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Northern England – Lakes and Dales
5 days/4 nights from Manchester
"I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.” -William Wordsworth
These lines must be amongst the most often quoted in the English language. Our Lakes and Dales itinerary is designed to introduce you to the very lakes and hills that so inspired William Wordsworth and other Lakeland poets and authors, including Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin and the landscapes of J W Turner. We also explore the Lancashire and Yorkshire dales, specifically the area known universally as Bronte Country in memory of the three Bronte sisters.
Tour Inclusions
4 nights in unique, traditional accommodation
Driver/Guide companion
All mini-coach transportation
Full English breakfast daily
Three course evening meal x 2
Entrance fees as listed:
Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Cottage
Levens Hall, Cumbria
Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage
Fountains Abbey
Castle Howard
Tour Dates: Your choice! Any day of the week.
Cost: Depends upon the number of guests in your party.
Pick-up Information:
Tour departs Manchester tour hotel at approximately 09:00 am
Itinerary:
Day 1 Lake District
Departing the world’s first industrial city of Manchester, we head north to the Lake District - a treasured corner of England with sweeping vistas and idyllic glades. We travel through this stunning scenery to Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm, which remains as she had left it and where she invented some of her best loved characters. We then travel to one of the finest stately homes in Cumbria, Levens Hall. Converted from a medieval pele tower to a gentleman’s home in the 1590s this house offers a fantastic insight into aristocratic life. We enjoy a tour of the house to view its luxuriant rooms before roaming through its grade I listed garden dating from 1694, incorporating a small orchard of apple trees, a nuttery and herb garden, a rose garden, herbaceous borders and a fountain garden. More of the region unfolds as we travel through to the nearby town of Hawkshead where you might choose to visit Beatrix Potter’s Gallery or the Old Grammar School Wordsworth once attended. The school’s museum retains much of its original character and the ground floor classroom still has the original desk where this great poet once sat. It’s a slight change of scenery as we travel to the heart of the Lake District and visit England’s largest natural lake, Lake Windermere. Here we enjoy a ferry ride across the lake to admire its breathtaking panorama. If time permits, there should be an opportunity for a captivating drive to Langdale, which has some of the best scenery in the Lake District, before arriving at our Lakes hotel, our base for the next two nights.
Day 2 Lake District
We begin our adventurous day by calling in at Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage, where he spent some time here during his most productive years. We gain a fascinating insight into his life as we explore both the house and adjoining museum. We then enjoy a relaxing drive through some of England’s most rugged landscape and really immerse ourselves in the breathtaking natural beauty of the Lake District. We travel past Ullswater Lake and over the Kirkstone Pass where we may visit the second highest pub in England. At the end of another wonderful day we stop in the market town of Keswick nestled on the shores of Derwentwater, where you can explore its wide array of local shops, galleries and unique museums at leisure. We visit the nearby mystical Neolithic stone circle at Castlerigg before returning to our accommodation.
Day 3 Yorkshire Dales
Today’s journey takes us from the drama of the Lakes to the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales landscape. We pass through ancient villages wrapped in rolling hills and the moorland wilderness of the Pennines. This landscape is rich in monastic heritage and our stop at the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal will offer plenty of opportunity for you to explore its impressive grounds, which boast the largest abbey ruins in England and the magnificent Georgian Water Gardens. If time permits we should be able to pass through the old fashioned town of Thirsk which inspired James Herriot’s popular veterinary tales. Then on to our charming accommodation before enjoying a delicious local evening meal.
Day 4 York
Truly a day of contrasts, we start by making the trip over the heather carpeted North York Moors to the coastal town of Whitby and Captain Cook country. This is the location of Bram Stocker's Dracula as well as being famous for its picturesque harbour, fine beaches and brooding Abbey. We recall the glory days of steam with an optional train trip from the station made famous by the Harry Potter films. After an evocative time travel experience we continue our journey to aristocratic Castle Howard to meander amongst the sumptuous 18th century stately home and gardens of the Howard family.
Day 5 Manchester
Our final day in Yorkshire is dominated by the splendours of York. This magnificent yet compact city encapsulates the whole of England's history within its stone ramparts. York offers a feast of sites for all ages and interests, including England's greatest cathedral and well preserved medieval streets. Following a walking and orientation tour with your guide, time is then yours to sample this city's highlights before we make our way to our final destination. Crossing the moorland heights we enter more rugged landscape to Haworth Parsonage, home of the Bronte sisters. Here we spend our remaining time together exploring the lives and surroundings of Anne, Emily and Charlotte as well as discovering a little more about the talented yet tragic life of their brother Branwell. Our tour then concludes in Manchester.
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