The Ultimate England & Wales Church & British History Tour

We depart our hometown on our way to London, England.

Day 2 - Saturday, July 6

Arrive at Heathrow Airport. Upon arrival, we will meet together before heading to Cobham Services where we enjoy lunch on our own in their brand new spacious air conditioned food court. We then begin our journey with a drive to the London Temple where we enjoy walking the grounds and taking pictures. From there we head into the town of London and, from the comfort of our coach, we take a whirlwind tour of London to get a general overview of this great city. We end our tour at our hotel and then enjoy dinner on our own before meeting together for an incredible evening stroll. For those who want to try and stay awake, this casual walk into Kensington Gardens, past Kensington Palace, embassies, exclusive homes and stores will relax us and set the stage for our time together.

Hotel:  Best Western The Cromwell

Day 3 - Sunday, July 7

After breakfast at the hotel, we walk about a mile to church and attend Sacrament Meeting at the Hyde Park Chapel. Next we make a short stop at the Hyde Park Chapel Visitor’s Centre. We then stroll for about 1.5 miles through Hyde Park via the Albert Memorial, Princess Diana’s Memorial Fountain to Speaker’s Corner. This is a place where many an LDS missionary has stood and preached. It is still an active place of free speech every Sunday morning. Time for lunch on our own is followed by an incredible walking tour. We explore the delights and horrors of Victorian London through the eyes of Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith. We begin at a lovely spot described in 1718 as “Hell in Epitome” and right near where the missionaries first stayed when they arrived in 1840. We find a number of other curiosities including a church with a unique but gruesome secret, a market that has been selling since 1014 AD, and the only galleried inn left in London, a derelict palace, ancient theatres, and the stews. We discover John Harvard, Florence Nightingale, William Shakespeare, and the Winchester Geese. We share one of the best LDS stories on the site of the Clink. This is a delightful mixture of LDS and London history. We finish at the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral which provides the option to stay for an organ recital and/or a service and experience a Church of England worship meeting. Dinner is on our own.

Hotel:  Best Western The Cromwell (B)

Day 4-Monday, July 8

After our early morning breakfast at the hotel, we set out on part two of our Victorian meanderings around London by first taking the “tube” closer to our tour starting point. We walk through the city and “over” the city walls. We meander through the heart of the city past the Bank of England, the Mansion House, and Leadenhall Market. We learn how the Doctrine and Covenants was saved here in London and visit the site of the first LDS sermon in London. Wilford Woodruff’s accounts show some interesting insights to the no-conformist churches we pass and even show a unique connection with Oliver Twist. Who knows…we might even catch sight of Hagrid and Harry as they search for Diagon Alley! Following our break for lunch, we continue our travels and discover how individuals like John Milton, Oliver Cromwell, John Wesley, Daniel Defoe, and John Bunyan sought freedom away from the restrictive religious power of the City. We unveil London’s worst plague spot, we enter a modern labyrinth to view some of the best reminders of Roman and medieval London, and we throw in a 1750 brewery for luck. This tour provides a strange mixture of burning books, dissected abbots, “wicked bibles,” ringing bells, and raving “lunatics.” We meet up with a whole cast of characters including Agatha Christie, Pocahontas, William Wallace, and Wat Tyler. Included is the wonderful Museum of London and one of London’s most historic and atmospheric graveyards, and John Wesley’s chapel. This afternoon we enjoy free time on our own to take in a West End show, a stroll in the park, a museum, a shopping spree in Harrods or whatever your choose. Dinner is on our own.

Hotel:  Best Western The Cromwell (B)

Day 5-Tuesday, July 9

Again we begin our day with breakfast and a ride on the tube—this time to Tower Hill for our tour of the Tower of London: Crown Jewels, beheadings, royal intrigue and scandal, the Ravens, the Beefeaters, the traitors, the palace…this place has it all? This is the Pick and Flower of England—get the full account of Charles Dickens and the Mormons and hear Wilford Woodruff’s version of the Tower. Following our lunch break, we take the Tube to Westminster. We enjoy a walking tour of Westminster and Whitehall where the centers of over 1,000 years of religious, military and political power are revealed. Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, The Churchill cabinet War Rooms, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Methodist Central Hall, Westminster Abbey, Boadicea, the Gunpowder Plot, Oliver Cromwell’s missing head, the Banqueting House, the Cenotaph and so much more are all crammed into this section of the city. Our evening offers free time to enjoy a stroll along the embankment, a gallery, a ride on the London Eye, or whatever we choose followed by dinner on our own.

Hotel:  Best Western The Cromwell (B)

Day 6-Wednesday, July 10

After breakfast, we load our bags onto the bus and enjoy the scenic 2-hour ride to the mystical, magical, mysterious Stonehenge. We walk around these ancient stones and wonder: Why? When? How? Next we drive to the stunning village of Lacock which has been used in numerous movies and period films including Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, and Cranford. Our choices for lunch include such offerings as the local post office, the bakery, the Red Lion Pub, At the Sign of the Angel, or The George Inn. If we choose to shorten our lunch break, we can take an optional tour into Lacock Abbey where some of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts was filmed (extra fee), walk more of the village, or visit the free heritage museum. Our next stop is the Georgian city of Bath. Here we enjoy the historical display of the ancient baths. We then journey on to Cardiff, our home for the next two nights.

