Walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen in Bath, see where Elizabeth I stayed on her visit to Gloucestershire at Berkeley Castle, enjoy the beauty of Hidcote Garden designed by an American early last century, experience Gloucester cathedral where they filmed Harry Potter, and just relax in the impressive countryside of the Berkeley Vale

The imposing Berkeley castle guards the small town of Berkeley in Gloucestershire, as it has done for over 800 years, and the same family that built it still lives there, while sharing its beauty with visitors in the spring and summer. Berkeley’s setting is magnificent with the gentle hills of the Cotswolds to the east and the mighty Severn river to the west. In between hills and river is the fertile Vale of Berkeley with its orchards and mistletoe, grazing sheep, and fields of wheat and flax. The nearby Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust reserve is a symphony of birdlife which thrives in the fertile estuary.

There are many historic connections with Berkeley. Edward II was murdered at the castle in 1327 by his scheming wife and nobles. In 1619, pilgrims left Berkeley for America, one year before the Plymouth pilgrims, and founded a settlement in Virginia. Queen Elizabeth l out-stayed her welcome by overhunting the deer in the Berkeley’s deer park. Edward Jenner carried out his famous smallpox experiment which marked the origins of vaccination.

Although Berkeley stands in the Vale surrounded by lovely countryside, it is only a short drive to the historic port of Bristol and the same distance to the magnificent cathedral in Gloucester. On the day in Bristol you will visit the 19th century Clifton Suspension Bridge which straddles the 600 ft deep Avon Gorge and spend the afternoon visiting Dyrham Park where they filmed the classic period movie, “The Remains of the Day”. Your visit to Gloucester Cathedral will be combined with a drive through the Wye valley to Wales and a visit to the ruins of Tintern Abbey much beloved by the poet, William Wordsworth.

The day in the Cotswolds is a trip back in time. The gardens at Hidcote are world famous and since 2007 has been undergoing a £3m major refurbishment designed to return the garden to the original plans of its American creator, Laurence Johnston. Chipping Campden is little changed for hundreds of years and the views from nearby Dover’s Hill are spectacular. At the other end of the Cotswold Hills your day in Bath begins with morning coffee in the elegant chandelier bedecked Pump Rooms of the Roman Spa Baths and gives you a comprehensive overview of what the Georgian city has to offer.

Your visit to Berkeley will take you to a small peaceful country town where you can browse in the local shops, walk in the deer park, visit the bell-ringers, enjoy the butterfly house, and just absorb the atmosphere.

Friday - Arrival. Dinner with host family.

Saturday - Coffee at the Vicarage followed by a tour of Berkeley church and town and a picnic/walk along canal. Evening skittles match/pub dinner.

Sunday - Morning church service with afternoon tour of Berkeley Castle and cream tea in the village of Hill. Church BBQ in the evening.

Monday - A day around Bristol with visit to viewpoint on the Downs, Clifton Bridge, lunch along the river and an afternoon visit to Dyrham Park and Garden. Dinner party.

Tuesday - Cotswolds Day with visit to Hidcote Garden, pub lunch in Chipping Campden, and sightseeing return journey. Dinner with host family.

Wednesday - Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust visit, then a free afternoon – castle garden, butterfly house, swim, etc. Group dinner/Bell ringing visit in the evening.

Thursday - Gloucester and Wales with a tour of the cathedral, lunch in the Forest of Dean, visit to Tintern Abbey in Wales. Dinner party

Friday - Bath Day with morning coffee in the Pump Rooms, a bus tour of city, lunch along the river and an afternoon visit to Roman Baths or free time in Bath. Farewell dinner.

Saturday - Departure