2023 Quilt Tours Brochure - Catalog - Page 31
Experience Britain’s most fascinating towns, London landmarks, and
oldest quilt festival while traveling the Cotswolds’ lush countryside.
DAY 7 STRATFORD-UPON-AVON – YORK
Travel through the green English countryside to
York, where you can stroll through the narrow
streets of this medieval city. After a visit to the
Minster, meet with a member of the Quilters’
Guild of the BritishScotland
Isles who specializes in North
Country quilts. Her private collection dates from
the early 19th and 20th century, and she has
invited us to view the extraordinary detail of her
pristine collection. B D
Cotswolds
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY 1 ARRIVE LONDON – TOUR BEGINS
Relax and unpack at your downtown London
hotel before meeting your Tour Manager and
travel companions at tonight’s kick-off
Welcome Dinner. D
DAY 2 LONDON
Begin with a private tour of the Victoria and Albert
Museum’s world-class collections of linens, lace,
furniture, textiles, silver, glass, ceramics and jewelry.
Our local guide points out London’s most famous
sights on our panoramic city tour including the
Tower of London, Big Ben, Parliament,
Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.
We might even catch the changing of the guard.
This afternoon, shop the legendary Liberty of
London to discover the latest English fabrics. B
DAY 3 LONDON – BATH
More than just a pretty Cotswold village, Bourtonon-the-Water has been described as the “Little
Venice” of the Cotswolds. This charming riverside
town is home to the historic Model Village, a
1/9th-scale replica model of the town itself. There’s
time for shopping or tea before we continue our
drive through the rolling Cotswold countryside
to Bath. B
DAY 4 BATH
Start your day at the local quilt and fabric shop
for shopping and inspiration. This afternoon, we’ll
explore textile collections at the American
Museum, where vintage American quilts include
18th-century examples by Sioux and Amish women,
and slaves. After this fascinating day, dinner is served
at the museum. BD
DAY 5 BATH – STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
Spend the day at The Festival of Quilts, the UK’s
largest quilt gala. It’s all here: traditional to radically
unconventional quilts, competitions, galleries and
priceless historic pieces from around the world.
Vendor stalls brim with needle arts and supplies.
Later, step into Elizabethan England at a private
dinner in Hall’s Croft, the elegant home of
Shakespeare’s daughter. After our private home and
garden tour, we’ll savor delicious traditional English
favorites and hear excerpts from Shakespeare’s
works performed by Shakespeare Aloud! B D
Northern
Ireland
Barnard Castle
York
North Sea
Birmingham
Stratford-upon-Avon
Wales
Cambridge
Bath
London
DAY 6 STRATFORD-UPON-AVON –
BIRMINGHAM
Shop at the quilt show, then travel through
venerable stone villages with thatched roofs
and gardens in bloom. Our first stop among the
half-timbered 16th-century buildings of
Stratford-upon-Avon is Anne Hathaway’s
Cottage, a thatched house set in muchphotographed gardens. Soak up “Merrie Olde
England” in our afternoon of sightseeing and
shopping amid well-preserved Tudor buildings. B
YOUR VACATION INCLUDES
AIRFARE & TRANSFERS
Round-trip international airfare from Chicago (ORD).
Group transfer upon arrival and for departure.
9 NIGHTS
Hotel accommodations, including baggage handling
SIGHTSEEING & ACTIVITIES
Guided sightseeing with your Tour Manager as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary; visits, admissions
and special features are shown in bold.
PROFESSIONAL TOUR MANAGER
Full time throughout the trip
TOP-RATED HIGHLIGHTS
• Kick-off Welcome Dinner
• London Panoramic City Tour
• Victoria and Albert Museum Docent Tour
• Liberty of London Shopping
• Bourton-on-the-Water Model Village
• American Museum & Gardens Dinner
• Festival of Quilts two-day Admission
• Stratford-upon-Avon Walking Tour
• Hall’s Croft Private Dinner
• Shakespeare Aloud! Performance
• Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
• Shakespeare’s Birthplace
• Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles Show-n-Tell
• Bowes Museum
• Barnard Castle
• York Minster Tour
• Backstitch Fabric Store
• Cities of York, Bath and Cambridge
• Customary Farewell Dinner
• Fourteen Meals: 9 Breakfasts, 5 Dinners
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DAY 8 YORK – BARNARD CASTLE
Visit an ancient market town and 19th-century
French chateau housing the Bowes Museum,
Britain’s largest and best European textile
collection, with tapestries, needlework, lace and
quilts from the 15th to 19th centuries. B
York Minster
$5,295 Per Person/Double Occupancy
$1,200 Additional/Single Occupancy
14 MEALS
American breakfast (B) daily; 5 dinners (D)
England
Ireland
BRITISH LANDSCAPES
AUGUST 1–10, 2023
DAY 9 YORK – CAMBRIDGE
After a proper English breakfast, depart for
Burwash Manor whose eclectic collection of locally
owned shops includes Backstitch Fabrics. Shop
the selection of cotton fabrics, threads, patterns,
knitting and crocheting supplies before enjoying
lunch on your own. Next, depart for the City of
Cambridge known for its namesake university
founded by charter of King Henry III in 1209.
Tonight, savor local cuisine at our customary
Farewell Dinner. B D
DAY 10 CAMBRIDGE – LONDON – TOUR ENDS
Pack your treasures and say farewell to England
and new friends on our group departure for the
airport to begin the journey home. B
HAND-SELECTED HOTELS
LONDON: Leonardo Royal Hotel London City
BATH: Apex City of Bath Hotel
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON: DoubleTree by Hilton
YORK: Hilton Cambridge City Centre
CAMBRIDGE: Hilton Cambridge City Centre
Call 1.800.346.9820
www.CountryHeritageTours.com
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