Collectors and lovers of a bargain, this tour is for you! While visiting some of England’s most attractive and historic cities, towns and villages, you’ll be taken to a variety of antique shops, flea markets and auction houses, hopefully to find that missing piece for your collection. But the tour is not simply a buyers or shopping trip. We’re also including a selection of interesting visits, all based around our theme of antiques and porcelain.

The tour also includes some beautiful English countryside and you’ll be staying in a number of historic old inns throughout, many with their own enviable collections of antiques and miscellany.

All of the antique centres and markets chosen for this tour are based on our own specialist guide’s experience and our research into the best value shopping opportunities.

Tour Code

Arrive London

Depart London

ANT

Your Choice

Your Choice

Price on application

Click here to work out prices in other currencies http://www.xe.com/ucc/

This tour is available at any time of the year for private groups.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Day One - Friday

We bring you in on a Friday in time for the many weekend street markets that flourish throughout the city over the weekend. Those who have arrived before lunchtime will join your guide on an afternoon visit to a well-known multi-stalled, antiques market in the city and, if there’s time, will visit the famed auction house, Sotheby’s, to see a viewing. The market great for a whole range of smaller collectibles from silverware to medals jewellery to dolls.

Day Two - Saturday

Early to rise as it’s the early bird that catches to worm! Our first port of call this morning is London’s famous ‘Portobello Road’. This wonderful, atmospheric market twists its way through the suburb of Notting Hill Gate. There’s plenty here to fill our morning with both professional dealers and a whole host of amateurs selling possessions on pavement stalls.

This afternoon we’ll enjoy a traditional sightseeing tour of London and this evening attend a lovely evening at the Players Theatre, a recreated Victorian Music hall.

Day Three - Sunday

It’s another early departure as we tour the Sunday Street Markets of London’s East End. These are the remnants of the old thieves and night markets. They retain a distinctly ‘dubious’ air about them and the provenance of the goods on sales may well be questionable! However, there’s many a bargain to be had. One of our guides, visiting an antique shop in New Orleans, was surprised to see a set of rather rare British Army medals in the window. On enquiring where he’d obtained them, the owner replied ‘once a year, I visit this little old, obscure London street market, where I BUY MY ENTIRE STOCK FOR THE YEAR’.   So now you know!

This afternoon we’ll focus on the maritime suburb of Greenwich. Here there are no less than three different street markets selling everything from books, African masks and table antiques to recovered items from the Thames.

Day Four - Monday

Days Five & Six - Tuesday & Wednesday

We’ve two days concentrating on pottery and porcelain. We’re in the very heart of china clay country and names such as Wedgwood, Royal Dalton, Royal Derby and Royal Worcester will be found today.

We’ll be visiting factory shops, seeing demonstrations of the potters’ craft and searching local antique outlets for remainder and historic pieces.

Away from shopping, an undoubted highlight will be our visit to the Duke of Devonshire stately home of Chatsworth. This really is a treasure house and porcelain collectors will particularly enjoy the Duke’s own magnificent private collection.

Day Seven - Thursday

We drive south. Today, we focus on the Cotswolds. This is ‘antique-hunting’ territory par excellence. Set amidst the honey-coloured, stone villages is many small and interesting outlets. One, in Burford for example, specialises in hunting and sporting antiques.

Day Eight - Friday

Then on to that most elegant of cities, Georgian Bath.

Here we’ll tour a perfect example of a Georgian House (18^th century) in addition to the main town and you’ll have the remainder of the afternoon to explore local antique shops or perhaps visit the Roman baths and pump room.

Day Nine - Saturday

Leaving Bath, we follow the old coaching road west. Our first major stop of the day is at the prehistoric stone circle and temple, Avebury. Alternatively, we may call in at Bowood House or Corsham Court to see these fine examples of stately homes.

Following a tea or lunch stop at Polly’s Tea Room in Marlborough, we’ll make our last stop of the day at the 17^th century town of Hungerford. This one street town boasts more antique shops than any other comparable sized town in the UK. There are a very interesting ‘mall’ (everything from old guns and swords to Victorian snuff boxes) and a number of individual shops specialising in agricultural and garden statues.

It’s going home day. No doubt there’ll be lots to pack! If you have made too many purchases then we’ll assist in posting them on your behalf with a specialist delivery service.

© As we publish full tour descriptions, you may find others offering our unique itineraries.  But, just as you find when others sing the songs of Paul McCartney, they're often not quite as good as when sung by the original composer!