LONDON - MEDIEVAL WALKING TOUR 2-3 HOURS
Itinerary
- We meet just beyond the steps to the main entrance to St Paul's Cathedral in Central London at 10:30 am.
- We proceed to Paternoster Square just north of the Cathedral which traces its history back to the early days of medieval London.
- Then we walk by the former Newgate Prison on our way to the church of St Bartholomew the Great - a twelfth-century priory.
- Here you will see one of the few remaining medieval churches in London to have largely escaped the fire in 1666 and the Blitz during WW2. It is also recognizable as the location for many famous movies including Transformers, Thor, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sherlock Holmes. You will learn about its founder, Prior Rahere, who was once a minstrel to King Henry I.
- We then head past The Old Bailey - famous for its role as London's Central Criminal Court to Fleet Street - the home of Britain's modern journalism.
- We can stop for lunch at the 17th century pub Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666.
- After lunch we will continue along Fleet Street and then pass through a very unsuspecting entry point to take a tour of the Temple Church. It was initially completed by 1185 by the world in/famous Knights Templar. Here we will gain an understanding of these Crusader Knights and their role in the Holyland as well as the founders of the world's first international bank. If you are a fan of The da Vinci Code then you must come along as it was filmed here.
- Afterwards we head to the Temple Garden where the tour ends as we reflect on William Shakespeare's play Henry VI which referred to the Temple Church where we had just been.
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL + st martin's church - 8 HOURS
Itinerary
- We meet at London Victoria train station and board the fastest and traffic free route to Canterbury.
- We will enjoy our fifteen minute stroll along the medieval city walls to the centre of town and the Cathedral at its hub.
- Your breath will be taken away by this Gothic masterpiece of architecture - exactly what the master mason had in mind when you entered - God must have built this would be how the medieval person would have felt when inside.
- We will see its crypt along with the site where St Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury was murdered in 1170 by Henry II's knights.
- The stained glass is unforgettable and rare for an English church as much survived the Reformation and the English Civil War.
- The vaulting throughout is simply magnificent and will draw your eyes to its majesty.
- We will have a chance for lunch at The Old Weaver's House built in 1500 just down the High Street from the Cathedral.
- Afterwards, we will head a short walk to the oldest church in English Christendom, the Church of St Martin, Canterbury - just about a 15 minute walk beyond the medieval walls. Historians believe that part of this church has origins in the last days of the Roman Empire's occupation of Britain. It is a small building and a valuable comparison to see how the ordinary person celebrated the faith in the Middle Ages.
- This will complete the tour as we head back to the Canterbury West train station for our journey back to London.
POST-CRUISE TOUR salisbury Cathedral & Romsey Abbey
Itinerary
Southampton Cruise Terminal to Romsey Abbey, Salisbury Cathedral + Transfer to London
- We meet at the Southampton Cruise Terminal, at 9 am where we board our air-conditioned private coach.
- We proceed to Romsey Abbey a former monastery built in the 12th century.
- There Dr Geoff will lead you through to explore the exterior and interior of this amazing building for 90 minutes. You will learn about how and why this church was built and why it is a great place to visit before Salisbury Cathedral.
- After a one hour drive to Salisbury, we will have a chance to eat at The Haunch of Venison - a traditional English country pub which was established in 1320! It is only a five minute walk to the Cathedral from the Pub.
- After lunch we walk over to Salisbury Cathedral to discover this medieval 13th century masterpiece. You will appreciate being able to compare the Cathedral with Romsey Abbey and witness the great Gothic marvel.
- We will also see up-close an original copy of the Magna Carta sealed by King John in 1215! It is one of the foundations of the English and American legal systems.
- After a 2.5 hour tour with Dr Geoff, we will board the coach and head to London.
- We arrive at London Paddington Station around 6 pm depending on traffic.