Hotel:  Cardiff City Centre Premier Inn (B)

Day 7-Thursday, July 11

A leisurely breakfast begins our day followed by St. Fagans—the National History Museum of Wales. Here we experience the history of Wales in one remarkable spot! Following our lunch break, we travel to Merthyr. We begin our tour of this fascinating place with the story of the Church in Merthyr Tydfil. Most of us have heard of Dan Jones, but there are a host of other Welsh “worthies” we will meet. We continue our day with such fascinating stops as Blaenavon, The Big Pit, and then the National Coal Museum including a 50-minute walk underground in a real coal mine. Here is our chance to experience the daily life of a Welsh miner. We then return to Cardiff for dinner on our own.

Hotel: Cardiff City Centre Premier Inn (B)

Day 8-Friday, July 12

After an early breakfast, we check out of the hotel and hit the road to Herefordshire. This entire day we explore the LDS sites made famous by Wilford Woodruff and the United Brethren. We visit Hill farm, Castle Frome, and Ledbury to meet the likes of John & Jan Benbow, Thomas & Hannah Kington, and William Pitt. This is a tale of miracle after miracle. We follow in the footsteps of Wilford Woodruff and Brigham Young to the top of Malvern Hill for a very important meeting (weather permitting) and a special visit to the restored Gadfield Elm chapel—Britain’s first LDS-owned meeting place. We enjoy lunch on our own in Ledbury which is a delightful market town with lots of cafes and bakers. We then travel the three hours to Preston where we check in to our hotel in the nearby town of Chorley—our home for the next 3 nights.

Hotel: Malthouse Farm, Chorley Premier Inn (B)

Day 9-Saturday, July 13

This morning, early risers will have the opportunity to attend a session at the Preston Temple before our bus departs for our journey to Liverpool. After lunch there (on our own), we experience LDS Liverpool. Liverpool served as the arrival point for hundreds of missionaries and the departure point for thousands of emigrants as they gathered to Zion throughout the 19th century. We take a tour around this famous city which, besides its LDS history, has had a long association with America (including laves, cotton, Beatles and the claim that the first and final acts of the American Civil War took place here). We visit the beautifully restored Albert Docks where we learn more about the life of an emigrant, see the Sea Trek monument and discover a host of famous LDS names. Following our tour, we have free time to explore the Maritime Museum, the Liverpool Museum, or Tate Gallery (free admission). We can also choose to visit the Beatle’s Story (admission charge). Dinner is on our own.

Hotel: Malthouse Farm, Chorley Premier Inn (B)

Day 10-Sunday, July 14

After breakfast at the hotel, we leave for church and attend Sacrament Meeting. Following the meeting, we enjoy a leisurely walking tour of LDS Preston—Birthplace of British Mormonism. We follow in the footsteps of the first LDS missionaries to Britain and discover Joseph Smith’s dentist, the cursed stone, the 1842 riot, the powerful Reverend Wilson, Heber C. Kimball’s amazing prophecy, LDS shorthand, and the Deseret Alphabet. We visit all the well-known sites including their lodgings (where a host of evil spirits attacked them), the River Ribble (where the first British baptisms took place), the Vauxhall Chapel Site (where they first preached) and the cockpit site (where the first British Conference was held in 1837). After lunch on our own in the Preston town centre, we continue our tour by bus for the LDS Ribble Valley “in the footsteps of the ‘old prophets’” tour. We drive through beautiful English countryside and visit the Roan settlement of Ribchester where, on the banks of the River Ribble we hear of secret baptisms and a raging bull. We visit tiny villages and castle towns-all of which have LDS tales to tell. We find the delightful villages of Chatburn and Downham and relive one of the most touching encounters of Heber C. Kimball’s missionary labours. At the end of this day, we dine together as a group at the Calf’s Head in Warton in the shadow of the Pendle Hill.

Hotel: Premier Inn, Malthouse Farm, Chorley (B, D)

 

Day 11-Monday, July 15

Touring today begins after breakfast and checking out of our hotel. We then board our bus to Hale where we enjoy the LDS Lake District for a day of scenery and inspiration. We start by visiting the John Taylor sites (third church president) before driving through the famous Lake District. We learn about the saving of the Doctrine and Covenants, the contribution of Shakers & Quakers, the Romney connection, William Wordsworth’s attack, and Ruskin’s words of wisdom. Our next stop is Bowness on Winderemere. We will have lots of shops, cafes, and lakeside to enjoy lunch on our own. We then enjoy a 45-minute circular cruise with contrasting scenery of mountains, wooded shorelines, and lovely tranquil bays. After dinner on our own, we begin the 5-hour bus ride back towards Heathrow saying goodbye to Peter along the way.

Hotel: Premier Inn Slough (B)

Day 12-Tuesday, July 16

After breakfast, our bus will transport us to the airport for our return flights home. (B)

 

NOTE: This tour involves extended walking, steps and hills.

You must be mobile and able to walk unassisted to participate in this tour.