Northern England Road-Trip

ITINERARY

Sunday - Morning departure from Dorset with stops as appropriate, we enter "The North" via The Watford Gap on the M1 motorway - a place commonly believed to be the boundary. Arriving at our hotel in York that afternoon and after settling in enjoy dinner with 2 night stay.

Monday - A coastal drive passing Scarborough to Whitby, the cultural centre of the Yorkshire coast. Set in a deep ravine at the mouth of the River Esk it is a town of endless charm and contrasts filled with small shops, crafts, curios and antiques. It was from here that Capt. James Cook set sail in 1768 on the Bark Endeavour. A flight of 199 steps leads up the East Cliff to the church and Whitby Abbey - the less energetic can stay on the quayside and discover the world's best fish & chips. This afternoon make an inland drive across the stunning heather clad North York Moors back to York. After dinner this evening we drive into the city centre and are joined by a costumed guide who will escort a Ghost Walk - exploring the haunted spots of York: A legendary and disturbing experience that will capture your imagination. Sleep tight!

Tuesday - A scenic tour through the beautiful Yorkshire Dales via Pateley Bridge and Grassington. Roads meander between drystone walls and a patchwork of hay meadows. Pause in Grassington for coffee, then drive up through Wharfedale to the Aysgarth Falls whose three-steeped falls on the River Ure have been a tourist attraction for over 300 years and are spectacular after rain. Lunch can be sourced in Richmond, with its cobbled market place and leafy riverside vistas. This afternoon continue northwards with a brief stop at The Angel of the North to arrive in Newcastle for dinner and 2 night stay. A ten minute walk this evening brings you to the quayside and sight of the famous bridges over the River Tyne.

Wednesday - Visit Bamburgh Castle, perched on rocks at the edge of the sea and boasting magnificent views of the Farne Islands. Explore the fortress and its historic treasures, find fantastic tales of Vikings, knights and dragons and fall in love with legends. Later continue to the medieval market town of Alnwick. It still retains many cobbled streets, narrow alleyways and fine stone buildings. We shall visit Alnwick Gardens this afternoon, one of the finest in England which
sets out to stimulate all of your senses with a collection of over 4,000 plant varieties, water cascades and quirky features. Return to Newcastle for dinner.

Thursday - Follow the course of Hadrian's Wall to Corbridge Roman Town, the evocative remains of a roman garrison where you can walk along the original High Street. Continue across the spine of the country, following the wall from east to west via Wall and Greenhead to Carlisle - stop for lunch. This afternoon drive deep into Cumbria or "The Lake District" - arguably England's finest landscape. A faultless combination of impossibly beautiful scenery, impressive literary history, abundant wildlife and a rich cultural heritage. Tour via Keswick - Thirlmere - Grasmere - Ambleside - Coniston to Barrow in Furness for dinner and 2 night stay.

Friday - We tour alongside beautiful Lake Windermere, largest of them all, to Bowness with time for sightseeing. This afternoon drive up the Kirkstone Pass, the ascent of which is one of increasing grandeur. At Glenridding on the idyllic Ullswater Lake we board a vintage steamer for a cruise along the length of the lake - 1 hour of iconic mountain views that is sure to inspire. Return from Pooley Bridge over the notorious Shap Fell - originally the main route between Scotland and England before the motorways arrived - see the memorial erected "to the drivers and crew of vehicles that made possible the social and commercial links between north and south". Return to Barrow for dinner and overnight stay.

Saturday - We bid our fond farewells to the Realm of the North and head southbound, stopping for breaks as appropriate, to arrive back in Dorset by early evening.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner