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Home , Buckfast Abbey, Princetown, South Devon, Tavistock Abbey, Widecombe in the Moor

The Beauty of and the National Park Staying at the 4*Luxury Hotel the Moorland at Monday 28th June - Friday 2nd July 2021

The Dartmoor National Park Recognised as one of Britain’s finest landscapes the Dartmoor National Park is the largest open moor in southern and a place of remoteness and tranquility. The wild, open moorlands and deep river valleys have a rich history and rare wildlife making Dartmoor a unique place.

4* The Moorland Hotel Set at the base of Haytor on Dartmoor The Moorland Hotel boasts 11 acres of landscaped grounds, Paddocks and woodland. Wild ponies are often found grazing nearby and the open expanse of the moor provides adventurous walking with breath-taking views. The beautifully appointed rooms, all with ensuite bathrooms with bath or walk in showers have been lovingly furnished and decorated, enjoy the range of luxury bath and body goodies. There is complimentary tea and coffee making facilities including fresh milk, large flat screen TV, digital safe, mini-fridge, hairdryer, robe and slippers, iron and ironing board and a lift to most rooms. The Conservatory Restaurant, overlooking the gardens, features graceful décor and offers tempting menus with an assortment of freshly and locally sourced ingredients. Found at the heart of the hotel the Tinpickle and Rhum is a country café brasserie, warm by an open log fire for the perfect country retreat and serving real ales, wines and spirits.

Monday 28th June 2021 We depart Nottingham area this morning and travel to Tiverton the largest town in set on the . The imposing structure of the Church dedicated to St Peter dates from the 15th Century and reflects the prosperity brought to the town by the wool trade. The town has some well-preserved old merchant houses and the remains of the castle stand on a cliff above the river. There is a small but busy shopping centre with restaurants, pubs including Wetherspoon’s and cafes for refreshments. We continue to The Moorland Hotel where after checking into your bedrooms there will be time to relax and explore the beautiful grounds surrounding the Hotel before dinner this evening. Comfort breaks are made to make the journey more enjoyable.

Sharpes of Nottingham, Unit 6, Coach Gap Lane, Langar, Nottingham NG13 9HP Tel: 0115 989 4466 | [email protected] | www.sharpesofnottingham.com

Tuesday 29th June 2021 Today we travel to the seaside resort of a traditional yet thriving seaside town set on Devon's English Riviera coast, with its iconic palm trees, busy harbour, international marina, sandy beach and wonderful array of continental style cafes, restaurants and cocktail bars, with lots of shops, restaurants and cafes for refreshments. We begin at Torre this morning, with a tour of this outstanding House and gardens, which was once home to the White Cannon Monks founded in 1196 but since then has witnessed, survived and even played a role in some epic moments of history. An historic house brought to life with a clever mix of authentic artefacts and one of the largest fine art collections in the South West. Take a stroll in the tranquil walled gardens with a wealth of exotic plants including Agatha Christie’s potent plants giving a fascinating insight into her world of murder mysteries and poison. Situated on the south facade of Torre Abbey the tearooms boast a fabulous view serving tea/coffee and an assortment of light meals and cakes, a signature of this quiet haven. Torre Abbey shop is situated within the main entrance in its monastic cloister setting and houses a range of gifts and souvenirs. There are some excellent shops and art galleries around the harbour area, from gift shops to well-known branded stores and indoor shopping centres for retail therapy. This afternoon we re-join our coach for a short drive to the picturesque, thatched village of Cockington, steeped in history, today a living time capsule, with a water mill, a forge and even the cricket pitch was once a medieval deer park. The Medieval manor house is home to the Craft Centre where you can see a candle maker, chocolate maker, glass blowers and even blacksmiths in action. Optional Horse and carriage rides are available from the village centre (weather permitting) or enjoy a Devonshire cream tea in the tearooms.

Wednesday 30th June 2021 This morning we travel to home to a Roman Catholic Community of Benedictine Monks where you can visit the village with a host of attractions including the magnificent Abbey Church, the Monastic Produce Shop selling beers, wines, liqueurs, honey, silks, woollens and perfumes, all created by the monks and nuns. The Grange Restaurant will be open to serve lunchtime refreshments. This afternoon we transfer you to the Otter and Butterfly Sanctuary at . Here you can see and learn about the tropical butterflies in the specially designed habitat of which you become part, feel the rainforest atmosphere that they enjoy and see their amazing lifecycle unfold. At 14:00hrs its feeding time with the otters, the keeper will be on hand to explain all about the three different species of otter. We will then walk a short distance to South Devon Railway Station where we climb aboard a vintage train for a nostalgic return journey to and back to Buckfast. There is a buffet car on the train serving hot and cold beverages and light refreshments.

