|
Stonehenge Inner Circle, Salisbury and
Roman Baths
 Sitting
on the Salisbury plain, treeless with few buildings around for
miles, this site is one of the most awe-inspiring reminders of the
past and still today we are not absolutely sure why they were
built. Thought to be an observatory, temple, altar, or maybe a tomb
dating back to around 5,000 BC, Stonehenge is the most important
pre-historic monument in the British Isles. The circle of stones is
majestic and stands tall, often seen in pictures as one of the
wonders of the world. Experiencing it in person is certainly
memorable and makes one stop to wonder about their purpose and take
in their impressive stature. We will have our guide take us through
showing the effects of the magnetic fields and have the option to
visit the inner circle. We will also visit the town of
Salisbury with its impressive examples of architecture from the
thirteenth century – namely the gothic style Cathedral which houses
an ancient clock – one of the oldest operating mechanisms in the
world dating back to1386 AD.
City of Bath
 This
elegant city, whose name and fame derive from its hot springs, is
full of color, style and life. Bath stands on the River Avon among
the hills of England’s west country and reveals some of the most
picturesque sights in Europe. The ancient Celts were the first to
inhabit the area and believed that Bath’s hot springs were sacred.
It was the Romans who built the Temple of Minerva in dedication to
the goddess Minerva and the famous baths, many of which still exist
today in their original grandeur. Bath is known as a World Heritage
site because of its Roman remains and a wealth of fine Georgian
architecture built centuries later around the Roman bath
structures. The extensive remains of the Roman Public Baths and the
Temple of Minerva are an incredible site to visit and will transport
you back in time. You will also have free time to visit the entire
city of Bath itself with its quaint streets, shopping areas and the
Jane Austen Centre. Jane Austen, well-known author of the 19th
century lived 4 years of her life in Bath from 1801-1806 and her
knowledge of the City is reflected in her novels Northanger Abbey
and Persuasion.
Windsor Castle & Hampton Court
 The
glorious Royal Palace, which is one of the Queen’s official
residences, has been inhabited for the past 900 years, and remains a
working palace today. It was William the Conqueror, who chose the
site for the castle in Windsor as a fortress high above the River
Thames, to protect London from western invaders. Upon your visit
you will have the opportunity to walk around the State Apartments
and view the overwhelming splendour and tremendous riches each room
in the castle has to offer. Various works of art and pieces of
furniture from the Royal Collection are also on display. Another
popular feature within the royal residence is a miniature mansion,
better known as Queen Mary’s Doll House, which has every detail
imaginable of a real life size castle. Unfortunately, in 1992 a
fire broke out in the castle damaging over 100 rooms.
A restoration plan was
immediately initiated, and 5 years later the Castle was restored to
its former glory with Prince Charles’ input. Much of the restoration
was funded by the Queen and with the help of visitors’ entrance
fees.
Hampton Court originally belonged to the
Archbishop of York, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who resided there in
1514. When he became Henry VIII’s Lord High Chancellor he began to
expand the “manor”
in which he was living. Wolsey splurged on the property, building
additional rooms and designing lavish interiors. With the expansion
of 1000 rooms he had 500 staff members attend to the property. The
Manor’s grandeur caught the
attention of King Henry’s eye and in 1562 Wolsey was forced to give
up Hampton Court as a “gift” to the King. Once Hampton Court became
the property of the King, it was necessary to expand the building
once again to accommodate Tudor Court making it the King’s favourite
manor. Hampton Court remained a royal residence until the death of
King George II in 1760.
Much of the palace exits today as it did
centuries ago and it is the reigning Queen who now owns the
property. Hampton Court is meticulously maintained, with beautiful
and unique lavish gardens that surround the palace grounds and
famous maze gardens through which you can stroll and find your way
out – eventually! Inside the palace where magnificent collections of
tapestries, furniture, clocks and paintings are housed, you will
have free time to wander in amazement and experience its grandeur.
Stratford Upon Avon and Shakespeare Performance
 Visiting Stratford is a must for English
Literature lovers. We will visit the Shakespeare Centre, Anne
Hathaway’s cottage (Shakespeare’s wife), Mary Arden’s house
(Shakespeare’s mother), and then of course Shakespeare's birthplace
on Henley Street before visiting the rest of the town, to finally
take in one of Shakespeare’s plays – our main purpose for visiting
this area.
Shakespeare’s home was originally two
houses – on one side you will find the family home where William
Shakespeare was born, in an upper room in 1564. The building still
has the original floor on which William ran around. On the other
side was the workshop and shop where John Shakespeare (William's
father) made and sold gloves.
Anne Hathaway’s cottage is a typical
English country home of the 15th century and is where
Shakespeare courted Anne before their marriage in 1582.
Mary
Arden’s home, built in 1514, remained a working farm until the 1960s
and is a great example of rural dwellings_small.jpg) from the 16th
century. Many rare breeds of farm animals are housed here
today including falcons used in the Harry Potter films.
