Alison Weir Tours

ALISON WEIR TOURS are now offering the first in a series of day tours and short study breaks in historic locations. These two tours will be led by Alison Weir in company with another professional historian.







A DAY AT HAMPTON COURT WITH ALISON WEIR

Saturday, 14th July 2012



Hampton Court is one of the finest palaces in the world. Join Alison Weir and Siobhan Clarke, Historic Royal Palaces' Guide Lecturer, to explore over 500 years of history through this magnificent complex of state apartments, whose previous owners include Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. One of the most impressive sights is the Great Hall, England`s last and greatest medieval royal hall, decorated with priceless tapestries. Henry VIII’s Chapel Royal boasts a superb blue and gold ceiling. Hampton Court Palace also contains many important paintings and portraits from the Royal Collection. The palace is surrounded by sixty acres of glorious formal gardens. Here you will find the world`s most famous maze, where whispers of the past haunt every step, and William III`s Privy garden, now restored to its 1702 glory.



We meet at the Palace at 10 am.

In the morning, Alison Weir and Siobhan Clarke (Siobhan will be wearing authentic Tudor dress), will guide our group around the Tudor state apartments, where Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth once held court, and other parts of the Palace. 

At 12.30 pm Alison and Siobhan will join guests for an included three-course lunch with wine and soft drinks at Cafe La Fiamma, a delightful Italian restaurant opposite the Palace, overlooking Bushy Park.  

  

In the heart of Surrey you will find a little corner of Italy. Sample freshly prepared dishes with the finest ingredients and accompanied by the best wines. A charming ambience and friendly staff make for a memorable dining experience.

At 2.30 pm Alison Weir will guide the group around the Tudor kitchens, after which Siobhan Clarke will lead a tour of the beautiful gardens, the Great Vine and the Royal Tennis Court.

The day's programme ends at 4.30 pm, after which guests can enjoy free time to revisit the Palace or browse in the shops.   




The cost of the day's programme, including lunch, is £149.00 per person (£129.00 to members of Historic Royal Palaces). Alison Weir Tours offer an exclusive experience for small groups. For this reason, each tour is limited to 25 guests. A comprehensive menu will be sent to booked guests for pre-ordering lunch.


A DAY AT THE TOWER OF LONDON WITH ALISON WEIR

Saturday, 1st September 2012



The Tower of London is one of England’s World Heritage sites, and the setting for some of history’s most dramatic events. Join Alison Weir and Nicola Tallis, AWT’s Historian and Guide Lecturer, to explore over 900 years of history in this impressive fortress begun by William the Conqueror. Visit the Medieval Palace, the apartments used by kings and queens before the Tower earned its reputation as a place of imprisonment and grisly execution. The Royal Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula is the resting place of three queens and other famous executed traitors. The Tower is also home to the Crown Jewels, made up of 23,578 gems which include the world’s most famous diamonds. Around every corner lurks a story of times gone past, while many believe that the Tower is the most haunted place in England.

We meet at the Tower at 10am.

In the morning, Alison Weir will guide us through the Medieval Palace, and Nicola Tallis will lead the group through the East Wall Walk, consisting of four towers, each of which has a chilling story to tell.



Alison will then talk about the mystery of the Princes in the Tower while visiting the Bloody Tower, traditionally (but erroneously) held to be their prison, and the site of the staircase in the White Tower, where, in 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered, which are believed by many to be the remains of the Princes.

At 12.30pm, we will enjoy an included three-course lunch with wine at a nearby restaurant (details to come).

At 2.30pm we return to the Tower, where Alison Weir takes us back to Anne Boleyn’s final days in the Tower, guiding visitors around the site of the old Royal Apartments where she was imprisoned, as well as the spot where she met her fateful end.



Alison and Nicola will then tell the stories of two of the tragic Grey sisters, Lady Jane and Lady Katherine, both of whom were imprisoned in the Tower. We will visit the Beauchamp Tower, where Lady Jane’s husband was imprisoned prior to his execution, and see the stone carving traditionally attributed to him.

At Tower Green, Alison and Nicola will tell the stories of the other famous historical figures who were beheaded on or near the scaffold site – and about the ghosts that are said to haunt the Tower.  

The day's programme ends at 4.30 pm, after which guests can enjoy free time to revisit the Tower or browse in the shops.

The cost of the day's programme, including a three-course lunch with wine and soft drinks, is £149.00 per person. Alison Weir Tours offer an exclusive experience for small groups. For this reason, each tour is limited to 25 guests. A comprehensive menu will be sent to booked guests for pre-ordering lunch.


 

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HAMPTON COURT/TOWER OF LONDON DAY TOUR BOOKING FORM

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£149.00 per person. The full cost is payable on booking.

£129.00 per person for members of Historic Royal Palaces.
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On booking, U.K. guests can send a cheque made payable to Alison Weir Tours to the address below.
Otherwise, payment is by money transfer to AWT’s account, or via Paypal. Details will be sent to you personally on AWT’s receipt of a signed booking form.

Please sign this form and return it:

By post to:  Alison Weir Tours Ltd, 14 Vernon Street, London W14 0RJ
By FAX to: 00 44 207 471 7910
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