After one last scrummy English breakfast, we say goodbye. Conley & Silvers will provide your transfer to London Heathrow, and we will make any departure time work today. For those lucky folks adding on some time in the U.K., let us know if we can help you arrange transportation or additional vacation plans. Whichever option you choose, we hope you take home many treasured memories. Missing you already - until the next time, ta ta for now!

(B)

Stroll with Sophie through the charming streets of Broadway. Appropriately named for its fine, wide high street, this village was originally founded as a supply settlement for Pershore Abbey in the early mediaeval period, but really boomed in Tudor times at the height of the English wool trade. It also has strong associations with the 20th-century Arts and Crafts movement: the owner of our hotel, the Lygon Arms, had a son called Gordon Russell, who started building furniture in a studio over the hotel's coach house, now displayed in the eponymous museum. St Michael & All Angels church rises out of the landscape, its tower visible for miles.

You will have free time to explore Broadway on your own. In addition to picking up any last souvenirs, here are two suggestions:

• Gordon Russell Museum - Arts and Crafts style (usually known in America as 'Craftsman') grew out of William Morris's passionate loathing for the industrialisation of manufacture and love of the simple, strong designs of the traditional craftsman. Russell's furniture is the bridge between Morris's late-Victorian world and the Modernist style of the 20th Century. 

• Broadway Museum & Art Gallery - Broadway's museum occupies a former 17th-century coaching inn and its collection is sufficiently impressive for a partnership with the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. It covers the history of the area, from Cotswolds wool, geology, geography and archaeology to the colony of American artists that convened here in the late 19th century, the most famous of which is probably the portraitist John Singer Sargent.

We end our Soirée with a bash at legendary Kiftsgate Court Gardens in Gloucestershire, chosen for its stunning setting and views over the Malvern Hills. Nurtured by three indomitable female gardeners: the first, Heather Muir, was inspired by her friend Lawrence Johnston at nearby Hidcote gardens, and was followed by Diana Binny and Anne Chambers. Anne was brought up here, runs today's garden with her family, and will be hosting our private after-hours garden tour. Arguably the best garden on the trip, Kiftsgate is full of seasonal delights including the collection of old-world roses it is best known for, and in June they should be in bloom!  

Raise a glass at our festive farewell dinner party in this remarkable setting. Enjoy a glittering evening dining on the veranda overlooking the abundant blooms accompanied by music, laughter, and friends new and old sharing many good memories.

LYGON ARMS HOTEL (B, D)

Worcestershire is Shakespeare Country, and although Stratford-upon-Avon is not exactly the Cotswolds, we'd be mad not to see the Royal Shakespeare Company in action.

Spend the day in Stratford, visiting some of the sites connected with the great man (who was famous locally as a landowner rather than a playwright, by the way). Experience Tudor school life with William Shakespeare’s teacher, Master Thomas Jenkins, in his charmingly wonky one-room school (still going after over 500 years) and visit the church where the playwright is buried. Climb the Royal Shakespeare Theatre's viewing tower to look at the town and the Avon. For pre-trip reading, try the excellent Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell.

We'll walk to the home of his wife, Ann Hathaway, on the path that he used when  visiting her. The house was built more than 500 years ago and much of the original survives. See original furniture including the Hathaway bed and uncover five centuries of stories of the family who lived here for 13 generations. Sophie will provide insightful commentary on his early years and the impact of his literary contributions.

After a memorable pre-theater dinner, sit in the in the best seats available to take in a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company, where Dame Judi Dench, Sir Kenneth Branagh, and many other notable actors have taken the stage.

LYGON ARMS HOTEL (B, D)

Gabled and golden, Rodmarton Manor sits on the Cotswold Escarpment on one of two high commons - Rodmarton and Minchinhampton - which are open to grazing animals for six months of the year. Be prepared to wait in traffic while a cow sits in the road! Vintage Arts & Crafts, the manor was built in the early 20th Century for the Biddulph family, whose descendants still own it. Today the garden is closed to the public, however we have secured a private visit and will have the manor and gardens all to ourselves and enjoy a light lunch on the estate.

Next stop is Broadway Tower, a striking folly built on an old beacon point by 18th-century architect James Wyatt at the request of the garden designer Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. Their client was the Earl of Coventry, who used it as a novelty banqueting house, and it was built in the style of a Saxon tower. On a good day you can see sixteen counties from the top, and we will divide into walkers and e-bikers to see some of the landscape.

