Themes
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Historical
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Artists
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Royal Connections
Associations
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NTHP
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The Royal Oak Foundation
Castles & Mansions of Kent for the Single Traveller
Join our small group tour specially created for single travellers, where you’ll be in the company of like-minded people in a warm and friendly atmosphere. We discover the beautiful landscapes of Kent, known as the Garden of England, which have inspired artists, authors and scientists and are home to a veritable treasure trove of historic gems, from medieval manor houses to picturesque castle ruins.
There is no single supplement to pay on this tour-regardless of the number of rooms sold!
Special extras included in your itinerary
• Guided walking tour of Windsor
• Exclusive early bird garden tour at Sissinghurst
• Dinner in a traditional English pub on one evening
• Themed evening talk by a guest speaker
On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private transfer will take you to our overnight hotel, the Macdonald Windsor Hotel. In the evening you are invited to join the group for a welcome drink and canapés, as you are introduced to one another and have the opportunity to socialize, followed by dinner.
We start the day at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and one of the Queen’s official residences. Established in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, it has been remodelled by successive kings and queens and is regularly used for ceremonial and State occasions. The magnificent State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest works of art from the Royal Collection while St George’s Chapel is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England.
After lunch together in a local café, we enjoy a guided walking tour of Windsor. Lying on the south bank of the River Thames, this ancient town, which grew up around the castle, has a rich mix of culture and history. The Old Town retains its picturesque medieval appearance with cobbled streets, winding alleyways and lovely half-timbered houses. We also take a walk down to the river bank and up Castle Hill.
We continue on to the Buxted Park Hotel, our base for the next five nights. We enjoy dinner tonight at our hotel together.
Penshurst Place is a medieval manor house surrounded by stunning formal walled gardens and ancient parkland. Previously used as a hunting lodge by Henry VIII, it has been owned by the Sidney family since 1552 and is still a much-loved family home. The house still displays many of its original medieval and Tudor features, a magnificent Great Hall and State Rooms which house a fine collection of portraits, furniture and tapestries. We enjoy lunch here after our visit.
Next, we explore the romantic, moated manor house of Ightham Mote, once described by historian David Starkey as “the most beautiful and the most interesting of English country houses”. Built nearly 700 years ago, atmospheric Ightham has been home to medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII and Victorian High Society. The tranquil garden features lakes and an orchard, while the ancient estate offers breathtaking views of the Kent countryside.
Dinner tonight is taken in a traditional English pub where we enjoy hearty local fare in a rustic setting.
We visit Red House, the only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Only recently acquired by the National Trust, conservation work has revealed more about the house including a previously undiscovered pre-Raphaelite Genesis wall painting.
We then travel to Down House, home of scientist Charles Darwin and his family for 40 years. Several rooms have been recreated as they appeared when he lived here including the study where he wrote 'On the Origin of Species'. The house is surrounded by extensive gardens; Darwin's 'outdoor laboratory'.
After dinner back at the hotel this evening, we enjoy a fascinating talk by a guest speaker.
We head to Sissinghurst Castle Garden where we enjoy an exclusive early bird garden tour. Created in the 1930s by novelist Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson around the picturesque ruins of an Elizabethan manor house, these world-famous gardens are laid out as a series of enchanting, individually-planted ‘rooms’ including a fragrant Herb Garden and Rose Garden.
Wealthy Victorians liked nothing more in their gardens than a picturesque ruin and the partially-ruined, 14th century moated example at Scotney Castle is particularly romantic, with roses and wisteria adorning its walls. The lovely Victorian country house overlooking it combines 19th century revival style furnishings with domestic comfort.
Later, we enjoy dinner together in a local restaurant.
Our first stop is Charleston, home of artists Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf), and country meeting place for the writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. The house was transformed by the artists who painted walls and furniture, and filled rooms with textiles, ceramics and works of art from their collection.
17th-century Bateman’s so enchanted Rudyard Kipling when he discovered it that he made it his home in 1902. With its stone-mullioned windows and Sussex oak beams, it’s a romantic retreat that has been left virtually untouched since Kipling’s tenure here. The tranquil gardens include an orchard, formal garden and a colourful wildflower meadow, through which a river flows.
Later, we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.
We spend the morning at Watts Gallery and Artists’ Village, a building intended to provide ‘art for all’ and finished shortly before artist George Frederic Watts’ death. After major restoration work, the gallery walls are hung with a large selection of Watts’ prolific output. We also have time to visit the Arts and Crafts chapel designed by Watts’ wife Mary, and the great studio house, Limnerslease.
We continue on to Greys Court. Set in the rolling hills of the Chilterns, this picturesque Tudor mansion has a rich patchwork of styles, including 18th-century additions and 20th-century interiors. The house is still furnished as an intimate family home, having been occupied until 2003 and was used as a filming location in the hugely popular TV series Downton Abbey.
From here we travel to the Macdonald Windsor Hotel, where we enjoy a farewell dinner together.
After breakfast at the hotel a private transfer will take you back to Heathrow airport for your return flight home.
What’s Included
• Airport transfers from London Heathrow*
• 2 nights at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel
• 5 nights at the Buxted Park Hotel
• Welcome drink and canapés
• Full English breakfast each day
• 2 lunches
• 7 dinners
• 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 walking tour of Windsor
• Exclusive early bird garden tour at Sissinghurst
• Dinner in a traditional English pub on one evening
• Themed evening talk by a guest speaker
Nights One and Seven – Macdonald Windsor Hotel
The Macdonald Windsor Hotel is situated in the heart of the historic town of Windsor, opposite the famous Windsor Castle. The classic interiors, with a contemporary edge, fit perfectly with the Georgian elegance of this townhouse hotel. The luxury bedrooms are individually-designed and the hotel also offers a stylish bar and restaurant.
Nights Two to Six – Buxted Park Hotel
Set in fine parkland in the heart of Sussex, the Buxted Park Hotel is an imposing Palladian mansion built in 1722. Buxted’s famous connections are numerous; from Queen Victoria to stars such as Marlon Brando and Gregory Peck. Blending Georgian style with contemporary modern luxury, the hotel offers excellently appointed rooms, a lounge bar and restaurant.
