St Michael's Mount, engraving 1813 after J. Farington RA.

Henley-on-Thames, watercolour by Ernest W. Haslehurst, publ. c. 1930.

Clifton Suspension Bridge, near Bristol, wood engraving c. 1880.

England Tours

England rewards the curious traveller in ways that no other country quite manages. Its history reverberates in a nave still echoing with plainchant, in the engineered audacity of Brunel's suspension bridge, in the walled garden compartments at Sissinghurst that seem to have grown as much from argument as from soil. Our England tours are built around precisely this kind of encounter – with places, ideas and the people who know them best.

We ride the Settle–Carlisle Railway across the high Pennines, one of the great feats of Victorian engineering, and spend unhurried time among the Anglo-Saxon ruins of Lindisfarne, where some of the earliest Christian scholarship in Europe originated. We gain rare access to the grandest houses of the North — Chatsworth, Castle Howard and their neighbours — and follow Marc Morris, one of Britain's foremost medieval historians, through the castles and Plantagenet churches of Sussex and Kent. At Glyndebourne, opera in the Sussex Downs celebrates the English capacity for civilised eccentricity; in Oxford, choral music fills a candlelit chapel with something close to the transcendent.

Throughout, the company of an expert lecturer transforms a visit into a revelation. These are small groups, and the access we arrange – to houses and collections not regularly open to the public, to curators who unlock what a guidebook cannot – is what sets a Martin Randall tour apart.

Browse England tours by theme

Exploring England on a cultural tour

Our extensive programme of escorted tours makes merry with England’s rich artistic, industrial and political heritage. In Derbyshire, specially-arranged visits give us a rare insider’s view of the county’s most magnificent country houses, some of which are not regularly open to the public. Meanwhile, from Durham down to Winchester English cathedrals are our focus, as we admire not just their architectural ambition but also the problem-solving abilities of their builders.

Often, pre-eminent historians lead the way. Best-selling author Marc Morris is our guide through the Plantagenet castles and churches of Sussex and Kent, while Katherine Carter, curator of Winston Churchill’s home at Chartwell, takes us in search of the great war leader’s haunts. We work closely with music critics and broadcasters too. No wonder: private music festivals and Glyndebourne opera tours are essentials in our England tours.

Expert speakers

Spotlight on England

Ely Cathedral

The mighty Norman nave and transepts (c. 1110–30), with their thick walls, tiers of arches and clusters of shafts, leads to the crossing and its unique 14th-century octagonal lantern, a work of genius.

Visited on: 'The Cathedrals of England'

Settle–Carlisle Railway

‘The most spectacular piece of railway engineering in Britain’, the Settle–Carlisle Railway (built 1869–75) traverses the moorland hills of the Yorkshire Dales. Twice last century it faced closure, but it survives as England’s most scenically exciting rail journey.

Traversed on: 'Early Railways: The North'

Important information

Local currency

Pound Sterling (£)

Timezone

GMT+1

Plug Socket Type

Type G

A selection of our bases in England

Other bases:

The Lygon Arms, Broadway

The Bay Tree Hotel, Burford

The Lamb, Burford

The University Arms, Cambridge

Hotel Indigo, Durham

The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne

The Greenbank Hotel, Falmouth

The Hilton, London Paddington

The Compleat Angler, Marlow

Hotel Indigo, Newcastle

The Feathers Hotel, Oxford

The Barnsdale, Rutland

Sidmouth Harbour Hotel, Sidmouth

Lainston House Hotel, Winchester

You may be interested in cultural tours in:

Scotland Ireland United Kingdom

The Divine Office: Choral Music in Oxford A unique event of exceptional musical intensity and spiritual potency

Birth of the Modern Britain in the Age of Jane Austen & JMW Turner

Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity Archaeology, history, art and landscape

Extremadura Landscape, history and food in rural Spain

Early Music in Yorkshire Period performances in historic venues – great halls, castles and churches

Walking a Royal River Art, architecture and history from the source to Hampton Court

Chichester & the South Downs Great houses & gardens

Early Railways: The North History, technology, architecture, landscapes

" It was an honour to be part of an audience in such auspicious surroundings. We were essentially provided with a divine and memorable week and a sense of individual achievement. Thank you so much. " The Divine Office: Choral Music in Oxford - A unique event of exceptional musical intensity and spiritual potency

" Excellent lecturers with a well thought out programme to suit all levels of knowledge and interest. Martin Randall team extremely pleasant and helpful. The hotel was very comfortable and again very helpful staff to deal with any queries. " Birth of the Modern - Britain in the Age of Jane Austen & JMW Turner

" There was a lot of laughter and some serious scholarship to be absorbed. " Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity - Archaeology, history, art and landscape

" A terrific balance between countryside and historical centres. " Extremadura - Landscape, history and food in rural Spain

" The programme was varied, the musicians outstanding and it was a privilege to have been able to experience it. " Early Music in Yorkshire - Period performances in historic venues – great halls, castles and churches

" Great attention to detail meant the tour went smoothly, allowing us to fully enjoy the aspects of the tour we had come to experience. " Walking a Royal River - Art, architecture and history from the source to Hampton Court

" Janet was encyclopaedic on the history and architecture of the region. She was articulate and interesting and was very well organised. " Chichester & the South Downs - Great houses & gardens

" Anthony Lambert is almost perfect: learned, well-prepared, witty, articulate, thoughtful, respectful, friendly with everyone and quietly helpful, as needed. " Early Railways: The North - History, technology, architecture, landscapes

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England Tours