TRIP TO ENGLAND
IN 2016
Map of England, Scotland and Wales showing Northumberland in red.
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Inspired by the ruggedness and beauty of the landscape, the warmth of the local people and its impressive historic legacy - we decided to plan this trip to take place next summer.
Hadrian's Wall between Housesteads Roman Fort and Heavenfield battlefield near Chollerford. Photo: Claudia Reidy.
NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM
IN THE NORTH EAST
IN THE NORTH EAST
DISCOVER THIS LESS WELL KNOWN REGION OF ENGLAND - STEEPED IN HISTORY AND HERITAGE
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PRICES 6-days/5-nights - € 1100 per person sharing or 7-days/6-nights - €1300 per person sharing We stay in carefully chosen Bed and Breakfast accommodation: in two lovely old stone-built Georgian country houses near Corbridge, west of Newcastle. Both houses are very comfortable with beautiful interiors, antique furniture and old paintings. Our full English breakfasts are prepared by the friendly owners. Prices are based on groups of twelve, with two people sharing double or twin bedded rooms. Transport from France to Newcastle is not included in the price. |
The North East of England. Lindsfarne Holy Island is just north of Bamburgh on map.
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DAY 1 - Arrival Day, check-in to Bed and Breakfasts, and later a visit to the city of Newcastle. Travelling in two 7-seater cars, we pick you up at Newcastle International Airport, or at the Railway or Bus Station in the city centre. It depends on what time people arrive, but the plan is to take you to your Bed and Breakfast accommodation first, and to come back to Newcastle later to visit the Castle, and the Millennium Bridge. We round off the arrival day with dinner at a restaurant located in the heart of the city, where they serve delicious local seasonal food. We then return to our bed and breakfast base for a good night’s sleep. |
Newcastle Central Railway Station in the city centre. Photo: Claudia Reidy.
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Hadrians Wall near Housesteads Roman Fort.
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Day 2 - Visit to Hadrian's Wall at Housesteads Roman Fort
- a journey through time. Standing proudly in the rugged Northumberland National Park is Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD) to mark the northern boundary of Britannia. Housesteads Roman Fort was built around 124 AD, soon after the beginning of the construction of the wall, and is the most complete Roman Fort in Britain. It was built on the original Broad Wall foundation situated high up on an escarpment with stunning views of some of the finest countryside in the land. The National Trust has set up a Visitor Centre and Museum near the site, housing a large collection of Roman artefacts excavated from the fort. |
After our visit to the fort in the morning, followed by a pub lunch, for our walkers there are trails along Hadrian’s Wall going both east and west of Housesteads, with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. For our non-walkers, we visit the nearby picturesque village of Chollerford, where its famous bridge, with 5 semi-circular stone arches, spans 90 metres over the river Tyne. It replaced an earlier medieval bridge which had been swept away in the great floods of 1771, and is a Grade II listed building.
At the end of the afternoon we return to base to relax before dining at a nearby restaurant, serving delicious food made from prime local ingredients.
At the end of the afternoon we return to base to relax before dining at a nearby restaurant, serving delicious food made from prime local ingredients.
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DAY 3 - Visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, the fishing village of Craster and Dunstanburgh Castle.
A brief history of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne is one of the most important centres of British Anglo-Saxon Christianity with The Priory dating back to 635 AD when Saint Aidan, an Irish-Celtic monk, came from Iona and founded his monastery there. He became the first bishop of Lindisfarne. In 654 AD, Saint Cuthbert, a very holy man with healing powers, came to Lindisfarne and later became the fifth successor to Bishop Aidan. He died in 687 AD and was buried on the island. Saint Cuthbert’s Church was built there in his memory. In 793 AD there was a devastating Viking attack on the Holy Island, which sent a shockwave through Europe. In 875 AD, due to continued danger from Viking raids, the monks of Lindisfarne fled the island with the body of Cuthbert, and in 995 AD the body was moved to Durham Cathedral, where it lies to this day. The Christian community on the island of Lindisfarne did survive the Viking attacks however, and recorded the event on the famous “Domesday Stone” which can be seen in the Priory museum. |
Fulmars nesting on sandstone cliffs. Photo: Claudia Reidy.
Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island. Photo: Claudia Reidy.
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After breakfast we drive up north and at low tide we will cross the causeway onto Holy Island.
Lindisfarne is one of the most magical places to visit, being a National Nature Reserve with 3500 hectares of dunes, saltmarsh and mudflats, and wonderful flora and fauna. The village is built around the ruins of the Priory and Abbey, and has a Heritage Centre and Museum, several gift and souvenir shops, some hotels and restaurants, and Saint Aidan’s Winery where Mead is made. We visit Lindisfarne Castle, which sits on the highest point of the island overlooking the sea. Our walkers can follow the track around the island’s periphery, or choose from several other walks across the island. For our non-walkers, there is a shuttle bus, stopping at 7 points around the island. Finally, we drive south along the Northumberland coast to the fishing village of Craster, to have dinner at a seafood restaurant there - main course: fresh lobster. Afterwards we can walk along the cliffs to Dunstanburgh Castle, an impressive 14th century fortification, before returning to base for the night. |
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DAY 4 - Visit to Durham city - Durham Cathedral and University, and later in the day time-permitting - Washington Old Hall, and/or The Penshaw Monument. We drive south from Newcastle to neighbouring County Durham to visit this historic capital city of the north east, famous for its World Heritage Site comprising Durham Cathedral, Palace Green and Durham Castle - part of the University. The awe-inspiring cathedral, whose construction began in 1097 and continued for 40 years, is one of the great medieval buildings of Europe. Our visit to the cathedral includes a private group guided tour to discover its hidden history. The tour lasts an hour and a quarter and can be in English or French. Afterwards we have a light lunch at the restaurant in the Cathedral’s cloisters. Durham University, founded in 1832, is the third oldest university in England. We visit its museum in nearby Cosin’s Library, founded by monarchist, John Cosin. The library was probably inspired by Cardinal Mazarin’s Public Library in Paris during Cosin’s exile in France between 1644 and 1660. |
Durham Cathedral.
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On the way back, we may have time to visit Washington Old Hall, the ancestral home of the family of George Washington,
1st President of the United States, and/or The Penshaw Monument, a famous landmark in memory of the first Earl of Durham.
1st President of the United States, and/or The Penshaw Monument, a famous landmark in memory of the first Earl of Durham.
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DAY 5 - Kielder Water and Forest Park,
and Kielder Astronomical Observatory. Set high up in Northumberland National Park is Kielder Lake, where we spend the day before our evening visit to Kielder Observatory. After a leisurely breakfast we drive north through Chollerford to Tower Knowe Centre on the south side of Kielder Water. We board the Osprey Ferry to discover the lake, surrounded by pine forest and heather moorland. After a light lunch at the ‘Café on the Water’ at Tower Knowe, for our walkers there are beautiful lakeside tracks. Our non-walkers visit the Kielder Water Birds of Prey Centre, see a flying demonstration, and interact with the birds. At Kielder Salmon Hatchery, we have a group ‘behind the scenes’ tour and meet the people who carry out this vital conservation work. We observe the life cycle of salmon raised before they are released into the Tyne and other rivers in the north of England. Kielder Castle, also located in the park at the north end of the lake, was a hunting lodge of the *Percy family, and was built by the Duke of Northumberland in 1775. After an early dinner at the Boat Inn Restaurant in Leaplish Waterside Park, Kielder, we take part in an evening event at Kielder Observatory from 8pm to 11pm, then back to base. |
Kielder Observatory: “We have the largest expanse of dark night sky in the whole of Europe, thanks to minimal light pollution. In summer you can view the beautiful Milky Way, passing comets, shooting stars and see the Sun's surface using our incredible telescope”. |
An optional extra full day
It would be possible to extend the trip to 7-days, 6-nights (at the additional cost stated above) in order to visit Alnwick - Alnwick Castle, seat of the Dukes of Northumberland, and The Alnwick Garden.
It would be possible to extend the trip to 7-days, 6-nights (at the additional cost stated above) in order to visit Alnwick - Alnwick Castle, seat of the Dukes of Northumberland, and The Alnwick Garden.
Alnwick Castle.
The Treehouse Restaurant, Alnwick Garden. Photo: Claudia Reidy.
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DAY 6 (optional) - Visit to Alnwick - Alnwick Castle and Alnwick Garden.
