Britain is quite simply packed with historic castles and palaces. It may be small, but it’s full of a variety of amazing places stretching right from John O’Groats to Lands End, Belfast to St Davids. It has a wealth of history, culture, wildlife and it’s own unique eccentricities.
This tour takes in the best of these beginning in London as Kensington, Eltham and Hampton Court Palaces and moving out of London to the largest inhabited castles in the world Windsor and Arundel. A tour of Blenheim – one of our finest palaces is also included as well as visits to ‘classic’ moated castles such as Leeds and Bodiam.
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace.
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from an original built by William the Conqueror in 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a bend of the River Avon.
Windsor Castle, parts of which date back to the 11th century, is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. The castle is notable for its long association with the British royal family and for its architecture.
During your stay in London, you will have plenty of time to visit Kensington Palace and the Tower of London, a fortress built by William the Conqueror. Don’t miss a visit of the Hampton Court Palace and make sure you also see the Eltham Palace, one of the few medieval palaces in England which is still intact.
Windsor is totally dominated by its castle, the largest in Britain, and a home of the Royal family for 900 years. The town itself has many interesting old buildings dating back to the 17th Century, particularly in the cobbled streets of the Guildhall Island.
Warwick Castle, built by William the Conqueror dates back to 1068 and is one of the most visited castles in Britain. It has witnessed many attacks and historical events.
Stratford on Avon is the historical birthplace of William Shakespeare. You can visit the Shakespeare properties: his birthplace, where he also grew up; Anne Hathaway’s Cottage – where he courted his wife; his mother Mary Arden’s Farm, Hall’s Croft – where his daughter lived; and New Place – where Shakespeare ended his days.
The Blenheim Palace was Winston Churchill’s birthplace and childhood home. Originally a gift from Queen Anne to the 1st Duke of Marlborough in recognition of his famous victory over the French a t the Battle of Blenheim in 1704.
Arundel castle is one of the largest inhabited castles in the world. Though originally built in the 11th century, the castle suffered badly during the English civil war, so that what you see today was constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries. However within the walls of the castle there is almost 1000 years of history.
Bodiam Castle was built in 1385 and is very well preserved. In the impressive gatehouse is the castle’s original wooden portcullis, an extremely rare example of its kind.
Described as “the loveliest castle in the world”, Leeds Castle has been through more than 900 years of History. Originally built as a Donjon fortress, Henry VIII converted it into a Royal residence.