England
The English Lake District and the Borders: Romance to Turbulence
Program No. 20209RJ
Discover the story of England’s famous Lake District as you learn about its poets and writers, explore Muncaster Castle, visit the Northumberland Coast and see historic Hadrian’s Wall.
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
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While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
14 days
13 nights
What's Included
35 meals (
12B, 11L, 12D
)
6 expert-led lectures
19 expert-led field trips
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
12 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
In Transit to Program
Location:
In Flight
Day
2
Arrive Manchester, Lunch, Check-in, Orientation
Location:
Alnwick
Meals:
L,D
Stay:
White Swan Alnwick
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Lunch:
At the hotel or packed lunch.
Afternoon:
We'll have some time to check in and unpack at the hotel before a pre-dinner orientation. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with a Group Leader, who will accompany us throughout the program and deal with logistics, lecture, conduct field trips, and serve as an information resource on program-related topics. Periods in the schedule designated as "Free time" and "At leisure" offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure to relax and prepare for the program ahead.
Day
3
Wallington, Alnwick Castle and Gardens
Location:
Alnwick
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
White Swan Alnwick
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 85 miles, approximately 2.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, gravel paths, uneven grassy areas.
Breakfast:
Full English and continental breakfast buffet in the hotel. A wide range of hot and cold options, as well as coffee, tea, water and fruit juices.
Morning:
We'll set out from the hotel by minibus after breakfast and drive to the ancestral home of the Trevelyan family, Wallington. There are over 100 acres of gardens, including a wonderful walled garden and lake, and the house itself.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
This afternoon, we’ll continue by minibus to Alnwick. Time to explore the traditional market town of Alnwick. Self explore the iconic Alnwick Castle is a Northumberland filming location for Harry Potter and Downton Abbey or Alnwick Garden is a unique, contemporary garden in the heart of Northumberland
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
4
Melrose Abbey, Abbotsford, Smailholm Tower
Location:
Alnwick
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
White Swan Alnwick
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 112 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, gravel paths, uneven grassy areas. Extent and duration of independent exploration according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we’ll board our minibus and drive to Smailholm Tower. Smailholm Tower's past, including its links to Sir Walter Scott, and find out what to see when you visit the laird's residence. This 65 ft peel towerhouse was built by a well-known Scottish Borders family in the first half of the 15th century. Following this we continue to Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders, the final resting place of the heart of Robert the Bruce.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue our exploration at Abbotsford. Sir Walter Scott's 1800s baronial mansion, with his study & landscaped gardens. Abbotsford is a breathtaking place to visit located on the banks of the River Tweed in the glorious Scottish Borders.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
After returning to the hotel by minibus, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Day
5
Lindisfarne, Bamburgh Castle
Location:
Alnwick
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
White Swan Alnwick
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 40 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including uneven grassy areas with some steep sections, gravel paths.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we'll ride the minibus to the cradle of British Christianity, Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island. We'll cross the causeway to the village, which is periodically cut off from the mainland by high tides. After an introduction by our Group Leader, we'll have some time to explore the ruined monastery, the church, and the castle, and take a coastal walk.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
This afternoon visit and enter Bamburgh Castle located on the northeast coast. It is a Grade I listed building. The site was originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as Din Guarie and may have been the capital of the kingdom of Bernicia from its foundation.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
6
The Cathedral City of Durham
Location:
Alnwick
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
White Swan Alnwick
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 135 miles, approximately 3 hours. Some areas at Durham Cathedral are only accessible by steps (Shrine of St Cuthbert, Chapel of Nine Altars, Gregory Chapel, Durham Light Infantry Chapel, North West Tower).
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Today we'll take a field trip to the great city of Durham. Stopping near the Cathedral, one of the most spectacular in the UK, we'll have time to explore this architectural masterpiece, famous for St Cuthbert's burial place behind the high altar.
Lunch:
We’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose from a range of food and drinks in the city.
Afternoon:
This afternoon our field trip continues in the city of Durham before returning to the hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
7
Vindolanda and Hadrian's Wall
Location:
Bowness on Windermere
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 160 miles, approximately 4 hours. Uneven terrain with grass, gravel.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Today is a full day spent learning just how the Romans lived in the region, and visiting Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll follow the old Stanegate road close to the Roman wall, to the Roman Army Museum, where we’ll learn more about life on the Roman frontier from a 3D film, replicas, and authentic artefacts. We’ll continue along Stanegate to Vindolanda for a discussion with one of the team of archaeologists currently excavating the fort and its “vicus,” the settlement that grew outside the fort's walls.
