The English Lake District and the Borders: Romance to Turbulence

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Lunch: At the hotel, we’ll have a 2-course plated and served meal with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: We'll have some time to check in and unpack at the hotel before a pre-dinner orientation. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with a Group Leader, who will accompany us throughout the program and deal with logistics, lecture, conduct field trips, and serve as an information resource on program-related topics. Periods in the schedule designated as "Free time" and "At leisure" offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure to relax and prepare for the program ahead.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 70 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, gravel paths, uneven grassy areas.

Breakfast: Full English and continental breakfast buffet in the hotel. A wide range of hot and cold options, as well as coffee, tea, water and fruit juices.

Morning: We'll set out from the hotel by minibus after breakfast and drive to the picturesque village of Grasmere. Dove Cottage on the outskirts of the village is the former home of William Wordsworth, Britain's most famous Romantic poet. Here we'll learn about Wordsworth's life and work from local experts. We will then continue by minibus to Keswick and the ancient stone circle at Castlerigg, before we stop for lunch.

Lunch: At a local restaurant in Keswick, we’ll have a light lunch of soup and sandwiches with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: This afternoon, we’ll continue by minibus to Borrowdale via Ashness Bridge, ascending the Honister Pass and seeing Buttermere with expert commentary from our Group Leader. We’ll return to the hotel at the end of our field trip, with some time to relax before dinner.

Dinner: Hotel plated meal.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 55 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Getting on/off a boat. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including tarmac and gravel paths, grass lawns.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We'll travel by minibus to Tarn Hows, often referred to as the "prettiest lake in England," then on to Brantwood, home of the Pre-Raphaelite supporter and early ecologist John Ruskin. Here we will have some time to explore the wonderful house and gardens, after which we'll take a short study cruise on the beautiful lake adjacent to the property — Coniston Water — aboard a rebuilt Victorian steam-powered yacht.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We’ll board the minibus to explore the shores of Coniston Water and the Duddon Valley, topic of Wordsworth’s sonnets, then proceed into Langdale and return to the hotel.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: After returning to the hotel by minibus, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 65 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including uneven grassy areas with some steep sections, gravel paths.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Today is a day of high adventure! Leaving the hotel we'll head for the hills, along the Little Langdale Valley and up into the mountains. We will drive up the famous Hardknott Pass and here, for those of us wishing to walk over the rugged terrain, we can inspect the hilltop Hardknott Roman Fort.

Lunch: At Muncaster Castle, we’ll have a light lunch with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: This afternoon, a local expert will lead us around the historic home of the Pennington family, Muncaster Castle. We’ll then return to the hotel over Corney Fell to Coniston.

Dinner: Hotel plated meal.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 40 miles, approximately 2.5 hours. Walking about 1.5 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, gravel paths, uneven grassy areas. Extent and duration of independent exploration according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This morning we’ll board our minibus and drive to the Armitt Museum in Ambleside. We’ll explore this unique collection compiled by two Victorian sisters, and see at first hand the watercolor paintings of Beatrix Potter, once displayed at the Tate Gallery in London. Following this, we will drive to Grasmere, where we’ll have some time for independent exploration in the village.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We’ll continue our exploration of sites in the life of Beatrix Potter, as we’ll visit Wray Castle and its grounds, Hill Top House (home of Beatrix Potter) and the quintessential Lakeland village of Hawkshead. We’ll then continue to Rydal Mount, the final home of William Wordsworth, for an expert-led exploration and poetry reading.

Dinner: Excluded.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Extent and duration of free time activities according to personal choice.

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: Free time. This block of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Transport will be available to the village of Bowness, and we’ll receive passes to cruise the length of Lake Windermere.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Afternoon: Free time to continue our full day of independent exploration.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure to prepare for tomorrow's transfer.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 100 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, gravel and grass paths, flagstone floors; low steps to some areas at Lanercost Priory.

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a minibus to begin our transfer to Alnwick, starting with a scenic drive to Carlisle via Troutbeck and Ullswater. At Carlisle, we will visit the award-winning Tullie House Museum, with its collections of Roman and Border Reiver relics. After an introduction to the museum by our Group Leader, we’ll have some time to explore its collections independently.

Lunch: We’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose from a range of food and drinks from the café at Tullie House.

Afternoon: We'll board the minibus to continue our transfer to Alnwick, stopping en route for a field trip with our Group Leader to Lanercost and the nearby Banks East Turret. Lanercost is the site of the remains of a 13th-century Augustinian Priory, where the mortally sick King Edward I rested shortly before his death during the Anglo-Scottish wars. Banks East Turret is the best preserved observation tower on the western stretch of Hadrian’s Wall. We’ll explore both of these sites on foot with our Group Leader before completing our minibus transfer, and arrive at the hotel with plenty of time to settle in.

