Highlights: Private viewing of Stonehenge at sunrise * Enter the stone circle and touch the stones * Visit Lacock, a delightful Saxon village * See where Harry Potter and Pride and Prejudice were filmed * Meal stop in a 13th century inn (food/drinks not included) * Visit Bath - free time to shop and explore * Entrance to the Roman Baths and Pump Room included
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After your pick-up directly from or near to your hotel, we begin with a private viewing of Stonehenge before it opens to the public in the morning, so we see the stones in the eerie morning light. This is followed by our visits to Lacock and Bath.
Stonehenge - Private Viewing at Sunrise and Touch the Stones
Built nearly 5,000 years ago, Stonehenge is the most popular prehistoric monument in the world. Most visitors to the site are not allowed direct access to the stones. With this tour you get that access, with a private viewing of the mysterious monoliths. We will enter the stone circle itself and stand beside the mighty Sarsen rocks towering above us. Our guide will explain the history of this ancient site, pointing out the altar, slaughter and heel stones, above which the sun rises dramatically on the summer solstice. There will be time to enjoy the peace, away from the crowds, as we experience Stonehenge at its most mystical and atmospheric best. Not to be missed!
Lacock
Lacock is a little known, picturesque village dating back to the Saxon era. Many of the beautiful buildings originally formed part of an extensive monastic complex and are now owned by The National Trust. So pretty is the village that it has provided the setting for many movies and television dramas including Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice and more recently Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. We will take a delightful walk before we enjoy breakfast in The George, a vintage English pub built in 1361.
*food/drink not included
Bath
Bath, a world heritage site, is a beautiful Georgian city with delightful crescents, terraces and architecture. There will be plenty of time to visit Bath Abbey, or to shop and explore. Your guide will also conduct an optional walking tour to show you where Charles Dickens lived and worked as a young man, and a give you a chance to sample some delicious cheeses fresh from the local dairy farms. Then we will enter the magnificent Roman Baths, where over one million litres of boiling water still burst free from the hot springs everyday.
We are please to offer this tour on the following dates:
We are please to offer this tour on the following dates:
| OPERATING DATES |
| Month |
Date |
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| July, 2008 |
3, 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20, 24, 27, 31 |
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| August, 2008 |
7, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28, 31 |
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| September, 2008 |
4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 25
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December, 2008 ... 27, 29
Please note that dates in red are morning viewings |
The following hotel pick ups are available for this tour:
Thistle Euston, Cardington Street - 05.30am
Russell hotel, Russell Square - 05.35am
Cumberland hotel, Cumberland Place (outside Pret A Manager) - 05.45am
Thistle Victoria, 101 Buckingham Palace Road - 05.50am
Millennium Gloucester, Harrington Gardens - 06.00am
Please Quote BV PT 2AM when booking by telephone
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![Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. Archaeologists believe that the standing stones were erected around 2200 BC and the surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury henge monument, and it is also a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.[1][2]](images/scara%20images/stonehenge-morning.jpg)
