day 1 trip

Rural England – lush green and gorgeous

We’ll meet you at the local train station – which is around 55 minutes by train from London (and/or we will pick you up from your the hotel or b&b after breakfast if your trip includes accommodation).

A tour of the ancient streets of a town. This is an experience for the senses, the sights and sounds of old England. You’ll feel the ancient paving stones under your feet, see the old houses, hear the creaking wooden doors, and observe the old entrance ways for coaches and horses to get to barns and stables. It’s a walk through history among medieval houses of the Tudor period. The development of English architecture – 500 and 600 year old houses – is there to see and touch and experience.

There are also picturesque alleyways, numerous winding roads under a green forest tunnel, the lovely rustic English countryside, a place where the Greenwich longitude line crosses the area, a community organic farm, a local organic bakery, an English boarding school, a classic-car garage, an antique sundial, the Anthroposophical school, the lion that was the inspiration for CS Lewis (the writer or the Narnia stories), a church dating back 1000 years and so very much more.

(There will be no duplication when Day 2 and/or 3 are chosen too)

You’ll visit the stunningly beautiful substantial gardens of a country estate with stunning views, gardens, flowers, centuries-old trees, gorgeous lakes, ancient bridges and much more

You’ll visit a real working steam railway – just as it used to be over a 100 years old. There’s an original station/s, many locomotives and antique carriages from the end of the 19th century, a museum, and all the staff are dressed from the period.

You’ll tour a picturesque historical town with ancient streets, a fascinating museum, and many interesting and quirky shops and cafes and pubs. As it’s so intact it gives a real insight into common life during the 15th century and after. You can also visit the 1000 year old castle and Anne of Cleves house and dress up in clothes of the aristocracy of the time, a castle from the beginning of the last millennium, many antiques shops and, well…so many things! As I lived here for quite some time I know the town intimately.

Walking in ancient and royal Ashdown Forest: here there are landscapes and colours that will enter your soul, ancient trees, some centuries old, streams and tributaries, and sweeping heathland. The views are breathtaking. These were the hunting grounds of Henry VIII and there are still deer in abundance, some very shy wild boar… there’s even stories of sightings of a pitch black puma released into the wild here. If you enjoy a round of golf there’s a beautiful golf course (in fact there are a couple) in the middle of the forest and it’s also possible to go riding here.