Bath,
Stonehenge & Country Tour
This is a great day out combining two of the most popular attractions
outside of London with some of the best of the English Countryside
and villages.
As with all our example custom tours, this is just an idea to build
upon. The great thing about a custom tour is that you choose when
you want to go and how long you spend at each destination. This particular
tour has great scope for flexibility in terms of departure time, especially
in the summer months. |
Roman
Baths at Bath |
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Vehicles,
Driver/Guides + Scope Of Private Tours
FCMBS
have a range of touring vehicles with capacities ranging from 8 to
16 seats. We charge a flat fee per vehicle, (not person) for the day,
this includes the bus and services of the driver guide.
Admissions to attractions are not included. |
The
day is yours, the only rules are imposed by UK law - no smoking on
buses and driving hours and breaks governed by UK law.
Otherwise you're free to go where you want to go, when you want to
go.
Time is always the enemy, even though a typical tour will be 10-11
hours in duration. |
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Bath & Stonehenge Tour - Example For Customisation
The classic schedule for this tour is a departure around 08:00, visiting
Stonehenge, then a countryside tour through to Bath before returning
to London. The timings work very well for this.
It is also possible to work in a very late morning departure, returning
to London in the evening.
Stonehenge
It will be around 105 minutes after leaving London when we get to
Stonehenge.
On the way you will have got to know the driver/guide, who will have
given you a thorough briefing on things Neolithic. Equipped with this
information you should be able to get maximum enjoyment from your
visit. |
The
driver/guide will offer to accompany you into the monument at no extra
charge. An audio guide comes with admission, but many of our customers
appreciate a human showing them around. The driver/guide will be glad
to take group photos as well as act as a guide. For those of you into
the mystic side, the guide will involve you hands-on in tracing earth
energies using dowsing forks.
Most people take an hour at Stonehenge, its a good place to grab a
coffee before boarding the bus.
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Stonehenge
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Stonehenge
to Bath via Lacock
After leaving Stonehenge its about an hours drive to Lacock. We traverse
Salisbury Plain. We are in sheep country, you will see a lot of sheep
today. Many of the villages that we visit and pass through are 'wool
villages'.
After driving through a British Army tank range we start going through
the unspoilt English villages. Thatched cottages, Norman churches,
black and white wooden fronted medieval houses line the road. We venture
down single track roads for some of the journey so you really are
off the tourist track in the middle of the countryside. |
An
impressive sight is Caen Hill Locks.
Built in the early 19th century, just before the railways the Kennet
and Avon canal links the Thames and Avon's rivers, enabling coast
to coast river travel from London to Bristol.
Perhaps we'll see a narrowboat using the locks that climb Caen Hill
on the 3 hour ascent/descent. Many will want to take a closer look.
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Caen
Hill Locks |
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On towards Lacock we may make photo stops at a photogenic thatched
cottage complete with gardens lovingly sculptured by the resident
gardener and a great viewpoint over the Avon valley with Lacock in
the valley below. |
Lacock
Lacock is an old wool town where all the buildings in the village
are more than 200 years old, much of it much older. It is not a museum
piece, but a living working village with school, post office, church,
tithe barn, bakery and several pubs.
The village is owned by the National Trust, all the occupants including
the pubs rent from the National Trust. The National Trust controls
strictly the village environment, apart from vehicles it could be
back a few hundred years ago, no streetlights, no aerials, only approved
'authentic' colour schemes. |
With
this olde worlde feel, Jane Austen and some Harry Potter films are
just examples of films shot here.
This is also the local village of Camilla Parker Bowles, the wife
of Prince Charles. Her daughter was recently married at the church
in the village.
Adjacent to the village is Lacock Abbey, one of the few abbeys to
survive the Reformation in Tudor times and used for amongst others
for the school scenes in Harry Potter.
Our driver/guide will invite you on a walking tour of the village.
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George
Inn Lacock |
We heartily recommend you take lunch in the George Inn, a 13th century
pub, the oldest licenced pub in England. Its refreshingly free of
the tourist trail, many of the customers will be locals. Apart from
the excellent home cooked food chalked up on the boards at reasonable
prices, the pub itself has much of interest.
In the yard are stocks, (so don't drink too much) and the original
medieval fireplace inside has a dog wheel, where a specially trained
small dog once fanned the flames.
There is also an information board illustrating some of the films
shot here like Harry Potter and a small museum of box cameras. The
first ever photography that took place happened right here where you
eat and drink.
The walking tour of the village takes around 30 minutes. If you want
lunch at the George Inn the stay will be around 90 minutes. There
is also a bakery and tea room at Lacock. |
Bath
Its only a 30 minute journey from Lacock to Bath, where there is plenty
to see and do. |
Bath
itself is very compact, nearly everything you want to see is within
10 minutes walk of each other. We will drop you off by the Roman Baths,
right in the centre at the official coach drop off point.
Bath's attractions are crudely split between the Roman Baths from
2,000 years ago and the Georgian period in the 18th century where
much of what you see now was built.
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Roman
Baths Bath |
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Roman Baths normally take around an hour for visitors. An audio guide
is part of the admission fee. The Pump Room, part of the Roman Baths
complex is 'the' place to take afternoon tea. |
In the
18th century Bath had a 'season' where if you were anybody this is
where you came to network. This is the time of Jane Austin, several
of her novels were set in Bath and there is a museum and tea room.
The Georgian architecture built to facilitate this 'polite' society
is still very much the attraction now. This is the world of Jane Austen
who lived here for a time. There is a Jane Austen museum you can visit
and many of the streets in her books you can still follow today.
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Pulteney
Bridge
Bath |
The
shopping area is worthwhile. In the very centre are medieval style
alleyways and an old indoor market.
Leaving Bath by 15:30, after having spent 2 hours in Bath you should
be back at your London hotel about 18:00 to 18:30.
Typical Tour Schedules |
Classic
Recommended
08:00 - Leave London hotel
09:45 - 10:45 Stonehenge
11:45 - 13:15 Lacock (with lunch)
13:45 - 15:30 Bath
18:00 - 18:30 Arrive at London hotel.
Countryside Emphasis
08:00 - Leave London hotel
09:45 - 10:45 Stonehenge
11:45 - 12:30 Lacock
12:50 - 13:15 Castle Coombe
13:45 - 15:30 Bath
18:00 - 18:30 Arrive at London hotel.
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Lunch
in Bath
08:00 - Leave London hotel
09:45 - 10:45 Stonehenge
11:45 - 12:30 Lacock
13:00 - 15:30 Bath
18:00 - 18:30 Arrive at London hotel.
Late Departure
11:30 - Leave London hotel
13:15 - 14:15 Stonehenge
15:30 - 17:15 Bath
18:00 - 19:30 Lacock (with dinner)
21:30 - 22:00 Arrive at London hotel. |
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