We again cover new ground, driving up to Alnwick via Rothbury, one of the most picturesque routes in Northumberland National Park. Rothbury is a village with a turbulent and bloody history pre-dating the Norman Invasion of England in the 11th-century. Alnwick Castle in the centre of Alnwick has been home to the *Percy family - the Dukes of Northumberland for the last 700 years. It is a significant historic monument and remains today one of the largest inhabited castles in the UK. It has been the location for all kinds of film and television productions, most notably in the first two “Harry Potter” films, and in “Downton Abbey”. At Alnwick Garden, we have a light lunch in the Potting Shed in their Treehouse Restaurant, the largest of its kind in the world. It was the Duchess of Northumberland herself who inspired this ‘world's most extraordinary contemporary garden’. At the end of the afternoon we return to base before dining at a nearby former stately home, now a hotel/restaurant offering very good food and true Northumbrian hospitality. *The House of Percy (old French: Perci) was “the most powerful noble family in northern England for much of the Middle Ages.” The Percy Family descended from William de Percy (died 1096), a Norman who crossed over from France after William the Conqueror in 1067 AD. |
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Departure Day (DAY 6 or 7)
After breakfast we leave for Newcastle and depending on the times of your flights, trains etc. we hope to have time to visit other places of interest in the city, such as the Great North Museum and the Sage Music Centre. |
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PRICES
Transport from France to Newcastle is not included in the trip prices. The prices given above are based on groups of twelve, with two people sharing double or twin bedded rooms. There are no single rooms available, but we should be able to arrange sharing a room, on request. Each day breakfast, a light lunch and dinner (the main meal of the day) is included. Only dinner is included on the arrival day, and only breakfast on the departure day. Mid-morning coffees, afternoon teas and additional alcoholic beverages etc. are not included. Prices include all admission fees to castles and other sites, and any scheduled private group guided tours. |
NOTE
If you are interested in taking part in this trip between 26th June and 31st August 2016, please make contact with me as soon as possible. As we will need all four available rooms in each of the two Bed and Breakfasts we have chosen, we will have to book the accommodation very soon to avoid disappointment. For further information or to reserve a place on the trip, please contact Helen - see details below. |
The trip is being organized and run jointly by Helen Thompson and Claudia Reidy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - AS OF 11th OCTOBER 2015
Bookings
I want to give priority to my students and ex-students who would like to go on the trip (with their spouses/partners), but after that all are welcome. At present several people have expressed interest in taking part in a trip at the end of June/early July 2016, subject to confirmation. I am currently looking for a second person (lady) to share a room on the trip with another student of mine who is interested in going.
If there are enough people, a second identical trip could be arranged for later during the summer.
Getting to Newcastle
Newcastle’s International Airport is ideally situated for our trip to the north of England. However, the airport is not served by direct flights from Marseille. The flight options I have found so far are as follows:
- Marseille - London Heathrow - Newcastle-upon-Tyne (return ticket) with British Airways
If flights are booked at least three months in advance, the price of a return ticket can be as low as 273 euros per person, with hand baggage only. I have booked this route to go to Newcastle at Christmas 2015. - Marseille - Amsterdam - Newcastle-upon-Tyne (return ticket) with Air France-KLM
I have taken this route twice and it cost between 317 euros and 370 euros per trip. The ticket had to be booked with the on-line company “eDreams”. The delays in Amsterdam vary according to the day. - Marseille - Newcastle with Air France or SNCF « TGV-AIR » - Flight+Train or Train+Flight.
I have not fully studied this option yet. - Marseille to Edinburgh (Edimbourg en français), Scotland - direct flight with Ryanair.
This is the cheapest flight option, but necessitates taking the bus or train from Edinburgh to Newcastle. The price of a return ticket for a “Monday to Monday” trip next summer is 170 euros, which includes one checked-in suitcase.
On arrival you would need to take the airport bus into Edinburgh (about 30 minutes), then a train from Waverly Station in Edinburgh city centre to Newcastle.
The bus to Newcastle is much cheaper than the train, and also goes from Edinburgh city centre. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes and can cost as little as 10 pounds per person - one way, when booked well in advance on-line.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or translation difficulties with the above.
Helen Thompson -
Telephone : 00 33 (0)4 42 26 75 71
Email : trip-to-england@essentialenglish.fr