Some of the
buildings on Henley Street date back to Shakespeare's time and this
area gives you a sense of how narrow streets were during this
period. Most of the streets were very straight but one unusual
street still exists – Meer Street – which curves along the stream
that ran down from the hilltop. The town of Stratford Upon Avon is
lively and the theatre will definitely offer a memorable experience
with actors who portray Shakespeare’s work with a passion.
Blenheim Palace
 Blenheim Palace is situated in the
picturesque and historic town of Woodstock and is recognized as a
World Heritage Site with beautiful parklands, walkways, gardens, a
butterfly house, a herb lavender and rose garden and of course
lakes with natural
spring waters. Built in the 18th century the large
palatial building is the home of the 11th Duke of
Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The Royal
Manor of Woodstock on which the palace is situated
was given to the first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, by Queen
Anne, after defeating Louis XIV and the French in a battle at
Blindheim (Blenheim), saving Europe from French domination. She
granted him 240,000 British pounds (an extraordinarily large sum of
money in the 18th century) to build the palace.
Unfortunately the Queen died before full
payment was made to the Duke leaving him with debts to pay.
Nonetheless the palace was eventually completed and what you will
experience are lavishly decorated halls and state rooms with long
corridors and high ceilings filled with spectacular murals and
family paintings.
Sir Winston Churchill, the son of Lord
and Lady Randolph Churchill, was very fond of Blenheim palace and
was heir to the property early in his life until the 10th
Duke of Marlborough was born. He proposed to his wife at the Temple
of Diana in the park and is buried on the churchyard grounds nearby.
Warwick Castle
This
is a fun filled day at Britain’s popular medieval castle – inhabited
by the Earls of Warwick from the year 1088 to the present. You will
have the opportunity to visit the entire castle with rooms that are
set up with wax figures depicting the 19th century
parties hosted here by the Countess of Warwick. There is also an
elaborate Victorian Rose Garden, a Conservatory and Peacock garden,
and a Mill and Engine Room (one the first electricity operated
engine houses), all along the River Avon. On the island across from
the castle, colourful jousting tournaments have been held since the
12th century - and will take place during our visit where
the courageous Knights will show their military capabilities and
amazing horsemanship in full costume! The castle has a turbulent
history and was originally built to ward off Danish invaders in the
10th century. Inhabitants have included William the Conquerer, King Richard III, and
Sir Fulke Grenville, poet and courtier
to Queen Elizabeth I, whose ghost is believed to still roam the
castle as he was murdered there by a servant in 1628!
While in Scotland:
St. Andrews, Fife &
Dunfermline Abbey
We head out to explore the lowlands on the east coast of
Scotland and enroute we will stop for the “best fish and chips in
town” and return for dinner at our residence.
 From Edinburgh we head to South
Queensferry and Forth Bridges, giving us the chance to view and take
photos of one of the best bridges in the world.
Crossing the Forth our next stop is the
splendid Dunfermline Abbey, burial place of St. Margaret and King
Robert The Bruce. You have the opportunity to see his gold
ornate tomb, wander round the abbey and grounds and also see the
results of the “reformation” when churches were sadly destroyed and
desecrated.
We then travel to the Fife coast and the
fishing villages of the ‘East Neuk” stopping to try the best fish
and chips in Scotland. With its long historical association
with the Scottish monarchy, Fife is considered to be the “Kingdom of
Fife” and here we will discover castles, palaces, cathedrals and
gardens. We move on to St. Andrews where you have time to roam
around the historic settings - an impressive seaside town with
medieval ruins, beautiful windy coastal scenery, the home of the
world's oldest golf course (played since the 15th
century) and where Prince William, future king of Great Britain,
studied the history of art at Scotland’s oldest university – St.
Andrews.
Craigmillar
Castle and Rosslyn Chapel
 We depart after lunch on a motor coach
for an opportunity to see and feel history! This tour
also includes entrance fees to the Castle and Chapel.
We
will head south around Duddingston Kirk to Craigmillar Castle first.
Much loved and visited by Mary Queen of Scots, this is a magnificent
partially ruined castle. The plot to assassinate Mary’s husband,
Lord Darnley was hatched here in this castle, and it is also where
the Earl of Mar (brother to James III) was imprisoned and declared
insane by his brother. The medieval tower house is one of the
finest examples in the Lothians (old counties around Edinburgh) and
has the best views.
We then head to Rosslyn Chapel, unique
and famed worldwide for the beauty of its carvings and the aura of
mystery and magic that surrounds it. We will hear stories in the 15th
Century Chapel of freemasonry, knights, the Holy Grail, Gypsies and
more, that will totally captivate you.
Loch Ness/Highlands and Cairngorm
Mountains
This
is an amazing tour that will allow you to uncover the northern part
of Scotland and its spectacular scenery and landscape. We depart
early in the morning, give you an opportunity to stop for lunch and
finally return for dinner at our residence in Edinburgh.
We will journey through the areas once
dominated by Rob Roy and William Wallace (a local rebel warlord
depicted by Mel Gibson in the movie “Braveheart”). As we travel
around the Highlands we continuously cross the path of Bonnie Prince
Charlie and the Jacobites (a Highland movement who wished to restore
a Catholic Stuart king to the British throne in the 18th
century). And yes! We get to cruise Lock Ness and see the tranquil
little village on the banks of this famous lake. Have your cameras
ready for any possibilities!
