Canterbury Cathedral and Plains and Kent Castles

This is a tailor-made tour with a private driver/guide. Apart from the celebrated Cantebury Cathedral and the equally historic and legendary England castles of Leeds and Hever, you will enjoy a fascinating visit to the country home of Sir Winston Churchill - his family home for forty years. Set in the beautiful countryside of Kent with stunning views over the Weald. Stroll through the rooms and discover the family side of this great leader who is still recognised as the BBC’s ‘Greatest Briton’.

Suggested Itinerary:

DAY 1: FROM LONDON, DRIVE TO CANTERBURY
Your specialist driver guide will meet you at your London hotel or airport for your three-day tour.

Canterbury, England’s most famous cathedral city of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and now a UNESCO world heritage site sits on the River Stour in one of the most attractive corners of rural Kent. It is easily reached by road, rail or sea, and has been welcoming visitors for thousands of years. The Norman cathedral still dominates the skyline as you approach the city, giving 21st century visitors the same sense of awe as their medieval counterparts.

Pub lunch at your leisure.

You then drive on to The Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells. The pretty colonnaded walkway has become probably the most well known view of Royal Tunbridge Wells. Once the playground of the gentry and royalty, the Pantiles remain a pleasant place to browse, shop, eat and drink and stroll. They are now a very attractive and stylish part of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Balance of the afternoon and evening on this England castles and homes tour, at leisure.

We suggest the Hotel Du Vin for overnight accommodation.

DAY 2: LEEDS CASTLE
Surrounded by 500 acres of magnificent parkland and gardens, and built on two small islands in the middle of a natural lake, Lord Conway christened Leeds “the loveliest Castle in the world”.

The site of a manor of the Saxon royal family in the 9th century, it was then rebuilt in stone by the Normans and later converted into a Royal Palace by Henry VIII. For some 300 years, the Castle was home to the Kings and Queens of medieval England. Now lovingly restored and beautifully furnished, it contains a magnificent collection of medieval furnishings, tapestries and paintings.

Lunch at leisure at Kent’s Leeds Castle.

We suggest The Hotel Du Vin for your overnight accommodation in Kent.

DAY 3: HEVER CASTLE & CHARTWELL
Hever Castle is the next stop on this England castles tour. It is a romantic castle, best known as the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife and mother of Elizabeth I. It dates back to 1270, when the gatehouse, outer walls and the inner moat were first built. At the beginning of the C20th the American, William Waldorf Astor bought the estate and restored the castle, creating one of the most beautiful gardens in Kent and in England .

Pub lunch at leisure.

The family home for over forty years of Britain’s famous wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine, Chartwell, in Kent, owes its attraction not only to its historical links but also to the beauty of its surroundings. Guests are welcomed to a house which remains very much as it was when Churchill lived there, with daily newspapers, fresh flowers and the dining room set for afternoon tea.

In the gardens you can wander round lawns and terraces with spectacular views over the Weald of Kent. There are black swans on the lake, and a water garden with ponds containing golden orfe like the ones Churchill loved to feed. Visitors can also see Sir Winston’s famous brick walls, the “Marycot” playhouse which he built for his children, still a “children only” area, and the studio containing many of his paintings.

Return to your London hotel at the conclusion of this private England castles, cathedrals and historic homes tour.

Typical Inclusions:

• Specialist Driver/Guide for 3 days
• Entrance to Canterbury Cathedral
• Entrance to Leeds Castle
• Entrance to Hever Castle
• Entrance to Chartwell

Prices and departures may vary please contact your Concierge Traveller Advisor for more information.

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