Pre Tour - October 13th - Arrive into Manchester International Airport and spend the day at our airport accommodation getting rested up before the tour starts the following morning.
Day 1 - October 14th - This morning we will meet at our Manchester Airport Accommodation and then journey northward toward our first home near the North York Moors National Park. Yorkshire has many moods it can be wild and windswept or quietly tranquil. Each valley or 'dale' has its own distinct character, set against expansive heather moorland tops. Stone-Built Villages sit amongst traditional farming landscapes of Field Barns, Drystone Walls and flower-rich Hay Meadows, and show how the area has been shaped over thousands of years by the people who have lived and worked here. We will make a few stops along the way including Oakwell Hall and Country Park. The Hall was built by John Batt in 1583 and is now furnished as the Batt family home in the 1690s with a fine collection of period furniture, the Hall offers visitors a real insight into a post English Civil War household. We will also stop for Afternoon Tea at Wood Hall in Wetherby before we continue our journey north. After we get settled in our home for the week we will gather together to get better acquainted before our Welcoming Dinner. Overnight Yorkshire. (B,L,D)
Day 2 - This morning we take in some of my favourite James Herriot countryside. There are four dales -Arkengarthdale, Swaledale, Wensleydale, and Coverdale that lay closest claim to Herriot connections and we will spend the next two days exploring them. The Dales’ sites most associated with Herriot TV Series is in dramatic Arkengarthdale, the most northerly Pennine Dale, whose watersplash is shown in the opening credits of the TV show. The narrow bridge in the same scene frames Langthwaite, a tiny village of gray stone, weathered with the years. We then make our way to Reeth on the slopes of Calver Hill at the head of Arkengarthdale and Swaledale. Reeth’s shops, pubs, and houses portrayed various locations in filming. A house overlooking the village green became Skeldale House in the first movie. We will take in Swaledale Road with moors on either side, one of the most beautiful of all the Dales’ drives. Waterfalls tumble down hillsides to feed the Swale River, one of the fastest flowing in England. The view from Gunnerside looking down into Swaledale was a favourite of Herriot’s. Here is where the real glory of the dale is seen. Stone walls, farms and hay barns dot the landscape. We then make our way to Richmond Town sitting high on a hilltop above the Swale River and was Herriot’s best-loved town in the Dales. He said, “Richmond appeals to me as just about the most romantic and charming town in the country”. Pub Dinner Outing and Overnight Yorkshire. (B,D)
Day 3 - This morning we make our way to Thirsk which is the Darrowby of Herriot's novels. Upon arriving into Thirsk we first stop at Skeldale House at 23 Kirkgate, the actual residence and surgery in James Herriot's Darrowby which now houses The World of James Herriot Museum. The museum encompasses the very essence of the world renowned vet James Herriot. It offers visitors an unforgettable interactive experience of the life and times of a man, who became a national celebrity after the airing of the BBC drama "All Creatures Great and Small". After some time to look around we then make our way back toward home with a stop in Hawes for Lunch before a tour at the Wensleydale Cheese Factory. The road ascending out of Askrigg traverses a widespread, gently sloping green valley with swelling hills dotted with farms and woods, typical of Wensleydale which is tamer than the dales on either side. This pastoral area has, since the 16th century, been an area of dairy farms. Askrigg was the “set” for Darrowby in the TV series. The road running through the village is lined with 18th and 19th century stone houses. The village also claims the “Drover’s Arms”, a favourite haunt of Tristan Farnon. We then return home for dinner. Dinner and Overnight Yorkshire. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - Today will be spent in and around our North Yorkshire Home. Historical beauty meets modern luxury at this renovated Georgian Escape situated in a breathtaking glacial bowl within Swaledale, North Yorkshire. From the kitchen, French doors lead to the outside space. Here there is a Terrace and Croquet Lawn and more views across the rolling hills beyond with spectacular outlooks over the Dales. Finally, a Converted Barn completes this farm estate, which has a wood burning stove, oak floors, and original beams. There are several walking and cycling routes through one of Great Britain's most beautiful natural areas right on the doorstep. In the afternoon you can return to the house to be being served a Traditional Yorkshire Afternoon Tea prepared by the Scottish Dream Tours Team. Then the rest of the day is yours to further explore the house and grounds. If you find yourself hungry later in the day, Richmond is just a short drive away where you will find a selection of pubs and restaurants to enjoy a drink or a delicious meal before returning home. Overnight Yorkshire. (B,L)
