Majestic Castles, Gardens & Homes of Glorious Gloucestershire

Check in to the hotel in Cheltenham in the afternoon. Later, we enjoy a welcome drink reception hosted by our tour manager.

On our first full day we enjoy a special visit to Badminton Estate, spanning over 52,000 acres and renowned for hosting the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials. Home to the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the house itself is a grand example of Georgian architecture, featuring elegant interiors and a significant collection of art and antiques that date back to the first Duke of Beaufort to inhabit the house in 1682. Since then, each member of the family has made enhancements to the house and gardens by involving some of the famous architects and landscape designers of the time, including William Kent, James Gibbs, Charles Bridgeman and “Capability” Brown. We are treated to a private gardens tour, including the Church and Walled Garden, learning how the present Duchess works closely with the gardeners to build on the work of her predecessors and designers Russell Page and François Goffinet. Following the tour, we are met by Badminton’s own historian, Matthew Butler, who leads us on a further private tour of the estate, calling at several historic venues such as Castlebarn, Swangrove House and Worcester Lodge. To round off our memorable visit, we enjoy a light lunch on the estate.

We then head to Chavenage House, a unique family home full of history and fascinating stories around every corner. The Elizabethan manor house has remained largely unchanged since the building’s completion in 1576, and only two families have owned Chavenage; the Stephens and the Lowsley-Williams, the current owners. We enjoy an introduction and are then taken on a guided room-by-room tour, which are filled with tapestries and stunning period furniture. Along the way, we discover the secrets of the room where Cromwell stayed during the Civil War, escape into the peaceful surroundings of this lovely manor and spot the famous filming locations of various movies and TV series, including BBC’s Poldark.

This morning we take a guided tour of Woodchester Mansion, a unique and unfinished Victorian Gothic Revival house. The masterpiece of a young local architect, Benjamin Bucknall, the mansion blends the local traditional work in limestone with the ideas of the French architectural thinker Viollet-le-Duc. Building started around 1857 but stopped in the mid-1860s, leaving floors and ceilings missing, walls unplastered and windows unglazed.

We then step back in time at Thornbury Castle, the only Tudor castle to be opened as a hotel, where we enjoy a delicious afternoon tea. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn spent ten nights here in 1535 and the beautiful fortress was once owned by the infamous Tudor king. Outside, there’s time to follow in the footsteps of royalty and explore the manicured lawns and landscaped grounds.

After dinner this evening we enjoy an interesting themed talk from a guest speaker.

Today we visit the 17^th-century Kelmscott Manor, the Cotswold retreat of William Morris, his family, friends and colleagues. Described as ‘heaven on earth’ by Morris himself, this tranquil haven inspired many of Morris’s most important designs and writings and the evocative house contains an outstanding collection of the possessions and works of Morris and his associates including furniture, textiles, paintings and ceramics. The manor reopened in 2022 after it was closed for refurbishment and the interiors have been redisplayed to offer a more homely feel and an authentic impression of how they appeared in the late 19^th century, when the Morris family were living there.

Next is Dr Jenner’s House, situated in the historic market town of Berkeley. Here we discover the elegant former home of the country doctor whose work changed history. This is the house where Edward Jenner, pioneer of the smallpox vaccination, once lived and from where he told the world about his work.

Our final visit of the day is to nearby Berkeley Castle, ordered by Henry II to defend the Severn estuary and the Welsh border. Berkeley is a real jewel, an almost complete medieval survival that allows us to imagine how it might have been to live there with its fine rooms and magnificent collections. The castle is the oldest building in the country to be inhabited by the same family who built it, and the Berkeley family are one of only three in England who can trace their ancestry from right back to Saxon times. This historic gem is also famous as the scene of Edward II’s brutal murder and has additionally been used as a filming location, including in the hugely successful Poldark TV series and Wolf Hall. We learn more about the history and collections within the castle and also enjoy afternoon tea here.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel for the journey home.