Christmas Eve Tour of Warwick Castle, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford
9th November 2024
Here at Best Value Tours, we are delighted to recommend great festive period tours and today we feature Christmas Eve; Christmas Eve Tour of Warwick Castle, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford
Full details below, but first some brief history of historic Warwickshire, sometimes known as Warks, is a ceremonial county in England’s West Midlands region. It borders Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, Worcestershire and the West Midlands to the west. Nuneaton is the major town and Warwick the county seat.
The county is mostly rural, covering 763 sq mi (1,980 km2) and home to 571,010. After Nuneaton (88,813), Rugby (78,125), Leamington Spa (50,923), Warwick (37,267), Bedworth (31,090), and Stratford-upon-Avon (30,495) are the largest towns. Warwickshire is a non-metropolitan county with five districts for local governance. The county traditionally encompassed Coventry, Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, and much of Birmingham, including the city core.
Warwickshire is flat and lowland, but its south contains the Cotswolds AONB. The south of the county is home to the Severn tributary River Avon.
The territory was part of Roman Britain, and Watling Street divided Mercia and the Danelaw. Coventry became a textiles hub in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, when the area was reasonably populated. Shakespeare was born at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and spent much of his life there. The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was planned near Snitterfield. The Industrial Revolution exploited the Warwickshire coalfield, turning Coventry and the west into manufacturing hubs and Leamington Spa became a tourist attraction. In 1819, George Eliot was born outside Nuneaton as Mary Ann Evans.
Geography
Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, the West Midlands, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire border Warwickshire. The northern tip of the county is 3 miles (5 km) from Derbyshire. The average-sized English county stretches 56 miles (90 km) north to south and covers 1,975 km2 (760 sq mi).
Warwickshire’s population is mostly concentrated in the north and centre. The 19th-century industrialised market towns of northern and eastern Warwickshire include Atherstone, Bedworth, Coleshill, Nuneaton, and Rugby. Distribution centres, light to medium industry, and services are replacing heavy industry including coal mining, textiles, engineering, and cement manufacture. Outside Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Rugby (the birthplace of rugby football) are the most famous northern and eastern towns. Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Kenilworth, Alcester, Southam, and Wellesbourne are prosperous towns in central and western Warwickshire, employing many in tourism, gaming, and services.
No Man’s Heath, the county’s northernmost village, situated 34 miles (55 km) south of the Peak District National Park’s southernmost point in pleasantly undulating territory bordering Staffordshire and Leicestershire (raising to 178m / 581 feet near Hartshill).
The south is mostly rural and thinly populated, with a minor Cotswolds section at the border with northeast Gloucestershire. The Vale of Red Horse is the plain between the Cotswolds and Edgehill. The lone town in southern Warwickshire is Shipston-on-Stour. On the county’s southwest border with Gloucestershire, grid reference SP187426, Ebrington Hill is the county’s highest peak at 261 m (856 ft).
Since 1974, Coventry and Birmingham became metropolitan administrations and Warwickshire has no cities. The 2011 UK census listed Nuneaton (81,900), Rugby (70,600), Leamington Spa (49,500), Bedworth (32,500), Warwick (30,100), Stratford (25,500), and Kenilworth (22,400) as Warwickshire’s major towns (+20,000 pop.).
Warwick Castle on a glorious autumn morning
Prices/Book Tour – Christmas Eve Tour of Warwick Castle, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford
Description
We begin Christmas Eve with a visit to Warwick Castle. Enter the State Rooms and see Victorian party preparations on this medieval experience. Next we drive through the pretty Cotswolds village as we head towards Stratford-Upon-Avon. See William Shakespeare’s, the famous writers birthplace before we sit down for an optional lunch in a historic pub in the market town of Stratford.
After refreshments its onto the University town of Oxford. Enjoy a walking tour and pass the Bodleian Library and college courtyards.
Prices/Book Tour – Christmas Eve Tour of Warwick Castle, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford
Warwick Castle
Be part of Britain’s greatest medieval experience! Deep in the heart of Warwick Castle, the Great Hall becomes a hive of activity! Immerse yourself in battle preparations and feel the weight of a medieval sword. Become a soldier – try on a battle helmet for size! Visit the spectacular State Rooms and feast your eyes on Victorian party preparations. (Entrance to Warwick Castle Dungeon is not included in this tour).
Cotswolds
This tour will drive through the Cotswolds, a charming blend of breathtaking natural beauty, bustling market towns and sleepy villages.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Stratford is a market town with a difference! Bask in the birthplace of arguably the world’s greatest writer, William Shakespeare, situated on the outskirts of the Forest of Arden. You will visit Shakespeare’s birthplace – the half timbered house where he was born – to gain a fascinating insight into his childhood.
Optional Lunch
Tantalise your taste buds at a historic pub in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Walking tour of Oxford
Enjoy the opulence of Oxford! Renowned for over 900 years as a centre of academic excellence, follow in the footsteps of its famous students; from Bill Clinton to Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis. Uncover the university town of Oxford at a leisurely pace and take in the Bodleian Library and the captivating college courtyards on your travels. Be guided through unspoilt narrow alleys and ancient squares of the historic town.
Prices/Book Tour – Christmas Eve Tour of Warwick Castle, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford
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