We continue the day at Snowshill House & Garden, another outstanding example of Arts and Crafts architecture. Its owner Charles Paget Wade had a distinctly theatrical bent and the house is delightfully mad: he felt that its spirit of place was the perfect backdrop to his collection of objets d'art and bibelots, from snuff boxes to books to breastplates. The garden is equally theatrical, with topiary, terraces and never a dull moment!

Check in to the Lygon Arms, located in the heart of the Cotswolds, nestled in the village of Broadway. Steeped in over 600 years of fascinating history, the Lygon Arms has been a host to royalty as well as notable rebellious figures throughout the centuries – a perfect fit for our group!

Evening at leisure.

LYGON ARMS HOTEL (B, L)

This morning we are touring the whimsical Painswick Rococo Garden to witness spring on display.  This idiosyncratic, mid-1700s garden reflects the playful, fantasy world of the Rococo - a style evident in European painting, fashion and architecture - enthusiastically adopted by wealthy Britons of the period. It was designed by Benjamin Hyett, painted by Thomas Robins and survived dereliction by a whisker, almost succumbing in the 1980s but rescued (partly using the painting for inspiration). Today it dazzles with 'Strawberry Gothic' pinnacled and turreted pavilions and charming plantings.

On the way home we pass through the Slad Valley, home to the village of Slad, immortalised in Laurie Lee's novel Cider With Rosie. The author went to school here, walking out one day to explore the world. As an older man he drank in the Woolpack Pub, where they have kept a collection of his beer bottles, and he is buried in the local church of the Holy Trinity. Let us know if you wish to hike the Laurie Lee Wildlife Way, a 5-mile loop dotted with poetry posts, each of which features one of Laurie Lee’s poems.

Otherwise, return to the hotel in time for lunch on your own and an afternoon free to enjoy a blissful retreat at our Spa hotel, take a vacation from your vacation.

This evening, join us for an epic croquet championship in the garden then gather for a magical dinner party on the estate – grand and unapologetically country. 

CALCOT & SPA (B, D)

This is a lovely time of the year to spend the morning hiking in the National Arboretum, Westonbirt, home to 2,500 species of trees and collections that reflect the country's long history of plant hunting, landscaping and planting exotic trees. It was created by the wealthy, plant-obsessed landowner Robert Holford, whose rebuilt Westonbirt House is now a girls' school, and who funded Victorian plant hunters to cross the globe.

After our sojourn in the woods, we welcome you to antiques central: the market town at Tetbury is famous for its antique, vintage and bric-a-brac shops large and small, as well as charming little boutiques selling everything from clothes to homewares. Tetbury is another wool town and a hill village, with many stepped streets and a Grade I listed 1655 Market Hall (architecture alert: we will learn the difference between a Grade I and a Grade II listing). Enjoy free time on your own to shop and have lunch.

After figuring out how to fit that purchase of an 18th century garden folly into your luggage, our afternoon excursion takes us to nearby Highgrove Gardens, the private residence of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. On our private tour, led by an expert guide, learn about the gardens’ history and organic management, as well as their sources of inspiration. After our tour, indulge in a delicious afternoon tea, featuring Highgrove Champagne, in the elegant surroundings of the Orchard Room. (Note: we are poised to pounce on this reservation which can only be made in 2024).

Dine this evening on the hotel’s stunning outdoor terrace with sink-into-sofas and a flame-flickering fire pit... just grab a blanket for a cozy pow-wow under the stars. For al fresco feasting, there’s a wood-fired pizza oven and BBQ for chefs to perform a little mouth-watering outdoor kitchen alchemy, right in front of your eyes! 

CALCOT & SPA (B, Afternoon Tea, D)

Instead of rolling up in the coach at Bibury, one of the Cotswolds' prettiest villages, we're going to walk there from the nearby estate village of Coln St. Aldwyns, following the valley of the river Coln and arriving in Bibury via a stunning 17th/18th century hamlet and watermill and the run of weavers' cottages known as Arlington Row.

Like Bourton, Bibury sits right beside a pretty little river, this time the Coln, and its warm grey houses follow the contours of the valley; slate roofs are like long rows of mossy steps and cottage gardens are bright with flowers. Bibury was well-known for its busy woollen mill and Arlington Row housed weavers in medieval period and today has a successful trout farm and The Swan Hotel, a charming stop for coffee.

