Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport, a private transfer will take you to the Macdonald Windsor Hotel, 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: Dinner

This morning, we set out on our journey to Harrogate, stopping en route in Derwent Valley. This picturesque region is known for its rich industrial heritage and stunning natural landscapes. Home to the Derwent Valley Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution, as Richard Arkwright invented the mill system which drove this movement.

We explore scenic walking trails, and charming villages that offer a glimpse into the area's past. The valley is also a haven for nature lovers, with its lush greenery, rolling hills and diverse wildlife. We rest for a light lunch before continuing to the Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate, where we enjoy our evening meal.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

One of the best-preserved Cistercian monasteries in the country, Fountains Abbey offers a fascinating glimpse into monastic life during the medieval period. Founded in 1132, the abbey became a prominent religious center before its dissolution in 1539 under the orders of Henry VIII. Visitors can explore the impressive ruins, which include the majestic abbey church, cloisters and the cellarium.

The site is also part of the Studley Royal Park, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring stunning Georgian water gardens, serene lakes and scenic walking trails.

Later, we explore the Victorian Spa town of Harrogate. In the 16th century, William Slingsby discovered sulfur springs, and people started to come to this town for medicinal purposes. Spa towns grew in popularity over the 18th century and became an essential part of social life for the upper classes and somewhere where social and gender rules could be relaxed.

We take a guided walking tour around the city and then indulge in afternoon tea at the famous tea shop Bettys, established in 1919.

Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon Tea

We spend the next few days in the Yorkshire Dales, a beautiful landscape of rivers, meadows and moors, dark, limestone houses, green valleys and dry-stone walls. Wensleydale holds a natural beauty and is famous for its cheese, which has been produced in the region for centuries.

We take a guided tour of Bolton Castle, a historic Wensleydale fortress built in the late 14th century by Richard le Scrope. It has served various purposes throughout history, including as a defensive stronghold, a family residence, and even a prison for Mary, Queen of Scots. Nicholas Pevsner describes the castle as ‘the climax of English military architecture. It represents a state of balance between the claims of defence, of domestic complexity and comfort, and an aesthetically considered orderliness’.

The castle is remarkably well-preserved, offering visitors a glimpse into medieval life through its impressive architecture, extensive gardens and engaging historical displays.

Our next stop today is the lovely village of Hawes, home to over 50 listed buildings and therefore a great way to explore the traditional way of life in the Dales. There are farmhouses, cottages, barns, inns and former mills, along with a parish church and a Methodist chapel, typical of the late 18th and early 19th-century religious revival. We have lunch at the White Hart and then a walking tour around this beautiful area.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We visit the mighty ruins of Middleham Castle, which sit brooding over the south flank of the little town, guarding the entrance to Coverdale. The original was built right after the Norman conquest, until 1270 when it came into possession of the Nevilles, later belonging to the Kingmaker. It was the childhood home of Richard III, and the northern headquarters of Yorkist power.

The castle consists of a huge rectangular keep, divided into the Great Chamber and the Great Hall and surrounded by impressive curtain walls. Visitors can climb to the top of the southeast tower for brilliant views of Wensleydale.
Masham is a perfect example of a Georgian market town, with its large square dominated by the inn and surrounded on three sides by elegant houses with shops, tea rooms and restaurants.

As the center of Yorkshire brewing, we stop for a delicious lunch at the Black Sheep Brewery here.

Markenfield Hall is a stunning and well-preserved medieval manor house located near Ripon. The hall dates back to the early 14th century and is a fine example of a moated manor house, surrounded by a moat and set within beautiful gardens and parkland. The hall possesses a rich history, built by John de Markenfield, who was a prominent figure in the court of King Edward II. Markenfield was Edward II’s chancellor and gained his King’s permission to fortify his farmstead in 1310.

For 250 years they ruled their manor, until the Reformation. They remained devout Catholics, and in 1569 joined the Rising of the North against Elizabeth – losing their lands and home as a result. It would end up with the Grantleys – whose descendants still own it today. We enjoy a guided tour by the owners and explore historic rooms full of period furniture, tapestries and artwork, as well as the Great Hall, with its impressive timber roof and stone fireplace.

Later, we travel to our hotel, the Hilton in York, where we stay for the next three nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner