among the stones and touch them. You may even see people meditating next to them. Walking around the site I will give you an insight into its history and the latest archaeological  discoveries. Like Stonehenge, its exact purpose is still a mystery today!

• After lunch at a local pub we will continue to the picturesque village of Lacock. This village has changed little over the centuries making it a popular filming destination. Walking around the village I will point out interesting features and show you places that have been used in films. During the tour we do not go inside Lacock Abbey but I will explain about this during the tour.

• We will return to Bath around 5:15pm.

• We will be walking on grass at Stonehenge and Avebury and we will be exposed to the weather throughout the tour so please bear this in mind for your footwear and clothing. 
   

Day 7 - Wednesday 23rd September​​

• I will collect you at 8:30am and drive you to the cathedral-city of Wells - England's smallest city, approx. 1 hour away. You will have a private walking tour of Wells which includes a visit to Europe's oldest residential street as well as the beautiful Wells Cathedral which dates back to the 13th century and houses the world's second oldest working clock. Wednesday is market day in Wells so you can also experience this small local market. There are a number of food stalls so you may like to have lunch at one of these or we can drive to a farm shop cafe.

• After exploring Wells I will drive you to the quirky town of Glastonbury. We will visit the picturesque ruins and gardens of Glastonbury Abbey. The abbey claimed it was built on the site of the earliest Christian monastic site in Britain and went on to become one of the wealthiest abbeys in the country. 

• After visiting the abbey I will take you to the Chalice Well Garden where you will have an unaccompanied visit.  After your time at the garden you will have the option to climb to the Glastonbury Tor. The Glastonbury Tor is one of the most famous landmarks in the region and like the abbey it is steeped in legends. The walk from the bottom of the hill to the top of the hill where the Tor is located takes approximately 20 minutes depending on your fitness. There are around 260 steps and so it is not suitable for those with mobility difficulties. From the top you will be rewarded with panoramic views and I will explain about the legends behind the Tor.

• After the tour I will drive you back to Bath. I will make a detour so that we drive through the Cheddar Gorge - England's largest gorge. We will return around 6:30pm.
   

Day 8 - Thursday 24th September

• Day at leisure.
   

Day 9 - Friday 25th September

• It is time to say goodbye to Bath! I will collect you at 9am and take you on a tour of the South Cotswolds.

• We will stop at a number of villages including Castle Combe - the most famous village in the area and once voted England's prettiest village. The other picturesque villages are more off the beaten tourist path meaning fewer crowds. During the tour I will explain about the Cotswolds and tell you stories about the places we see. We will also stop for lunch at a charming village pub

• At the end of the tour I will drive you to your airport hotel at Heathrow. 
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