Follow The Celts: History, Culture, Cheese And Cider

Day 1 - Wednesday 1st September

Arrive Heathrow. Romsey, Salisbury and Sherborne

On arrival at Heathrow a meet and greet guide will be on hand to escort you to your coach. Transfer to Salisbury for a guided tour of the Cathedral, one of Britain's finest medieval buildings, which has the UK's tallest spire at 123m. Explore the Cathedral Close before lunch at leisure. Continue to Sherborne where accommodation is reserved at The Grange of Oborne on a bed and breakfast basis for 3 nights. This delightful three-star country house hotel was once a manor house and is set within the rolling hills of West Dorset. Dinner will be own arrangements in the hotel restaurant, as you may wish to eat lightly and early after a long journey.

 

 

Day 2 - Thursday 2nd September

Bridport and Yeovil

After breakfast transfer to Sherborne Castle for a special opening. Once the home of Sir Walter Raleigh, the imposing Castle and gardens sit within a Capability Brown influenced landscape. Continue to Bridport and enjoy time at leisure before transferring to The Riverside Restaurant at West Bay. With stunning views of the river, you will enjoy the freshest fish and shellfish from the surrounding waters caught by local fisherman. Locally farmed meat dishes are also available.

Depart for Yeovil. Arrive Bridge Farm in Yeovil where a cider tasting has been arranged. A wide variety of ciders are available from Bridge Farm including award winning traditional farmhouse cider. You will also sample their distinctive apple and pear juices. Using their own and other locally sourced fruit, the range now extends to ten juices.

Return to hotel. Own arrangements for dinner tonight.

 

 

Day 3 - Friday 3rd September

Corfe Castle, Blandford Forum and Sturmeister Newton

After breakfast depart for Corfe Castle, now a ruin, but once a Wessex stronghold until it was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell's forces. Walk amongst the ruins and take in the commanding views over rural Dorset. Lunch and time at leisure at Corfe Castle.

Transfer to Blandford Forum for a guided tour of Chettle House, designed by Thomas Archer and a fine example of English Baroque architecture set in 5 acres of peaceful gardens. Depart for Sturmeister Newton to tast the famous local cheese, Dorset Blue Vinney direct from the farm shop. It is a hand-skimmed, unpasteurised, vegetarian blue cheese that was once produced in nearly every farmhouse in Dorset but up until 1984 had disappeared for nearly half a century.

Return to hotel. This evening transfer to Little Barwick House for dinner. This small, stylish Georgian hotel has a relaxed, country-house feel and houses one of the best restaurants in the area. Maintaing 3 AA Rosettes since the year 2000 is testament to the culinary delights you will taste this evening.

 

 

Day 4 - Saturday 4th September

Sherborne and Kingsbridge

After breakfast check out of hotel and depart for Devon. En route stop in Chard and visit Forde Abbey and Gardens. Ford Abbey is a treasure in an area already known for its outstanding beauty. More than 900 years of history and romance are encapsulated in this elegant former Cistercian monastery and its 30 acres of award winning gardens. After your private tour enjoy lunch in the restaurant. The food served at Forde Abbey is cooked in the Abbey kitchens using produce grown here or sourced from local producers. The walled kitchen garden and the soft fruit grown on the estate provided a wealth of seasonal fresh produce and the famous Forde Abbey Devon Beef often appears on the menu. Home reared game is also a regular feature. Continue to Hazelwood House Hotel in Kingsbridge where accommodation is reserved on a bed and breakfast basis for 2 nights. Hazelwood House is an early Victorian country house set in one of the UK's areas of outstanding natural beauty. Enjoy dinner tonight in the hotel restaurant.

 

 

Day 5 - Sunday 5th September

Ashburton and Dartmouth

After breakfast depart for Newton Abbot where a special opening has been arranged at Bradley Manor. This is a 15th century manor house in its own secluded woodland setting, with a notable great hall - emblazoned with the royal coast of arms of Elizabeth I.

Continue into the market town of Newton Abbot for some free time, highlights include St Leonard's Tower, Forde House and Passmore Edwards Library. Also visit the local market which offers a wealth of choice of fresh fruit and vegetables and other local produce.

Transfer to Ashburton for lunch at leisure. Depart for Buckfast Abbey, home to a Roman Catholic community of Benedictine Monks. It is here that the famous Buckfast Tonic Wine was created. Take a tour of the Abbey and see where the wine was once produced. This evening transfer to the New Angel Restaurant in Dartmouth for dinner. Created by John Burton-Race the menu at The New Angel offers some of the finest cuisine in the country. The restaurant is accredited a Michelin star and showcases the best of local and seasonal ingredients in a modern French style.

 

 

 

Day 6 - Monday 6th September

Kingsbridge and Mevagissey

Check out after breakfast and travel into Cornwall, stopping at route at the many scenic sights as you tour through superb English countryside. Visit the highly acclaimed Lost Gardens of Heligan for a guided tour. After decades of neglect and the devastating hurricane of 1990 a group of local enthusiasts have restored much of the gardens of this former sleeping beauty – but there is still work to be done. Continue to Mevagissey where accommodation is reserved for 3 nights at the Trevalsa Court Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis. Trevalsa, Cornish for house on the cliff, was originally a grand seaside home. Understatedly elegant and stylish this hotel is secluded within two and a half acres of sub tropical gardens. The rest of the day is at leisure. This evening enjoy a meal in the hotel restaurant with views over the gardens to the sea.

