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 'rooms' at Sissinghurst. 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 and spend time among the Anglo-Saxon ruins of Lindisfarne, where some of the earliest Christian scholarship in Europe originated. We follow one of Britain's foremost medieval historians through the castles and Plantagenet churches of Sussex and Kent, and walk the Thames from source to Hampton Court, tracing six centuries of ambition through villages, abbeys and palaces.

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

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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

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

Extremadura Landscape, history and food in rural Spain

Renaissance Choral Day Gems from the golden age of polyphony in three London churches

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

Great Houses of North-West England Historic Lancashire: architecture and decoration, art and furniture

In Churchill’s Footsteps Oxfordshire, London & Kent

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

Garsington & Glyndebourne The Queen of Spades, Fidelio, Saul, Le nozze di Figaro

" The Symposium was excellent and good value. " Birth of the Modern - Britain in the Age of Jane Austen & JMW Turner

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

" Sublime choral music in wonderful churches, delicious lunch, seamless organisation. " Renaissance Choral Day - Gems from the golden age of polyphony in three London churches

" 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

" Anthony Lambert is beyond excellent as a lecturer and as a person. " Great Houses of North-West England - Historic Lancashire: architecture and decoration, art and furniture

" I was already a “Churchillian”. Upon completion, I am even more dazzled by the man. We considered this very good value – highly informative and very enjoyable. " In Churchill’s Footsteps - Oxfordshire, London & Kent

" 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

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England Tours