Well, Devon, Cornwall and Avon to be really precise... Recently we were asked by a client to put together a tour for the area for them and some friends. Naturally, we were only too happy to piece together our favourite parts of the area and the client - so please with our work - has naturally booked the tour already... In case you're wondering, it goes as follows
Day One
Arrive to London airport (time to be
confirmed)
Depart airport for Stonehenge (driving
time 2 hours)
A World Heritage Site, Stonehenge has stood for
around 4500 years, probably a place of worship and/or sacrifice, with no one
truly knowing the answer as to why it was built and why in this spot.
Spend 1.5 hours then depart for:
Thomas Hardy Cottage (driving time 1hr 15)
Few authors have such strong associations with the
natural and cultural heritage of their local area as Thomas Hardy. This
cottage, where Hardy was borne in 1840, was built of cob and thatch by his
grandfather and has been little altered since the family left.
Spend 1.5 hours then depart for;
West Bay, Bridport
The picturesque town of West Bay better known to viewers as ‘Broadchurch’ in the hit TV show
Overnight stay in Bridport/West Bay.
Day Two
After breakfast we depart Devon into Cornwall
Heading over Dartmoor National Park
and stopping for coffee at the infamous Jamaica Inn. Built in 1750 as a
coaching inn for long horse drawn journeys from London and Bristol into
Cornwall, the pub inspired Daphne Du Maurier’s book of the same title after she
and a friend became lost in fog while out riding, the horses leading them to
the inn and safety. Said to be one of the most haunted buildings in England.
Onto Bodmin and Wenford Steam Railway
11.15am board a restored steam train for a 15
minute journey through the English countryside, disembark and meet your driver
at Boscarne Junction. Highly recommend pre-ordering your first (but not last)
Cornish pasty to sustain you through the journey. Like champagne, the Cornish pasty
is recognised as unique to the area and pasties made anywhere else but in
Cornwall cannot carry the Cornish title.
As time dictates and at your leisure we
explore the beautiful fishing villages of Looe, Polperro, Fowey (a must)
before booking into your hotel in and around the town of St Austell
Day Three
After breakfast we visit the Eden Project
In the afternoon we will down to the hidden
but beautiful fishing village of Cadgewick where you can take a pub
lunch or buy fresh seafood, caught that morning, from the little shop. Onto the
Lizard Point which sees you stand at the most Southerly point in the UK.
A quick look at Portleven before check in to your
hotel near Redruth for 3 nights
Day Four
Depart for the Minack theatre
The idea for the theatre was born when Rowena Cade, who lived in
Minack House at the top of the cliff, decided to create a place for local drama
enthusiasts to perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Over the winter of 1931 and into 1932
Rowena and her gardener, Billy Rawlings, moved endless granite boulders and earth,
creating the stage and the lower terraces of the theatre, in the same place as
you see them today. The first performance was in August 1932.
PLEASE NOTE: this has to be a morning visit as they have a Matinee
Production.
Stop off at the lovely coastal village of
Mousehole en route to:
St Michael’s Mount, Marazion. A stunning castle set on its own island which has been in
the same family, Lord and Lady Aubyrn since the 17th century. A
working island that employs 30 people and their families
You can walk over via the cobbled causeway at
low tide and either walk back before high tide or, if more time is needed, then
the boat back to the mainland.
Day Five
Starting at Lands End, famously the most South West Point of the UK, it is a must
to have a photograph taken alongside the signpost that reads NEW YORK….SYDNEY….etc.
We then head up the northern coastal path, passing through Sennen Cove, Levant
Mine towards St Ives, home of surfers and the Tate Modern Gallery. Finishing at
St Agnes before heading back to the hotel.
Day Six
Check out of the hotel and, after
breakfast head to the north of Cornwall taking in Padstow, a lively
fishing harbour that boasts three restaurants of the acclaimed chef Rick
Stein, Fish and Chips are a must here. Along the coast to Tintagel
Castle home of the fabled King Arthur, the first King of England before we
spend the afternoon, after about an hour drive, at the unique village of Clovelly.
Drive to the
Historic city of Bath and stay overnight.
Day Seven
Visit the historic city of Bath before
departing for the airport check in
1hr 45 minute drive to Heathrow or 2hr
15 minute drive to Gatwick
For this tour, and more like it, visit
www.chirtongrange.co.uk or email us
contact@chirtongrange.co.uk
