Albatross UK&I 2027

ENGLAND

Prices to follow

Buxton Crescent Experience

Shugborough Estate

Arts of the Finest Gardens & Houses

Highlights & History of Derbyshire

UPDATED TOUR

Our super tour, combines potteries, grand houses and glorious gardens. We have included the World of Wedgwood or Gladstone Pottery, along with the fabulous Shugborough Estate and beautiful Trentham Gardens. We also pay our respects to our fallen heroes at the National Memorial Arboretum.

Known for its outstanding scenery, stunning Peak District National Park, picturesque spa towns, not to mention its impressive stately houses, Derbyshire really offers so many amazing experiences. You will be spoilt for choice. Our five-day tour includes the best highlights from the Buxton Crescent Experience, breathtaking Chatsworth House to the historic towns of Ashbourne and Matlock Bath.

PACKAGED ITINERARY

Day 1 Arrival We arrive at our hotel in time for dinner. Day 2 National Memorial Arboretum & Calke Abbey

Day 1 Arrival We arrive at our hotel in time for dinner. Day 2 Matlock Bath & Kedleston House

This morning, we start at the National Memorial Arboretum the UK’s year-round centre of remembrance and home to the Armed Forces Memorial and Millennium Chapel. The land train tour gives us a feel for the layout with the Arboretum featuring over 350 thought-provoking memorials set within 150 acres of maturing woodland and gardens and we also have plenty of time to reflect and explore at our own pace. This afternoon, we visit the unique and ‘unstately’ Calke Abbey . Home to the Harpur-Crewe family for 12 generations, the house is preserved in the state of decline it was in from 1985 when it was handed over to the National Trust. Known as hoarders, the family amassed a vast collection of hidden treasures. See the walled gardens and stately orangery, baroque style mansion with abandoned rooms and the historic parkland. Day 3 Shugborough Estate Today we enjoy a full day at the National Trust’s lovely Shugborough Estate. Once described as the perfect paradise, this Georgian mansion house and walled garden dates back to the 1600’s and was once home to the Earl of Lichfield. We enjoy a self- guided tour of the hall, experiencing both upstairs and downstairs for the full effect of life ‘back in the day’! We have time to marvel at the glorious gardens and perhaps the farm with its animals as well as get a quick bite to eat NB: Shugborough Estate gardens open at 09h00 and the house at 11h00. Day 4 Trentham Gardens & either World of Wedgwood or Gladstone Pottery This morning, we visit Trentham Gardens & Visitor Centre – winner of Visit England Visitor Attraction Gold Accolades for 2022-2023 - and enjoy a peaceful stroll through the award-winning Italian Garden – keep an eye out for fairies, they’re not only at the bottom of the garden! We spend the afternoon discovering the fascinating history of the World of Wedgwood , which showcases the very best of British craftsmanship from expertise honed over 260 years. Our guided factory tour opens our eyes to the skills involved. OR We visit the award-winning Gladstone Pottery . This site is now instantly recognisable from Channel 4’s series, The Great Pottery Throwdown and is the only complete coal burning Victorian pottery factory in existence today. The museum offers an insight into the history of Stoke, famously known around the world as The Potteries. NB: time for lunch can be scheduled at either attraction as both have cafés & cater for groups. Day 5 Departure After breakfast, we make our way home.

After breakfast, we explore the picturesque spa town of Matlock Bath. Set in a scenic riverside location in a limestone gorge, the town has been attracting visitors since the 17th century. Discover its quirky shops, places of interest and pretty cafes. This afternoon, on the return from Matlock Bath, we visit the 18th century mansion & seat of the Curzon family, Kedleston Hall. Framed by historic parkland and formal gardens, the house boasts opulent interiors and an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and original furnishings. Day 3 Buxton Crescent Experience & Ashbourne Our day begins with travelling to the thermal spa town of Buxton for the Buxton Crescent Experience , set within the stunning Grade I listed Crescent building. Consisting of nine themed rooms, we explore more than 10,000 years of history covering Buxton, the Crescent, Buxton Water and the people who have visited to bathe in the thermal mineral water. Our experience ends with a visit to the Grade II listed Pump Room to see the sunken oval pool where the 5,000-year-old mineral water still rises from the ground. This afternoon, we head for Ashbourne known for its winding cobbled streets, charming Market Place and handsome Tudor and Georgian architecture. Day 4 Chatsworth House & Bakewell Today we travel to Chatsworth House in the heart of the Peak District. There are many rooms to explore, including the magnificent Painted Hall, State Rooms, Sketch Galleries and beautiful Sculpture Gallery as well as a diverse art collection to admire, in addition to the famous spectacular gardens. We spend this afternoon at leisure in the market town of Bakewell, famed of course for its puddings. Located on the River Wye, it is replete with stone buildings and courtyards typical of this gorgeous region. Day 5 Departure After breakfast, we make our way home.

INCLUSIONS • Entrance to Kedleston House

• Entrance to Buxton Crescent Experience • Entrance to Chatsworth House & Gardens

INCLUSIONS • National Memorial Arboretum land train tour • Entrance to Calke Abbey • World of Wedgwood entrance & guided factory tour • Entrance to Shugborough Estate • Entrance to Trentham Gardens OR Gladstone Pottery

MIX & MATCH

Choose any itinerary from any hotel on pages 151-153, the choice is yours. Please ask us for prices not shown.

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