On arrival at Heathrow Airport, a private transfer will take you to the Sheraton Hotel, Heathrow, where we stay overnight. In the afternoon we meet the Tour Director, and later enjoy a welcome reception and dinner together with David Crowther from the History of England podcast.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we head North to Ely Cathedral, where we are treated to a guided tour and lunch. For most of its history, the quintessentially English city of Ely was the capital of the fens, and the cathedral’s origins stretches as far back as 672. The cathedral we see today dates from 1083, with styles that span centuries, including the genius of the 14th-century Octagon tower.

We continue to Oxburgh Hall, a moated manor house which dates back to the 15th century. Oxborough is a beautiful example of the new material of choice, brick, and its story centres on resistance and Catholic faith, with a priest hole made by the master of such things, Nicholas Owens.

Later, we check into our hotel in the picturesque 17th-century village of Burnham Market, center of the seven Burnhams and nestled in ‘Nelson’s County.’

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our day begins with a private out-of-hours guided tour of Holkham Hall, a Neo Palladian masterpiece with a grand exterior and extravagant interior. Set in lovely parkland, it was founded by one of the most famous of English jurists, Edward Coke, and is currently home to the 8th Earl of Leicester and his family. The spectacular Marble Hall, with its splendid colonnade and breathtaking 50ft domed ceiling, was inspired by the Temple of Fortuna Virilis and the Pantheon in Rome, while the magnificent state rooms boast superb collections of ancient statuary, original furniture and tapestries plus works of art from the likes of Rubens, Van Dyck and Gainsborough. Holkham is now at the center of coastal rewilding projects, as the north Norfolk coast is a famous stopover for millions of migratory birds every year.

For lunch we head to the inviting Lord Nelson pub, located in the admiral’s home village of Burnham Thorpe. There is also time to take a peek into his local church.

We round off the day with a guided tour of Walsingham Abbey, medieval England’s most important pilgrimage site outside of Canterbury. The tradition returned after the Reformation, and we can get a feel for how visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham must have felt. Be sure to take in the beautiful stained-glass windows by Michael Cole too.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After checking out of our hotel, we delve into the Arts and Crafts Movement with a visit to Voewood House. Built in 1903 by architect Edward Schroeder Prior, the house follows a butterfly pattern while the gardens are perhaps Prior’s greatest garden design. For decades afterwards, Voewood was used as a series of institutions and it wasn’t until 1998 that the house was bought by Simon Finch, a rare books dealer, who began the careful restoration needed to return the house and gardens to their original glory.

Today’s lunch is in the lovely Georgian town of Holt, home of Elizabeth I’s financial genius, Thomas Gresham.

Our last stop of the day is Blickling Hall, set in an astounding estate and a fine example of Jacobean architecture with a beguiling interior. The hall was once owned by the Boleyn family from 1499 to 1505; it is believed that Anne was born here and legend has it, Anne’s ghost returns to Blickling on the date of her execution every year. The house was requisitioned during the Second World War and served as the Officers Mess of RAF Oulton, and was opened to the public in 1962.

This evening we check into the historic Maids Head Hotel, where we stay for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we are joined by acclaimed conservationist Richard Grove, who will lead us on a guided walking tour of Norwich, the pretty capital of East Anglia. It was one of the four great regional capitals of England until the industrial revolution along with London, York, and Bristol. There is so much to see, including the impressive cathedral and Norman Castle, where we can follow the story of Norwich’s favourite Tudor rebel, Robert Kett. The medieval shopping quarter around Elm Hill is full of lovely old vernacular buildings and the remains of the old wharfs, while there are plenty of fascinating museums dotted around the city too. After our tour, the rest of the day is left free to explore as you please.

Later we enjoy a performance from renowned folk musicians Sam Sweeney, Rob Harbon and Miranda Rutter.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner