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 Enjoy 3 Nights, 4 Days
in the West Country
From $499.00
[ Priority Club Members - from $449.00]
With the major cities of Bristol and Bath, England's beautiful West Country is known for its examples of the loveliest gardens nurtured by mild weather and the Englishman's passion for gardening. This is a land of verdant fields and features stone churches, great estates, thatched cottages, and was once the inspiration and home to literary giants Thomas Hardy and Jane Austin. Many classic literary figures will come to life as you tour this countryside and visit the Roman City of Bath, where history and architecture meet. Bristol is an historic maritime city from which countless ships have embarked to sea. Embark on your own journey through the grandeur of the West Country.
To combine this package with another GoBritannia! Vacation, see below..
| | Vacation Package Prices |
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Double |
Add'l Night |
Child under 16 |
| Tour by Private Car |
$879 |
$225 |
$399 |
| Self-Drive Tour |
$499 |
$99 |
$199 |
| Rates are per person, dbl. occupancy. |
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A Private Car Tour |
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includes the following: |
1st Class Hotel
Car & driver/guide
English breakfasts
Dinner each night
All admissions
Welcome Packs
Station Transfers
Porterage
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What you'll see:
Your West Country vacation package includes admission to the following British Heritage Properties.
 Stourhead.This great house was built between 1721 and 1725. Its beautifully furnished rooms contain many exceptional pieces by Thomas Chippendale. However, the true glory of this house lies in its gardens. Henry Hoare II created the design for the grounds, which are filled with statuary, ponds, lakes, temples and grottos. This is one of the great English gardens.
 Longleat House. Home to the Marquess of Bath, Longleat House was built in the Italian Renaissance tradition and completed circa 1580. In its time it was a revolutionary design, in that the house looks out upon the parks and gardens of the estate, rather than inward toward a courtyard. Longleat House also has a large safari park.
 Glastonbury Abbey. Legends suggest a church has stood on this site since 1 AD. However, evidence indicates that in the 7th century King Ine gave a charter to a monastery, which built the first church there. It is claimed that King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were buried here. The legend of Glastonbury records Joseph of Arimathea burying the chalice used in the Last Supper.
 Wells Cathedral. This Cathedral is a lovely, well preserved example of early English architecture and was built in various stages from 1180 to 1400. Its unique sculpture gallery, located at its western front, took 20 years to complete during the 12th century, and contains over 300 figures. The library, upstairs from the south transept is not to be missed.
 Cheddar Gorge. Our travels will take us through Cheddar Gorge, a narrow cleft winding over two miles between dramatic limestone cliffs. The cheese for which Cheddar Village is famous, is now widely made and imitated worldwide.
 Avebury Stone Circle. This stone circle is made up of more than 180 mysterious and gigantic stones in the remains of circles constructed over 4,000 years ago. In the 1930's, archaeologist Alexander Keiller researched the circles and put together a most important collection, which can be viewed at the Avebury Museum.
 Bowood Gardens. While the original house was demolished in 1955 many interesting buildings remain. However, the true appeal of Bowood is the gardens, which are a wonderful example of the garden design work of Capability Brown. |
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 Village of Lacock. This charming village, dating back to the Saxon era, is known as the birthplace of photography. Today most of its town buildings are owned and cared for by the National Trust.
 Fox Talbot Museum. William Henry Fox Talbot was a prolific inventor in a number of fields but his name is known today because of his early work on the photographic negative in the 1830's. The museum houses many of the materials, which he used in his research.
 Kennet and Avon Canal. This afternoon we will take a narrow boat cruise on the Canal. Recently restored, primarily with volunteer help, the Canal traverses 87 miles of Southern England from Reading to Bristol. When completed in 1810, its 29 locks were considered an outstanding engineering achievement.
 Bath Abbey. Erected on the site of a much larger Norman Cathedral, Bath Abbey is a fine example of the late Perpendicular style. In 1574 Queen Elizabeth I, distressed by the state of the Abbey's disrepair, ordered a national fund be established to restore it. On the west front is the sculptural depiction of a dream of its founder, Bishop Oliver King. It is thought to be Jacob's Ladder.
 The Roman Baths. Founded in 75 AD and dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, the baths are considered among the finest Roman remains in the country and in their day were an engineering marvel. They are fed by the only hot spring in Britain.
 The Pump Room. The elegant Pump Room was the spot for Georgian society to meet, take the "waters" and gossip about the latest fashions and scandals. With its portraits of the greats of the Victorian age, today it is one of Bath's most popular attractions.
 Museum of Costume. This museum is filled with Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian interiors and the costumes of the times. The attention to detail is evident here and includes even the snuffers to put out footmen's torches.
Please Note
1. Sometimes due to properties being closed or unavailable we may have to substitute another property of comparable historical and/or cultural value.
2. Our coaches are all deluxe touring coaches with forced air ventilation or air conditioning and on-board restrooms.
3. Our coaches are non-smoking, however our coach passages are typically only 15 to 45 minutes in duration.
4. Alcoholic beverages, soda drinks, extra food items, telephone charges, laundry and other items of a personal nature purchased at the hotel are the sole responsibility of the passenger and will be paid for at the hotel.
5. Please read How Vacation Packages Work for full information on rail passages and Tour Conditions for details of a contractual nature.
6. Travel Insurance is strongly recommended and is fully described in the Travel Insurance page on this site.
7. Sometimes the hotel shown may not be available due to space limitations. We reserve the right to substitute a hotel of comparable value as circumstances warrant.
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Priority Travel Club