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Tours in 2009
Here is a list of all the places we visited on tours in 2009. The first part of the list is of places where I took multiple pictures with my camera.
If you would like to see these pictures, send me a mailing address and I will post them to you on a CD
The second part of the list is of places of which I already have pictures.
I hope you find this an interesting look at a season's work as a driver-guide.
A la Ronde Octagonal house on the Exe estuary
Althorp Diana is buried on the island. The house is faced with 'architectural tiles' which when pointed look like bricks. They were introduced when a tax on bricks was introduced. I don't know when they were put on this house. There is a picture of 2 tiles on a window sill.
Ashe house at the beginning of the river Test valley, near Steventon where Jane Austen lived. Her friends Lefroy's lived there. A fine William & Mary front & porch.
Berry Pomeroy church used for filming wedding scene of Sense & Sensibility
Bluebell Railway in Sussex. Branch line saved from closure with restored steam engines
Chawton The Jane Austen house with a lot of memorabilia
Coombe Abbey outside Coventry is now a hotel, and clients loved staying here.
Danebury Hill Fort is near Stockbridge. 4000 yr old settlement
Dorset church in the village of Huish Episcopi with the finest tower decoration used on an early 1970's stamp and for filming
Dorset Lucy & Jules's house. The portrait is of my daughters Lucy & Sally 32 years ago. Visitors think it is of her children. Artist is Louis Turpin, Look him up on the net. A local to my pub in Kent. I paid £500 for this all those years ago.
Dover Castle has apartments to rent inside the Castle
Efford House in the private Flete Estate on Dorset coast was used for exteriors for Sense & Sensibility
Flete House used for functions and filming but is not part of the Estate
Greenwich The Queen's House was the first Palladian building in mid 1600's by Inego Jones. Wren designed the Navel Hospital buildings to compliment the House 100 years later.
The ball atop the Observatory is dropped and a gun fired at 1 pm for ships to set their chronometers before leaving the Thames.
Haddon Hall near Bakewell in the Peak District is from 14 c. and is known for its roses. Used for filming Pride & Prejudice.
Hardwick Hall was built to replace the Old Hall by Bess of Hardwick towards the end of her life
Hartland Abbey is on the north Devon coast. It is a 25 minute walk to the sea to see the cottage used for filming interiors of S & S.
Ightam Mote in the high Kent Weald is now fully restored. Mote refers to the type of Court held by the lord of the manor.
Kenilworth north of Warwick is the largest ruined castle and of a grandeur to rival Hampton Court. The newly created garden is a well researched recreation of the one made to welcome Elisabeth the first.
Lytes Carey in Somerset has a 14 c. chapel and 15 c. great hall. There is a 20 c. large addition.
Lytes was a medieval herbalist and Carey is the small river in the fields.
Montacute is an Elizabethan house with the longest gallery now housing early portraits from the National Portrait Gallery.
Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a 3rd scale steam railway built in the mid 1920's to take tourists to the sandy beaches on the east sheltered side of Romney Marsh.. 2 nuclear power stations.
Southampton shows the old walls where the sea came up to at high tide in Jane Austen's time. She lived for a time with a brother who had a house near what is now a pub. Bargate is the largest remaining gateway.
Sissinghurst is the garden made by Vita Sackville-West in a series of 'rooms' each with a theme and a vista onwards. Newly created vegetable garden
Stamford is a complete Roman chapel. Burghley House is just outside the town, and used in filming Pride & Prejudice.
Totem Pole is a gift from the Canadians in Windsor Great Park.
Trafalgar Place south of Salisbury on the banks of the Avon is a conference centre and used as an exterior for filming S & S.
Wales shows a series of reservoirs built by the Victorians to let water flow without pumping to Birmingham.
Wilton House west of Salisbury is very grand with the Cube Room and Double Cube Room; the later used for filming the ball scene in S & S.
Here is a list of places visited and of which I already have pictures
Balcombe Viaduct is on the railway line to Brighton. Its huge brick arches look cathedral-like when viewed from below.
Bath is the centre for Jane Austen tours and I have produced a booklet of all the places relating to her novels and time living there. Places to visit are The Abbey and Roman Baths, The Royal Crescent and The Circus, the large Assembly Rooms with their 9 chandeliers which are the finest in the land. We often stay at a delightful up-market guest house, Marlborough House, where everything is vegetarian and organic. For details see under Country House Hotels on this web site front page.
