2021 British Landscapes

Day 1

London

Relax and unpack at your downtown London hotel before meeting your Tour Manager and travel companions at tonight’s Welcome Dinner. D

Day 2 

London

Begin with a private tour of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s world-class collections of linens, lace, furniture, textiles, silver, glass, ceramics and jewelry. Our local guide points out London’s most famous sights on our panoramic city tour including the Tower of London, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. We might even catch the changing of the guard. This afternoon, shop the legendary Liberty of London to discover the latest English fabrics.  B

Day 3

London – Bourton On The Water – Bath

More than just a pretty Cotswold village, Bourton-on-the-Water has been described as the “Little Venice” of the Cotswolds. This charming riverside town is home to the historic Model Village, a 1/9^th-scale replica model of the town itself. There’s time for shopping or tea before we continue our drive through the rolling Cotswold countryside to Bath.  B

Day 4

Bath

Start your day with a stop at the Country Threads quilt shop for shopping and exploration. This afternoon, we’ll explore textile collections at the American Museum, where vintage American quilts include 18^th century examples by Sioux and Amish women, and slaves. After this fascinating day, dinner is served at the museum. B, D

Day 5 

Bath – Birmingham – Stratford upon Avon

Spend the day at The Festival of Quilts, the UK’s largest quilt gala. It’s all here: traditional to radically unconventional quilts, competitions, galleries and priceless historic pieces from around the world. Vendor stalls brim with needle arts and supplies. Step into Elizabethan England at a private dinner in Hall’s Croft, the elegant home of Shakespeare’s daughter. After our private home and garden tour, we’ll savor delicious traditional English favorites and hear excerpts from Shakespeare’s works. B, D

Day 6 

Stratford upon Avon – Birmingham – Stratford upon Avon

Shop at the quilt show, then travel through venerable stone villages with thatched roofs and gardens in bloom. Our first stop among the half-timbered 16^th-century buildings of Stratford-upon-Avon is Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a thatched house amid much-photographed gardens.   Soak up “Merrie Olde England” in our afternoon of sightseeing and shopping amid well-preserved Tudor buildings. B

Day 7

Stratford upon Avon – York

Travel through green English countryside to York, where you can stroll through the narrow streets of this medieval city. After a visit to the Minster, meet with a member of the Quilter’s Guild of the British Isles who specializes in North County quilts. Her private collection dates from the early 19^th and 20^th  century, and she has invited us to view the extraordinary detail of her pristine collection. B, D

Day 8

York – Barnard Castle – York

Visit an ancient market town and 19^th century French chateau housing the Bowes Museum, Britain’s largest and best European textile collection, with tapestries, needlework, lace and quilts from the 15^th to 19^th centuries.  B

Day 9

York – London

Before returning to London and tonight’s festive Farewell Dinner, stop at Lady Sew and Sew, a favorite English yarn and fabric shop. Enjoy the overflowing baskets of yearn, quilting fabrics, cross stitch materials, embroidery and beading supplies. B, D

Day 10

London

Pack your treasures and say farewell to England, and new friends on our group departure for the airport. B