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IN SEARCH OF...ROMAN BRITAIN 2012
They Came, They Saw, They Left Really Cool Mosaics…
10 touring days + arrival/departure
The Romans set about conquering Britain following their second time arrival in AD54, and then ruled the country for nearly 400 years. It wasn't an easy task (Celtic Queen Boudicea, inflicted the heaviest defeat on Imperial Rome) and it required the building of many military forts, fortifications and roads.
Over time, however, the unruly tribes were settled as far as today's Scotland and the Romano-British set about civilising the country. Highly decorated villas resplendent with mosaics, ornate gardens with fine statuary, extensive towns, bathhouses, amphitheaters and temples all appeared.
Inevitably, there were also tombs and all the other essential paraphernalia of life and death. They even left us with their language! Despite the intervening 1600 years (and Saxon, Viking, Norman, Mediaeval settlements often built from the stones of the earlier Roman buildings) there's still plenty of physical evidence of their occupation to discover.
This is a splendid tour for those who'd enjoy seeing some of the prettiest parts of the UK with an emphasis on discovering more about our Roman legacy. While we concentrate on the historical, visiting archeological sites, ancient Roman towns and museums, we don't do so at the total expense of seeing other aspects of our country. Partners who might not be quite as keen on the main theme will therefore find plenty of other distractions!
Tour Date: 17 - 26 May, 2012
Tour Rates: TBA $USD per person; $USD single rate
What your tour price includes: The services of a driver/guide for 10 touring days, accommodation for 9 nights while on the tour including full breakfast daily and 7 dinners. Your price also includes entrance fees to listed attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide.
This tour begins in London and finishes in York/Manchester. Guests have the option to extend their stay in York then take the train independently to London or Manchester on the date of their choice or return to Manchester with your driver/guide on the afternoon of 26 May. Please discuss your choices with us!
TENTATIVE ITINERARY
pre-tour
Arrival in the capital, where you have free time for you to recover from your international journey and explore ‘Roman Londinium’ as you wish. We highly recommend the British Museum and Museum of London to see important collections and special displays of Roman London. There’s the Roman City Walls, Temple of Mithras as well as all of the iconic London sites this wonderful city has to offer.
London accommodation can be added to your package for the appropriate number of nights, as you wish.
Day 1, Thursday, 17 May
Leaving London, we drive south-west, our first destination is Silchester, the ancient capital of the Celtic Antrebates tribe. Here hexagonal walls enclose 107 acres, and excavations in the 1930 produced the most complete Roman town plan known in Britain.
Many modern English city names give away their Roman origins; the suffix 'chester' is a corruption of the Latin 'caestra' meaning ‘fort.’ We'll explore the city and immediate area around the pretty south coast city of Chichester. The highlights of our stay in Sussex are sure to be the splendid Fishbourne Palace and the famed Bignor Villa.
The latter was only discovered by accident in 1960. The site museum has fascinating artifacts from the excavations along with plans, reconstruction drawings and models. In the remains of the North Wing of the Palace can be seen the largest collection of in-situ mosaics in Britain, including the famous 'Cupid on a Dolphin' mosaic. Outside, the northern half of the formal garden has been replanted to its original plan as recovered by excavation. An attractive plant display area contains a range of plants known to have been cultivated by the Romans. Adjacent to it is a Roman Garden Museum, which includes a reconstructed Roman potting shed with a selection of horticultural tools. By contrast, Bignor Villa has a been a museum since 1815! It contains a wealth of interesting objects from everyday life found in excavations. More information: Romans in Sussex
NIGHTSTOP Chichester area, Sussex
Day 2, Friday, 18 May
We’ve another full day to discover the Roman treasures in Sussex and the south coast. We can see Portchester Castle, said to be the most impressive and best-preserved of the Roman 'Saxon Shore' forts, and, as we’re near, the Historic Royal Dockyards in Portsmouth.
NIGHTSTOP Chichester area, Sussex, as above
Day 3, Saturday, 19 May
Turning west, our first port of call is Winchester. This was the ancient capital of the Saxons and the Roman point of interest here is largely the street layout. It’s a lovely city where you’ll also enjoy visiting the cathedral and mediaeval hall.
We’ll certainly see Old Sarum. The Romans placed a staging fort in this Iron Age hill fort. Its commanding position made it popular for reuse by the Norman’s and later mediaeval builders of Salisbury’s first cathedral. It’s an impressive site. As time permits, we can also see Salisbury Cathedral.
NIGHTSTOP Bath
Day 4, Sunday, 20 May
A day of ancient sites in Wiltshire, a landscapes simply littered with burial mounds and stone circles. There’s iconic Stonehenge to consider, it’s lesser know ‘cousin’ and perhaps more impressive site Avebury. Nearby is mysterious Silbury Hill. If we’ve time, there’s Andover Iron Age Museum to consider too. A day where’s spoilt for choice!