After building up our appetites with our river walk, enjoy a delectable lunch at Barnsley House, which boasts the quintessential English garden with knot gardens, statues by Simon Verity and a working kitchen garden that supplies much of the produce found on the menu at our lunch. Take a guided tour with a head gardener through four acres of carefully tended grounds designed by plantswoman Rosemary Verey, who designed for a glittering roster of clients around the world. King Charles  visited Barnsley House to take inspiration for the garden at Highgrove, and Sir Elton John and the New York Botanical Gardens have also called on her talents.

Our final destination today is Calcot & Spa – with stylish rooms, a sublime spa and top-notch dining, all set within 220 acres of rewilded Cotswolds countryside perfect for romping. Arrive in time to relax and possibly take a soak or get a massage…dinner on your own this evening, may we suggest nibbles at the Hive lounge or dinner at the acclaimed Brasserie.

CALCOT & SPA (B, L)

This morning, enjoy a lay-in or join Sophie on a country walk from our hotel surveying the countryside around Upper and Lower Slaughter.   

In the late morning, venture to Sudeley Castle, which sits near the village of Winchcombe and was home to the scheming Thomas Seymour, brother of Queen Jane.

Today it remains the only private castle in England to have a queen buried within the grounds – Queen Katherine Parr, the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII – who lived and died here. Enjoy a private tour of Queen Katherine’s tomb, the award-winning gardens, and the castle rooms which are still lived in by the family and house an art collection including paintings by Turner and van Dyck. Have a light lunch together at Sudeley before our upcoming food tour.

Next stop, Bourton-on-the-Water. It really is, too: the village straddles the river Windrush with no fewer than five bridges. We're doing a foodie tour along its banks and through the village itself, stopping at Cotswolds Ice Creams, tucking into a cream tea at Bakery on the Water (possibly the best scones yet?) and ending at the Hawkstone Brewery (run by the Cotswold Brewing Company, which makes cider, beer and gin in partnership with Jeremy Clarkson). We'll stop at the famous Model Village along the way - a perfect replica of the village at one-ninth scale from 1937.

Enjoy leisure time and dinner back at our hotel.

LORDS OF THE MANOR (B, L, D)

Start the morning with a lovely drive to the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, where a collection of striking Mesolithic monuments known as the Rollright Stones stand in open fields 700 feet above sea level, where they have stood for some 5,000 years. (Some span the same construction period as that of Stonehenge, from 3,500 BC to 1,500 BC)

Stroll through the rolling hills to the market town of Chipping Norton, which has prehistoric origins and the remains of a Norman motte and bailey. It also has a modern reputation as an upscale rural retreat for politicians and celebrities, collectively known as the 'Chipping Norton Set,' from David Cameron to former Top Gear presenter and now farmer, Jeremy Clarkson.

After perusing the town, roll on to a well-earned break for locally sourced lunch and shopping on your own at Daylesford Organic, the pretty farm shop opened in 2002 by Baroness Carole Bamford, OBE. The family owns organic farms in Staffordshire and Oxfordshire and at Daylesford you can find home & garden gifts galore. This is a great place to pick up something special.

After lunch, we will tour Sezincote, a family-owned 3,500-acre estate set high on the Cotswold escarpment above the river Evenlode, with a somewhat startling house built in what might be termed the Anglo-Mughal style. It was designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell for his older brother, Charles, who made his fortune in the British East India Company. Its glorious gardens were rescued in the 1960s and also show a distinct Indian influence, while living up to their utterly English name, meaning 'dwelling place by the oaks.'

Back at the Lords of the Manor, relax on the lawn and tuck into dinner. 

LORDS OF THE MANOR (B, D)

Waving goodbye to Oxford, we board our private coach for a scenic drive through the lush landscape of the Cotswolds to Blenheim Palace. This monster construction is the only palace in England that is neither royal nor episcopal, built on the site of the old royal enclave of Woodstock. Funded by Queen Anne, it was built by her confidante Sarah Churchill and Sarah’s husband, the Duke of Marlborough (an event familiar to fans of the 2018 movie The Favourite, starring Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz). When they fell from favour the Queen stopped paying, but they still created sumptuous staterooms and private apartments, servants' quarters, formal gardens and an elegant park and lake. Winston Churchill was born here, by mistake, when his mother was attending a ball. 

On route to Blenheim, we will pop into the tiny village of Bladon for a short visit to Winston Churchill’s final resting place. There's something very moving about St Martin's Church, with its peaceful country graveyard made remarkable by the presence of the Spencer-Churchills' family plot. Winston Churchill turned down a Westminster Abbey burial in favour of a grave here, near to that of his parents and wider family. 

