the north country, mountains and lakes, lake district, york, the peaks

TENTATIVE ITINERARY	NIGHTSTOP

DAY ONE
Stepping out onto England's 'green and pleasant land', you're met at the airport by your Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd representative and know that you're in good hands. A short drive to our London base and, after a short orientation, you'll be free to relax and discover the area. Dinner is not included tonight to enable you to make choices about what to do with your first day - will you sleep and recover from the arduous of travel, or perhaps venture out to explore one of the world's most exciting cities?	London

DAY TWO
We depart from London, taking the road north. Our first stop of the day will be at Stratford upon Avon where we'll visit the home of Shakespeare's mother on the edge of the Forest of Arden. Next, we could look at Litchfield, an interesting town whose greatest son was that man of letters and compiler of the first English dictionary, Dr. Johnson. We continue north for another hour until reaching the east Midlands region and the Peak District, a beautiful and much under-rated part of England.	Derbyshire

DAY THREE
Today we concentrate on exploring the Peak District with its distinctive dry stone walls, sheep covered hills and distinctively picturesque villages. At certain times of the year (from June to August) we may see 'Well Dressing' ceremonies. This is an ancient tradition where the village well is decorated by pictures made from flower petals. The famed Potteries are next, where we can visit a modern factory-outlet like Wedgewood, or a traditional bottle kiln pottery museum. The county of Cheshire provides a final day's highlights. This is one of the North's 'hidden' jewels. It's a lush, green county with quaint villages, rambling castles, canals and the famed walled city of Chester. This evening we'll enjoy a walk around the county capital of Chester. This is a walled city founded by the Romans. You'll see the cathedral, Roman remains (including part of an amphitheatre), and the Dee River.	Chester

DAY FOUR
Leaving Chester, after some shopping in the unique mediaeval 'rows', we take the short drive to one of Britain's mightiest northern cities - Liverpool. This great trading city, founded on the cotton and slave trade, features some absolutely stunning Victorian architecture, the Northern Tate Modern Art Gallery, the famed ferry across the Mersey river, the restored Albert Docks and maritime museum (with Titanic exhibition). Oh, yes… there was also a well-known pop group who hailed from here. We'll find time for Beatle enthusiasts to visit the excellent Beatle story, see the Cavern Club and a few other Beatle-related sites. Next, we drive to the Lancashire seaside resort towns of Southport and Blackpool. The former, a genteel and graceful late Victorian and Edwardian town, the latter Britain's top holiday town. It's brash, colourful, noisy, garish, and fun! The donkey-rides on the beach, the one-armed bandits of the amusement arcades, the pubs, fish'n'chip shops, huge funfair and the landmark Blackpool Tower have all been part of the North's lifestyle and heritage since the railways first brought workers here in the 1840s. Blackpool may not be everybody's ideal for a holiday destination but it simply has to be seen! Less than an hour north of Blackpool sees us in the completely different world of the Lake District, our base for the next three nights.	Lakes

DAY FIVE
The Lake District is justifiably famed the world over as one of the UK's primary areas of outstanding beauty. This is a region that inspired the poets Wordsworth and Colleridge. It was Beatrix Potter's home (in fact it is better known to the Japanese as 'Peter Rabbit Land'!). There are literary houses, mountain top prehistoric stone circles, and museums to visit. There are, of course, lakes to sail - on restored steam ships or on simple rowing boats. We'll enjoy a day savouring the many and varied delights of this exceptional area.	Lakes

DAY SIX
We'll continue our Lakeland visit with via Ullswater to Penrith. This is a memorable route and it will ultimately bring us to the 2nd Century wall built by the Roman Governor of Britain, Hadrian. We'll visit one of the wall museums and have spectacular views from an excellent vantage point of the surrounding countryside, seeing what the most northerly part of the Roman Empire looked like to soldier commanding the wall. Next, we turn back to the Lakes and drive to Cockermouth. We'll complete another memorable day with more stunning scenery as we run alongside Buttermere and Borrowdale back to our base.	Lakes

DAY SEVEN
Today we'll introduce a region lesser-known to our overseas visitors (or to those from other parts of the UK for that matter!). A short distance east from the Lakes lies the Lancashire Dales National Park. Although only 40 or so miles as the crow flies, the area is completely distinct from the Lakes in scenery and architecture. We'll find picturesque stone villages such as Kirkby Stephen, with its interesting Viking tomb, and Settle, a well-known centre for walkers and 'pot-holers'. Further south there is the peaceful Forest of Bowland. By way of contrast, we'll also visit one of the historic Lancashire cotton towns such as Wigan or Bolton before we arrive in Manchester. There are some very interesting museums and site-seeing options here such as a working steam cotton mill, or the part-timbered, late medieval merchant's house Hall i'th' Wood where Samuel Crompton invented the spinning mule in 1779. Dinner is not included in your tour price tonight to give you the option of a theatre or concert visit. Manchester offers several top theatres and is the home of the Halle Orchestra. We can arrange tickets in advance for you.	Manchester

