Poldark Country & the West

Poldark Country & the West

British Heritage Travel Magazine

Themes

  • Historical

  • Gardening

Associations

  • British Heritage Travel Magazine

Poldark Country & the West

British Heritage Travel Magazine

Prices From $2,490p/p

Located on a peninsula surrounded by the sea, the south west corner of mainland Britain is an enchanting region to explore. Devon and Cornwall are counties of great contrasts, offering stunning coastal scenery and wildly rugged moorland landscapes plus a rich heritage of mining, smuggling and seafaring. We enjoy this impressive scenery and visit some of the historic and scenic locations used in the filming of the BBC’s hugely successful Poldark TV series. We will be joined by a British Heritage Travel Magazine journalist for part of the tour. 

Special extras included in your itinerary
• Guided tour of Poldark Mine
• Guided tour of Dartmouth Royal Naval College

Day 1
Arrival

On arrival at Heathrow airport, the Heathrow Express train will take you to Paddington station from where it is a short walk to our overnight hotel, the Hilton London Paddington. In the evening you are invited to join the group for dinner.

Please note you will be provided with a train ticket prior to departure which will allow you to take the train from Heathrow at your leisure.

Day 2
Travel to Penzance

We head back to Paddington station where we catch the train down to Penzance in Cornwall. On arrival, we are transferred to the Penventon Park Hotel, where we spend the next three nights.

Day 3
Land’s End, St Ives and St Michael’s Mount

We start the day at Land’s End, mainland Britain’s most south-westerly point and one of the country’s most famous landmarks. A place of outstanding natural beauty and stunning scenery, this iconic coastal landscape boasts rugged cliffs carved by the mighty Atlantic Ocean and an abundance of wildlife and sea life including grey seals, basking sharks and dolphins.

Next is the Cornish holiday town of St Ives. Stroll along one of the sandy beaches, watch the fishermen launch their boats from the harbour, wander through the maze of cobbled streets admiring the pretty cottages or take in the artwork on display at the Cornwall branch of the Tate Gallery.

The rest of the day is spent at St Michael’s Mount, reached by a short boat ride or on foot, depending on tide times. The little sister of Brittany’s Mont St Michel, this craggy island features a medieval castle which has been home to the St Aubyn family since the 17th century, a harbour and village with a close-knit island community.

Day 4
Poldark Mine, Charlestown and Lost Gardens of Heligan

Poldark Mine is one of the most historic locations in the annals of Cornish mining history. On our underground guided tour, we explore the labyrinth of caverns, passageways and shafts that make up this 18th-century tin mine and are given a unique insight into the working conditions in 18th and early 19th-century tin mines. The museum and grounds are home to many unique exhibits, interpreting the fascinating story of the Cornish miners. The mine was also used to film the underground sequences of Poldark.

Afterwards we enjoy some free time in Charlestown, an amazing unspoiled example of a late Georgian working port, constructed in response to the growth of the local mining industry. Other businesses were established including pilchard curing and ship building, with many attractive period properties built up in the village. Charlestown is a popular filming location with credits including Poldark and there are often square rigger ships in the harbour.

Finally, we head to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, the historic, award-winning gardens of the Heligan Estate that were lost for decades in undergrowth. A ground breaking restoration project brought the gardens back to life, offering Victorian productive gardens, pleasure grounds and a sub-tropical jungle with exotic plantings. The wider estate reveals traditional and rare breeds, wildlife and ancient woodland.

Day 5
Jamaica Inn and Plymouth

We visit Jamaica Inn, Cornwall’s most famous smuggling inn located high up on wildly beautiful Bodmin Moor. Full of legend, this historic coaching house was made famous by Daphne du Maurier’s tale of smugglers, rogues and pirates and has been welcoming travellers for nearly 300 years.

We continue to Plymouth, Britain’s ocean city and naval port with a wonderful waterfront that houses the historic Barbican and Sutton Harbour. Around the Barbican, a vibrant place of cobbled streets and narrow lanes, there is a wide range of shops, galleries, pubs and restaurants set amidst picturesque scenery.

Afterwards, we check in to the Future Inn, our base for the next two nights.

Day 6
Dartmouth Royal Naval College, Buckland Abbey and Dartmoor National Park

We head to the picturesque port of Dartmouth where we enjoy a guided tour of the Royal Naval College, home of initial Naval Officer training in the UK since 1863. Here we discover the rich history, role and relevance of this building with its iconic architecture and the naval training conducted here today. The tour includes the elegant Chapel, the Quarterdeck, Parade Ground, Senior Gun Room and Britannia Heritage Museum.

Founded in 1278, Buckland Abbey was the last of the Cistercian monasteries to be built in medieval England and Wales. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Buckland became the home of Elizabethan seafarers Sir Roger Grenville and Sir Francis Drake and remained in the Drake family for around 400 years. We discover over eight centuries of history and hear stories of how Buckland went from peaceful Cistercian Abbey, through dissolution and restoration to become the fascinating house it is today.

We then take a scenic drive through part of Dartmoor National Park, a dramatic landscape of stunning views, striking granite tors, deep wooded valleys and swathes of heather covered moorland and home to the famous free-roaming ponies. 

Day 7
Chavenage House

Leaving Devon and Cornwall, we head east, stopping for a few hours at Chavenage House, an Elizabethan era manor house constructed of grey Cotswold stone and largely unchanged for 400 years. The house has a rich history and many Civil War associations including the rooms where Cromwell stayed and an interior packed with stunning period furniture, historic tapestries and fascinating relics from the Cromwellian era. Chavenage has also been used as a Poldark filming location.

Later, we check in to the Mercure George Hotel, where we enjoy a farewell dinner together.

Day 8
Departure

A minibus shuttle transfer, departing at 8.30am, will take you back to Heathrow airport for your return flight home.

This tour will involve a fair amount of walking on uneven surfaces, especially at St Michael’s Mount, Poldark Mine and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, and may not be suitable for people with limited mobility. Access to St Michael’s Mount is limited by tides therefore visiting times will vary.

What’s Included

• Heathrow Express train transfer from London Heathrow* to London Paddington
• Minibus shuttle transfer from the Mercure George Hotel to London Heathrow
• 1 night at the Hilton London Paddington Hotel
• 3 nights at the Penventon Park Hotel
• 2 nights at the Future Inn
• 1 night at the Mercure George Hotel
• Full English breakfast and 3-course table d’hôte dinner each day
• After dinner tea and coffee
• Services of a tour director throughout your stay
• Travel to and from all excursions
• All entrance costs
• Porterage

*supplement applies for transfers from all other airports

Special extras included in your itinerary

• Guided tour of Poldark Mine
• Guided tour of Dartmouth Royal Naval College

Night One – Hilton London Paddington Hotel

Nights Two to Four – Penventon Park Hotel

The Penventon Park Hotel is a beautifully converted Georgian manor house set in private parkland in Redruth, Cornwall. This independently owned hotel combines elegant interior style in keeping with original Georgian features and offers traditionally styled guest rooms, a bar, lounge and restaurant. Leisure facilities include a heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and fitness suite. Spa treatments are available at extra cost.

Nights Five and Six – Future Inn
The Future Inn is a modern hotel situated approximately three miles from Plymouth city centre. The hotel offers a bar, restaurant and air-conditioned rooms with TV and tea and coffee-making facilities.

Night Seven – Mercure George Hotel, Reading