Out and About

There is so much to explore and see and I am here to get you out and about. I can arrange private executive class transport, minibus or even coach for you and join you as the guide.

In this section I have included some of the more popular destinations and some of my favorites but the list is endless and I would be delighted to make further suggestions and help you plan an itinerary.

Many of these sites are less than 2 hours from London. I can meet you at the local station show you round and get you back to London in time for Supper!

I can also arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel or transport from city to city.

Ancient Stones

‘If you are disposed to think that life is a rather superficial matter and that we soon get to the bottom of things, the immemorial grey pillars serve to remind you of the enormous backdrop of time’. said Henry James about Stonehenge. But this is just as true of Avebury stone circle and other prehistoric standing stones found across the region. New finds only seem to add to the mystery and whilst we can begin to answer by who and how they were built, we never seem to be able to give a definitive answer to Why?

Many stone circles are just a part of a prehistoric landscape; built within sight of equally mysterious monuments some of which go back to before the circles were conceived. Come along with me to explore these landscapes including a trip to West Kennet Long Barrow ancient burial mound and follow in the footsteps of our ancestors of 5,000 years ago.

Stonehenge

Sun or rain, crowded or deserted Stonehenge for me is always a wonder! Building it was a marvel of engineering and organisation requiring hundreds of people just to make the tea, and no matter what we think we know today it could all be disproved tomorrow.

Avebury

Voted the world’s second best heritage site, (mount Alban Mexico was the first), Avebury is your chance to get up close to the stones and touch, you might just have to move the sheep. Close by are the West Kennet Long Barrow ancient burial ground and one of the first prehistoric monuments, and Silsbury Hill another prehistoric mystery and one of the last of the great ancient monuments.

The Cotswolds

For the quintessential English experience nothing beats the Cotswolds in the heart of England. The Wolds are the rolling hills and lush valleys which were rich pasture for thousands of sheep. For hundreds of years this was the centre of the wool trade and where there was wool there was wealth. It was the rich wool merchants of medieval England that built the fine churches and gave us the picturesque villages that we have today.

There is so much to choose from: Villages, Gardens, Abbeys and Churches, Manor Houses even a prehistoric stone circle - the Rollright stones. Or what about a hike, taking in 2 lovely villages with fab views. And don’t forget wherever you go to add in a country pub.

Romantic Ruins

Thanks to Thomas Cromwell and Oliver Cromwell - no relation and about 100 years apart - we have some fantastic ruins. Thomas Cromwell in the 1530s was the driving force behind the destruction of the monasteries and Oliver Cromwell ordered the destruction of castles after the Civil war in the 1640s.

In the late 1700s and early 1800s the ruins they left behind were lauded by the Romantic Poets and Painters - Wordsworth and Turner. They have been crowd pullers ever since and it is impossible not to be caught up in the past on a visit. - you can almost hear the monks chanting in the ruined abbeys and the sounds of feasting in the castles.

These are just 3 of my favorites and I would also recommend Tintern Abbey in the beautiful Wye valley and Farleigh Hungerford Castle just outside Bath.

Glastonbury Tor

Towering above the Somerset Levels Glastonbury Tor has for centuries been the centre of myth and legend. Come along for the fabulous views and tales of fairy folk, monks and King Arthur and the Round Table.

Glastonbury Abbey

It was said that if the Abbot of Glastonbury married the Abbess of Shaftesbury they would be richer than the King of England so no wonder that Henry the Eighth wanted to get his hands on the Abbey and all its wealth. Today the ruin still gives us an idea of how magnificent the church used to be.

Corfe Castle

When parliament ordered the destruction of Corfe Castle in 1646 a tax was raised across the country to pay for the amount of gunpowder that would be needed. There is not a room left intact with a roof, however it was so well built that it was impossible to destroy. A truly romantic ruin it is the place to come to hear about imprisonment, sieges and murder most foul.

