We leave London and travel along the old stage-coach route to Salisbury, gateway to the West Country and home to one of England’s most magnificent cathedrals. Built in the 13th century, the cathedral has the second highest spire in Europe and contains the oldest working clock mechanism in the world, as well as an original copy of the Magna Carta, a charter which King John was forced to sign in 1215 which reduced the power of the monarchy and allowed the development of a strong parliament. From here we follow the old Roman road to Dorchester, made famous in Thomas Hardy’s novel “The Mayor of Casterbridge”. This sleepy town of Roman origin has as much to offer the casual visitor as it has to Thomas Hardy fans, with its award-winning town museum and typically eclectic English architecture - a country town par excellence. Just to the south we can climb a hill fort which is even older than Dorchester - the prehistoric settlement of Maiden Hill, the largest of its kind in Britain and the site of a battle in AD43 led by the Emperor Vespasian by which the Romans gained control of southern England. This afternoon we drive along the UNESCO World Heritage “Jurassic Coast” to the home of fossils, Lyme Regis. This unspoilt Georgian seaside resort was once an important port and retains its Saxon harbour wall called the “Cob” where Meryl Streep gazes out to sea in the film “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”. Jane Austen was a frequent visitor and set part of her novel “Persuasion” here.
(D)
Overnight – The Kingswood and Devoran, Sidmouth or similar
Our journey this morning takes us through Devon, stopping off if time permits at the magnificent Buckfast Abbey, then on to the gorgeous south Cornish coast. Here we visit the impossibly quaint fishing village of Polperro, where some of the streets are so narrow you can touch both sides while standing in the middle. The region enjoys a temperate climate and the British love of flowers and plants is demonstrated by the large number of wonderful sub-tropical gardens in the area. This afternoon we visit one of the best, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, a 19th century paradise re-discovered and restored to its former glory by gardener-magician Tim Smitt. Our late afternoon drive winds its way along the Cornish coast down country roads that big tour groups cannot access, as we travel to our accommodation in a delightful Cornish resort.
(B)
Overnight – St Austell area
We start today with a visit to the fascinating and historical St Michael's Mount. Legend says this fairytale island was once home to a giant, Cormoran, the last of his race, who inhabited Britain at some indeterminate, mythical time, when history was story and story was fact. Discover the medieval castle, once a monastery and delve into the island’s past, the fortress, its church, and the harbour saw the galleys of Phoenician traders. Depending on the tide, we follow a cobbled causeway (walked by pilgrims since the Middle Ages) or take a small boat to the island from the little Cornish town of Marazion. From here we move on to the lovely Gardens of Trebah, a sub-tropical Eden on the tranquil Helford River. Stroll through the woodland glades down to the foreshore and wander around the numerous themed enclaves. But it is not only a beautiful garden in a striking setting. Learn about its wartime significance and also its place in British motor sport history, why not enjoy a snack in its award winning cafe. Our last visit today is to Cornwall's largest fortress, Pendennis Castle, one of a pair which guarded the entrance to Falmouth Harbour. The castle was built by Henry VIII in the 16th century as part of a defensive chain to guard against attack by Spanish or French forces, when England was challenging these two countries for control of the High Seas. We drive the short distance to our base for the next three nights.
(B/D)
Overnight – Green Lawns Hotel, Falmouth or similar
Today is free for you to explore the historic town of Falmouth. This town is situated on the west side of the famous Carrick Roads natural harbour, once one of England’s most important naval anchorages. There are numerous options to tempt different interests. Falmouth itself is home to the Cornwall branch of the National Maritime Museum and also to its own Falmouth Art Gallery. The town has also featured in films and TV series and has been the home to both real and fictional characters. A short ferry ride across the harbour brings you to St Mawes Castle, the other half of the Falmouth protective castle pair, and possibly the best preserved example of Henry’s chain of fortifications. Alternatively, a short train ride alongside the Restronguet Creek and Fal River brings you to Cornwall’s capital city, Truro, with its triple-spired Gothic Revival style Cathedral.
(B)
Overnight – Green Lawns Hotel, Falmouth or similar
More Cornish delights unfold today as we admire the stunning scenery and wide vistas of a ship-wrecking turquoise sea on our coastal drive towards the British mainland’s south-western extremity at Land's End. We start our day in the delightful old fishing town of St Ives. Being on a peninsula and surrounded by sandy beaches, St Ives offers some great walking and cycling opportunities and wonderful views of stunning coastal scenery. The town has always attracted artists for its light, and a host of galleries have sprung up; the most famous include the Tate St Ives (of international fame) and the Barbara Hepworth Gallery, both well worth a visit. If you don’t have a passion for art you will find plenty to occupy you here in the maze of streets around the old harbour. Surfers and sunbathers, artists and foodies all flock to this special place. Here’s your chance to sample rich ice-creams, Cornish pasties or Atlantic crab and oysters. We then journey on through a landscape, unique in Europe - tiny Iron Age fields bounded by stone walls, so old they are now earthen banks, strewn with native flowers that proliferate in this most unpolluted of regions. Stone circles, Celtic crosses and the remains of ancient villages still dot the peninsula. Adding to the mix are the eerie stone engine-houses, remnants of Cornwall’s tin-mining past, a contribution to this coast that has earned it UNESCO World Heritage Status. We visit one of these sites and the late Iron Age village of Chysauster. Before returning to our accommodation, we take a peek at another of Cornwall’s most celebrated fishing villages, Mousehole, where we have time to stroll around the tiny harbour and poke our noses into one or two of the miniscule cottages that surround it.
(B)
Overnight – Green Lawns Hotel, Falmouth or similar
Go easy on breakfast today as we have some gourmet delights ahead of us as we make our way to the rugged north coast of Cornwall. We visit the picturesque fishing village of Port Isaac, famously featured in the television series “Doc Martin” and see other typical Cornish coastal villages. But the highlight of our day is our visit to Padstow, where we lunch at “The Seafood Restaurant”, Rick Stein’s flagship restaurant in this gastronomic haven. After a relaxing and delicious lunch we head inland across windswept hills towards Dartmoor and our overnight accommodation. If we have time we might be able to call into the old capital of Cornwall, Launceston, which boasts Cornwall's grandest medieval castle, supposedly the “White Castle” of Arthurian legend.
(B/L/D)
Overnight – Two Bridges Hotel Dartmoor/Tavistock or similar
This morning we explore the high lanes and sunken lanes of Devon's Dartmoor, keeping our eyes open for wild ponies and roaming sheep that have right of way on many of the roads up here. We have time for a few ‘Back-Roads' stops before driving to our last major highlight of the tour, the cathedral city of Wells in Somerset. This is the smallest city in England and is often said to have the most beautiful cathedral. It may also have the best preserved medieval precincts of any cathedral in Europe. Your guide will make sure that you see both and you also have some free time to explore the local shops, or perhaps enjoy a coffee before our return to London.
(B)
Tour departs at 08:30hrs and returns approx. 1800hrs:
Lancaster Gate Hotel
66 Lancaster Gate
London W2 3NA
Back-Roads Touring Company Ltd.
Level 1, 107 Power Road,
London W4 5PY
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 208 9870 990
(Mon - Fri: 0900 - 1800 GMT)
Fax: +44 (0) 208 9940 888
info@backroadstouring.us
