South West England Grand Tour

We’ll visit the picture postcard towns of Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold. The Market Square here is large and impressive and testifies to the town’s former importance. It is surrounded by independent shops, antique centres, cosy cafes for a spot of lunch and inns all built in the honey coloured local stone. You might fancy a drink in the oldest inn in England, The Porch House, dating from around 947 AD! We’ll then head off to the beautiful city of Bath and drop you back at your hotel for the night, arriving around 6.00pm.

We’ll then continue to Wells, the smallest city in England. Nestled on the southern side of the Mendip Hills, the history of Wells goes right back to Roman times. We’ll head to the wonderful Wells Cathedral  and see Vicars Close, reputedly the oldest residential Street in Europe, before continuing our journey through the glorious countryside to Stourhead Gardens. The world-famous landscape garden has a magnificent lake reflecting classical temples, mystical grottoes as well as rare and exotic trees. We’ll also visit the nearby King Alfred’s Tower just two miles north-west of the garden. Next up, we’ll head west to our overnight accommodation near Yeovil.

Now we’ll continue to explore more of Dartmoor before journeying to Princetown, the location of the infamous Dartmoor Prison. After we leave the moor we’ll head to the maritime city of Plymouth. You’ll get a personal guided tour around the historic Barbican area. Plus we’ll stand on Plymouth Hoe to look out on one of the world’s finest natural harbours while your guide tells you all about the exciting history of the location. After what promises to be a lovely day of exploring, we’ll head to your chosen hotel in Plymouth.

Today we’ll leave Plymouth and head west. We’ll make a brief stop at the Royal William Yard before arriving at the village of Polperro. This is a picture postcard coastal fishing village with tiny fisherman’s cottages and a quaint harbour. Strolling the narrow streets is a joy, and you can really imagine life here in days gone by as the village seems mainly untouched by modern development.

We’ll then set off for the 30 minute drive to Lanhydrock House. En route we can stop for lunch, perhaps at one of the oldest country pubs in Cornwall which is nearby. Lanhydrock is a magnificent Victorian country house estate, which we will take some time to explore while learning all about its history. We’ll finish the day with a stop at Charlestown, a historic port now used extensively as a film location in many movies and TV shows.

Our first destination on day five will be the iconic St Michael’s Mount. We’ll learn all about its historical significance whilst taking in some of the best sea views in the UK. Our journey now takes us through to Penzance as we follow the coastal road. We’ll make some stops at some of the many pretty little coves and the stunning Minack Theatre. This impressive theatre is carved into the cliff above Porthcurno and from here you’ll have one of the best views in Cornwall.

Next stop will be Botallack, home to the iconic engine houses from Cornwall’s unique mining heritage. This will be the third UNESCO world heritage site on our tour! This is also one of the main locations for the hit TV series Poldark. Later we’ll arrive at St Ives an old fishing port and long time haven for artists. It is home to the Tate Modern Gallery. You’ll get the chance to enjoy St Ives’ winding streets, full of shops, galleries and restaurants.

The village of Port Isaac has been made famous worldwide as the setting for the hit TV series Doc Martin. We’ll visit many of the filming locations in the village before continuing on our journey to Tintagel, the site of the 800 year old King Arthur’s Castle with its breathtaking cliff top setting. The town is shrouded in myths and legends and famed for its Arthurian connections. After we have finished exploring we’ll return to Plymouth for our overnight stop.

We’ll leave Bigbury and head further along the coast where we’ll see the magnificent lighthouse at Start Point. Then it is onto the picturesque village of Slapton for a pub lunch. Afterwards, we’ll call in at the lovely town of Dartmouth, famed for its beautiful riverside setting and the location of the Britannia Royal Naval College.

You’ll have the opportunity to take a 60 minute boat trip on the River Dart, viewing many local attractions including the Naval College,  Agatha Christie’s home at Greenway house and Sir Walter Raleigh’s Boathouse. The cruise will finish at around 4.30, by which time it will be time to head to your hotel.

On our penultimate day we’ll set off east from Plymouth and cross over into Dorset. We’ll head to the Jurassic Coast which is our 4th UNESCO World Heritage site. Here 180 million years of geological history may be found on this one 100 mile stretch of coast! Next up, we’ll make a short stop at Charmouth, where you may be lucky enough to find some fossils on the beach! This location also serves as the setting for TV series Broadchurch.

Continuing our journey East, we head through Dorchester to Lulworth Cove. This stunning, horseshoe shaped bay is a must see and the coastal walks and views are equally as breathtaking, as is adjacent Durdle Door.

Last stop..Stonehenge! The 5th UNESCO World heritage site of the trip, Stonehenge is the best known prehistoric monument in Europe. We’ll visit the stones and marvel at the engineering skills of our ancestors, and learn how they lived over 3500 years ago. Then we will drive back to the arranged drop off point to say our goodbyes.