DAY EIGHT
This morning we'll introduce you to Manchester, the cradle of the industrial revolution, now one of the North's premier tourist destinations and where the 2002 Commonwealth Games were held. Manchester was where Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital and where the liberal capitalist free trade movement was born. It is a city of incredible Victorian architecture, restored canals, suburb museums, art galleries and fine shopping centres. We'll be using the recently established tram network to take us around the city centre. You'll be seeing the cathedral, the famed St Peter's and St Anne's Squares, and some of the hidden city on our panoramic introductory tour. For those who are leaving the tour today you'll be catching either a train or plane to London, or being transferred to the airport for your flight home (Manchester has direct international flights from the USA, Canada and Singapore amongst others) for your onward journey. We recommend a late departure if you're travelling back to London so that you can enjoy a full day in the city. London is just over two hours by train, city centre to city centre. For those staying to enjoy the second segment of our Northern Explorer you'll have the afternoon free to visit the Imperial War Museum of the North, the L S Lowry centre or to shop. Football fans might enjoy visiting Manchester United's 'Theatre of Dreams' museum and stadium of Old Trafford. Or perhaps those of you who know and love television's oldest and longest-running 'soap opera' will enjoy taking the Granada TV Studios tour and walking around 'Coronation Street'. Dinner tonight allows us to try fine dining in Manchester's Chinatown or one of the famous Indian curry restaurants. Those arriving today to join our tour will be met and enjoy an introductory city tour this afternoon. Tonight they'll meet other tour participants at dinner.	Manchester

DAY NINE
Leaving Manchester we turn north and to the 'White Rose' county of Yorkshire. Our initial route takes us through pretty mill towns and villages such as Todmorden. An undoubted highlight for literary fans will be the Bronte Sisters home at Haworth. Next, to the romantic ruins of Bolton Abbey and Fountains Abbey - two of many that suffered under Henry VIII in the mid 1500s as he broke his contacts with the church of Rome. Our final stop of the day will be at the elegant Georgian spar town of Harrogate. This was considered the northern equivalent of Bath and it rivals its southern neighbour for its Georgian neo-classical architecture. Our base of the next three nights is in the ancient city of Ripon. For 1000 years, Ripon administered its own justice and policed its own streets. Every night, at 9 o'clock, the Ripon Hornblower still 'sets the watch' at the four corners of the obelisk in the Market Place. You'll certainly feel you've stepped back in time here!	Ripon
DAY TEN
The 'Land of the Prince Bishops' is our focus today as we tour further into England's North Country. One of the many highlights of the day will be our time in the majestic city of St Cuthbert, Durham. Here you'll see one of our most exquisite cathedrals and enjoy a walk down mediaeval streets in this hill-top city. What we do next will be determined by you, our tour participants, depending upon the group interest. We have so much to choose from. There's the pretty market town of Hexham and its Roman wall ruins. Or we have the fabulous open-air industrial museum of Beamish. We'll certainly want to be touring the splendidly scenic Weardale and perhaps seeing one of the traditional old lead mines of the area. There's also the city of Newcastle to consider or perhaps the maritime port of Hartlepool with its original Napoleonic warship. Whatever you decide, as ever your expert Back-Roads Touring Co. guide will be there to offer advice based on the day's weather and other considerations.	Ripon
DAY ELEVEN
From our Yorkshire base, we head westward across the heather-covered moors to Whiltby. This is Captain Cook country and we'll explore his local heritage. Later we experience a change of transport. You'll board a train (subject to schedules) at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and for the duration of the journey you'll relive the nostalgia of the steam age. Harry Potter fans will find the station somewhat familiar! Next, the most spectacular stately home in Yorkshire, Castle Howard. This beautiful palace is still lived in by the Howard family who built it in the 18th century. You'll have free time here to explore the house and grounds.	Helmsley
DAY TWELVE
A full day in York. This fabulous Viking walled city has much to offer its visitors, from the splendid Minster to the medieval shopping 'Shambles'. After a walking tour, you'll be free to explore at leisure. Dinner is not included tonight to allow you some additional city freedom.	Helmsley
DAY THIRTEEN
Time to turn south and see Robin Hood country. Our first stop is at Gainsborough and then through villages connected to the original ' Mayflower' Pilgrim Fathers to the medieval city of Lincoln. This historic and atmospheric city with its cobbled, narrow, winding streets is dominated by a castle and cathedral. We'll spend some time discovering its charms before driving to Sherwood Forest where we'll enjoy a short forest walk to find Robin Hood's Great Oak.	Nottingham/Coventry
DAY FOURTEEN
Our final day sees us travelling through the counties of Nottingham, Leicester and Northampton. These are counties often missed, even by season's UK travellers. And what a shame as they are rich in heritage. We'll see one of England's major Stately Homes at Burghley, the unspoiled Georgian town of Stamford (often used by film makers as the perfect location for period dramas, and the pretty Cambridgeshire riverside village of St Ives. The varied day's sight-seeing provides a memorable finish to a memorable tour.	London
DAY FIFTEEN
Departures for onward travel or extend your stay in London.