3-Day Lake District and Lancashire Dales Small Group Tour

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Want to tour the back roads of Devon and Cornwall but don't want to join a large coach group? Looking for a little flexibility and spontaneity in your itinerary? Do you have a few days to really get deep into the countryside?

Had we not had "the Lakes," we might not now be enjoying Wordsworth! But there's more to the region than this. There are picturesque villages and towns, country houses and museums, and interesting historical sites from prehistory to the birthplace of the humble pencil.

With a maximum group size of 11 and a university educated guide/driver, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience.

The Lake District, England

Seasonal - 2009 dates

• April 22
• May 06 and 20
• June 03 and 17
• July 01, 15 and 29
  
• August 12 and 26
• September 09 and 23
• October 07

Tour departs from Willowbank Hotel, 340 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester.

8:00am

Tour returns to original point of departure at approximately 6:00pm (Day 3)

Day One:
A short drive north brings you to the southern Lake District and the first stop at Holker Hall. Travel alongside Coniston Water with the "Old Man of Coniston" rising above up above. This will be just the first of many astounding drives over narrow passes with the lakes or valleys spreading out below. At Coniston, visit the home of Victorian philosopher, John Ruskin. Perhaps his most appropriate quote for travelers would be "there is no wealth except life". Brantwood is indeed an extraordinary structure, perched on a narrow shelf at the foot of a steep mountain side, high above Coniston Water and well illustrates Ruskin's concept of "organic architecture". From here climb another pass and drop down to Windermere, your base for two nights.

Day Two:
Today's initial route takes you to Wordsworth's Cottage at Grassmere. Then, a back route around Thirlmere to Keswick. Next, a gripping ride up, climbing some of the regions steepest gradients, traversing Borrowdale, with a stop at the falls en route to Buttermere. More sublime Lakeland scenery follows as we run alongside Crummock Water and through the Whinlatter Forest. There will be some time at the town of Keswick and a chance to see the prehistoric Castlerigg Stone Circle and see the museum dedicated to the lead pencil as this is truly its home!

Day Three:
This morning there will be free time to sample the gentle atmosphere of Windermere itself. Literary fans might enjoy visiting Beatrix Potter's home. Or perhaps the sailors amongst you will elect to take a rowing boat on the lake (not included in tour price), or the more sedate steam paddle boat!

This afternoon see you touring the undulations of the West Yorkshire Dales. First, to Kirkby Lonsdale, and to see a unique and frightening Viking gravestone. The Three Peaks area covers about 160 square kilometers of upland in the Pennines, with internationally famous limestone scenery. Much of the area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, owing to the special nature and fragility of its upland ecosystem.

Ribblehead, in the center of the Three Peaks is itself famous for the Ribblehead Viaduct where the Settle-Carlisle Railway crosses the boggy moor. This was the site of an infamous shanty town during the railway construction; a task that required many tunnels, viaducts and bridges, and cost many lives. Settle's market charter goes back to 1249, and on Tuesdays its Market Place has retained many of its old buildings and its intimate atmosphere, with a wide range of small, independent shops.

Near here is Austwick, the site of the famous Norber Erratics. These are boulders carried by a glacier during the late Ice Age and dumped on this limestone plateau. The limestone supporting them has been eroded away by rain and wind, leaving the huge boulders supported on small pedestals of white limestone.

Then, Ingleton, famous for its walks through the local "glens". Village streets are narrow and winding and centered on the tiny market place. Deep beneath Ingleborough Hill lies a hidden world which has been sculptured by nature over thousands of years. Imagine a subterranean landscape, beautifully lit, with gushing streams and waterfalls, exotic cave formations, and a huge ice-age cavern adorned with thousands of stalactites. It's the longest show cave in Britain and it provides a wonderful late afternoon stop. Finally, to Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters before returning to Manchester.