The United Kingdom is one of the world’s most pleasant destinations. There is something about it that just makes it different. Perhaps it is the incredible countryside that seems to be everywhere. Maybe it’s the world changing history that happened in these charming places. Maybe it’s because it is a part of our heritage and our own family histories. Whatever it is, these are places worth seeing and we would love to show them to you.
Webb Tours has taken many dozens of tours to the British Isles. It is without a doubt among our favorite places in the world. Over the years, we have honed our itineraries to include the places we know you’ll enjoy. In 2019, we directed a “Literary Tour of the British Isles” and it was a hit. We have taken parts of that itinary and added some of our favorite gardens and castles to create this very custom itinerary that we operated in 2023 which all participants love. We are excited to do it again in 2025.
The tour will be directed by Peter Fagg who lives in England. He is an expert on the places we will be visiting. You’ll appreciate his knowledge and personality.
Space on this tour is limited to 46 people. You won’t find this itinerary anywhere else. We look forward to sharing it with you.
Sightseeing Highlights:
For this tour, we fly into Edinburgh, Scotland and home from London, England.
We will arrange airfare for the group out of Salt Lake City. If you would like to join us from another city, we can arrange your airfare from there. Of course, if you prefer to arrange you’re own airfare, that is fine too and we can meet you along the way.
July 29/30: Depart USA
Edinburgh is known as the “Athens of the North”. Our aim today is to help you fall in love with Scotland, and keep you awake to adjust to the time change. We begin our afternoon adventure with a visit to Carlton Hill. We see impressive monuments and important government buildings, learn of fire festivals, “Edinburgh’s shame”, and Old Observatories, but best of all we gain a great outlook over Edinburgh, Leith & Firth of Forth. Later we venture out on foot to take our first trip into the Old Town. Weaving in and out of the Royal Mile we begin to get a feel for Scotland and its interesting history. It is also our first taste of Britain’s literary greatness with a brief visit to the Writer’s Museum to view artefacts belonging to the great Scottish writers Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. In this area, we also find the humble beginnings of the Harry Potter phenomena. It’s in interesting place to start our journey. B
July 31: Today we leave the city for the countryside to visit St. Andrews. St. Andrews is known as the birthplace of golf, but it’s much more than that. We’ll walk the beach made famous in Chariots of Fire. We’ll wander along the coast of the North Sea past the castle ruins and ancient cathedral which was once the largest building in Scotland, built in 1160. But “words, sweet words brought it tumbling down.” We’ll discover Robert Kirk’s fairy folklore and throw in some stories about Star Wars, smallpox, martyrs, Sherlock Holmes and of course William & Kate. We then return back to Edinburgh for a lovely dinner together this evening. For those that are interested, we’ll descend with our costumed guide UNDERNEATH the streets of Edinburgh to find a collection of hidden streets frozen in time since the 17th Century. It is fascinating! B, D
August 1: Our day trip today takes us north to visit Stirling Castle. Its striking location was the constant battle ground between England and Scotland for centuries. Learn of the exploits of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in the Battle of Stirling Bridge and the Battle of Bannockburn. This is the stuff of legends. Witness how James V changed the Royal Palace into a public relations masterpiece with carvings and the Stirling Heads showing his divine right to rule. Next we visit Roslyn Chapel – a “medieval treasure in stone”.
Founded in 1446 this quaint little church, with intricate carvings and intriguing legends, came to the mass public’s attention due to Dan Brown’s book – The Da Vinci Code. The mystery of what is in those sealed crypts continues to create speculation, but the pure skill of these master masons is what keeps people coming back. For dinner this evening we will enjoy a Taste of Scotland – an unmissable evening of Scottish music, costume, bagpipes, fiddles and dance. Will you attempt a wee taste of Haggis? Don’t worry, there are lots of other choices. B, D
August 2: You’ll have a little time to relax this morning before we begin to make our way south. We’ll make a morning stop at beautiful Dawyck Botanic Gardens showcasing pristine, Scottish gardens and manor house. Before we leave Scotland we briefly stop at the infamous Gretna Green – used in many novels as the place to elope and get married by the blacksmith. We’ll have lunch here. Then we are welcomed to England with fine scenery and inspiration driving through the famous Lake District. Our first English stop is Dove Cottage where Britain’s best loved poet William Wordsworth began his married life, where three of his children were born, and where some of his best poetry was written. We stroll into Grasmere and sample some famous gingerbread. Our next stop is Hawkshead, a charming village with links to Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. We then transfer to ‘Mountain Goats’! to worm our way through narrow lanes to Hill Top Farm –the home of Beatrix Potter. This tiny farm house (with its splendid location and views) is a delightful time capsule particularly when you start to match the drawings from her stories with actual locations. Fall in love with Peter Rabbit and his friends all over again. We stay in Grasmere tonight alongside a beautiful lake. B.
