Heritage Tours

Royal Connections - Windsor, Winchester

Discover two of the most significant sites in the story of the British monarchy. Windsor Castle is the Queen’s weekend home, a Norman fortress and a favourite location for royal marriages. And Winchester, England’s first capital, is an ancient city brimming with 1500 years of royal history including King Arthur, Alfred the Great and the Merry Monarch, Charles II. 

Founding Connections - Windsor, Runnymede, Salisbury and Southampton

Trace the story of the key royal, constitutional and founding links between the United States and United Kingdom visiting some of the most iconic sites in southern England. Your qualified Blue Badge Guide will reveal, at each location you visit, fascinating details of how the foundations of the special relationship between the rulers and people of both nations were forged.

The Mayflower City

Southern England abounds with the evidence of the ancient peoples of Britain. The great monuments at Stonehenge and Avebury are globally renowned and there is so much more to discover hidden in the surrounding landscapes and superb museums of Wiltshire and Dorset. Join this tour to learn what archaeology has revealed about the prehistoric landscape and the astounding technical and cultural accomplishments of our ancestors.

Plymouth

Enjoy a guided tour of old Plymouth, the Barbican and Hoe, and visit superb exhibitions about Mayflower that tell the story of the Pilgrims’ mission.Take a guided trip to Buckland Abbey, the Drake family home, to discover Sir Francis Drake’s story and the great changes that took place in Tudor England and ultimately giving rise to the great migration westwards, across the Atlantic.

Dorset Faith and Enterprise
in the New World

The county of Dorset sent many founding settlers to the East Coast of North America; from Roanoke, Jamestown and Massachusetts to Newfoundland and Bermuda. This tour goes off the beaten track in rural Dorset to tell the story of Sir Walter Raleigh, trace evidence of the Washington family and the Stars and Stripes and discover how Dorset’s pilgrims set up founding settlements to forge their own story in the New World.

City Tours – Winchester, Bath, Salisbury, Wells and Exeter, Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth and Bristol

From Royal capital to global trading ports and great ecclesiastical centres southern England has a range of fascinating cities to explore on foot. My walking tours uncover fascinating stories of the people and history behind the buildings, monuments and culture we find.

Great Historic Houses and Castles

The manor houses, stately homes and castles of England are time capsules of power, privilege, architecture and art that reveal much about the story of England’s past and the great families that owned them. There are superb examples from different historical periods in every county across southern England. A themed tour might explore the art of the great houses or the story of a particular family or you might choose to visit a favourite stately home as part of a wider tour.

Dartmouth Pilgrim Fathers’ Haven

Spend the day exploring one of Devon’s most historic and scenic harbour towns and the stunning estuary of the River Dart set deep in the Devon landscape. Your qualified Blue Badge Guide will bring alive the local stories of the Pilgrim Fathers as they share with you the history of the people and the locations that are key to the start of their journey to America.

Cathedrals, Churches and Monasteries

From parish church to the great cathedrals the religious buildings of England are amongst the most awe-inspiring and humbling places to explore. Winchester was once the largest religious complex north of the Alps, Salisbury is a masterpiece of gothic architecture and Wells considered by some to be the most beautiful of English cathedrals. Exeter, Gloucester and Chichester cathedrals are equally fascinating whilst St George’s Chapel, Bath Abbey or the Methodist and non-conformist chapels of later centuries have great stories to tell. Explore England’s religious heritage as a themed tour or visit your chosen sites as part of a wider tour.

D-Day Dorset US Connections

The small rural county of Dorset sits directly opposite the Cherbourg Peninsular and, consequently, played a vital role in the preparations and embarkation for D-Day and the liberation of Europe. From November 1943 Dorset became part of a massive military training depot as British, U.S. and Allied troops assembled across southern England.

Legendary Kings of the West Country: Arthur and Alfred

The quieter corners of the west of England are home to many ancient stories and legends. King Arthur and King Alfred the Great are amongst the best known and most enigmatic. This tour begins in Glastonbury and explores a range of sites off the beaten track linked with what we believe we know about these heroic leaders.

D-Day Hampshire US Connections

The idyllic country villages of Hampshire and the great maritime ports of Portsmouth and Southampton played a vital role in the preparations and launch of D-Day. From November 1943 the county became part of a massive military training depot as British, U.S. and Allied troops assembled across southern England.