NIGHTSTOP Bath, as above
Day 5 ND, Monday, 21 May
We have the full day to explore Bath (‘Aquae Sulis’) the centre for Roman ‘R&R.’ The first Roman camp was established here in 44. The Roman town occupied less than 25 acres, but commanded a vital bridging point across the river Avon. Bath was later reconstructed as a Temple and bathing complex due to the healing springs, and it still contains some of the finest Roman remains in Britain today. Construction of the Roman Baths complex began approximately 15 years after the revolt of the Iceni in 60AD, built by members of the cult of Sulis Minerva.
By spending the whole day, you’ll have ample free time to explore at your leisure. In addition to the Roman sites, Bath is home to the Jane Austen Centre , The American Museum featuring an interesting collection of quilts and ample opportunity to wander the lovely tea rooms and antique shops.
Dinner is not included tonight for flexibility’s sake.
NIGHTSTOP Bath, as above
Day 6, Tuesday, 22 May
We’ll make our way past Bristol, a capital of the Industrial Revolution and the Roman port ‘Portus Abonae.’ The Avon River Valley between Bristol and Bath, around the village of Keynsham, was the centre for many brass and copper mills in the 18th Century. Only the Saltford Mill survives today but, alas, it is only opened the first Saturday each month.
Just across the border in what is today's Wales, we can discover the extensive remains of the great legionary fortress of ‘Isca’ and town of ‘Venta.’ Two thirds of the Roman armies were employed in securing their border and subduing the Welsh tribes. There’s an interesting amphitheatre at present day Caerleon, the legionary fortress of II Augusta, present day Caerwent, with its almost complete circuit of walls. The rest of our day can be rounded out by seeing a few of the Celtic remains in the area.
NIGHTSTOP South Wales
Day 7, Wednesday, 23 May
The county of Gloucester was one of the most important settlement sites for the Romans of the 1st and 2nd centuries. The city of Gloucester was in fact a 'Colonia' - the highest urban status granted in the Empire. Nearby was another settlement, now known as Cirencester, the second largest Roman town outside of London. The Corinium Museum here is sure to be one of our day’s highlights. We can also explore the superb Chedworth Villa and great Whitcombe in this region better known as ‘The Cotswolds,’ famed for quaint, thatch roofed cottage villages.
NIGHTSTOP South Wales, as above
Day 8, Thursday, 24 May
Dominating eastern mid Wales are the mountains called the Brecon Beacons. Here we’ll visit a well-reserved cavalry fort with remaining gates and standing walls of over 10’. This is a wonderful national park, so well worth some time in any case!
Next, travel to another site of fine Roman remains, Wroxeter. It’s one of the few examples of a Roman town that have not been built over and it, too, has some excellent high standing walls. What makes Wroxeter even more interesting are the continuing discoveries still being made in the region and one school of thought places Arthur’s Camelot here.
NIGHTSTOP Chester
Day 9, Friday, 25 May
Chester (‘Diva’), home of originally of the Legio II Augusta then later the XX Valeria Victrix, boasts the remains of an amphitheatre, part of a quay (it sits on a navigable river) and magnificent Grosvenor Museum. Chester's real jewel is the amphitheatre; the largest stone amphitheatre in Britain. It could hold over 6000 spectators and was for training the legionaries in fighting techniques. You will see the Roman baths and Roman gardens. We'll also have time to explore more of this pretty city, famed for its city wall, cathedral and mediaeval shopping 'rows.'
We will make our way to the city of York via Manchester, where some guests may depart if they wish. Manchester has its origins in the name of the Roman settlement ‘Mamucium,’ a strategic position to protect and maintain communications between the main Roman settlements at York, Chester, Ribchester, Lincoln and the South of England.
NIGHTSTOP York
Day 10, Saturday, 26 May
York was the legionary fortress of the IX and later VI. It was also the military capital of Britannia Inferior. There is much to see amidst the remnants of later middle ages and mediaeval building work in this splendid city. We’ll find, for example, a remarkable expanse of painted plaster that has survived nearly 2000 years. In addition to this there are also long runs of city walls complete with towers, a bath house, and a museum that houses many city finds including tomb inscriptions, household implements, and a bust of Constantine the Great who was proclaimed Emperor here in 306 on the death of his father, Constantine the First. York is a fantastic city with much to see in addition to the Roman artifacts and remains, so it is well worth the majority of our day.
Our tour concludes in York, you can extend your stay in the wonderful city, take the train to London or return to Manchester with your driver/guide.
Day 11, Sunday, 27 May
Fly home from Manchester, London or extend stay, visiting the Lake District and/or Hadrian’s Wall area.
Itinerary note: please note, the order of attractions visited may change depending on fluctuating opening times. All attraction opening times are correct at time of printing this website. While we will do our utmost to include all of the properties mentioned as central visits, we reserve the right to change an attraction should it become impossible to deliver a planned visit due to changes in opening days or times that we could not have been aware of at the time of loading this tour to our website.
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