Stonehenge, BATH & the Cotswolds

A tour of the Cotswolds gives visitors the chance to see quintessential England at its best; cute cottages, flower-filled gardens, church spires and rolling landscapes are all to be found in the Cotswolds. We can organise a traditional cream tea or a typical pub lunch and plenty of photo stops. The itinerary can be tailored to the interests of your group with visits to palaces and stately homes or some of the best gardens in England.
We recommend adding a stop at the myterious stone circle of Stonehenge before heading to the beautiful city of Bath, famous for its Roman baths and unique architecture, to start or end the tour.
The area is within easy reach of London and can be bolted on to a stay in the capital or any tour of the UK.

Day 1 –  Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe and stands on the Salisbury Plain. This Unesco World Heritage Site gives us the chance to walk in the footsteps of our neolithic ancestors and wonder at their building skills and the sheer dimensions of the monument. The stone circle was built between 3,500 and 1,500 BC and the some of the stones were brought from over 300 miles away.
We can also arrange special access to the stone circle at dawn or at sunset giving visitors the incredible experience.

Day 2 –  The city of Bath takes its names from the hot water springs below its streets which were exploited by the Celts and then by the Romans after they invaded Britain in 54AD. The Roman Bath is incredibly well preserved and forms part of the museum complex. The city was rebuilt in the 18th century using the local honey-coloured limestone with sweeping crescents and pretty squares of neat townhouses. It was the place to be in the late 18th century and many wealthy and famous people had their houses here.
Afternoon tea can be taken at the famous Sally Lunn’s where the Bath bun became famous.

Day 3 –  Today is dedicated to visiting the pretty villages of the Cotwolds such as Bibury, Moreton in the Marsh, Broadway, Bourton on the Water and Stowe on the Wold. The villages are built from the local Cotswold stone, limestone, but the colour varies from a light honey to a deep orange depending on the area. Many of the cottages have traditional thatched roofs and the villages are very well cared for with beautiful gardens. The Cotswolds became rich on the sale of wool and, although the wool trade has declined nowadays, the green fields are still full of fluffy sheep.
Lunch can be taken in a traditional pub and there are many tearooms for a traditional cream tea.

Day 4 –   There are several options for today from stately homes to gardens to shopping, depending on the interests of your group. Some suggestions are:
Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough, is where Winston Churchill was born, huge grounds amazing intereiors.
Waddesdon Manor was the estate of the Rothschilds and apart from the beautiful house and gardens we can also arrange a wine tasting.
Sudeley Castle, home to Kathryn Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII.
Westonbirt, the national arboretum with over 18,000 examples of trees and shrubs.
Kelmscott Manor, the home of William Morris, the creator of the Arts & Crafts movement of the late 1800s.
Highgrove Garden – a tour of the private gardens of Highgrove, home to their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall tells the story of the development of the gardens and the sustainable principles so important to Prince Charles.