Day 5 - This morning we head east to Pickering where board the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to the seaside town of Whitby. We will explore a bit first in Pickering, an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale District, historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, it sits at the foot of the moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south. The railway ride to Whitby provides some 18 miles of preserved steam railway running through the spectacular scenery of the North Yorkshire Moors. We'll pass through Goathland Station better known as Hogsmeade in Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. Once we reach the lovely seaside village of Whitby, you will want to stop for Fish and Chips and Ice Cream before exploring this delightful village and its esplanade. Many flock to Whitby for its boutique shops and quirky streets, where you will find unique Whitby Jet Jewellery and other fascinating items. You may even want to take one of the many boat rides around the harbour. We then take the train back to Pickering where we will have dinner before returning home. Overnight Yorkshire. (B,D)
Day 6 - Today we will take the train into York, a walled city founded by the Ancient Romans. Its huge 13th-Century Gothic Cathedral, York Minster with its medieval stained glass and two functioning bell towers. We will have a tour of the Minster before stopping for Afternoon Tea. We then visit York's Chocolate Story with a tour of the factory. We will learn how a simple cocoa bean is transformed into the finest chocolate and also discover the history of some of York’s most iconic chocolate brands. Then it’s time to master the Secrets of the Chocolatier, as we create hand-made chocolates before seeing how their very own experts do it. Watch the Chocolatiers as they showcase the art of chocolate-making and sample the fruits of their labour, fresh hand-made chocolates. You may then want to take in the City Walls that form a walkway on both sides of the River Ouse. The Monk Bar Gate houses an exhibition tracing the life of 15th-Century Plantagenet King Richard III. You will be able to find some dinner in York and then we make our way back home. Overnight Yorkshire. (B,L)
Day 7 - This morning we make our way into the North Moors National Park with our first stop being Mount Grace Priory. This ruin of a 14th-century Carthusian Priory is England's most important, best preserved and most accessible of the medieval Carthusian Houses. It is amazing to visit individual monks cells which reflect the isolation of living as hermits and only coming together in the chapel only for the nocturnal liturgical hours, Sundays and feast-days. We then take one of my most favourite drives through Osmotherly and Hawnby and on to the lovely village of Helmsley. After exploring the village we will have Afternoon Tea at the Black Swan Hotel. This afternoon we visit the spectacular ruins of Rievaulx Abbey. Hidden in the deep River Rye Valley, the beautiful and tranquil abbey ruins reflect nearly one thousand years of spiritual, commercial and Romantic history. Rievaulx was one of the first Cistercian abbeys to be founded in England in around 1130, and after the dissolution, became the centre of commercial activity for many years. The abbey then entered its Romantic period when its picturesque ruins became a beacon for poets, painters, and scholars. We then return home for Dinner and Overnight Yorkshire. (B,L,D)
Day 8 - Unfortunately our stay in Yorkshire is at its end and we make our way toward the Lake District and our new home. Our first stop is the Bowes Museum, created over 100 years ago by an extraordinary couple, John and Joséphine Bowes. Together they built up the greatest private collection of fine and decorative arts in the North of England and constructed a magnificent building to house them in. The collection contains thousands of objects including furniture, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and many other items covering an extensive range of European styles and periods. After a tour, we will have Afternoon Tea at Bowes before we see one of the biggest draws to the museum, the iconic Silver Swan. The swan is life-size and is controlled by three separate clockwork mechanisms. The Silver Swan rests on a stream made of twisted glass rods interspersed with silver fish. When the mechanism is wound up, the glass rods rotate, the music begins, and the Swan twists its head to the left and right and appears to preen its back. It then appears to sight a fish in the water below and bends down to catch it, which it then swallows as the music stops and it resumes its upright position. We then continue on to our second home and to dinner. Overnight Lake District. (B,L,D)
Day 9 - This morning it is all about William Wordsworth as we make our way further into the Lake District. Our first stop is Rydal Mount and Gardens, the famous home of William Wordsworth just outside of Ambleside. With the breathtaking views of the lakes you can understand why he loved to write here. This was Wordsworth's best loved family home for the greater part of his life from 1813 to his death in 1850 at the age of 80. We then make our way to the lovely wee village of Grasmere. This is a delightful stop and we will spend some time exploring before letting you find some lunch at one of the many venues in this charming town. This afternoon we visit we visit Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth from December 1799 to May 1808, the years of his supreme work as a poet. The guided tour gives great insight into how the family lived and glimpses into the many people who visited here during their lives. We then make our way back home to get rested up for dinner before an evening of Wordsworth readings. Dinner and Overnight Lake District. (B,D)
