Welcome to Highclere Castle.. Or, as many of you know it, ‘Downton Abbey’! Enjoy exploring 'behind the scenes' seeing the real history and the beautiful gardens. We never tire of this stunning home and inspiring landscape and we are delighted to share it with each and every visitor. The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.
View Dates & BookDoubletree by Hilton Cheltenham
Coach travel
1 Night dinner, bed & breakfast
Highclere Castle, Egyptian Museum & Gardens (Thursday)
Visit Cheltenham (Friday)
Hotel single occupancy = £50.00
Child reductions available. Please enquire.
Thursday
Travel to Highclere Castle arriving early afternoon. As well as the Castle & Gardens, your entry ticket also includes entry to the Egyptian
Exhibition.
Friday
Today we visit Cheltenham for a few hours at leisure before heading for home.
Welcome to Cheltenham
A wonderful mix of the traditional and the new, Cheltenham nestles against the Cotswolds as the perfect place to unwind and refresh your mind, body and soul. With unique festival vibes, an abundance of independent and much loved High Street shops, and incredible dining experiences from street food to Michelin starred fine dining. Cheltenham truly is a must-visit town.
Voted the Best Place to Live in the South West by The Sunday Times with its education, culture and connectivity highlighted amongst its best attributes. As the most complete Regency town in Britain with a population of just 117,000, Cheltenham is intimate and friendly, a civilised place of culture, learning and discovery.
EB=English Breakfast Incl., D=Dinner Included
The first written records of the estate date back to 749 when an Anglo-Saxon King granted the estate to the Bishops of Winchester. Bishop William of Wykeham built a beautiful medieval palace and gardens in the park. Later on, the palace was rebuilt as Highclere Place House in 1679 when it was purchased by Sir Robert Sawyer, the direct ancestor of the current Earl of Carnarvon. In 1842, Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament, transformed Highclere House into the present day Highclere Castle.
During the First World War, Highclere Castle was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers run by the 5th Countess of Carnarvon. Throughout the Second World War, Highclere Castle was home to children evacuated from London.
There are between 250 and 300 rooms in the Castle Saloon and during your tour you will explore the main state rooms so familiar from "Downton Abbey". You will see some of the bedrooms after which you will follow the stairs down to the cellars and old staff quarters where you will find the Egyptian Exhibition, celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon's discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Below is a list of Pick-up points available for this departure. Additional locations are sometimes available if en-route between these standard pick-up points. Please contact the office to enquire. Where this departure is a Short Break or Holiday which includes our Door-to-door* service, the additional pick-up points shown below are on the route of the tour coach having completed the door-to-door service. *Conditions apply. See our latest brochure
Below is a list of Pick-up points available for this departure. Additional locations are sometimes available if en-route between these standard pick-up points. Please contact the office to enquire. Where this departure is a Short Break or Holiday which includes our Door-to-door* service, the additional pick-up points shown below are on the route of the tour coach having completed the door-to-door service. *Conditions apply. See our latest brochure
Name | Address |
---|---|
Bancyfelin (Bus Stop) | Bus Stop, Bancyfelin |
Britton Ferry (McDonalds) | Bus Stop outside McDonalds, Britton Ferry |
Cardiff Gate (ServicesM4) | Coach Park, Cardiff Gate Services, M4 J30 |
Cardiff West (ServicesM4) | Coach Park, Cardiff West Services, M4 J33 |
Carmarthen (Boars Head) | Boars Head Bus Stop, Lammas Street, Carmarthen |
Clunderwen (Gaer) | Entrance to Heol y Gaer, Clunderwen |
Clunderwen (GowerS) | (S2) Entrance to Gower Villa Lane, Clunderwen |
Clunderwen (WaldoS) | (S1) Opposite entrance to Bro Waldo, Clunderwen |
Crosshands (Leeks) | Leeks, opposite J&J Motors, Crosshands |
Haverfordwest (Bus) | Bus Station, Haverfordwest |
JonesLogin(DepotViaHWest) | Jones Login Depot, Login, Whitland, SA34 0UX may travel via H/west etc.to destination & return |
Llanddewi Velfrey (BSE) | Bus Stop Eastbound by Barber Shop, Llanddewi Velfrey |
Llandissilio (Nantyffin) | Nantyffin Hotel, Llandissilio |
Llandissilio(PwllcwareS) | (S3) Pwllcware Junction, Llandissilio |
Magor (Services M4) | Coach Park, Magor Services, M4 J23A |
Narberth (Cawdor) | On public highway, Spring Gardens outside Cawdor Court, Narberth |
Narberth (Commercial) | Outside Celtic Commercial Garage, Spring Gardens, Narberth |
Narberth (Springfield) | Entrance to Springfield Park, Jesse Road, Narberth |
Narberth (Town Moor) | (1) Bus Stop opposite old CP School, Narberth Town Moor |
Penblewin (Car Park) | Penblewin Car Park 400yds from roundabout (Whitland side) |
Penblewin(Whitland SideE) | Opposite Penblewin Farm (Whitland side) |
Pontabraham (Services) | Coach Park, Pontabraham Services |
Pwlltrap (Bus Stop) | Bus Stop, Pwlltrap |
Sarn Park (Services M4) | Coach Park, Sarn Park Services, M4 J36 |
St. Clears (Black LionE) | (E2) Black Lion, St. Clears |
St. Clears (Car ParkE) | (E1) Opposite entrance to St. Clears Car Park |
Swansea West (ServicesM4) | Coach Park, Swansea West Services, M4 J47 |
Whitland (BryngwenllianE) | (E1) Lay bye opposite Bryngwenllian, Spring Gardens, Whitland |
Whitland (Car Park) | North Road Car Park, Whitland |
Whitland (Maesyffynnon) | Maesyffynnon, Whitland (Margarette Hughes) |
Whitland (Old PoliceE) | (E3) Old Police Station, Spring Gardens, Whitland |