Detailed Itinerary

DAY 1

Wednesday: Arrival

On arrival at Heathrow Airport, a private transfer will take you to the Castle Hotel Windsor, where we stay overnight. In the evening, join the group for a welcome drink and canapés, followed by dinner.

Meals: Dinner

DAY 2

Thursday: Hardwick Hall

Our visit today is to the National Trust’s Hardwick Hall. Ordered in the 16th century by Bess of Hardwick, England’s richest woman after her Queen, Elizabeth I, Hardwick is a striking Elizabethan treasure. The lavish number of windows (at a time when glass was a luxury) inspired the neat phrase, ‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’.

Later we check into the Losehill House Hotel & Spa for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 3

Friday: Chatsworth House & Bakewell

We start the day at Chatsworth House, where we’re treated to a guided tour. This magnificent estate is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has witnessed sixteen generations of the powerful Cavendish family and boasts grandiose interiors, wonderful grounds and a superlative art collection. Chatsworth also appeared as Pemberley in the 2005 movie adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Afterward we leave the grand estate and make our way through the Yorkshire countryside to the pretty market town of Bakewell, located on the banks of the River Wye in the heart of scenic Yorkshire. Known for its delicious and unique pudding, legend has it that the Bakewell Tart was created by mistake by a local cook in the mid-19th century. Today, the delicious ‘jam tart that went wrong’ can be savored at various bakeries and cafés and even ordered online from anywhere in the world! Apart from the pudding, the town also boasts mellow stone buildings, a medieval five-arched stone bridge and quaint courtyards, popular with painters, photographers, and sightseers alike. We also include a delicious tasting here today.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 4

Saturday: Wentworth Woodhouse & Renishaw Hall

Built by the First Marquess of Rockingham between 1725 and 1750, Wentworth Woodhouse consists of two joined houses of totally different architectural styles; the Baroque style west front and the east front in the later Palladian style. Having been closed to the public for over 25 years, the house is now open and in the process of being restored to its former glory.

After our visit, we journey south, past Sheffield, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it, and arrive at Renishaw Hall in the afternoon: a historic estate and Italianate gardens, home to the Sitwell family for nearly 400 years. Still very much a family home, Renishaw reveals a real sense of the history of the generations who have lived there, with a stunning collection of art and furniture which we discover on our guided tour.

Afterward we check in to the Crathorne Hall Hotel, where we stay for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 5

Sunday: Whitby Abbey & Scarborough

We head to the charming seaside town of Whitby to visit the 13th-century ruins of Whitby Abbey, perched high on a cliff above the town. Here we discover how 2,000 years of history make the abbey one of England’s most important archaeological sites. The abbey’s soaring gothic splendor also provided Bram Stoker with a dramatic location for scenes in his 1897 classic horror novel, Dracula.

Next, we journey to Scarborough. Situated on Yorkshire’s coast between two large bays, Scarborough claims to be the country’s oldest seaside resort, and it has been attracting visitors since it became a fashionable spa town in the early 17th century. Here we take in the coastal views from Scarborough Castle. Built in the 12th century, the castle was transformed into a mighty royal fortress by Henry II, King John and William III. The castle was the site of the longest and bloodiest siege of the Civil War, and was badly damaged during the fighting.

Located in St Mary’s burial ground, we stop by the grave of Ann Brontë, famous author of Agnes Greyand The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 6

Monday: Castle Howard & Fountains Abbey

We head to Castle Howard, home to the Howard family for over 300 years, where we enjoy a private guided tour and refreshments. Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, Castle Howard has twice appeared as Brideshead in movie and television adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel, as well as providing the backdrop for various scenes in the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton. This magnificent 18th-century residence, surmounted with its iconic gilded dome, offers world-renowned collections and stunning architecture, all set within 1,000 acres of breathtaking scenery.

Our next stop of the day is the largest monastic ruin in Britain, Fountains Abbey, for a fascinating guided tour. Nestling in the Skell Valley, the ruin is surrounded by some 800 acres of gorgeous countryside, including the Georgian Studley Royal Water Garden with its wonderful views, cascades, follies and statues, and a medieval deer park.

