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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to London
DAY
2 ARRIVE LONDON -WINCHESTER - WESSEX
(2 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where
we will board our own private bus and transfer into the
beautiful English countryside. We will stop to visit
Winchester, closely associated with Alfred the Great, and once
the ancient capital of England. Our sightseeing begins with a
visit to the remains of Winchester Castle, where a
round oak table, King Arthur's Round Table, is
attached to the wall. We will also visit Winchester
Cathedral, the longest medieval cathedral in Britain, and
the burial place of Jane Austen. We continue to Salisbury
where we will visit what many people consider England’s most
beautiful Cathedral and where we will also view
the one of the medieval copies of the Magna Carta
before continuing on to our hotel in the Wessex area for the
night
DAY
3 DAY TRIP TO BATH & BRISTOL
Today we journey to Bristol where we will see the New Room
(or John Wesley’s Chapel) that was built in 1739. Charles
Wesley ministered here and lived nearby in Charles Street. The
New Room is the oldest Methodist building in the world and has
become a centre for prayer, teaching and Methodism. We
continue with a visit to Bath which will include visits to the
Roman Baths, where we will marvel at the ingenuity of
the ancient engineers, and Bath Abbey, where the
first king of England was crowned and Pulteney Bridge.
We return to Wessex for the night
· Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 WESSEX -
STONEHENGE-STRATFORD-UPON-AVON (1 NIGHT)
This morning we Wessex and travel through the Cotswolds, as we
journey to Stratford-Upon-Avon. En route we will stop at
mysterious Stonehenge more than 3,000 years old and
Britain's most famous ancient monument. This afternoon we
visit the modern Shakespeare Centre which was built to
commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Bard's birth next
door to the Shakespeare’s Birthplace. We continue on
to and to Holy Trinity Church, the parish church where
Shakespeare is buried all located in an attractive setting
near the River Avon. Our afternoon concludes with a visit to
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, located just outside the city
center. The cottage provides a rare insight into the life of
a family in Shakespearean times, and many of the original
furnishings are preserved inside the house
DAY
5 STRATFORD-UPON-AVON - COVENTRY - LINCOLN
AREA
(1 NIGHT)
Today we travel to Coventry. In the rebuilt heart
of Coventry we visit the charred ruins of the old cathedral
and the new modern cathedral build adjacent to the old.
The old cathedral serves as a reminder of the destruction
of war. The new is an exciting example of modern architecture
that is said to illustrate the indomitable spirit of the people
of Britain. We continue to our base in the Lincoln area, where
we will visit the Lincoln Cathedral with its stained
glass window commemorating Captain John Smyth, founder of
the Colony of Virginia. We will also visit the magnificent
Castle, adjacent to the Cathedral, which was built in
1068, which has strong 19th Century connections.
DAY
6 LINCOLN AREA - EPWORTH - OXFORD AREA
(1 NIGHT)
We will transfer this morning to Epworth, driving
through the Fen Countryside, to visit the home of the Wesley
family and the Old Rectory, the Parish Church and
the Memorial Church. We then journey south to the Oxford
area and the University city of colleges, noble lawns and
dreamy spires
· Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
7 OXFORD AREA - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
Oxford is the oldest English speaking university dating from
1167 and also associated with many notable literary alumni
including such diverse characters as Geoffrey Chaucer, Lewis
Carroll, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis and Evelyn Waugh. We will
take a Walking Tour to view many of the colleges that
make up Oxford, as well as the Sheldonian Theater
and the Bodleian Library. This morning we visit
several colleges including Christ Church and Lincoln
College where the Wesleys’ studied and lectured. We will
visit the holy room and retrace the steps of the "Holy Club"
whose discipline epitomized the lives of the early Methodists.
We continue to London. Upon our arrival, we can take a
leisurely Walking Tour of Westminster and Whitehall,
including: Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Horseguards
Parade, Parliament Square, Downing Street, St. James’s Park
and Buckingham Palace
DAY
8 LONDON
We begin this morning with a visit to Westminster Abbey
where English kings and queens have been crowned since 1066.
We will take a Blue-badge guided tour which will include the
Royal Chapels, holding the tombs of the
monarchs, as well as Poets' Corner, featuring
memorials to famous British literary figures. Our morning
continues as we walk past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
before taking a Thames River Cruise, a relaxing way to
view many of London’s most magnificent sights. This afternoon
we will visit the Tower of London, one of Britain’s
most fascinating and important historical structures, with its
macabre associations with the legendary figures imprisoned
and/or executed here. Our visit will include the armories, a
display of instruments of torture and execution, and the
Crown Jewels Exhibit. This evening we will spend
time around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square,
two of London’s most vibrant and lively areas
DAY
9 LONDON
Our tour today will start with a visit to St Paul’s
Cathedral, Christopher Wren’s Masterpiece. After lunch in
the adjacent courtyard, our tour will include particular sites
of interest to Methodists: Wesley’s Chapel (City Road),
John Wesley's House, John Wesley's grave, Bunhill Fields
Cemetery (with the graves of Susanne Wesley, John Bunyan,
Daniel Defoe and other famous personages)
· Your Third Concert Performance will be today
DAY
10 DEPARTURE FROM LONDON
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your
guide accompanies you to the airport for the return flight
home.
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