Overview
Enjoy your day visiting the great estates and cathedrals in the area around Dover.
Chartwell, home of Winston Churchill, Great Dixter, estate of gardening writer Christopher Lloyd, Leed's Castle, and the village of Rye will give a true taste of old England.
Chartwell, near Westerham in Kent, was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine from 1924 until the end of his life. Winston Churchill is regarded by many as the greatest Englishman of all time: a great, but flawed, man. He was often, simultaneously, politician, soldier, writer, historian, artist and some-time bricklayer. To Churchill Chartwell was his refuge, a place visited at his lowest ebb during the Second World War, and one that he loved as much as any other in his life. Yet, even as he saw out the later years of his life, Chartwell belonged to the British nation, ordained to become 'a shrine to his memory'. Churchill was delighted, and his spirit inhabits the house to this day.
Chartwell is more than just an English Country house. The gardens, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, are delightful. Between the visitor centre and house, a slope overlooks a fishpond of huge proportions and woodland glades are set into the hillside. On the other side of the house, Churchill's famous wall borders Clementine's rose garden. At the bottom of the garden you can see Churchill's studio just as he left it. His palette, still covered in paint, lies alongside his easel and in a small room by the door unfinished canvasses and completed works are piled to the ceiling.
Leeds Castle, set on an island in the middle of a lake and surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens is considered by many to be the loveliest castle in the world. After touring the State Apartments, we continue to lunch in a traditional country pub (at your own expense) in the heart of the Kent countryside, known as the Garden of England. In the afternoon we visit Canterbury, England's ecclesiastical capital, where Thomas a Beckett, then Archbishop of Canterbury was murdered in 1170 by the Knights of Henry II. There will be a visit to the magnificent Cathedral with free time to wander around this town before returning to Dover.
Rye's history can be traced back to before the Norman Conquest, when, as a small fishing community, it was almost surrounded by water and lay within the Manor of Rameslie..
This ancient town, formerly an island, flourished in the 13th century. In its early days, Rye was a smuggling centre, its residents sneaking in contraband from the marshes to stash away in little nooks.
But the sea receded from Rye, leaving it perched like a giant whale out of water, 3km (2 miles) from the Channel. Attacked several times by French fleets, Rye was practically razed in 1377. But it rebuilt successfully, in full Elizabethan panoply. When Queen Elizabeth I visited in 1573, she was so impressed that she bestowed upon the town the distinction of Royal Rye. This has long been considered a special place and, over the years, has attracted famous people, such as novelist Henry James.
Its narrow cobblestone streets twist and turn like a labyrinth, and jumbled along them are buildings whose sagging roofs and crooked chimneys indicate the town's medieval origins. The town overflows with sites of architectural interest.
- Your service includes a fully qualified Blue Badge Driver/Guide.
- Admissions are not included and payable on site: Leeds Castle £25.00, Canterbury Cathedral £12.50, Chartwell House £154.50.
- Food beverages, and gratuities are also not included in the tour.
Days offered: 7 days a week
Departures:- 09:00 AM, duration: 8 hours