We then make our way to the Grand Hotel in York, our home for the next three nights.

Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7

Tuesday: Burton Constable Hall & Burton Agnes Hall

Today we spend time in the East Riding of Yorkshire, more commonly called East Riding, a largely rural area enclosed by a crescent of low chalk hills, called the Yorkshire Wolds. Our first stop is at one of the most popular and fascinating English Country Houses in the area due to its complete historic collections. We enjoy a guided tour, taking us through over thirty rooms of fine art and furniture, this grand house truly is a time capsule. With every room comes new surprises and unique pieces of historical significance. The house is impressively grand, surrounded by spectacular natural parkland and grounds that span over 330 acres.

This afternoon we enjoy a change of pace with a visit to the charming village of Burton Agnes. Here we enjoy a guided tour of the impressive Elizabethan manor house, Burton Agnes Hall. Built in 1598 by Sir Henry Griffith and designed by Robert Smythson, the Master Mason to Queen Elizabeth, this architectural gem has been called a ‘splendid and glittering composition’ with ‘beautiful proportions.’

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8

Wednesday: York Minster, Fairfax House & Treasurer’s House

We spend the day in York, starting with a guided tour of York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe and home to some of the most stunning stained glass windows that have led to the Minster being described as ‘the Sistine Chapel of England’. The city is steeped in history, from its founding by the Romans in 71AD to its wealth as a medieval wool trading center. There is plenty of evidence of this fascinating past left to admire, including the Roman city walls and the surviving medieval streets known as the Shambles.

Next is a guided tour of Fairfax House, a stunning Georgian town house that has been restored to its former glory, providing a perfect time capsule of life in Georgian times with a richly-decorated interior and a fine collection of English 18th-century furniture.

We complete our day at Treasurer’s House in the heart of the city. The house has a 2,000-year-old history and was the first house given complete with its contents to the National Trust in 1930. This is thanks to Frank Green, a wealthy industrialist who not only restored this magnificent house but used it to stage his remarkable collection of antique furniture, art and textiles.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 9

Thursday: Harewood House

This morning we depart Middlethorpe Hall and journey west for a guided tour of Harewood House. Built in the 18th century, Harewood House is one of the greatest Treasure Houses in England, with interiors designed by Robert Adam, furniture by Thomas Chippendale and an outstanding art collection ranging from Renaissance masterpieces to 20th-century art. Set in a magnificent Capability Brown landscape, Harewood is still home to the Lascelles family and reflects the changing tastes and styles of the past 250 years.

Later we check in to the Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, where we stay for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 10

Friday: Bolton Castle & Bolton Abbey

Our first stop today is one of the country’s best-preserved medieval castles which perfectly demonstrates the balance between defence, comfort and what was known as ‘aesthetically considered orderliness.’ We are treated to a guided tour of the castle and with over 600 years worth of history, the castle has a few fair stories to tell, including tales of Mary, Queen of Scot’s imprisonment between 1568 and 1569.

A short distance from Bolton Castle, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, is Bolton Abbey. We continue our day at this impressive site which proudly stands out against the rolling green hills and beautiful riverside setting. Here we enjoy a guided tour of the historical Abbey ruins and look out for the many woodland birds which populate the area, including Curlews and endangered Wader Safaris.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 11

Saturday: Lyme Park

We spend the day at Lyme Park, a large estate managed by the National Trust. Here, we experience the vastness of Yorkshire in all its wide, expansive glory. The Park encompasses 1,400 acres of rugged moorland, ancient woodland and formal gardens. At the centre is the House, where we have our lunch.

We take a guided tour of the house, a treasure chest of precious objects and family keepsakes, and then the formal gardens which demonstrate a masterful appreciation of geometry. Wander through the clipped hedges and columns of yew trees before entering the historic parkland, home to deer and other wildlife as well as some historic gems built in strategic places across the landscape. Structures that have become iconic landmarks in their own right, such as The Cage, The Lantern and Paddock Cottage.

Later, we check into the Macdonald Windsor Hotel, where we enjoy a farewell dinner together.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 12

Sunday: Departure

A private transfer will take you back to Heathrow Airport for your return flight home.