August 3: Today is Sunday. There is an optoin to relax at the hotel, or attend a church meeting (LDS Sacrament meeting or Church of England meeting). In the late morning, we drive through the moors of the Yorkshire Dales National Park to explore a few northern towns and villages and discover where beauty and grit combine. We arrive in style on a steam train aboard the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Numerous movies have used this railway line to capture a bygone age, most famously in The Railway Children (1970), then North and South (2004), and many more. One of today’s main highlights will be our visit to Haworth – the home and inspiration to the Bronte sisters. The ascent from the train station along the cobbled street to the parish church and parsonage is a delightful flashback. Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre were conceived here and the home and countryside home now hosts thousands of visitors to celebrate their masterpieces of literature. We stay in Bakewell tonight. B, D
August 4: Bakewell hosted the very famous Jane Austen who captured these areas so perfectly in her books. We visit Chatsworth House which is a wonderful introduction to the stately homes of her era and was used as a movie setting for her most famous book – Pride and Prejudice. Lunch will be on your own while at Chatsworth. This afternoon we visit nearby Haddon Hall – described as “the most perfect house to survive from the middle ages”. Set in the heart of the beautiful Peak District National Park, parts of the house date from the 12th Century, sitting like a jewel in its Elizabethan terraced gardens, and overlooking the River Wye. The house and grounds have played host to no less than three versions of “Jane Eyre”. Screen credits also include “Elizabeth”, “Pride & Prejudice”, “The Other Boleyn Girl” and “The Princess Bride”. It is an idyllic place in England that will delight you! We then continue 96 miles to Stratford Upon Avon where we will spend 2 nights. B
August 5: You can’t appreciate England if you don’t explore the beautiful Midlands, starting with Stratford upon Avon, birth place of the bard himself, William Shakespeare. We start with a meander through the town which is still thriving because of his contribution. We stroll along the River Avon, find two statues of him and visit the parish church where he was both christened and buried. We see his daughter’s home, his birthplace, his school, and New Place, where he died. We then drive out to Ann Hathaway’s Cottage to walk in the gardens and thatched cottage where his heart was captured. This afternoon, we’ll take a short drive (15 minutes) over to Warwick Castle, one of England’s best preserved medieval fortresses. The grounds, the castle, and the setting are simply stunning. We then return back to Stratford. Those who wish can take in a dinner and play this evening. There is nothing quite like seeing a Shakespeare play in his hometown. B
August 6: Today is our day to explore the Cotswolds, my favorite part of England. We enjoy a day of “Cotswold hopping” as we go from gem to gem. On our way south, we visit Bourton on the Water and
Broadway spending time in each. These are tidy, well preserved villages made of the famous Cotswold stone giving them their iconic look and feel. This is England as you’ve pictured it and it is some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world – a gardener’s paradise. We then journey to ‘Downton Abbey’ to visit Highclere Castle – and walk through the film set where so many engaging story lines kept us wanting more. These stately homes experienced dramatic overhauls as society shifted. We have interesting stories to tell here. For those who want a pleasant evening stroll we will perambulate in style along the fashionable streets of the Circus, and the Royal Crescent. Bath has some of the country’s best preserved Georgian architecture which means we get to see the city landscape seen and used by Jane Austen. The period dramas we enjoy often use the same street scenes where her characters came to life. We stay in Bath (2 nights) B, D
August 7: We leave Bath this morning to venture into South Wales. (Don’t worry we will be back in Bath tonight ready for more exploring.) On route to Wales we pass near Gloucester where we find trolls in the bathroom, mice sewing waistcoats, a stingy old man, a touch of fairy dust, a formidable pirate, and an American tune which turns out to be not so American! A delightful mixture of literary connections that we’ll explore on route. Today we see two majestic Welsh ruins. First, just over the border we discover the romantic ruin of Tintern Abbey along the beautiful Wye Valley. We appreciate why Wordsworth was so gushing about its beauty. Then we visit the imposing Caerphilly Castle, the largest of all the Welsh castles and a great example of the numerous fortifications that protected this part of Britain. These beautiful Welsh valleys, hide silent coal mines and iron works. Blackened faces, powerful singing voices, non conformist chapels, hardy miners and tough rugby players have all inspired pen to paper. This was the backdrop for the classic book “How Green Was my Valley”. And you’ll see how green they are! We end our Welsh day with a brief visit to Cardiff Bay where famous author Roald Dahl (James & the Giant Peach, Matilda) was raised. We return to Bath, England for our second night. Another optional small evening stroll taking in some more fashionable streets with a delightful bridge, a surprising link to Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, Cassandra Austen’s pharmacy and one of the Austen homes. It is another unforgettable day. B
August 8: Bath is special. It’s a place where history, literature and nature have combined to create a masterpiece. The Romans were here in the 1st century BC, and we’ll be able to see what they left behind.
