OVERVIEW
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT.
If you would like to be added to the waiting list for cancellations, please email us at alisonweirtours@hotmail.co.uk. If there is enough demand, we may run a second tour.
Saturday, 16th April to Monday, 25th April 2016
Join Alison Weir and her team of historians for an unforgettable experience: a royal progress back in time to the 15th century to explore the history of King Richard III, England’s most contentious monarch. Since the discovery of his remains in 2012 beneath a car park in Leicester, there has been a huge upsurge in interest in Richard III and his much-debated role in the fate of the Princes in the Tower. In this unique tour we will visit a host of fascinating historic sites connected with him, including his birthplace at Fotheringhay, the site of his death at the Battle of Bosworth, and his new burial place in Leicester Cathedral. Along the way we will tour castles, abbeys, churches, battlefields and historic houses, and there will be a full enrichment programme of talks and debates by an array of historians, and specialist guided tours, with the privileged access for which Alison Weir Tours have become known. We will stay in beautiful luxury hotels, dine in historic venues, and tour through some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain, as we retrace the footsteps of one of the most controversial kings in history, the enigmatic Richard III.
9 nights
2 nights at The Old Swan and Minster Mill, Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire 5*
2 nights at The Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire 4*
3 nights at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa, York 5*
2 nights at Kilworth House Hotel, Lutterworth, Leicestershire 4*
Welcome dinner at The Old Swan and Minster Mill
Lunch at Gupshill Manor, now the Gupshill Manor Inn
Dinner in St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry
Afternoon tea at Markenfield Hall
Dinner at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York
Medieval Banquet at Barley Hall, York
Lunch at the Angel & Royal Hotel, Grantham
Dinner at Kilworth House Hotel
Farewell dinner at Bosworth Battlefield Tithe Barn
Packed lunch on the final day of the tour
Afternoon tea at the Kingsway Hall Hotel
Visiting
Minster Lovell Hall
Berkhamsted Castle
Oxford and Magdalen College
Tewkesbury Abbey
Kenilworth Castle
Ludlow Castle
St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow
Ludlow Castle Lodge
City of Ripon
Markenfield Hall
Middleham Castle
Barnard Castle
St Mary’s Church, Barnard Castle
Sheriff Hutton Castle and Church
City of York (with tickets to visit the Richard III Experience and the Henry VII Experience)
Barley Hall, York
Sandal Castle and the site of the Battle of Wakefield
Pontefract Castle
Ashby de la Zouch Castle
Kirby Muxloe Castle
Leicester Cathedral
Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester
Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre
Fotheringhay Castle and Church
Site of the Battle of Barnet
The Tower of London
We are delighted to announce that the historians Sarah Gristwood and Julian Humphreys will be joining us for the tour.
GUEST FEEDBACK
"Thanks Alison Weir for a fantastic tour."
"It was a wonderful experience. A lifetime of memories in 10 short days. Thanks to you and your team of historians and supporters.It was a really special time. I will treasure the memories."
"Once again an amazing time had by us all!"
"It was truly a spectacularly run tour."
"Alison Weir and John Marston do such a great job."
"Alison Weir Tours are the best!"
"A wonderful Alison Weir tour. It was a great trip. Thanks to AWT for a terrific job."
"What a wonderful time we had. Great as always. It's always magic in Alison's Wonderland."
"Thank you again for an awesome experience on Richard III. It truly was the trip of a lifetime."
"I had a fabulous time on Richard III. It was so wonderful to see everyone again and to spend time with Alison especially. As always it was memorable!!"
"We loved every minute!"
"This tour was meticulously planned and flawlessly executed. It was a truly memorable experience and I am delighted to have participated. Thanks, Siobhan, as always for your wonderful help."
"Thank you so very much for helping to make this year's tour as fabulous as it was!"
"Had an amazing time, as usual!"
"Alison, thanks so much for planning such a wonderful tour! Everything was so lovely, I so much enjoyed seeing all of the historic sites, and having the commentary of the historians really added so much value to it. And of course the "special access" that we got for certain places (the Clarence vault, etc.) was just amazing!!"
"I just wanted to say a big "Thank You" to Alison, Sarah, Nicola, Julian, Siobhan, John, Jo and Julian for a wonderful Richard 3 tour. It was terrific and I cannot wait until next year for Tudor Tapestry. This is beginning to feel like one big family and I couldn't be happier. Please do keep me on the list for your next tour as well. I can't wait until next year's trip. I love the AWT tours and the people."
"I had a wonderful experience. The tour was excellent and as usual, very well planned and executed. Many thanks to everyone involved."
"All wonderful! LOVED having Julian Humphrys onboard! He was awesome, plus it was good to have a male perspective of history and his battlefield knowledge. Hope he can come again. I enjoyed the fact that the historians didn’t move between tables during included meals -it was lovely having one stay at the table for the whole meal, and over the 10 days we got to enjoy a meal with each one at least once anyway. Favourite accomm definitely Kilworth House out of this year’s stays. Gorgeous place, lovely rooms, lovely grounds and lovely food."
"Visiting the sites with these fun and knowledgeable historians bring history to life for us. This tour was especially fun because we could have such great discussions about the guilt or innocence of Richard. Ironically, it made our group more cohesive. It was wonderful to see old friends again and meet new ones, who we hope we will meet again. The places we stayed during the tour were fantastic. We have become deliciously spoiled. We have never had so much fun while learning so much. We so much enjoyed discussions with Tony Pollard and Julian Humphreys. Thanks to the whole team for all their hard work. It made for another unforgettable experience."