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ANNUAL TOUR FOR THE RICHARD III SOCIETY, AMERICAN BRANCH
Come join our friendly little band of travelers for a unique touring experience, as we explore the England of Richard III! This delightfully specialized tour is perfect for those with a keen interest in Richard III and England’s medieval period in general, as well as for the first-time visitor. Sites we will visit that have associations with Richard III include among others: Middleham, Pickering, Skipton, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and Corfe castles; the parish churches at Middleham, Pickering, Sutton Cheney, Bere Regis, and Saxton (with presentation on the Battle of Towton); Tewkesbury Abbey, and Wells Cathedral. We will enjoy two evenings and a full day at leisure in the ancient city of York and take an excellent guided tour of Bosworth Battlefield, where Richard lost his crown and life. At several sites, we will be warmly received and accompanied on our sightseeing by Ricardian friends from various English branches and groups – always special occasions for all of us! The itinerary also includes a choice selection of England’s manor houses and stately homes, including Berkeley Castle, Castle Howard ("Brideshead Revisited"), Hardwick Hall, Lytes Cary Manor, Cothele (a marvelous late medieval knight’s dwelling), and magnificent Hampton Court Palace. Also featured are such sites as legendary Glastonbury Abbey, 12th century Byland Abbey, and historic Winchester Cathedral. And, during the course of our travels, we’ll also become acquainted with the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, discover fabulous Dartmoor and take in some of England’s lovely coastline!
You will enjoy 12 days of leisurely touring in a comfortable mid-size coach, with a friendly, helpful driver/courier. Our accommodations, located mainly in attractive market towns or villages, will be in charming smaller hotels and coaching inns with the highest ratings in their class. Emphasis is placed on quality, individuality, comfort, excellent food and a warm welcome. All rooms will have private facilities and full amenities. Most of our lunches will be at unspoiled country pubs of character, which are recommended for their food. Your enthusiastic tour coordinator/escort will be Linda Treybig, member of the Richard III Society since 1979 and specialist on travel in Great Britain, who has led 14 previous Ricardian tours. Group size is limited to a maximum of 12 (minimum of 6) with space available on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Preference will be given to members of the Richard III Society, but members of the general public are welcome as well. A number of Ricardians have already expressed a strong interest in the 2004 tour, so please register as early as possible and join us for a truly memorable tour! LAND TOUR RATE & PAYMENT SCHEDULE: $2,695.00. (Single Supplement: $280.00). Deadline for reservation form and deposit of $250.00 is February 10, 2004. Balance in full is payable by April 5, 2004. Air extra. Please see General Information. CANCELLATION FEES:
CANCELLATION PENALTIES APPLY, SO TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED! PLEASE ASK FOR DETAILS. THE ITINERARY
June 19: Welcome to Richard III’s England! A very special journey begins this morning on arrival at Manchester Airport. Boarding our coach, we will transfer to our charming hotel in the midst of the Yorkshire Dales, where we’ll have the rest of the day free to recover from jet lag and just soak up the ambience of this unspoiled corner of England. This evening, we’ll enjoy the first of many delectable dinners together. OVERNIGHT (2 nights): Yorkshire Dales June 20: Appropriately, our first day of sightseeing will begin in the attractive town of Middleham where we’ll greet friends from the Yorkshire Branch and spend the morning exploring Richard’s mighty castle and favorite home, as well as the parish church. After enjoying a chat with our friends over a tasty pub lunch, it’s off to the pleasant Dales market town of Skipton. Restored by Lady Anne Clifford in the 16th century, Skipton Castle is one of the most appealing and best-preserved castles that once belonged to Richard, and he is known to have done some renovations in the adjacent parish church. Our travels through some of the most stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales will add the finishing touch to a most satisfactory day.
