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“Over The Hills and Far Away”
Cumbria Lakes and Yorkshire Dales
From The Macdonald Old Swan, Harrogate and
Macdonald Old England, Lake Windermere
Sunday 5th - Friday 10th September 2010 (5 nights)
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This tour is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the unspoilt breathtaking landscape of the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales, historic houses and gardens including Dalemain, Holker and Newby Halls, the magnificent gardens at RHS Harlow Carr, a rail journey on the scenic Settle to Appleby route and a cruise on Coniston Water. Blackwell House the finest example of Arts and Crafts architecture and in the heart of the lakes, Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage, the historic homes of William Wordsworth. Cross over the lake to Brantwood, the home of John Ruskin, who declared his house had the “best view in all of England”. The first two nights are from the Macdonald Old Swan Hotel at Harrogate where you can have the opportunity to explore this elegant spa town and leave your cars for the tour duration. Three nights will be spent at the Macdonald Old England Hotel, Bowness on the shores of Windermere boasting unrivalled views of England’s largest lake.
Sunday 5 September: Arrive and check into the hotel. For those arriving by train you either change at York or Leeds and there is a frequent hourly service to Harrogate or you may consider sharing a taxi from Leeds Station meeting at 1600 hrs. Welcome drink and dinner in the hotel.
Monday 6 September: Depart by coach to Newby Hall, one of England’s finest historic houses with beautifully restored Robert Adam interiors and some fine Chippendale furniture to complement the Grand Tour collection of Gobelin tapestries, classical statuary and fine paintings. This is an exclusive tour of the house on a day when it is not normally open, after the tour there will be coffee in the splendid Adam Entrance Hall. You can then enjoy the extensive gardens covering, one of the focal points being the double herbaceous borders on the mains axis that runs from the South front of the house down to the River Ure. Return to Harrogate for lunch, perhaps a visit to Betty’s Tea Rooms, before the afternoon visit to RHS Harlow Carr Gardens. The garden blends into the surrounding Yorkshire landscape, dominated by water, stone and woodland and as with all RHS gardens it pushes the boundaries of design and planting with all year round interest and spectacular colour. Return to the hotel. Dine at independent times in the hotel.
Tuesday 7 September: Check out of your rooms and the coach departs for the scenic journey to Settle. Board the train with reserved seats (Northern Rail permitting!) for Appleby – a picnic lunch will be provided. The journey travels over the most attractive part of the route, across the Yorkshire Dales and the over the Ribblehead Viaduct. The coach will be at Appleby Station and a break will be made in the pretty town of Appleby before departing for the Lakes. En-route to Windermere a visit will be made to Dalemain House, one of the finest country houses in the Lake District with lovely gardens. Then continuing along Ullswater and over the Kirkston Pass with dramatic scenery before arriving at the Macdonald Old England Hotel. Welcome drink followed by dinner.
Wednesday 8 September. There is an early start so the coach can travel around the top of the lake to the village of Coniston where you will board the Coniston Launch to sail across the northern part of the lake – the stretch of water where Donald Campbell broke four world records at the helm of Bluebird K7 and the setting for Arthur Ransome’s book Swallows and Amazons. You will arrive at the landing stage leading up to Brantwood, home of John Ruskin, one of the most influential writers and social reformers of the 19th century. Ruskin’s interests and philosophical views about art and nature are apparent in the house and gardens. A light lunch will be provided before returning by boat to Coniston. During the afternoon a visit to Holker Hall and Gardens. Home of Lord and Lady Cavendish, situated a short distance from Morecambe Bay but in beautiful countryside that merges into the South Lakeland Hills. This rose coloured “neo-Elizabethan” Victorian mansion has rooms that are lavishly furnished, with marble fireplaces, splendid linenfold panelling, fine plasterwork and intricate carving. There is a superb oak staircase and Victorian country-house furniture blends with Louis XV pieces. The gardens are described as being “amongst the best in the world” containing exotic and unusual trees, plants and shrubs thriving in the mild climate and enhanced by fountains, cascades and ornamental ponds. Return to the hotel for dinner.
Thursday 9 September The morning includes visits to Dove Cottage, the home of Wordsworth from 1799/1808 with a specialist talk with the Curator and a visit to cottage, then a visit to the historic home and gardens of William Wordsworth at Rydal Mount. The house now belongs to the descendants of the poet and retains a lived-in atmosphere with little changes since Wordsworth and his family came to live here in 1813. Wordsworth was a keen landscape gardener and the four-acre garden remains very much as he designed it. Return to the hotel early afternoon so that you have opportunity to enjoy relaxing and discovering the little village of Bowess and perhaps visit the Beatrix Potter exhibition close the hotel or a cruise on the lake.
Friday 10 September: Check out of the hotel to return to Harrogate. A morning visit to Blackwell House, designed by Baillie Scott in 1898 as a spectacular holiday home for Sir Edward Holt, a wealthy Manchester brewer. A large house but with the atmosphere of an intimate family home, it contains some of the finest work created by leading Arts and Crafts designers and stunning views of the Lakeland scenery. The journey continues with a short diversion to view the Ribbendale Viaduct on the Yorkshire Moors before returning to the Old Swan at Harrogate. Arriving at approximateley 4 pm when the tour finishes. We are holding rooms for an extra night (10 Sept) at the Macdonald Old Swan as you may prefer to depart the following day – these must be reserved at the time of booking.
Tour Price:
Price per person £740
Single supplement £60
Non refundable deposit £125
Extra night rate on Friday 10 September
£46 pp b&b, no single supplement
Tour price includes:
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5 nights accommodation, dinner and English breakfast |
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Welcome drink at both hotels, picnic lunch on train and light lunch at Brantwood |
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All private tours, entries, rail tickets and boat excursions as stated on the itinerary |
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Free car parking at the Macdonald Old Swan Harrogate |
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Professional guide and executive coaching |
We will endeavour to organise taxi transport from Leeds Station to Harrogate at 1600 hrs provided it is requested 4 weeks before – the cost will be divided between those taking part.
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Staying at The Macdonald Old Swan, Harrogate and
Macdonald Old England, Lake Windermere
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