Day 10 - Today Beatrix Potter will get her turn to shine as we head once again into the Lake District. We will drive to Windermere where we take a small ferry across Lake Windermere to just outside of Hawkshead at a place called Near Sawrey where we find Hilltop House. It is kept exactly as Beatrix left it complete with treasured furniture and china. You will feel as if you stepped into her books! Full of her favourite things, the house appears as if Beatrix had just stepped out for a walk. Every room contains a reference to a picture in a 'tale'. The lovely cottage garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Before we leave Near Sawrey behind we stop for Lunch at the Sawrey Hotel. We then make our way to Hawkshead to visit the Beatrix Potter Gallery housed in a 17th century building that was once here husband William Heelis' office! Step inside this charming old building to enjoy an exhibition of Beatrix Potter's original drawings and watercolours. We then make our way to Ambleside to explore my favourite Lake District town before we meet up for dinner. Pub Dinner and Overnight Lake District. (B,L,D)
Day 11- Today we will spend a relaxing day at our Home in the Lake District, an Impressive Country House surrounded by panoramic views of the Lake District. To truly soak in your surroundings, enjoy time in the Hot Tub or indulge in some time in the Sauna in this amazing retreat snuggled beautifully between the majestic limestone outcrops of Scout Scar and Whitbarrow Scar, lying in the rolling, pastoral, damson tree-strewn landscape of the Lyth Valley. In the house you will find the bar so you can toast to a wonderful holiday while relaxing in the warmth of the Woodburning Stove, or venture out to the Bar Balcony from here. You can also enjoy a leisurely Game of Pool before heading off to your bedroom to catch up on your rest, write in your journal or read a book. In the afternoon we will gather for a Traditional English Afternoon Tea in the Lounge. If you still feel hungry later in the day we will take a dinner journey into nearby Kendal with its many eateries. Overnight Lake District. (B,L)
Day 12 - This morning we make our way to Pooley Bridge on Ullswater for a Cruise on the Lake. Ullswater, the secondlargest lake in England runs a serpentine course for eight miles through expansive vistas of Lakeland’s highest mountains. Helvellyn at 3,117 feet crowns Ullswater, at the South-Western end of the valley, standing on a mighty plateau approximately 9 miles in length and 4.5 miles wide. The ‘Steamers’ operate between Glenridding, Howtown and Pooley Bridge Piers. After our cruise we will stop in Keswick to wander this delightful town and for you to find some lunch before we visit the Castlerigg Stone Circle just up the road. Castlerigg is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain. Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric and dramatically sited of all British stone circles, with panoramic views and the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop. It is also among the earliest British circles, raised in about 3000 BC. Dinner and Overnight Lake District. (B,D)
Day 13 - We will spend today in the Western Lake District taking in the collection of Burnmoor Stone Circles, Gretigate Stone Circles and the Swinside Stone Circle, consisting of 55 stones at the foot of Black Combe and dating from the bronze age. Swinside Circle is one of the best preserved in the count yand is one of the three most important stone circles in Cumbria. We will stop for Afternoon Tea before we drive to Cockermouth and Wordsworth House where William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in a fine Georgian house. His father John was estate agent to Sir James Lowther, who owned the house. The garden at the back, with the River Derwent flowing past, was a place of magic for the young William. It is presented as it would have been when they lived here with their parents, three brothers and servants in the 1770s. There is real food on the kitchen and dining tables much produced in the garden, and a fire burning in the working kitchen. The children’s bedroom is full of toys and dressing up clothes, and in the Wordsworth Room there are books and games to enjoy. Down in the cellar, the household’s ghosts are waiting to tell their stories. Dinner on your own this evening. Overnight Lake District. (B,L)
Day 14 - This morning we start our journey south toward Manchester with a few stops along the way including Skipton and Skipton Castle. At the top of Skipton's main street stand the massive twin towers of the 900 year old Skipton Castle, one of the most complete and best preserved medieval castles in England! We will explore every corner of this impressive history-rich castle, which withstood a three-year siege during the Civil War. You can explore the Banqueting Hall, the Kitchen, the Bedchamber and Privy and climb from the depths of the Dungeon to the top storey of the Watch Tower! We will Lunch at Helene's Tearoom before continueing on to Burnley to visit Towneley Hall, family home of the Towneley’s for nearly five centuries. From the Priest’s Hole to the attic, Towneley Hall is fascinating with period rooms covering several centuries of life at the hall. See the cat fast asleep by the range in the Victorian Kitchen, stroll along the long gallery past bedrooms dating back to the 16th century, imagine the glamorous parties held in the regency rooms or have a quiet moment in the Towneley chapel. We then make our way to just outside of Manchester Airport. Farewell Dinner and Overnight near Manchester. (B,L,D)
Day 15 - October 28th - This morning we are back to Manchester International Airport for the flight home.