June 21: Departing the Dales, our first venue this morning will be beautiful Byland Abbey (once one of the three great monasteries of the North), where we’ll explore the substantial ruins and view some of the finest medieval floor tiles in England. Overlooking the pleasant town of Pickering are the ruins of an interesting castle. Once widely used as a hunting lodge by many medieval kings, it was yet another castle in Richard’s keeping. After visiting the castle, we make a short stop at the church to view its fine medieval wall paintings. The rest of the afternoon will be devoted to Castle Howard. John Vanbrugh’s Palladian masterpiece and one of Britain’s most spectacular stately homes, Castle Howard was featured in the outstanding TV series, Brideshead Revisited. Then, on to our comfortable hotel in the historic city of York. OVERNIGHT (2 nights): York June 22: This day in York is yours to spend as you choose! Stroll through its maze of medieval streets, walk its ancient walls, browse in its fine shops, and visit some of its many attractions. You shouldn’t’ miss magnificent York Minster (250 years in the making!) or the Merchant Adventurers Hall, Europe’s most outstanding guildhall (with which Richard was doubtless well acquainted). This remarkable city also boasts the Jorvik Viking Centre, the ruins of Clifford’s Castle, the National Railway Museum, the one-of-a-kind Castle Museum, and the York Museum with a good little exhibition on Roman Britain. And why not round off the day with lunch at a riverside pub or treat yourself to afternoon tea at Betty’s Tea Rooms?
June 23: This morning, as we wend our way south, we will make a stop to view the memorial commemorating the Battle of Towton. Next, on to nearby Saxton church, where so many of the dead lie buried. Here we plan to hear a presentation on the battle. After lunch at a local inn famous for producing the granddaddy of all Yorkshire puddings, we continue on our way to Leicestershire. Our final venue of the day will be "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall." This nonpareil that time and care have miraculously preserved since the 16th century was built by the wealthy and powerful Bess of Hardwick, lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I, and contains a notable collection of furniture, needlework and tapestries. OVERNIGHT (2 nights): Leicestershire June 24: On this special day, we pay homage to the life and death of Richard III with our annual visit to Bosworth Battlefield. First, we’ll visit Sutton Cheney church to hang our lovely memorial wreath. Following an excellent in-depth tour of the battlefield, during which there is bound to be much lively discussion as well as moments of quiet reflection, you will have time to visit the Battlefield Centre, which has a wide selection of Ricardian publications and mementos, as well as a fine exhibition. A most rewarding day will conclude with an afternoon visit to nearby Ashby-de-la-Zouch castle. Built by Lord Hastings who was in the process of expanding it at the time of his death, this impressive, mostly 15th century castle presents a more contemporary face to the world than Richard’s far less comfortable Norman castle in Middleham.
June 25: Following a rmorning journey through the charming landscape of the north Cotswolds, we will enjoy lunch at a delightful village pub. The ancient town of Tewkesbury nearby is steeped in history. Near the site of the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, Tewkesbury Abbey figured prominently in this important battle and is one of only five abbeys that remained intact after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. After a visit to this splendid Norman edifice, we will board our coach for the short trip to Berkeley Castle. Over the centuries, this home of the Berkeley family since the time of Henry II has been gradually transformed from a fortress into an imposing stately home with sweeping lawns and Elizabethan terraced gardens. In addition to its medieval kitchens, a magnificent Great Hall and state rooms with fine furnishings, Berkeley Castle also retains its dungeon and the cell where Edward II was murdered. (There’s a lot of interesting history to be found here, too!) OVERNIGHT (1 night): Near Bristol June 26: Glorious Wells Cathedral (headed by Bishop Stillington in Richard’s time) is our first destination today. This architectural gem is still surrounded by most of its original complex – an entry called "Penniless Porch", both the old and new bishop’s palaces, a quaint adjoining lane of medieval cottages named Vicar’s Close, and a moat in which swans ring a bell when they want to be fed. Breathtakingly beautiful, both inside and out, Wells Cathedral ranks high on everyone’s list of favorite cathedrals! This afternoon, we will visit ancient Glastonbury Abbey, one of England’s earliest centers of Christianity. A rich source of legends (among them that of Joseph of Arimathia and the Holy Grail), it is also believed to be the burial site of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Finally, we make our way through Devon’s lush countryside to our cozy hotel in Dartmoor National Park. OVERNIGHT (2 nights): Dartmoor area