We’ve included entrance into the beautifully presented Roman Baths. You’ll marvel at the surrounding countryside and sweeping views as we head to Lacock – another charming village which you have seen
in film many times before as it is the village backdrop to many movies including Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, the Hollow Crown, Cranford, Wolf Hall, Robin Hood, and more. This afternoon we visit Blenheim Palace. This home is the absolute pinnacle of an English stately home and includes an exhibition on Winston Churchill who was born here, and helps us understand the roots of this prolific writer who galvanized a nation in its time of need. Our visit includes a stroll in their magnificent gardens to see where Winston proposed to Clementine. We continue to our hotel in the Oxford area tonight. B, D
August 9: We start in Oxford where we wind our way through narrow streets, stately colleges and grassy meadows, to discover some of the Noble and Great Ones. We track the history back to the beginnings of Oxford, to the time of the miraculous Frideswide, and then build layer upon layer of famous name after famous names including Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey, C.S. Lewis, John Ruskin, J.R. Tolkien, Thomas More, Samuel Johnson and many more. We discover the influential John Wycliffe and his nemesis Richard Fleming, the tragic ending of the Oxford Martyrs, and the founding of Wesley’s Holy Club. Throw in some Hobbits and Orcs, Lions and Wardrobes, Green Eggs and Ham, and tons of pilchard; mix in a plethora of Prime Ministers, a remarkable balloon flight, a penicillin breakthrough, a four minute mile, the King James Bible, Halley’s Comet, My Fair Lady and you have the beginnings of a splendid stroll through this city! Harry Potter fans will delight in discovering parts of Hogwarts in different parts of the city. It is an incredible journey in a very special place. To top the day off we head to Chawton – the final home of Jane Austen, alongside her mother and sister. It was in this magical spot that all six of her novels were revised and prepared for publication. We stay in the town of Rochester in the county of Kent – ‘the Garden of England’. We are here for two nights. B, D
August 10: Few authors have created so many universally loved characters as those penned by Charles Dickens and today we visit places that were dear to his heart. Our morning begins in Canterbury with the option to attend church services (there are a few options downtown such as LDS, Church of England, Catholic) or wander the city streets. Then we eat lunch around the precincts of the great Cathedral and pay a brief tribute to Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Our afternoon begins with a trip to the seaside town of Broadstairs where Dickens spent many summers enjoying the coast and creating many of his stories. We see places he stayed (and places he didn’t!?), find some of his sources of inspiration and dip our toes in the English Channel. We return to Rochester for a walking tour to find streets, buildings and characters who were given eternal stardom in his novels. He loved this town with its ancient castle and cathedral overlooking the River Medway. This is where he wished to be buried (didn’t work out that way). We stay Rochester 2nd night. We have a farewell dinner tonight. B, D
August 11: We finish our tour in London with a local guide strolling through St. James Park from Buckingham Palace to Parliament Square. Of course, London can’t be done in a day (or in two weeks, really), but our focus has been the countryside away from the masses. But we’ll see some important things starting with a visit to Westminster Abbey where we’ll see the final resting places or memorials to many figures that we have discussed on our journey in the delightful Poets Corner. We then transfer to the airport for our flight back to the U.S. B
You will NOT find another tour like this one. It is a carefully crafted, custom itinerary that will delight you every day – and to do it with the very talented Peter Fagg is an oppurtunity that you should not pass up!
