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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

Join us on a small-group cultural tour of England, where expert lecturers and privileged access create an unrivalled sense of depth and perspicacity. Whether we’re exploring Chatsworth in the Peak District, celebrating the life and work of JMW Turner or enjoying a private choral recital in a moorland church.

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'

Holy Island

The monastery on the little island of Lindisfarne ('Holy Island’) was founded in ad 635. A place of remarkable charm and tranquility, there are Anglo-Saxon fragments, ruins of the Norman priory, and a castle, turned into a home by Edwin Lutyens.

Visited on: 'The Age of Bede'

Blenheim Palace

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace, the country’s greatest Baroque building, is the outcome of a huge sum of money given in 1705 by a grateful nation to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough.

Visited on: 'Vanbrugh's Greatest Houses'

Glyndebourne

When landowner John Christie built a small opera house for his professional soprano wife in the rolling Sussex Downs, he unwittingly founded Country House Opera. Today, Glyndebourne epitomises the English summertime.

Visited on: 'Garsington & Glyndebourne'

Sissinghurst

Sissinghurst is the most famous of all English gardens. Embodying ‘the strictest formality of design with the maximum informality of planting’, brick walls and yew hedges create a series of sharply differentiated compartments.

Visited on: 'Great Gardens of Southern England'

Important information

Local currency

Pound Sterling (£)

Timezone

GMT+1

Plug Socket Type

Type G

A selection of our bases in England

The North

Grand Hotel, York
Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle
Radisson Blu, Durham
Matfen Hall, Newcastle
Holbeck Ghyll, Lake District

The Midlands & The East

The Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon
Weston Park, Shropshire
The Swan at Lavenham
Congham Hall Hotel, Norfolk

The South East

The Cavendish Hotel, London
The Royal Horseguards, London
Hotel du Vin, Winchester
The Manor, Lower Slaughter
Harbour Hotel, Chichester
The Abode Hotel, Canterbury

The South West

The Castle Hotel, Taunton
The Swan, Wells
Padstow Harbour Hotel
St Ives Harbour Hotel & Spa
Bovey Castle, Devon

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:

ScotlandIrelandUnited Kingdom
Birth of the Modern
Walking to Derbyshire Houses
Renaissance Choral Day
Norman Conquest and Plantagenet Power
Walking a Royal River
Garsington & Glyndebourne
Great Houses of the North
Birth of the Modern
" 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
" Unbeatable combination of well-designed itineraries, superb expert lecturers, terrific tour guides. " Walking to Derbyshire Houses - Magnificent countryside and great country houses
" All three concerts were superb. I felt very privileged to be able to hear such highly skilled young professionals demonstrating their musicianship. " Renaissance Choral Day - Gems from the golden age of polyphony in three London churches
" We keep coming back to Martin Randall Travel because you are the best. " Norman Conquest and Plantagenet Power - Great castles and churches of south-east England
" 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
" Fabulous. I enjoyed the variety of the operas performed - combined with the excellent singing, innovative productions and magical ambiance of both Garsington and Glyndebourne. " Garsington & Glyndebourne - The Queen of Spades, Fidelio, Saul, Le nozze di Figaro
" The itinerary was excellent. The combination of magnificent aristocratic houses and smaller houses made the tour very interesting. The inclusion of houses from so many different periods greatly enhanced the tour. " Great Houses of the North - Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Co. Durham, Northumberland
" The Symposium was excellent and good value. " Birth of the Modern - Britain in the Age of Jane Austen & JMW Turner
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