England: Yorkshire, The Lake District and the Peak from the Beatles to Coronation Street
From Coronation Street to the heart of the Lake District. From Liverpool to the ancient city of Chester. You will experience it all. You will visit the England that inspired writers, artists and poets over the centuries, an England that is almost forgotten.
Your journey will start in the Beatles’ Liverpool and end with visits to some of the key filming locations of Coronation Street in Manchester with a guide that specializes and is familiar with much of the lore of this iconic production.
On route you will travel through Wordsworth’s and Beatrix Potter’s Lake District. In Yorkshire you will stop in Whitby, a quaint seaside village that inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula. You will also visit J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birmingham. Throughout your holiday you will discover Britain’s natural beauty, its history – the winding lanes, hedgerows, rolling hills and lush green fields dotted with sheep as well as the picturesque towns that influenced generations of artists and their works. It is an experience like no other that focuses on a part of England that has influenced us all.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
This evening you will depart Ottawa for your overnight flight to Manchester.
Day 2
Upon your arrival in Manchester we will board our motor coach for Liverpool, home of the Beatles as well as our home for the next three days. We’ll explore the childhood haunts of the four lads, the schools they attended, their homes and the areas that inspired their songs and lyrics. An evening stroll along Mathew Street is in order for some jam or chip butties and ‘scouse stew’! Liverpool goes far beyond the Beatles. Our city tour will bring this cities history as a seafaring town to life. Hard Days Night Hotel (B,D)
Day 3
Up bright and early for a tour that will start with Albert Dock and the Beatles Story, the world’s largest permanent exhibition for an atmospheric journey through the lives, times, culture and music of the four young men who transformed the music of the early 60s. Visit the places whose names you know well – Strawberry Field, Penny Lane, Mathew Street and the Cavern. The tour will continue with a look at Liverpool as it was “Yesterday” as a seafaring town and bring you to the enlightened city that it is today. After the tour you will have free time to explore Liverpool on your own. One of your options may be a visit to the Titanic Museum. Hard Days Night Hotel (B)
Day 4
There is more to Liverpool than the Beatles – Today you are free to explore the Tate Liverpool, a fine modern art gallery or stroll Canada Boulevard at the Pierhead. This boulevard of maple trees with plaques laid into the pavement honours the Canadian ships lost during the Second World War. Hard Days Night Hotel (B)
Day 5
Today we say goodbye to Liverpool, for the winding roads over the Yorkshire Moors to the narrow, cobblestoned streets of Haworth, once home of the Brontes. This tiny village, with the Bronte Parsonage and church, has astounding views of the moors and surrounding countryside. In this ever-changing climate the landscape is rich with lush shades of greens that glow in the sun and then turns broodingly dark under clouds. For those who wish a walk on the moors, “Top Withins” calls to you on the lonely landscape – where Emily Bronte is believed to have drawn the inspiration for Wuthering Heights. The Crown Hotel Harrogate (B,D)
Day 6
The Lake District, with its stunning vistas of dry stone field walls and rough-grazed slopes, awaits us today. After lunch and shopping stops in Windermere, we’ll head off to Grasmere and Wordsworth’s home, then to Sawrey Gill and the old stone home where Beatrix Potter imagined the likes of Peter Rabbit and Mrs. Tiggywinkle. (Miss Potter with Rene Zellweger was filmed here.) The Crown Hotel Harrogate (B,D)
Day 7
Up early to discover the diverse beauty that is England, with an adventure along the North Yorkshire coast to Staithes, one of England’s most beautiful seaside villages where many of the local women still wear the traditional Staithes bonnet. We’ll meander along the rugged English coast to Whitby, the seaside town that was the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Stand on Whitby’s West Cliff, gaze across the harbour town as the sun goes down and you can envision the early chapters of Stoker’s classic. The Crown Hotel Harrogate (B,D)
Day 8
The morning will be spent in the ancient city of York – ramble the Shambles, a general term for the maze of twisting, narrow lanes which make York so charming. At its heart is the lane actually called the Shambles, arguably the best preserved medieval street in the world. It was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of William the Conqueror in 1086. Many of the buildings on the street date back to the late fourteenth and fifteenth century (1350-1475). This afternoon enjoy some free time in Harrogate before heading to Chester. Macdonald New Blossoms Hotel (B,D)
Day 9
The Peak District. This morning we will drive through the Peak district taking in the lush rolling hills, with stops in Eyam and Bakewell on route to Chester. Chester is the Roman England with sights ranging from the ancient Amphitheatre to remains hidden away in the basements of the high street shops. Shopping in Chester is a delight. Macdonald New Blossoms Hotel (B,D)
Day 10
It’s Coronation Street day! When we arrive in Manchester we will be joined by an expert guide on all things ‘Corrie’, to all the outdoor places so loved by Corrie fans! Visit key locations such as the Portland Basin where the Platts nearly drowned, Ryecroft Hall and St Mary’s Prestwich where many weddings have taken place, the sites of the old set, the outside of the new set and the Ordsall street that gave Tony Warren the idea for the working-class community. One of Betty Turpin’s Hot-Pots might be in order to celebrate! The afternoon is yours to discover the People’s Museum or the Manchester War Museum. Macdonald New Blossoms Hotel (B,D)
Day 11
This morning we will head to Birmingham and a tour of the Tolkien Trail. Along the way, we will stop by Sarehole, the home of J.R.R. Tolkien and inspiration for Hobbiton and the Shire. We will also visit Mosley Bog, where Tolkien is thought to have conceived his ideas for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A super place for pictures and walking as it is now a nature reserve. We will also offer an optional tour of the BBC Studios where you can read and record the news or a weather report. You’ll want your photo taken with the Doctor Who Tardis and a Dalek! This evening we will share a farewell dinner. Macdonald New Blossoms Hotel (B,D)
Day 12
Your tour director will advise you about check out times for your return flight to Ottawa.