Dinner: At the hotel, we'll have a 3-course plated and served dinner with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 90 miles, approximately 3 hours. Walking about 1 mile, periods of standing; varied terrain including paved streets, gravel and grass paths. Extent and duration of free time activities according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Full English and continental breakfast buffet in the hotel. A wide range of hot and cold options, as well as coffee, tea, water and fruit juices.

Morning: We'll board the minibus and head for the Scottish Borders, where we'll enjoy some very spectacular scenery. We'll travel through Kielder Forest, and pay a visit to the Hunting Lodge and 13th-century Hermitage Castle across the Scottish border, before continuing to the abbey town of Jedburgh.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Jedburgh.

Afternoon: We'll have some free time for independent exploration in Jedburgh. Points of interest in the town include the Mary Queen of Scots House, the Norman Abbey, the Victorian Castle, and the historic Jail. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. We’ll return to the hotel by minibus after our field trip.

Dinner: Hotel plated meal.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 115 miles, approximately 4 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including gravel and grass paths, uneven grassy areas, sand and pebble beach, paved streets, flagstone floors; wooden steps with handrails to some areas at Lindisfarne Abbey.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This morning we'll ride the minibus to the cradle of British Christianity, Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island. We'll cross the causeway to the village, which is periodically cut off from the mainland by high tides. After an introduction by our Group Leader, we'll have some time to explore the ruined monastery, the church, and the castle, and take a coastal walk.

Lunch: At The Barn at Beal, we’ll have a light lunch with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: The afternoon takes us along the scenic Northumberland Coastal Route. We'll take in castles such as Bamburgh with the nearby Grace Darling lifeboat museum. We'll then head to the fishing village of Seahouses, before making our way back to the hotel via Alnwick.

Dinner: Hotel plated meal.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 70 miles, approximately 3 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including gravel and grass paths, flagstone floors, uneven grassy areas; uneven stone steps with handrail to upper floor viewing platform at Black Middens Bastle House.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We'll begin our day with a journey across the moors on a scenic drive to Kielder Water and Black Middens Bastle House, a fortified farmhouse of a type built during the 16th and 17th centuries to defend against raids by Border Reivers and rival families. We'll then head to the ancestral home of the Trevelyan family, Wallington. There are over 100 acres of gardens, including a wonderful walled garden and lake, and the house itself.

Lunch: We’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose from a range of food and drinks from the café at Wallington.

Afternoon: We'll return to the hotel by minibus. On our way we'll pass Winter's Gibbet, where murderer William Winter was executed in 1791. This grisly local landmark stands at the site of a Saxon cross that marked the high point of an ancient cattle-driving road.

Dinner: Hotel plated meal.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 80 miles, approximately 3 hours. Walking about 2 miles, periods of standing; varied terrain including gravel and grass paths with uneven remains of flagstone Roman road surfaces, uneven grassy areas, some steeps sections of path.

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: Today is a full day spent learning just how the Romans lived in the region, and visiting Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll follow the old Stanegate road close to the Roman wall, to the Roman Army Museum, where we’ll learn more about life on the Roman frontier from a 3D film, replicas, and authentic artefacts. We’ll continue along Stanegate to Vindolanda for a discussion with one of the team of archaeologists currently excavating the fort and its “vicus,” the settlement that grew outside the fort's walls.

Lunch: We’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose from a range of food and drinks from the café at Vindolanda.

Afternoon: After lunch, we'll head for the wall itself, visiting several sections — including Milecastle 42 and Steel Rigg — with opportunities to walk along it.

Dinner: Hotel plated meal.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer to Manchester in the morning.

Activity note: Getting on/off a minibus; driving about 195 miles, approximately 4 hours. Extent and duration of free time activities according to personal choice. Some areas at Durham Cathedral are only accessible by steps (Shrine of St Cuthbert, Chapel of Nine Altars, Gregory Chapel, Durham Light Infantry Chapel, North West Tower).

Breakfast: In the hotel.

Morning: We'll check out of our hotel and board the minibus to begin our transfer to Manchester. En route, we'll take a field trip to the great city of Durham. Stopping near the Cathedral, one of the most spectacular in the UK, we'll have time to explore this architectural masterpiece, famous for St Cuthbert's burial place behind the high altar.

Lunch: We’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose from a range of food and drinks at the Cathedral Undercroft.

Afternoon: Free time for independent exploration in Durham before we continue our transfer to Manchester. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: At the hotel, we’ll have a 3-course plated and served meal with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m. See your program's "Transportation Information" regarding transfers.

Breakfast: In the hotel. Some participants may depart prior to breakfast.

Morning: Shuttle bus to Manchester Airport for onward flights. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don't forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!