3 days 2 nights/Half Board
£375.00 pp in a single room
£85.00 Deposit
Overview
One of England’s few remaining ancient forests; the Forest of Dean has a spectacular range of natural beauty and has been an inspiration to many writers including JRR Tolkien, Dennis Potter and JK Rowling.
The Royal Forest of Dean, once called ‘The Queen of the Forests’, is one of the most fascinating regions of Britain. Its relative isolation created by the valleys of two great tidal rivers, the Severn and the Wye, together with its hilly terrain have helped preserve a pattern of land use, culture and heritage unlike anywhere else in the country.
It is one of the few remaining Royal Forests in England. Many of the Dean’s ancient rights and privileges come from its unique heritage as a Royal Hunting Forest. The Norman kings loved to hunt deer and wild boar and they introduced Forest Law and officials called Verderers who were charged with looking after the animals and the woods they lived in. Our popular Blue Badge Guide, Liz Gamlin, will be accompanying us on our day exploring the forest and the valley. Liz will impart her encyclopaedic knowledge to us with her usual professionalism and humour.
Itinerary
Sunday 27th October
A morning departure from the usual pick up points. We make our way on to the M40 and having made a comfort stop we arrive at Harcourt Arboretum. Harcourt has been part of the University of Oxford since 1963. The site comprises 130 acres containing the best collection of trees in Oxfordshire with some of the oldest redwoods in the UK. Hopefully (climate permitting) our visit will coincide with the Arboretum reaching its spectacular best. There will be plenty of time to explore this lovely site. Toilets on site but no refreshment facilities, however, we will provide a sandwich and coffee/tea picnic on the coach. Later in the afternoon we continue to our hotel near Cheltenham.
Monday 28th October
After breakfast we meet up with our Guide, Liz, who will be showing us around the lovely Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. We make our way via Blakeney into The Forest of Dean and travelling via Mallards Pike Lake we see Speech House where the Forest Verderers held court. We will have a stop at The Symonds Yat viewpoint before moving on to Monmouth for a lunch break. This afternoon we continue our tour through this colourful and historic area and make our way to Tintern Abbey set in a lovely location on the banks of The River Wye. We spend some time here, refreshments available, before we continue our journey back to the hotel.
Tuesday 29th October
This morning, we depart our hotel and drive to Batsford Arboretum. Batsford Arboretum is one of the jewels of the Cotswolds and one of the largest private collections of trees and shrubs in the country. Situated 1½ miles west of Moreton-in-Marsh, the Arboretum is tucked away on a south facing escarpment of the famous Cotswold Hills. All over the arboretum trees are transforming the landscape into a bonfire of colour. Acers of every hue take your breath away as you encounter the flaming reds, salmon pinks and sunshine yellows. Cherry and ash trees join in the display along with the native beech and oak. The Liquidambar tree is a special treat with every leaf individually coloured in different shades of autumn from deep purple to pale gold. Every corner you turn has a new delight. There is a very good café on site. After time for lunch we continue our journey back to Sussex and, having made a suitable comfort stop, we expect to arrive back in the Maresfield area by approximately 5.30pm.
Holiday Hotel
Our Hotel: The 4 Star, Delta by Marriott Cheltenham Chase, Brockworth, GL3 4PB. www.thecheltenhamchase.co.uk
A hotel we have successfully used many times over the years when it was branded as a Q Hotel. Still in the Q Hotel family but re-branded as Marriott, (it’s a marketing thing !) All rooms are equipped to a high standard and feature all the comforts you would expect of a 4 star hotel. The hotel has a spa and an indoor pool.
Visit Hotel Website »Price Includes
Coach Travel throughout
Two nights in the 4 star Delta by Marriot Hotel
Sandwich picnic lunch at Harcourt Arboretum
Three course evening meals
Full English breakfast
Entrance to Harcourt Arboretum
Entrance to Batsford Arboretum
Blue Badge Guided Tour of The Forest of Dean
Financial failure insurance
Not Included
Meals other than stated
Personal spending.
Travel Insurance please read the booking conditions attached.