Sharpes of Nottingham, Unit 6, Coach Gap Lane, Langar, Nottingham NG13 9HP Tel: 0115 989 4466 | [email protected] | www.sharpesofnottingham.com

Thursday 1st July 2021 After breakfast we explore by coach the intriguing Dartmoor National Park which is a vast moorland in the county of Devon. Dartmoor ponies roam its craggy landscape, defined by forests, rivers, wetlands and tors (rock formations). Trails wind through valleys with Neolithic tombs, Bronze Age stone circles and abandoned medieval farmhouses. The area is dotted with villages, including Widecombe-in-the-Moor a picture-perfect Dartmoor village located in a green dell below rocky tor. Widecombe and its fair were made popular by a famous song, where 'Uncle Tom Cobley and all' were on their way to Widecombe Fair. The fair is still held annually in September. The 14th-century church of St Pancras was built using granite from local quarries and is known as the Cathedral of the Moors on account of its tall spire and size. After our short stay we continue to the village of Prince town the highest village within Dartmoor National Park, and just about at its heart. It is the home of Dartmoor Prison used during the Napoleonic Wars and later incarcerating category A criminals such as the Kray brothers. We visit the Dartmoor Prison Museum for a tour and learn about ‘life inside’ one of the world’s most famous and notorious jails. Some of the artefacts and documents on display will surprise you but will certainly enable you to form an opinion about prison life. Vividly portrayed are more than 200 years of this prison’s turbulent history ranging from the beginning, when Dartmoor was a Prisoner of War Depot for French and American prisoners of war, to the later convict era through to today. This afternoon we continue to an exceptionally attractive town owing as much to some fine Victorian architecture as to its picturesque location on the banks of the . A busy market town, there has no shortage of shops and cafes plus Tavistock is home to a purpose-built pannier market, possibly the best in the region. In 1116 Henry I granted Tavistock a charter as a market town and with the discovery of quantities of tin the town became a stannary town in 1281 where tin miners brought the tin to be weighed, stamped and sold by the assay master. The origin of the cream tea is often disputed (, we’re looking at you!) but for the most part, according to local historians, it would seem that the act of adding jam and cream to bread seems to have originated in Devon at during the 11th century. The cream tea we know and love today is of course a little different to those enjoyed back then, nowadays it is a simple combination of a freshly baked, warm scone, sumptuous, clotted cream and tangy fruity jam, traditionally strawberry, and a steaming pot of tea.

Sharpes of Nottingham, Unit 6, Coach Gap Lane, Langar, Nottingham NG13 9HP Tel: 0115 989 4466 | [email protected] | www.sharpesofnottingham.com

Friday 2nd July 2021 We depart the Moorland Hotel this morning and travel to Gloucester famous for its Medieval Cathedral - one of the finest buildings in the country and the burial place of royalty. The Gloucester quay is located next to the beautiful Historic Docks – one of the UK’s most inland Shipping Ports and one of the busiest tourist attractions. Filled with Victorian Architecture, the Docks are the perfect place to enjoy interesting views and learn about Gloucester’s History. This vibrant centre has bars, cafes and restaurants for lunchtime refreshments. We continue our homeward journey with comfort breaks to Nottingham area arriving in the evening.

Tour includes: Door to door taxi/minibus, executive coach travel with courier/ hostess service, four nights half board at the Moorland Hotel Dartmoor, full excursion programme with visits to Tiverton and Gloucester, Torquay and Tour of Torre Abbey, Cockington, Buckfast Abbey Village, Otters and Butterfly Sanctuary, South Devon return train ride to Totnes and back to Buckfast, Scenic coach ride through Dartmoor National Park visiting. , and a tour of Dartmoor Prison Museum and Tavistock. Tour extras: Any fees or fares, lunches and refreshments en route not included in the above tour.

Tour cost from: £520.00 per person based on double/twin rooms Limited numbers of single rooms Deposit: £100 per person

PLEASE NOTE: The above itinerary may be subject to change – terms and conditions are available on request and we recommend that as our clients you take out insurance against any eventuality, medical or otherwise on all our holidays on booking. “Sharpes of Nottingham” are members of the Bonded Coach Holiday Group of the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK Ltd. This is a government approved consumer protection scheme. This ensures that in relation to the coach package holidays described in this brochure (or website) that the clients' monies are protected by a Bond which may be called upon in the unlikely event of the Member’s Insolvency. Clients are recommended to inspect the current membership certificate at our registered office or alternatively go to www.bch-uk.org or telephone 0207 240 3131 to confirm current membership. Your attention is also drawn to the Bonded Coach Holiday Group Trading Charter that will apply to these coach package holidays. All Coach Holidays within this publication are subject to the Bonded Coach Holiday Group Trading Charter. A copy of the Trading Charter will be issued with all booking confirmations. Alternatively, either request a copy of the Trading Charter from the head office or view online at Sharpes of Nottingham Website.

Sharpes of Nottingham, Unit 6, Coach Gap Lane, Langar, Nottingham NG13 9HP Tel: 0115 989 4466 | [email protected] | www.sharpesofnottingham.com