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Medieval England Small Group Tour

This small group tour has been especially designed for the active mature-aged and senior traveller, joining this tour as a couple or solo traveller with an interest in exploring what remains of Medieval England.. On this worthwhile journey, we will discover how those years laid the foundation for modern Britain. We’ll concentrate on the period between AD 800, around seven centuries after Hadrian's Wall was erected to mark the northern limit of Britain, and AD 1500. We will discover--through guided tours of medieval castles and cathedrals, sightseeing tours of the beautiful landscapes and natural beauty of the British Isles, and walking and city tours to view the modern world--just how much the country has changed over the centuries.

Despite invasions, civil wars and periodic outbreaks of plague, southern England prospered during the medieval period, and evidence of that prosperity can still be uncovered in towns, villages, farmland and trading ports. We tend to think of castles and cathedrals when we think of what still remain standing from the medieval world, but these are just the more obvious remains, the remains that often tower over modern towns and villages. If we look carefully, there is much more that can be discovered.

On this unique travel experience we will spend time uncovering details of how people lived, what they believed, what they ate, how they earned a living and how some became very rich, while others lived lives of grinding poverty. We will also look at how the people were governed and how this changed over the centuries. Join us on this journey of exploration into the medieval world.

Spend 21 days travelling with like-minded travellers on an educational program that takes you in a great circle from Canterbury to Cambridge, passing through Winchester, Salisbury, Bristol, Hereford and Norwich along the way. We travel through some of the most spectacular destinations in England , visiting amazing cities as well as tiny villages and abandoned religious foundations. There is so much to see on this trip that we have had to be selective, but by the end of the program you will have uncovered many of the highlights still remaining from this amazing period of change and development. Similar to other Odyssey Traveller tours, you will be accompanied by a Program Leader and local guides.

Medieval England Small Group Tour Itinerary

Castles

The Norman invasion of 1066 began the great era of castle building in England. These defensive fortifications continued to be built to impress or subdue local populations until the introduction of the canon made them more or less redundant. Some castles have fallen into ruins, some, having undergone various restorations, are still lived in, while others have been converted into museums. The castles we visit give us a good idea of what life was like for the warlike aristocracy and their many dependents.

Our program includes visits to castles in Canterbury, Norwich and Winchester as well as others in smaller centres. Moated Bodiam Castle, now owned by the National Trust, was built in the late 14th century and, although actually a ruin, still looks most impressive and gives an excellent idea of castle design. We will also tour Caerphilly Castle in Wales, one of Britain’s most impressive. This massive structure, built in 1268 in an attempt to keep the Welsh under control, is the second largest castle in Britain. Although the much smaller Stokesay Castle in Shropshire started life as a fortified manor house, it still provides an impressive array of 13th century towers and a magnificent Great Hall.

Cathedrals

The Medieval period was a much more religious one than our own and the proliferation of churches, monasteries and abbeys reflects the era’s belief in a very real and personal God. Life was short, insecure and often miserable. The next world represented a means of escape into a better life and donations to religious foundations were often seen as one way of ensuring entry into that better life. The cathedrals and churches we visit on a walking tour provide an enduring legacy of the people’s faith and to their incredible craftsmanship. They provide us with some of the best examples of medieval art and architecture still to be found in Britain.

Naturally we spend time in Canterbury Cathedral where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170. Even without this famous murder Canterbury Cathedral would still be worth visiting. The original foundations date back to 597 when Augustine arrived on the Kentish coast with orders from the pope to re-establish the the Roman church in England. Other cathedrals we will enjoy visiting include those at Wells, Salisbury, Bristol, Hereford, Leicester and Norwich.

And much more…

Medieval people did not only build massive castles and grand cathedrals. Norfolk is studded with many beautiful small churches built by the very wealthy wool merchants who lived in the area. These churches still contain some of England’s best reserved painted panels, carvings and stained glass. Although Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries after 1536, there are still many remnants remaining as magnificent ruins or through their conversion to other uses. A visit to Tintern Abbey and Walsingham Priory helps to remind us of just how rich and powerful these institutions once were.

Although the castles, cathedrals and abbey ruins often dominate our vision of the medieval world, we can still visit a number of smaller but equally significant structures. Still surviving are a number of the great medieval barns where grain, paid as tithes or taxes, was stored for religious foundations or for the king. A number of these “agricultural cathedrals” will be included on our tour, as will farm houses, manor houses, inns, shops and the houses of wealthy town folk who could afford to build substantial dwellings. Lavenham in Norfolk was once one of the wealthiest towns in England. With the decline in the wool trade Lavenham was left behind and a consequent lack of development has resulted in the preservation of many fine buildings from the 14th and 15th century.

Take this opportunity to go on an adventure as we travel forth from our comfortable accommodation and beyond. Explore ancient houses, eat in historic inns, wander through a medieval town, sit quietly in a tiny village church to admire the painted rood scenes, and develop a better understanding of life for both rich and poor during the medieval period.

For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right-hand side of this page.

To help you plan your journey, and for more information, the following articles may be of interest:

• British Village Icons
• Life in the Medieval British Village
• British Churches Through the Years
• Roman Roads in Britain
• Other articles on the British Isles

If you're more interested in visiting St Paul's Cathedral, Windsor Castle and St George's Chapel, or the landscapes of the Cotswolds, don't click away! Odyssey Traveller offers a number of tours of Great Britain, ranging from basic sightseeing tours ideal for your first trip, to unique experiences that delve deep in to Britain's history and culture.

Articles published by Odyssey helping to prepare for this Medieval England Tour

The following list of articles published by Odyssey Traveller for mature aged and senior travellers to maximise their knowledge and enjoyment of England when visiting;

• Medieval British life
• Great Britain Travel tips
• Understanding British Churches
• English Village History
• Britain's National Trust.
• History of English Cathedrals: A Comprehensive Guide

External articles to assist you on your visit to England

• History of England: - PODCASTS
• Tudor England 
• Anglo- Saxon migration
• Civil wars that influenced medieval Britain

Other Odyssey Tours

Small group tour of Medieval England  is only one of many tours of Britain offered by Odyssey Traveller. For more details, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.