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Home , Frogmore, Frogmore House, Osborne House, Queen Victoria, Victoria (plant)

The

10 – 14 August 2019 from £865.00

2019 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen , so it is appropriate that there are several connections with that great monarch in the course of this tour, from the ancient royal residence of to the rarely-opened House and splendid Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight.

Elsewhere on the island we explore some fine castles, houses and gardens, including Castle a romantic fortress with panoramic views, Mottistone Manor with its Mediterranean- garden, and the New and Old Batteries on the Needles, evidence of the Isle of Wight’s strategic position as a defence against the enemy.

We also take a cruise around the Solent and over to Portsmouth, where there are usually a few warships to be seen, and enjoy a taste-bud tingling tour and lunch at a garlic farm.

Itinerary

Saturday 10 August 2019 We depart by coach from and head south, stopping en route for refreshments (not included). In the afternoon we visit Windsor Castle, the scene of countless royal occasions over the centuries, most recently the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Windsor was originally built by in the decade after the Norman Conquest of 1066, as part of a defensive ring of motte and bailey castles around London. The castle survived a tumultuous period during the English Civil War, in which it was used as a military headquarters for Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I. After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's Baroque palace at colossal expense. Our free-flow tour includes the State Apartments, furnished with some of the finest works from the , including paintings by Van Dyck and Holbein, Sèvres porcelain and exquisite English and French furniture. Another highlight is Queen Mary’s Dolls House, a perfect miniature replica of a 20th century aristocratic home. We will also see St George’s Chapel, scene of that royal wedding.

Following our visit we continue to Portsmouth where we will board a ferry to Fishbourne. We then travel to our accommodation at the Royal Esplanade Hotel in , where a welcome drink dinner will be served in the evening.

Sunday 11 August 2019 This morning after breakfast, we travel to East for a visit to & Gardens. With views onto the Solent, this was ’s favourite home, which boasts the most impressive formal gardens on the island. These include a recently restored walled garden and an attractive tree-lined walk to the Swiss Cottage, built as a spectacular Wendy House for the Royal children. Here we will enjoy a guided tour of the Gardens, conducted by one of the gardening staff. After lunch in the Terrace Restaurant (included) we continue with a guided tour of the House. Here we will see the sumptuous state rooms, whose furnishings reflect the passions, taste and style of Victoria and Albert, and the rooms, including the bedroom where Queen Victoria passed away on 22 .

Later we will visit the Swiss Cottage, the large Wendy house which Victoria and Albert’s nine children loved to play in, and take the shuttle down to the , another favourite haunt of the royal children. We return to our hotel, where dinner will be served in the evening.

Monday 12 August 2019 Following breakfast our exploration of the island continues as we drive to the westernmost point at Alum Bay, where we visit the Needles Old Battery and New Battery (NT). Perched high above the the famous chalk cliffs of the Needles, with unrivalled views of the Solent and unspoilt countryside, the Needles Old Battery is a Victorian fort built in 1862 and used throughout both World Wars.

The Battery’s fascinating story is told in a series of newly recreated, atmospheric rooms, whilst vivid cartoons by comic book artist Geoff Campion illustrate the part it played in the history of modern Britain. There are two original guns on the Parade Ground and an underground tunnel leads to a searchlight emplacement with dramatic views over the Needles rocks.

A small exhibition in the underground rooms of The New Battery, further up the headland, reveals the astonishing and little-known story of Britain's Cold War 'race for space', when British-made rockets were tested here under conditions of great secrecy.

We continue to the gardens of Mottistone Manor (NT), near the quaint village of Brook. The gardens were laid out in the 1960s and 70s by Sir John and Lady Nicholson, who brought a Mediterranean influence to the styling. Its key attractions include colourful herbaceous borders, shrubs, flowering fruit trees, a rose garden and sea views. Lunch is available here (not included).

In the afternoon we take to the water as we enjoy a cruise from Cowes, the famous yachting venue, out into The Solent, where once the great trans-Atlantic liners turned west and headed for New York, and across to Portsmouth, home of the , where there are usually a few warships to be seen.