Magnificent Cathedrals

Here are just 3 of the beautiful churches you can find in the Southwest but I could have made a long list to include Gloucester and Tewkesbury Abbey. They are fine examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, the stained glass windows are wonders of craftmanship and along with this there are stories of saints and sinners, builders, bishops and bodies.

Why not include one in a city walk or along with another site, suggestions below

With a population of only 1200 Wells claims to be the smallest city in Britain and although it is tiny it has a stunning cathedral. It was first built in the Gothic style and on the west front is the finest collection of medieval statuary in the country. Apart from the cathedral the city has a lovely market square, the Bishop’s Palace and one of the oldest streets in the country. You could mix it with a visit to Cheddar Gorge, Glastonbury, or a trip to the sea-side at Weston Super Mare.

Salisbury cathedral was completed in just 38 years although its famous spire was added about 100 years later. It dominates the market town of Salisbury which has some lovely medieval buildings and there are peaceful walks across the water meadows by the river Avon. Easy to get to from London, it makes for a lovely day out combined with Stonehenge and/or Old Sarum

Exeter makes a great day out in itself. A visit to the cathedral, City and River takes you through layers of history from the Romans to medieval England - the Tudors and then into the 1940s and the Baedeker Air Raids. Or make it a stop as you head to Dartmoor and into the heart of Devon.

Spectacular Landscapes

The sheer variety of places tp explore in the Southwest never ceases to amaze me. There are dramatic coastal cliffs, wide sandy beaches, lush pasture and brooding mysterious moorland.

Here I have included some of my favorites and these make good days out from Bath or Poole. For longer journeys ask me about the Tin Coast or Dartmoor home of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Cheddar Gorge

To hike the Gorge is to go up 450ft and travel through millions of years of the Earth’s Geological history, from the top of the Gorge there are spectacular views for miles around. Yes this is the home of the cheese and it has always been so good that in 1170 King Henry brought 86 hundredweight - that’s 9,632lbs or 4,369 kilograms!!

Jurassic Coast

The Jurassic Coast covers 95 miles of largely undeveloped coastal path and spans 185 million years of geological history. Erosion has revealed a continuous sequence of rock formation from the Triassic through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. In 2001 the Jurassic Coast was named a UNESCO World heritage site for its rocks, fossils and landforms. It is made up of 8 sections so you don’t need to do all 95 miles at once.

Durdle Door

My favorite spot on the Jurassic Coast is Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. Lulworth is a small village of thatched cottages, with cafes that serve scrumptious Dorset Apple Cake. The beach is a great place to look for fossils and within easy walking distance there are some wonderful rock formations the result of seismic activity millions of years ago. If you are feeling a bit more energetic the walk to Durdle Door is worth the effort.

Glorious Gardens

In the 1700s in England the landscape gardeners adopted a style which completely broke away from the formal garden layout epitomised by Versailles in France. Instead a more natural look was adopted as though man had no part in a garden’s creation. In truth lakes and hills appeared where they had never been before. This and the arrival of professional plant hunters who were backed by the great botanic gardens like Kew to search the world for new and exotic species, resulted in our stunning parks and gardens which offer a riot of colour from spring to autumn. In the Southwest every county and region seems to have several gardens worth a visit.

Knightshayes

The estate was created by the Heathcote Amory Family in the 1800s. Edward Kemp a leader in garden design created a mix of formal gardens and a garden valley of waterfalls, ponds and rockeries. Successive generations added to this layout but by the mid 1900s it was out of fashion and labour intensive. After taking advice from experts the garden was restored and awarded the Victorian Medal of Honour the Royal Horticultural society’s highest award

Stourhead

Stourhead is a firm favorite. It was inspired by the landscape paintings of Claude Lorrain and Poussain along with Virgil’s poem the Aeneid in which the hero Aneas descends into the underworld. As you follow his journey round the lake you come across classical temples and statues among the Azaleas, Rhododendrons and an important collection of conifers and exotic trees. You can also visit the house with a fine collection of Chippendale furniture.

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