Welcome to the ‘The Heritage, Historic Houses & Art of Greenwich & South East London’ tour. You can view full details of this tour, share this tour with others, pay your final balance before departure and, once you have departed on your holiday, share your group photos and write reviews.
Itinerary
Day 1
We board our private executive coach at our designated pick up point, and en route to our hotel we visit the National Trust’s Chartwell property in Kent, the family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1924 until the end of his life. The rooms and gardens remain much as they were when he lived there and contain personal memorabilia, books and family photographs. We continue to the 4* Novotel Hotel at Greenwich for a three night stay. A welcome dinner is included in our hotel this evening.
Day 2
Our Blue Badge guide meets us at our hotel this morning and accompanies us throughout the day. We spend the day exploring Greenwich, with its powerful combination of maritime, royal and artistic history. We start at the top of Greenwich Park, with its wonderful views across the River Thames. We firstly visit the Royal Observatory, built in 1665 by Sir Christopher Wren and the site of the Greenwich Meridian, where GMT is used to set the world’s clocks. The challenge of keeping accurate time at sea in order for ships to establish just where they were was finally solved by John Harrison and several of his beautiful timekeepers can be seen in the Observatory. We continue to Queen’s House. Inigo Jones’ architectural masterpiece reopened in 2016 after major restoration, with 22 spectacular rooms filled with great art representing 400 years. An ambitious new work in gold leaf by Turner Prizewinner Richard Wright has been revealed on the ceiling of the Great Hall, and the iconic Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I is on permanent display for the first time. On arrival at the Old Royal Naval College this afternoon we enjoy a guided tour at the beautiful Painted Hall. Designed in the early 18th century by Sir James Thornhill, the Painted Hall features more than 3,700 square metres of Baroque walls and ceilings. These surfaces are covered in striking images depicting 200 figures including kings, queens and mythological creatures. It was originally intended as an eating space for the Greenwich Pensioners who lived at the Royal Hospital, as it was called then, but it soon became a tourist attraction and was used for dining only on special occasions.
Day 3
With our Blue Badge guide this morning we visit Red House, commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts and Craft movement. Only recently acquired by the National Trust, the building is of great architectural and social significance and contains a fine collection of furniture by Morris and Phillip Webb. This afternoon we enjoy a guided tour (subject to availability) at the English Heritage’s Eltham Palace, the childhood home of Henry VIII. This medieval royal palace now incorporates probably the best example in Britain of an Art Deco house. Built by the Courtauld family, the interior shows the glamour and allure of 1930s High Society.
Day 4
After checking out of our hotel we enjoy a guided tour at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, designed by Sir John Soane and the oldest public gallery in England. The permanent collection includes paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto and Gainsborough. We then enjoy a guided tour at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. Expertly led by a Blue Badge Guide, we see the facilities used by the world’s best tennis players as well as broadcasters, learn how Wimbledon’s distinctive grass is cared for and how the site has changed and improved each year. Taking carefully selected comfort stops en route, we return back to our original pick up point.
NB: Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.
Featuring
4* hotel
Welcome dinner included
Entrance fees to non-National Trust & non-English Heritage properties included
Blue Badge guide included on Days 2 & 3
Executive coach throughout
Chartwell
Greenwich – guided walking tour
The Royal Observatory
Queen’s House
The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College – guided tour
Red House
Eltham Palace
Dulwich Picture Gallery – guided tour
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum – guided tour
Hotel
We stay three nights at the 4* Novotel Hotel at Greenwich (https://all.accor.com/booking/en/novotel/hotel/). Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, gymnasium and a sauna. All rooms are ensuite and feature a hairdryer, television, and tea & coffee making facilities. A set 3 course dinner without drinks is included in our hotel on the first night, and the remaining two nights are on a bed and breakfast basis.
Extras
Insurance (including Covid cover) £38
Single room supplement £99
Entrance fees to National Trust & English Heritage properties (NT properties free to NT members & EH properties free to EH members)
Gratuities
Dinners on Days 2 & 3
Lunches
Optional Excursions
All excursion travel & guided tours included