On our return to Cowes we will drive back to the hotel, where dinner is served in the evening.

Tuesday 13 August 2019 This morning after breakfast we travel to , a quintessential romantic castle, which has been an Elizabethan artillery fortress, a king's prison and a royal summer residence. Here we can enjoy far reaching panoramic views from high castle walls, meet the loveable donkeys and see them work, visit a fascinating museum and see the Castle’s Edwardian style garden.

We move on to Godshill, a quintessential English Village which boasts some of the oldest architecture on the Isle of Wight. With its delightful medieval church, charming thatched roof cottages and a winding main-street lined with traditional tearooms, Godshill is as picturesque as it is popular. It is also known for being the site of the first ever Isle of Wight Festival, which took place at Ford Farm in 1968.

We continue with a visit to The Garlic Farm at Newchurch, where we will be taken through the fields by tractor and trailer, with a member of staff telling us all about garlic growing on the way. We will then enjoy a light lunch (included), which will of course feature some of the farm’s own garlic in one form or another.

In the afternoon we drive to to visit the world famous gorge entered from Shanklin Old Village. Dropping 105ft from the top of the cliff to sea level, Shanklin Chine is a natural fissure in the cliff, formed by water cutting through sandstone to the sea. The chine walk leads through a deeply shaded path winding down beside waterfalls to the shore and along the way there are more than 150 varieties of wild and many species of moss to discover. Following this we will have some free time to wander through the Old Village with its picturesque thatched cottages, traditional craft shops, tea rooms and public gardens.

We return to our hotel where dinner will be served once again this evening.

Wednesday 14 August 2019 Following breakfast this morning, we begin our homeward journey, transferring to Fishbourne to catch a morning ferry to Portsmouth. We then travel north to the Savill Gardens in Windsor, one of Britain’s greatest ornamental gardens. Neither a botanical garden, nor a kitchen garden attached to a great house, it is a garden for the garden’s sake, enjoyed by horticulturalists and enthusiasts alike. It never fails to charm visitors who come to explore its 35 of contemporary and classically designed gardens and exotic woodland. Developed under the patronage of Kings and Queens, The Savill Garden was created in the 1930s by Sir Eric Savill. It began as a woodland garden, with native oak, beech and sweet chestnut trees, but has since evolved by incorporating many new plants over the years. Lunch is included here.

Our final visit takes us to , which is only open to the public on certain days in August. The interests and talents of several generations of the royal family influenced Frogmore's interior as we see it today. Queen Charlotte's passion for botany is reflected in the decoration of the house. She commissioned the renowned 18th-century flower painter Mary Moser to decorate one of the principal rooms so it resembled an arbour open to the skies. The Cross Gallery was painted with garlands by Elizabeth, the daughter of George III and Queen Charlotte.

For almost 20 years, Frogmore was the home of Queen Victoria's mother, The . Works by her and her daughter are on display in the house. Queen Victoria often visited Frogmore during her long widowhood and worked on her papers there. You can also see watercolours by her daughters, the Princess Victoria and Louise in the house.

Our visit ends in the Room which is furnished with a selection of items from the Royal Yacht Britannia. When the much-loved vessel was decommissioned in 1997, The arranged for the items to be moved to Frogmore.

We will then return to our original pick-up point in York with arrival due in the evening.

Included in the price  Four nights’ dinner, bed and full breakfast at the Royal Esplanade Hotel, Ryde. All rooms have private facilities  Three lunches  Return ferry crossings between Portsmouth and Fishbourne  Comfortable coaching throughout  Visits to Windsor Castle, Osborne House & Gardens, the Needles Old and New Batteries, Shanklin Village & Gorge, The Garlic Farm, Mottistone Manor, Carisbrooke Castle, Godshill, the Savill Gardens and Frogmore House  Cruise from Cowes to Portsmouth  Services of a Brightwater Holidays tour manager

Not Included (per person)  Single room supplement £200.00  Insurance TBA