 

 

 

Day 7 - Tuesday 7th September

St Austell and Truro

This morning visit the famous Eden Project - an unforgettable experience in a breathtaking location, a global garden and a place of beauty and wonder. After a self-guided tour enjoy lunch in the restaurant for a delicious freshly prepared lunch. Take the scenic route back to the hotel via Lynher Dairies, located outside Truro and producer of the famous Cornish Yarg cheese, ingredients of which include stinging nettles! On arrival you will be shown around the farm and dairy before enjoying samples of the cheeses produced here. Return to the hotel. This evening dinner is arranged in Mevagissey at the Salamander Restaurant, a small family run restaurant which prides itself in using the freshest Cornish produce.

 

 

Day 8 - Wednesday 8th September

Padstow

After breakfast transfer to Padstow. The town of Padstow is an ancient, but busy fishing port. Picturesque pastel colour-washed and stone cottages nestle in the narrow streets leading down to the harbour and quays. Enjoy some free time watching the everyday ebb and flow of harbour life. A traditional British lunch is arranged at celebrity chef Rick Stein’s Fish and Chip shop. Return to hotel for time at leisure. This evening dinner will be at own arrangements.

 

Day 9 - Thursday 9th September

Depart UK and travel to Paimpol, France

Check out after breakfast for transfer to Exeter airport for onward flight to France. Arrive at Brest airport. Met by local guide, Patrick. Drive to Paimpol. Stop in Lannion and view pink granite coast on the way if time. 3 star hotel with dinner included in Paimpol.

 

Day 10 - Friday 10th September

North East Brittany

After breakfast take the 15 minute boat to Brehat island and return to Paimpol after lunch, or stay in Paimpol to visit and appreciate what was the main fishing harbour for cod fish. Mid afternoon, we will drive to our hotel ideally located in the North-East part of Brittany. This is a family run hotel with a renowned restaurant. We stay at this hotel for 2 nights, including breakfast and dinner daily.

 

Day 11 - Saturday 11 September

Today we will do a great loop around our base. After only a 10 minute drive, we arrive at the harbour of Cancale known in France for its oysters. We then travel on to the fortified town of Saint Malo. Saint Malo was the starting place of Jacques Cartier and the immigrants to Quebec. After lunch, it will take us 40 minutes to drive to the town of Dinan. This is a beautiful town, with fine examples of Brittany architecture. We will spend the rest of the afternoon there as it is only 30 minute drive home.

 

Day 12 - Sunday 12 September

Avranches

The highlight today is Mont Saint Michel. To visit the island and the Abbey on top of the rock, we will need at least 4 hours. Our options will be left open to decide on the day whether to visit Mont Saint Michel in the morning or afternoon, and allow us to spend a couple of hours in the lovely town of Dol de Bretagne. We stay overnight in a lovely place which was a horse and cart stop in the middle ages between Brittany and Normandy. It also has a very good restaurant where we will enjoy dinner tonight. The hotel is located in the centre of Avranches.

 

Day 13 - Monday 13th September

Bayeux

After breakfast we start driving north to the Normandy peninsula. We will stop at a traditional tripe and salami shop. We then visit one of the finest and better preserved Abbey’s in western Normandy, the Abbey of La Lucerne. If weather is good we might have a picnic lunch here with all the good food we just bought earlier. After lunch, on our way to Bayeux we will visit the National Haras of Saint Lô (stud farm). We are in Bayeux for 2 nights, and we will stay right next to the Cathedral in a 3 star hotel with dinner included.

 

Day 14 - Tuesday 14th September

After breakfast, we will do a morning tour of Bayeux, one of the only towns in Normandy that was not bombed during WWII. We’ll visit the famous tapestry, the Cathedral and an embroidery work shop. After lunch, we will drive to the Normandy landing beaches and see the major American War Cemetery of Colleville Sur Mer. We should get a couple of hours free to enjoy Bayeux before dinner.

 

Day 15 - Wednesday 15th September

Honfluer

We leave Bayeux after breakfast. We will drive along the coast to view most of the D-Day beaches, from Arromanches and its artificial Harbour to Pegasus bridge to the east. We then drive up the hilly Pays d’Auge and stop in the stunning village of Breuvron en Auge where we might sample some of the best Cider and Apple brandy produced. A one hour drive will then take us to the famous resort of DEAUVILLE where we will take a short walk and have a drink amongst some of the greatest Anglo-Normand style Villas.  Late afternoon, we will get to Honfleur to check in our hotel before dinner. We will stay here for 2 nights with dinner included.

 

Day 16 - Thursday 16th September

Tour the old town of Honfleur on a short walking tour and then enjoy a free afternoon, perhaps to visit the Eugene Boudin Museum.

 

Day 17 - Friday 17th September

Paris

We travel from Honfleur to Paris, via Marais Vernier, where you will see thatched roofs everywhere! We then follow the Risle River until the Abbey of Bec Hellouin. This Abbey is over 1000 years old, and is still used be the Benedictine Monks. We will then drive via Giverny, where we will have time to visit Monet’s garden. For those who do not wish to visit the garden, there will be the chance to have a couple of free hours in the lovely town of Vernon on the Seine River. We should arrive in Paris around 7pm and will check in our hotel, where we will stay for the next two nights.

 

Day 18 - Saturday 18th September

A day free to enjoy Paris.

 

Day 19 - Sunday 19th September

You will be transferred from your hotel to the airport for your flights back to Australia, arriving back in Adelaide on Tuesday 21st September. Alternatively, you may wish to extend your time in France and perhaps Europe.