ITINERARY
FOR:
Press
MARKET:
China
AUDIENCE:
Social Pioneers
DURATION:
5 days
THEME:
Inspired Landscapes
The North, home to some of the greenest and most pleasant land in the country. Five National
Parks, dramatic landscapes, mountains and moorland together with beautiful award-winning
gardens against a backdrop of historic houses, lakes and waterfront locations. You will be moved by
the dramatic landscapes that have fuelled many a writer’s imagination, honed the lines of poets, and
inspired artists for centuries.
Wordsworth once said that poetry "takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity”.
Experience the North of England’s inspirational landscapes and see why.
Day 1
Arrive Lake District from Manchester Airport
The Lake District is often called ‘the most beautiful corner of England’, and a
Mountain Goat tour will show you why. The Ten Lakes Spectacular takes you to the
area’s most famous lakes, sites of historical interest, and on a cruise giving a flavour
of what inspired writers, poets and artists.
This unreservedly scenic expert-guided tour encompasses Windermere, Rydal
Water, Grasmere, Thirlmere, Derwent Water, Buttermere, Crummock Water,
Bassenthwaite, Ullswater and Brothers Water. Visit Romantic poet William
Wordsworth’s house and eat gingerbread made to a secret recipe. Castlerigg Stone
Circle, at around 4,000 years old, is another of the area’s historic gems. In Keswick,
enjoy lunch and explore the traditional Lakeland market town, while the lake cruise
will give you uninterrupted views of the Lakeland fells. You’ll have plenty of
shopping time and stops for photographs too.
Following a taster of all things Lakes, celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of
Beatrix Potter, and be inspired by the places she loved. Take another Mountain
Goat tour to Hill Top, the house belonging to Potter (author of The Tale of Peter
Rabbit) whose picturesque rural location inspired many of her best-loved
characters. Explore Hawkshead, a scenic village where Wordsworth once studied.
The landscapes are picture-perfect, and a photo stop at Tarn Hows is a must, before
the tour continues onto Coniston Water for a lake cruise. You’ll pass through pretty
Yew Tree Tarn, a small lake, and Skelwith Bridge, a cute village, and have the option
to finish with a quintessentially English cream tea at Lindeth Howe Country House
Hotel, the former home of Beatrix Potter’s mother on the edge of lake Windermere,
before returning to your accommodation.
Potter was passionate about the Lake District and worked hard to preserve much of
the land we see today. Venture out to the beautiful and easily accessible Tarn Hows
for a walk, or to Wray Castle and the western shore of lake Windermere.
The Briery Wood Country House Hotel has all the trappings of 19th century
opulence, including meticulously maintained gardens and traditional afternoon tea.
Holbeck Ghyll will win you over first with jaw-dropping views of lake Windermere,
and second with its incredible food – breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are
all tantalising enough to make you resist ever leaving. Merewood Country House
Hotel is equally charming, and the in-house chocolatier will please those with a
sweet tooth. Finally, Gilpin Lake House is the ultimate in luxury, with six individual
suites and a hot tub with lake views.
2 nights Lake District
Day 3
Travel to Durham along the A69 visiting picturesque market towns along the way,
stop off at the historic market town of Hexham (approx 50 mins)
A 1300 year old Abbey, ancient Gatehouses and England’s first Gaol. Hexham’s
heritage is waiting to be explored. Discover curiously named streets and beautiful
buildings as you trace the history of a typical traditional market town.
Arrive Durham (approx 1 hr from Hexham)
Witness one of Europe's most stunning city panoramas and uncover the history of
Durham's breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site and admire the countryside
that inspired JMW Turner.
Visit the Botanic Garden. Set in countryside and mature woodland, admire plant
collections from North America, the Himalayas and China, glasshouse rainforest and
desert plants. Six Colin Wilbourne sculptures can be admired in landscaped garden.
Described as ‘a tapestry of colourful blooms’ by national gardener, Alan Titchmarsh,
Crook Hall is enchanting throughout the seasons. Discover the Medieval hall with
Jacobean drawing room, turret and gallery, set in 4 acres of gardens including 2
walled gardens, a silver and white garden, an orchard, courtyard fountain, large
moat pool and a maze. Light lunches and home-made cream teas are served in the
Georgian dining room or in the pretty little courtyard.
Overnight Durham. Alternatively head to the Tan Hill Inn (1 hour along the A167),
occupying a lonely site, high in the Yorkshire Dales, it is the highest pub in Great
Britain (1,732ft above sea level). Countless generations have enjoyed its hospitality
as an oasis of refreshment and accommodation amidst the beautiful heather-clad
purple Pennine moorland capping the numerous green unspoilt Yorkshire Dales.
Day 4
Travel to Haworth (approx 2 hr) along the A1M from Durham. Call at Ripon
Explore the hidden depths of Ripon Cathedral in the small market town of Ripon.
Dominating the skyline, this ancient cathedral has inspired more than one literary
hero and has one of the oldest Saxon crypts in the country. The author Lewis Carroll
was a regular visitor here while his father was canon to the cathedral in the 19th
century. Hunt for the weird and wonderful medieval woodcarvings hidden under
the choir stalls, which are said to have inspired characters and events in Carroll’s
book Alice in Wonderland.
Did you know? One of England’s most controversial saints, St Wilfrid, founded the
original church here in 672. Its original crypt remains and is probably the oldest in
the country.
Continue your journey to Haworth, a must for all fans of the works of the Bronte
sisters. This picturesque village is where the Brontë sisters lived and were inspired.
See where Emily, Charlotte and Anne Brontë lived and wrote some of the most
powerful and dramatic novels in the English language. Visit The Brontë Parsonage,
the family's home, where you can see the rooms they used, filled with their
furniture, clothes and personal possessions. Then head to Haworth, with its
magnificent moorland views, to the quaint and bustling Main Street, an historic
cobbled road dotted with craft shops and tea rooms.
Walk out onto the wild and beautiful moors that Emily Brontë depicted so vividly
and imagine you can hear Catherine, heroine of Wuthering Heights, calling out
Heathcliff’s name. Take in the breathtaking, famous landscapes of the Brontë
countryside from a vintage locomotive steam engine stopping at Haworth, on the
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
Overnight Peak District
Day 5
Continue your journey to Chatsworth House through the villages and country
lands of the Peak District National Park (approx 2 hrs)
Chatsworth House has been enchanting visitors for centuries. Since 1549 this has
been home to the Cavendish family, and its ornate rooms and diverse gardens burst
forth with rich history. There are over 30 rooms to explore, from the magnificent
Painted Hall to the regal state rooms and atmospheric Sculpture Gallery, while
private art haul the Devonshire Collection is one of the finest in Europe and worth a
visit in its own right.
Surrounding the house is a mesmerising horticultural tapestry of sweeping vistas,
cascading water features and finely crafted shrubberies. Writer Jane Austen was so
taken with it all that Chatsworth is believed to have inspired Mr Darcy’s residence
Pemberley in her novel Pride & Prejudice, and the estate took a starring role
alongside Kiera Knightley in the 2005 film adaptation of the book.
Did you know? The Peak District National Park, as well as its spectacular scenery, is
popular for its film, TV and literary locations; Chatsworth (The Duchess, Pride and
Prejudice), Haddon Hall (Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth, Henry VIII, Moll
Flanders), Lyme Hall (Pride and Prejudice), North Lees Hall (Jane Eyre, Pride and
Prejudice, The Other Boleyn Girl)