Tour Code

Depart London

Return London

KSEX

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NIGHTSTOP

DAY ONE - SUNDAY

We leave London following the Thames towards the North Sea. Our sightseeing today features a range of fantastic sites, many evoking London's maritime past including a pub with connections to 'the Mayflower', and the wonderful Greenwich (where you'll straddle the meridian line separating east from west, see the Cutty Sark and visit the naval museum). Then there's the Pocahontas memorial, Henry VIII's Chatham docks and last but certainly not least, the tiny city of Rochester.

Rochester is an undiscovered pearl and deservedly on a Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd itinerary taking you behind the tourist facade. There's an exquisite cathedral, a well-preserved 12th century castle and a medieval shopping street. It also boasts connections with Charles Dickens who lived here and set many of his tales in the city.

Kent

DAY TWO - MONDAY

The mighty Canterbury cathedral, the pretty Leeds Castle and historic Dover are the main features of our day's touring. All are major icons and, being essential must-sees for the visitor to the UK, are often visited as a day tour from London. As we're based in the area, we'll be enjoying a much more leisurely day than the day-trippers will be having! And, in typical Back-Roads style, we'll be able to add one or two other attractions, such as the fishing village of Whitstable, an emotive Battle of Britain memorial and a few real back road drives through this scenic county of England.

We'll begin another memorable day's touring with a drive across Romney marshes, once a haunt of smugglers, to the old cinque port of Rye. This picturesque town, so loved by the novelist Henry James, always has our tour participants cooing with delight and expending much film! Its another day where you'll see coastal fortresses built to repel the invader, though this time Napoleon.

Then to a place all have heard of, Hastings! We'll explore the site of this most famous of battles. 1066 changed the course of the history of the English-speaking peoples and it is a spine-tingling exercise to walk part of the actual battlefield.

Next on our itinerary is Chartwell, home to Winston Churchill. Here you can almost still smell the great man's cigar smoke as we tour the house to discover his life and times.

Add to these attractions more scenic touring through 'the garden of England' and a few 'serendipity stops' and you have a perfect day!

Nightstop: our overnight accommodation is to the West of London, in an inn situated on the banks of the Thames.

Departing at 09.30 we head Southwest, our first stop being at Jane Austen's Chawton home. She spent the last eight years of her life here. The house, where she wrote 'Sense & Sensibility' and 'Pride & Prejudice' amongst others, is now open as a museum. Our next port of call is the ancient Saxon capital of Winchester. There'll be time for lunch and for a guided walk around the city. Sights include the cathedral, one of England's most famous public schools and the legendary 'King Arthur's Round Table'. If there is time, we will also visit the last monastery in England where pilgrims may still claim the 'dole'.

Overnight: our accommodation base lies in the heart of the Kingdom of Wessex.

First on today's touring agenda is Thomas Hardy's county of Dorset. This is timeless England, where life appears to have stood still since Hardy's own. We'll see Hardy's own cottage and that of T E Lawrence (of Arabia), and in the regional centre of Dorchester, hear about Judge Jefferies, 'the hanging judge'. Then to the Isle of Purbeck where we'll spend time exploring Britain's 'Jurassic park' (and perhaps find a fossil or two!), the impossibly pretty, picture-postcard village of Corfe Castle, and then the quaint harbour of Swanage (still serviced by steam train). Our return to our accommodation takes us to the resort of Bournemouth and through the New Forest where we'll see the famed, tiny New Forest ponies.

Thence, via the Roman fortress of Old Sarum, where you'll enjoy a guided walk. Then to another treasure, the prehistoric Stonehenge.

We've a great finish to our Wessex experience as on route to London we explore the quaint villages of Hampshire and visit either the Duke of Wellington's country home (restricted opening) or view the incredible Stanley Spencer wall murals of the Great War at Burchclere.

London accommodation tonight is not included in your tour price but can be reserved at our West London base at £50 for per person in a twin share and £65 in a single.

© 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!