Guess who lives in the neighbourhood?  Our friend and best-selling author, Ross King, who happens to be writing his next novel - spotlighting Winston Churchill.  What luck!  Ross has graciously invited us over to his home this afternoon for a cream tea in his garden and an engaging talk about his current project.  How marvelous!

On route to our hotel, make a whistlestop at Burford, a mediaeval town made rich on the profits of wool.  Its church and many of its buildings are of dark-gold Taynton stone, which is quarried just two miles away and centuries later was used in the construction of St Paul's Cathedral. The High Street swoops down to the river Windrush, dotted with shops and cafes.

Next, check into our boutique hotel, dating back to 1649, set on eight acres of lawns and grandiose gardens. It's near the villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter, at the centre of a network of lovely walks, with glorious countryside all around. Enjoy drinks on the lawn, weather permitting, followed by dinner in their critically acclaimed restaurant.

LORDS OF THE MANOR (B, Afternoon Tea, R, D )

Today we'll visit our first - and oldest - garden, the Oxford Botanic Garden, just across from Magdalen College. Originally a medicinal garden dating back to 1621 and the dawn of the plant-hunting age, over 5,000 species are crammed into its compact 4.5 acres. Famous visitors from the past include J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll - and Philip Pullman fans will want to find the bench where his characters Lyra and Will agree to 'meet' at noon every midsummer's day.

Later we'll visit a couple of university colleges on a stroll around one of the prettiest cities in England, making time - for those who wish - to climb up the tower of St Mary the Virgin, aka the University Church, for views of Oxford and its lovely water meadows, and see the exterior of the Bodleian Library and visit its frighteningly tempting shop.

Enjoy free time for shopping and lunch on your own. Meet back up in the afternoon for a thrilling outdoor adventure: Punting! Think Venetian gondola meets Jane Austen.  No work on your part needed, just enjoy the glide past college boathouses, quirky pubs, playing fields and water meadows.

This evening, we have privatized the surreal Pitt Rivers Museum, with exclusive after-hours access for our group. This museum, reached via an archway from the Oxford Museum of Natural History, is as extraordinary as the story of its founder, General Pitt-Rivers, who unexpectedly inherited a vast fortune that enabled him to build and display his ethnographic and archaeological collections. Sometimes described as a specialised version of your granny's attic, its original 26,000 objects have expanded to over half a million, laid out in themes - from clothing to weapons and from amulets to photography - and arranged in stunning Victorian cabinets that carry their original labels.

Not only will we enjoy an intimate dining experience amongst the unique collection, we will also be treated to a lecture on Colonialism and the Collector—a true feast for the senses.

THE OLD BANK HOTEL (Breakfast (B), Dinner (D))

Arrive at London Heathrow for private transfers to our luxurious 5-star hotel, the Old Bank, located in the heart of Oxford. (Or, if you are already in London, we will pick you up at your hotel.) Ranked by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the ‘Top Hotels in the UK’ and listed in The Sunday Times as ‘the place to stay in Oxford’, the Old Bank is surrounded by the colleges of Merton, All Souls, Christ Church and University and sits proudly opposite the iconic Radcliffe Camera and Bodleian library.

Anyone arriving early might want to take themselves to the famous Ashmolean Museum, an elegant neoclassical edifice on Beaumont Street with one of the oldest collections in the world, dating back to 1682 (it claims to be the world's first - though try telling that to the British Museum).

After check-in, have a rest and gussy up for this evening’s festivities, sure to dazzle, as we’ve privatized the nearby Bodleian Library for our backdrop.

Celebrate the power of literature during our after-hours visit to this world-renowned institution in Oxford,  one of the oldest libraries in Europe. Raise a glass of bubbles to firsts: our first magical evening and the first of many closed doors to be opened exclusively for our group.

Without the crowds, surround yourself in centuries of knowledge on a guided tour through the oldest reading room at ‘the Bod’, Duke Humfrey’s Library (15th century).

Dine beneath the vaulted stone ceilings of the 17th century Convocation House and marvel at the fine woodwork. Imagine sitting next to a Royalist Member of the English Parliament while being addressed by Charles II in 1665. Or simply get to know your new C&S friends, perhaps asking “Is the monarchy dead?” Discuss. 

It's a short walk back to the Old Bank to collapse into bed. 

OLD BANK HOTEL (Welcome Reception (R), Dinner (D))

Overnight flights from US departure points – flying into London Heathrow. Note, we encourage you to arrive even earlier and spend a few days adjusting to the time change in culturally rich London.