June 27: Today we will be joined by friends from the Devon & Cornwall Branch, who will lend their expertise in planning a thoroughly enjoyable day together. We will begin with a visit to Cothele House, a finely preserved knight’s manor house. This appealing late medieval home still has original furniture, armour, tapestries and a rare working 15th century clock. On its lovely riverside grounds stand a watermill, cider house and small shipping museum. The rest of our schedule is flexible but is sure to include some time on Dartmoor. A tableland of granite masses and grey tors, its slopes covered by gorse and heather, this fantastic area is dotted with the ruins of numerous prehistoric settlements and punctuated by treacherous bogs. Inhabited by the semi-wild Dartmoor pony, Dartmoor has a grimly romantic atmosphere that is evocative of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles. (If we’re in luck, perhaps this enthusiastic group will also treat us to one of their excellent presentations on a subject of Ricardian interest.) June 28: Crossing into pastoral south Somerset, our first stop this morning will be an enchanting place called Lytes Cary Manor. Standing in quiet farming country, this small medieval manor was owned by the Lyte family for over five centuries and continues to retain the aura of a true family home. Among its many appealing features are a fine 14th century family chapel and a 15th century hall. This is a place to savor! After lunch at a charming country pub, the rest of the day will include a gander at the well-endowed chalk figure of the Cerne Abbas Giant (not to be missed!), time spent in the attractive county town of Dorchester (Thomas Hardy’s "Casterbridge"), and an opportunity to see some of Dorset’s lovely coastline. OVERNIGHT (2 nights): Dorset June 29: The Dorset Group will be invited to join us today as we explore a favorite Ricardian destination, the rugged remains of Corfe Castle standing high above the village built of stone taken from the castle. Here, in 1462, a 9-year-old Richard was appointed Constable by Edward IV. Next, we’re off to Bere Regis, the birthplace of Cardinal John Morton, who built the church tower, gave a fine timber roof and founded the Morton Chapel in the north aisle. The rest of today’s schedule is flexible but may include a visit to Athelhampton, one of England’s loveliest late medieval homes. Built in the year of Richard’s death on the site of King Athelstan’s Palace, it has a fine Great Hall and a lovely garden with an excellent example of a 15th century dovecote. June 30: We will begin our final day together in the historical city of Winchester. First a Roman fort, then a Saxon town, and later the joint capital of England along with London, Alfred the Great and many of his successors were crowned in Winchester. The superb Norman cathedral, completed in 1063, has the longest nave in Europe and boasts an interior of incredible richness. Some of England’s most distinguished are buried here. A visit to the royal residence of Hampton Court Palace seems a fitting way to conclude our tour. Begun by Cardinal Wolsey and surrendered to Henry VIII, this great Tudor and baroque structure has state apartments that retain many of their original furnishings, fine paintings from the royal collection, a particularly beautiful Royal Chapel, and a Great Hall with a magnificent hammerbeam roof. Boarding the coach a final time, we will arrive at our hotel in London in the late afternoon, replete with memories of an exceptional tour! You are invited to join your escort for a farewell dinner tonight. OVERNIGHT (1 night): London ** Sites having known connections with Richard III and the House of York appear in bold italics. Others are underlined. NOTE: To help you enjoy your sightseeing to its fullest, each tour member will be provided with a packet of excellent background information on every site we plan to visit. A FINAL WORD . . . . . This exclusive tour features many Ricardian sites and other top visitors’ attractions you won’t want to miss! Traveling through England’s beautiful countryside and villages with a small group of friendly people who share your keen interest in Richard III, exploring places off the beaten track, enriching your knowledge of Richard and his times, discovering the best of both medieval and contemporary England — it all adds up to a truly serendipitous experience! WON’T YOU JOIN US? For further details, please contact: LINDA
TREYBIG
GENERAL INFORMATION Cost of land tour: $2,695.00 in shared room (Single Supplement: $280.00) — Air extra (see below) Land tour includes:
Not included:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BOOKING CONDITIONS Reservations are only considered confirmed on receipt of deposit of $250.00 per person. Reservations and deposit must be received by February 10, 2004. DEPOSIT IS NONREFUNABLE. Tour balances are due and payable by April 5, 2004. If later bookings are accepted, payment in full is required at time of booking. PAYMENT MUST BE MADE BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ONLY. Regrettably, credit cards cannot be accepted. RESPONSIBILITY CLAUSE The Richard III Society, Inc. and Linda Treybig, tour coordinator/escort (who acts only as agent in arranging transportation, hotel accommodation and all other services included in this tour) decline all liability or responsibility for any loss or damage to personal property, personal injury, or any expense connected with the provision of services for this tour. The tour coordinator reserves the right to accept or reject any person as a tour participant and to make changes in the itinerary whenever deemed necessary for the convenience, comfort or safety of the tour participants. Luggage and personal articles are at the owner’s risk unless insured. Should the number of participants not meet the minimum number stated (6), the tour coordinator reserves the right to adjust the tour price or to cancel the tour. However, the tour will not be cancelled less than six (6) weeks before the scheduled date of departure. If the tour should be cancelled, the limit of liability is the return of monies paid by the tour participant. DOWNLOAD
REGISTRATION FORM |
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