On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private transfer will take you to the Grand Harbour Hotel, where we stay for the next two nights. In the evening you are invited to join the group for a welcome drink, followed by dinner.

This morning, we head into London to visit Westminster Cathedral, the head of the Catholic faith in England and Wales. Built in an intricate neo-Byzantine style, this striking cathedral is crowned with four domes and a 284ft campanile from where there are magnificent views of London. The richly decorated interior follows the Byzantine tradition of beautiful mosaics and marble, and we discover more on our guided tour.

Afterwards, we visit St Paul’s Cathedral, with its world-famous dome that remains an iconic feature of the London skyline. The present cathedral was the masterpiece of Britain’s famed architect Sir Christopher Wren, built between 1675 and 1710 in Baroque style. The cathedral has long been at the centre of national events from surviving the Blitz to state funerals and royal weddings. We have time to discover the spectacular interiors and the crypt with its tombs of historical British figures including Admiral Lord Nelson.

Tonight we enjoy dinner together at the hotel.

Leaving our hotel, we travel to Canterbury. One of medieval Europe’s great places of pilgrimages and knowledge, the city has a fascinating history which we learn about on our guided walking tour.

Next we visit Canterbury Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in England, dating back to Norman times. In 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in the cathedral and ever since, it has been a site of Christian pilgrimage. The cathedral contains one of England’s largest collections of early medieval stained glass while its awe-inspiring architecture includes a sweeping Gothic nave and cavernous crypt.

We then explore the impressive ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey, England’s first seat of learning, situated outside the city walls.

After our visit, we travel on to the Chilston Park Hotel where we stay overnight with dinner included.

We head north to Cambridgeshire to visit magnificent Ely Cathedral. Founded as a monastery in 673, work on the present building dates from the early 1080s. A remarkable example of both Romanesque and Norman architecture, its most famous feature is the central Octagon Tower which, along with the West Tower, gives a unique exterior landmark that dominates the surrounding landscape.

We continue on to Peterborough Cathedral, one of the finest Norman cathedrals in England. Founded as a monastic community in AD 654, it became one of the most significant medieval abbeys in the country. The present building was begun in 1118, consecrated in 1238 and the structure of the building remains essentially as it was on completion. Most significantly the original wooden ceiling survives in the nave, the only one of its type in the country and one of only four wooden ceilings of this period surviving in the whole of Europe.

Later we check in to the Stapleford Park Hotel, our base for the next two nights. Tonight, we enjoy dinner together at the hotel.

We begin our day in the market town of Boston to visit St Botolph’s Church, otherwise known as Boston Stump. The church is most notable for its magnificent tower which, at 272ft high, is one of the tallest medieval towers in England. The church is particularly well known for its close ties to the Pilgrim Fathers and the foundation of America.

Continuing north, we visit Lincoln Cathedral. Built in 1088, for over 200 years the cathedral could claim to be the tallest building in the world until the central spire collapsed. One of Europe’s finest Gothic buildings, the cathedral is filled with intricate detail and beautiful medieval decoration, which we discover on our guided tour.

On returning to our hotel, we dine together this evening.