Blenheim Palace built for the first Duke of Marlborough is the grandest house in the land.
Cheddar Gorge south of Bath is a road climb up through cliffs up to 400 feet high. Spectacular.
Hidcote Manor Gardens are high above the escarpment on the northern edge of the Cotswolds. Created by the American collector Johnson it is the first garden to be divided into a series of 'rooms' each with a theme and a vista onwards.
Burghley is a large Elizabethan house near Stamford. It has valuable collections and paintings.
Caernarfon Castle in North-west Wales is its most impressive castle and of a grand scale.
Chatsworth in Derbyshire is one of our largest and grandest houses, with 365 rooms and 12 staircases. There are 2 floors of rooms to visit, and extensive interesting grounds and lake with naturally driven fountain.
Cotswolds are beautiful rolling hills of limestone, with stone towns and villages. This is my most requested destination, and a suggested circular tour can be seen from the front page of this site.
Dorchester Abbey is in a pretty village in the upper Thames valley.
Hathersage is a lovely village in the Peak District. Clients stayed here in The George and we had a drive around the hills to see Stannage Edge, a tall and long rock outcrop.
Hatfield House is a Jacobean house with a great interior and interesting gardens.
Lacock Village is close to Bath. Owned by the National Trust, it has no road or other signs. Like Bath it is all in local limestone. Take away the cars and it becomes a film set, and is often used as such.
Leeds Castle in Kent is very beautiful with delightful grounds and lakes.
Llandudno in North Wales is an elegant seaside resort with a half mile long pier.
London Tour I have a one day tour of the sights of London, both of the famous places and those not visited by tourists. It is best taken at the week-end because of the traffic.
Longleat in Wiltshire is one of the finest Elizabethan houses in the land and has a wonderful interior and lots to do in the grounds and animal park.
Lyme Regis in Dorset was visited by the Austen family in the summers. We can walk out on The Cobb, featured in Jane Austen's novels.
Mompesson House is in the cathedral close at Salisbury. The interior was used in the filming of Sense & Sensibility.
Plymouth has the old part of the town with cobbled streets, and views form the high Plymouth Hoo.
Rousham House north of Oxford has grounds landscaped by William Kent in the mid 17 c. and not altered since. A very interesting visit at any time of year; a little known but amazing jewel.
Salisbury is visited to see the fine cathedral with 404 foot tall spire, the highest in England.
Saltram is a huge house near Plymouth with some of the finest work by Robert Adam in plastered rooms and ceilings, and great collections.
Steventon Church is where Jane Austen's father was rector for the first 25 years of her life, before they retired to Bath. Together with the nearby River Test valley and the house at Chawton, this is very much part of the Jane Austen tour.
Stonehenge has a fascination for everybody, being the largest stone circle and a must see visit.
Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire is mid 17 c. landscaping around a lake, laid out by William Hoare. There are wonderful vistas in every direction and a great collection of temples and features. To my mind it is the finest landscaping in the land.
Stratford-on-Avon is visited to see the places associated with Shakespeare, especially his wife's house Ann Hathaway's Cottage, a Tudor manor house. There are lots of medieval buildings in the town.
Test River The upper part of this river from it's source at Ashe to Stockbridge is very pretty and makes an interesting slow drive at any time of the year. Remember to bring some bread to feed the trout and ducks. There is a lovely riverside pub, The Mayfly, for a good lunch. A great part of a Jane Austen tour or a journey to Bath.
The Vyne is near Steventon and we know Jane Austen went to dances there. A 16 c. house with interesting interior showing changes over the years.
Waddesdon Manor was built for the wealthy Rothschild family and houses wonderful collections. Run by the National Trust. Beautiful grounds and collection of trees.
Wakehurst Place in Sussex is owned by the Royal Horticultural Society and is a wonderful garden, run by the National Trust.
Winchester has the longest cathedral in England, with Jane Austen's grave and plaque, and just outside the cathedral close is the house (private) where she died. There are a lot of interesting places to see in the city.
If you have got to this end, Congratulations! Now you know how interesting it is to be a driver-guide!
Most of the places were chosen by my clients for this 2009 season, though I sometimes suggest somewhere myself if it fits into the itinerary.
Julian
August 2009
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