Steve Austin's
       Great Vacations
       20470 S. Hidden Creek Lane, Colton, Oregon  97017
         1-800-452-8434      Office: (503) 824-4079    Fax: (503) 824-4081
        email:  steveaustin@colton.com

 

DORSET & WESSEX

 

In the footsteps of
Thomas Hardy &
Jane Austin
9 days Walk & Tour

  Tour Date: June 21 – June 29, 2010  
Tour Price:  $3,380 per person/twin occupancy
           $920 single supplement

           Air is not included (rates available)
        Maximum 15 persons

 

 Our emphasis is on the  countryside that inspired some of the great literary works of the 19th and 20th century.   From the classic Jane Austen’s  City of Bath to the beautiful coastal scenery and countryside of ‘Thomas Hardy’s’ Dorset.  Literally far from the madding crowd where ‘Tess’ walked the country lanes and Fowles ‘French Lieutenants Women’ looked out to sea for her lover.

Walks along breathtaking coastal paths, country lanes and through villages that haven’t changed in hundreds of years.  We introduce the area in depth with the help of our 9-seat vans that can negotiate all the tiny lanes and visit places that only the local people know.  Classic first class country hotels highlight this itinerary.                           

 Day  1   Jun. 21    12 Noon London Heathrow pick up with transfer to Bath and our hotel.  The remainder of afternoon at leisure.  Welcome drinks and dinner at our hotel.

Day  2   Jun. 22    Our first walk takes us through the beautiful valley of the Avon and Frome rivers.  Included in this lovely ramble are a number of old villages, canal paths and a private manor and gardens. Following our trek we visit the ancient town of Bradford-upon-Avon.  Dinner this evening at a canal side Inn.

Day  3   Jun. 23    A day to relax in and around Bath.  This morning includes an open top bus tour around the city and visits to the Georgian Pump Room and Roman Baths.  This afternoon we drive through delightful  narrow country lanes  to visit the National Trust village of Lacock and enjoy afternoon ‘tea’ .Dinner this evening is at your leisure in Bath.

Day  4   Jun. 24    Today’s walk starts at Castle Combe, voted most beautiful village in Britain.  We follow the Bybrook stream through a classic hanging valley across fields and downland.  At the end of our walk we visit a private home overlooking the river and a welcome ‘cuppa’ (tea and biscuits).  Dinner this evening in a small village pub.

Day  5   Jun. 25    This morning we head south for Dorset.  Our mid-day walk is from the village of Evershot and follows the fields and lanes walked by Hardy’s Tess and the villages of his tragic novel ‘The Woodlanders’.  The walk includes the landscaped Deer Park of Melbury Manor.  Later this afternoon  arrival at our coastal country hotel.  Dinner at our hotel.

Day  6   Jun. 26    The Dorset Coastal paths existence is a tribute to the efforts of local government and rambler clubs.  It is wild and magnificent.  Today we enjoy one of the most popular sections that takes in expansive coastal scenery and inland rolling downs.  Lulworth Cove is a geological phenomenon and  is labeled the Jurassic Coast due to its many fossilized finds.  It is also where Sergeant Troy drowned in ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’.  The walk also takes in the remarkable feature of Durdle Door.  Dinner this evening at a harbor Inn.

Day  7   Jun. 27   Our country walk could be referred to as the heart of Hardy Country.  Indeed it passes by his cottage and the church where his heart is buried (the remainder of him is in Westminster Abbey).  The walk is also quite remote and consists of woodlands, moor and valley and the feel is of a bygone era.  We picnic along the trail.  We also plan a visit to Dorchester (Casterbridge) late in the day.  Dinner this evening at our hotel.

Day  8   Jun. 28   Our final walk takes in Chesil Beach and the old settlement of Abbotsbury and includes the famous Swannery where hundreds of white swans continually gather.  Again the walk is a mix of downland and coastal path with the added enjoyment of  a beautiful old village.  Mid afternoon we drive along the coast to visit the harbor and seaside resort of Lyme Regis.  Made famous by author John Fowles in his novel ‘The French Lieutenants Women’.  Dinner this evening in Dorchester.

Day  9   Jun. 29   This morning following breakfast we return to London’s Heathrow International Airport for your return to the USA or continuing travel.

 Novels associated with this area include:
Jane Austen – many of her novels set in and around the Bath area
Thomas Hardy – a prodigious output of novels, poems and essays.  Main titles would be ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’, ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’,  ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’, ‘The Woodlanders’
John Fowles – ‘The French Lieutenants Women’, ‘The Collector’ 

WHAT TO EXPECT:  Early summer warm days, however this is England which can be notorious this time of year for a sudden shower.  That’s why the countryside is so green and beautiful.  England has always had a bad rap about its food but this was caused way back following the war when food was scarce and restaurants almost non-existent.  Things have dramatically improved and we always get glowing reports from our clients.  We dine at our hotels and also local Inns and Restaurants.  Our Hotels are typical of each area and are first class – a purpose built Georgian style resort hotel in Bath and an historic but modernized Dorset ‘Wayfarers Inn’.  Transportation is by small nine seat, air conditioned vans.

WALKING LEVEL:  Short walks of approximately 4 miles and medium walks of 6-7 miles.  Generally we follow a medium walking day with a short walking day.  This is quintessential rambling and there is no place like England for it.  Rolling hills, valleys, woodland and coast trails make each walk an adventure.  There are some uphill sections particularly on the coast but they are short and a normal, fit person should have no problem.  Should you get tired there are ‘quit’ points along most all of the trails.

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES:  All first class accommodations based on twin occupancy (single supplements available); breakfasts and daily dinners or lunches including wine; air conditioned van transportation with driver/guide; entries as per itinerary; airport transfers; taxes and tips.

 

Home      Brian Redman's Racers Symposium   Monaco Historics        Goodwood Revival        

London to Bright Veteran Car Run         Italian Cooking Tour        Ports of Call        Dorset & Wessex

Provence & the French Riviera        Switzerland/Austria/Slovenia    New York Theatre

20470 S. Hidden Creek,  Colton  OR  97017     Tel:  (503) 824-4079    Fax: (503) 824-4081    Email:  steveaustin@colton.com 
 Toll Free:  1-800-452-8434  

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