Registration Information:
A $400 deposit is required to reserve your space. To make a reservation, simply register online by completing the booking form above. Your deposit will be charged to your credit card. If you prefer, you can call us and we will take your reservation information and credit card details over the phone. When we receive your reservation, we will email you a receipt confirming that you are registered for the tour. A letter with instructions, hotel itinerary, flight information (if applicable) and luggage tags will be sent roughly 95 days prior to departure at which time the balance will be due. You do not need to pay the balance until after you receive that package. We prefer final payments in the form of a check. Webb Tours also accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. A 2.5% fee applies to final payments made by credit card to cover a portion of the credit card company fees (which are now around 4%)
Cancellation Policy:
We understand that you may need to cancel your trip for unforeseen reasons. If cancellation occurs 180 days or more before departure, all money will be refunded. If airline tickets are purchased prior to that time (with your permission), they are the responsibility of the traveler. In most cases, airlines will allow the value of airline tickets to be used for future travel. All other funds will be returned if cancellation occurs outside of 180 days. If it is within 180 days, your deposit and other committed funds are non refundable.
Travel Protection:
In today’s changing travel environment, it is important to protect your travel investment so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss or even sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. For your convenience, we offer Travelex Insurance Services 360° Group Premier Protection Plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected.
Premium for this insurance depends on your age and trip cost and is priced as follows:
Trip Cost (per person) Ages 0-59 Ages 60-74 Ages 75+
| $1,000-$1,500 |
$109 |
$143 |
$211 |
| $1,501-$2,000 |
$149 |
$191 |
$215 |
| $2,001-$2,500 |
$191 |
$245 |
$277 |
| $2,501-$3,000 |
$234 |
$300 |
$338 |
| $3,001-$3,500 |
$276 |
$354 |
$400 |
| $3,501-$4,000 |
$319 |
$409 |
$461 |
| $4,001-$4,500 |
$361 |
$463 |
$523 |
| $4,501-$5,000 |
$404 |
$518 |
$584 |
| $5,001-$5,500 |
$446 |
$572 |
$646 |
| $5,501-$6,000 |
$489 |
$627 |
$707 |
For coverage details and explanation of benefits, you can view or download the policy by going to https://policy.travelexinsurance.com/GPZ-1023.
If you are interested in the travel insurance, please contact Webb Tours any time up until final payment for the tour. You must be medically fit at the time you buy the insurance. The insurance goes into effect once purchased.
This is intended as a general description of certain types of insurance and services available to qualified customers through the companies of Zurich in North America, provided solely for informational purposes. Nothing herein should be construed as a solicitation, offer, advice, recommendation, or any other service with regard to any type of insurance product underwritten by individual member companies of Zurich in North America, including Zurich American Insurance Company, 1299 Zurich Way, Schaumburg, IL 60196. Your policy is the contract that specifically and fully describes your coverage, terms and conditions. Travelex Insurance Services Inc. CA Agency license #0D10209. Insurance coverages underwritten by individual member companies of Zurich in North America, including Zurich American Insurance Company (NAIC # 16535).
Insurance includes the following items:
For benefit and rate information, please review the Group Premier product flyer at https://partner.travelexinsurance.com/docs/premier
Unexpected flight cancellations or weather delays: Webb Tours works diligently to cover all of the details associated with your travel. We make sure that all ground transportation, lodging, local tours, restaurants, specialists, etc, are in place and awaiting our arrival. We ensure that our directors are well prepared to provide you with an experience that exceeds your expectations. One thing we do NOT control are the airlines. Significant problems can arise on a group tour due to canceled flights, weather delays or missed connections. In the case of a flight cancellation, Webb Tours will do all we can to work with the airline to move people to the next available flights. Any portion of the tour that is missed due to flight delays or cancellations is NOT the financial responsibility of Webb Tours. Refunds will not be given for hotels, ground transportation, activities or meals that are missed due to flight interruptions. This is another good reason to purchase the travel insruance which has a provision for missed connections (see Group Premier product flyer referenced above for details). Your participation in the tour signifies that you understand and accept this policy.
Currency Fluctuation:
Webb Tours reserves the right to adjust the rates if necessary in order to reflect currency fluctuations larger than 10% from those used in our tour price. This is not likely to happen, but we must protect against it. A shift of that magnitude would quickly erase our tour profits. Of course, if the fluctuation moves in the opposite direction, we will reduce your tour price.
Mail deposit and enclosed reservation form to:
WEBB TOURS
2378 Evergreen Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Tel. (801) 278-3101
or Toll Free 1-800-658-8519
Alternatively, you can REGISTER ONLINE or OVER THE PHONE with a member of our staff.