We will drive for about an hour along
the length of Loch Ness, passing Urquhart Castle where the water is
800 ft deep and where you will have wonderful views of the loch.
Traveling through Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, we then
head south to view the Cairngorms, Britain’s second highest mountain
range which soars above forests of pine trees and then make our way
back to Edinburgh.
While in Ireland:
Newgrange/Knowth and the Site of Tara
 Newgrange,
one of Western Europe’s most spectacular chambered tombs, was built
approximately 5000 years ago during the Neolithic or New Stone Age.
The tombs are passage graves, with roofs that enclose the tombs constructed
by layers of overlapping large rocks and then sealed with a capstone
several metres above the floor. There are beautiful carvings on the
boulders, most of which are spiral in motif, and it is believed that
this represented some type of map for the site in ancient times.
The builders of these monuments were from a community of thriving
farmers who used simple
tools of wood and stone. The site would have been very significant
in their lives as the mounds, which are today covered in green
grasses, became their burial sites and a place to honour their
ancestors. As you can imagine, these tombs must have involved the
development of huge resources of human labour over a considerable
period of time – with over 1,600 boulders each weighing from 1 to
several tons. It has been estimated that it would have taken 80
labourers 45 days to shift a single block to its new location, using
ropes and tree trunks.
Visiting Newgrange will leave an
everlasting impression as you explore one of the most remarkable
prehistoric sites in Europe.
Glendalough & Wicklow Mountains
Glendalough, or
Glen of two Lakes, is an important monastic site located literally
in a valley between two lakes. It is a picturesque location in the
heart of the Wicklow mountains and was founded in the 6th century by
St. Kevin or Coemgen (fair one) a man who initially lived as
a hermit in Glendalough and eventually became the abbot of the
monastery. He lived in isolation until people learned of his
monastery and began to flock to the area both as students and
teachers making this site one of Ireland’s great schools of
learning. It was attacked several times by the Vikings based in
Dublin but managed to survive until the 13th century when the
Normans in Ireland destroyed the monastery. The buildings were
reconstructed in the late 19th century and into the 20th century
with wonderful walkways that enable you to tour the site.
The valley itself was originally carved
out by glaciers and was covered by one deep lake. Alluvial deposits
from the Poulanass River divided the lake into the Upper and Lower
Lakes we see today. The Upper Lake is the larger of the two and
this is where most of the ruins of the monastery are located. The
surrounding mountains are majestic and the area is known for the
mining operations that took place here – in fact some of the
buildings are still visible as we drive along and through Wicklow
Mountains.
Northern Ireland:
Coleraine
This will be an overnight
excursion.
The green, lush, spectacular coastal
scenery with wide ocean views in this region is truly an amazing
site to behold! Some of the places we venture to include:
 The
East Strand, White Rocks
beach area and
Whitepark Bay with its superb views and striking
limestone formations - where you can go for a swim - but be
forewarned, the waters are cold!
Ruins of Dunluce Castle - a
fortification built on rocky outcrops extending to the sea. It is
thought to be the most picturesque and romantic of all Irish
Castles. A defended site from at least 500 AD and a power base for
the North Coast for nearly 400 years, the present castle
incorporates 2 of the original Norman Towers dating from the 14th
century.
LondonDerry - we have a private
tour through this walled town which is an
important landmark in Northern Ireland’s recent history.
The
Giant’s Causeway
– a World Heritage site and National Nature Reserve. The 38,000
hexagonal shaped columns of basalt have astounded
visitors
from all over the world for centuries.
Popular mythology attributes
the
creation of this remarkable site to the Giant Finn MacCool who
is believed to have built the pathway of stepping stones across the
sea to Scotland so he could engage in battle with his rival giant
Benadonner. Now the scientific explanation: According to
geologists, the Causeway was a result of intense volcanic activity
that took place some 60 million years ago when molten rock poured
out over the landscape to form deep pools of lava. The slow even
cooling and the contraction of the rock resulted in the formation of
many regular-sided columns of basalt which make up the Grand,
Middle, and Little Causeway. Very rare and natural phenomena! Walk
along these columns and along the miles of pathways surrounding the
Causeways and decide for yourself!
 Carrick-a-Rede (which means rock in the road)
Rope Bridge - for a hike along the pathways and across the bridge. This
offers fantastic picturesque views of landscape, the sea and rare
plants and animals. Local fishermen kept this bridge here for over
250 years so that they could reach the best places to catch
migrating salmon – since the waters were too rough to go out in a
small boat. The bridge is 20 m (70 ft) across, 30 m (100 ft) above
the sea and only 1 metre (3 ft) wide! Today of course modern
materials and safety measures have been incorporated……but originally
it only had a one hand rope to hang on to for fishermen venturing
across!
Our programs are enhanced by
additional excursions which go beyond the focus of the course
and give students the option to explore areas outside of the
region in which our programs are located, in a supervised
environment with private coaches and guides. Schedules and costs of these excursions are
provided to students in March.
|
.jpg)
