Kent: The Invaders Gateway to
England
Mini-Tour - Three days / Two nights
Includes Greenwich, Canterbury, Leeds Castle, Dover, Hastings,
Churchill's Chartwell, Battle of Britain sites, maritime tradition, scenic
countryside AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! Welcome to a region rich in treasures.
There's arguably not another area in the country that can boast so deep and
varied a range of attractions to entertain, educate, and simply be enjoyed.
Naturally, as an area closest to the continent, it has seen many an invader.
Some enjoyed more success than others did but all left their mark as the
region's castles and defences attest. Not all invasions were military ones.
Trade and ideas crossed the channel too, and they too left their mark in
harbour towns, great cathedrals and literary homes. It's also known as the
'garden of England' and not without good reason. The gentle undulating
'Weald' is dotted with hop fields and fat cattle graze in lush green
meadows. And in the tiny, picturesque, flower-filled villages, life
continues much as it has done for centuries.
DEPARTURE DATES & PRICES FOR YEAR 2003:
Wednesday to Friday: 09Apr, 23Apr, 07May, 21May, 04Jun, 18Jun, 02Jul,
16Jul, 30Jul, 20Aug, 03Sep, 01Oct, 15Oct, 29Oct
Price: $499. Single supplement: $95
Includes three days touring, two night's accommodation with full
breakfasts and three course-dinners, all entrance fees and services of
driver/guide/companion.
DAY ONE - WEDNESDAY
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 -
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.
DAY TWO - THURSDAY
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.
DAY THREE - FRIDAY
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.
We'll arrive back into London by 6 pm. |
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