Lunch:
We’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose from a range of food and drinks from the café at Vindolanda.
Afternoon:
We will continue our exploration of Hadrian's Wall before transferring to our next hotel in the Lake District.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
8
Free Day in the stunning Lake District
Location:
Bowness on Windermere
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel
Activity Note
Dependent on own activities.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Today is a full day at leisure to enjoy the surroundings. Freedom of the Lake tickets will be provided and the group leaders will advise on free time activities available.
Lunch:
Excluded.
Afternoon:
Free time continues.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
9
Wordsworth's Grasmere and Keswick
Location:
Bowness on Windermere
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 50 miles, approximately 2 hours. Walking about 1.5 mile, periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, gravel and grass paths. Extent and duration of free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we'll drive to Wordsworth's Grasmere where we will visit Dove Cottage. In 1799 William Wordsworth arrived in Grasmere aged 29, largely unknown and writing innovative poetry in a new style. Whilst living at Dove Cottage with his family, Wordsworth wrote many of his greatest poems and his sister Dorothy kept her Grasmere journal. Wordsworth Grasmere you will discover the story of this remarkable time in his life.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will then continue by minibus to Keswick and the ancient stone circle at Castlerigg. One of Britain's most impressive prehistoric monuments sits on a low hill to the east of Keswick with a ring of mountains surrounding it. Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the earliest stone circles to be found in Britain and is important in terms of megalithic astronomy and geometry.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
10
Carlisle & Tullie House, Lanercost Priory
Location:
Bowness on Windermere
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 130 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including gravel and grass paths, uneven grassy areas.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We start with a scenic drive to Carlisle via Troutbeck and Ullswater. At Carlisle, we will visit the award-winning Tullie House Museum, with its collections of Roman and Border Reiver relics. After an introduction to the museum by our Group Leader, we’ll have some time to explore its collections independently.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We'll board the minibus to continue our field trip with our Group Leader to Lanercost and the nearby Banks East Turret. Lanercost is the site of the remains of a 13th-century Augustinian Priory, where the mortally sick King Edward I rested shortly before his death during the Anglo-Scottish wars. Banks East Turret is the best preserved observation tower on the western stretch of Hadrian’s Wall. We’ll explore both of these sites on foot with our Group Leader.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
11
Armitt, Rydal, Hill Top
Location:
Bowness on Windermere
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 20 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including gravel and grass paths, flagstone floors, uneven grassy areas.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we’ll board our minibus and drive to the Armitt Museum in Ambleside. We’ll explore this unique collection compiled by two Victorian sisters, and see at first hand the watercolor paintings of Beatrix Potter, once displayed at the Tate Gallery in London
Lunch:
At a local café.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue our exploration of sites in the life of Beatrix Potter, as we’ll visit Wray Castle and its grounds, Hill Top House (home of Beatrix Potter) and the quintessential Lakeland village of Hawkshead. We’ll then continue to Rydal Mount, the final home of William Wordsworth, for an expert-led exploration and poetry reading.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
12
Muncaster Castle, Hardknott Pass
Location:
Bowness on Windermere
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 65 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including uneven grassy areas with some steep sections, gravel paths
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Today is a day of high adventure! Leaving the hotel we'll head for the hills, along the Little Langdale Valley and up into the mountains. We will drive up the famous Hardknott Pass and here, for those of us wishing to walk over the rugged terrain, we can inspect the hilltop Hardknott Roman Fort.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
This afternoon, a local expert will lead us around the historic home of the Pennington family, Muncaster Castle. We’ll then return to the hotel over Corney Fell to Coniston.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer to Manchester in the morning.
Day
13
Transfer to Manchester, Tarn Hows, Brantwood, Coniston
Location:
Manchester
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Clayton Hotel Manchester Airport
Activity Note
Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 120 miles, approximately 3 hours. Boarding Lake Cruise boat.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We'll check out of our hotel and board the minibus to Tarn Hows, often referred to as the "prettiest lake in England," then on to Brantwood, home of the Pre-Raphaelite supporter and early ecologist John Ruskin. Here we will have some time to explore the wonderful house and gardens, after which we'll take a short study cruise on the beautiful lake adjacent to the property — Coniston Water — aboard a rebuilt Victorian steam-powered yacht.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
This afternoon we will visit Conniston Water before continuing our transfer to Manchester.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
14
Program Concludes, In Transit From Program
Location:
In Flight
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m. See your program's "Transportation Information" regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. Some participants may depart prior to breakfast.
Morning:
Shuttle bus to Manchester Airport for onward flights. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don't forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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