Downton Abbey Country & Port Meadow Cruise
** Price reduction to £99. A really entertaining day with an experienced Blue Badge Guide in the popular Oxfordshire Cotswolds. There’s a wonderful mix of a guided coach tour, a little walking and a river cruise, not to mention a delicious carvery lunch. Even if you’ve never heard of Mrs. Patmore or Mr. Carson you will nevertheless be thoroughly charmed by the beautiful locations we visit. This tour starts at a farm where time stands still, includes a guided tour of Downton Abbey Country in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. After lunch we enjoy a one hour cruise from Godstow Abbey through serene and ancient Port Meadow into the heart of Oxford.
Date
16/09/2016
About this excursion
£99 per person
Our tour starts with morning refreshments at Cogges Manor Farm at Witney before enjoying a guided tour of this compact 13th century farm and manor house, which served as Downton’s Yew Tree Farm where Lady Edith’s secret daughter is raised. There’s an entertaining short film to watch all about the filming here – including scenes from the final series.
Next we are off for a tour of the beautiful Oxfordshire Cotswolds that lie between the Rivers Windrush and Thames. From an old Roman road you’ll see golden Shilton nestling in its own verdant valley – this is where the valet John Bates moved to when he left Downton Abbey.
During the morning you’ll also see the Repatriation Memorial Garden near RAF Brize Norton where the families of fallen service personnel gather with the Royal British Legion and other supporters.
The mediaeval small market town of Bampton is Downton – it’s also the home of author Mel Starr’s mediaeval surgeon in The Chronicles of Hugh Singleton. As old as Domesday picturesque Bampton is thriving with a post office, library and bank and lots of community clubs and societies. We’ll show you all the Downton Abbey locations including the Cottage Hospital, Isobel Crawley’s House and the church which has featured in weddings, funerals, christenings and a very dramatic jilting at the altar.
For lunch we’re including a delicious carvery with tea or coffee. After lunch we drive to ancient Godstow Abbey where Fair Rosamund the much loved mistress of Henry II was laid to rest. Here we begin our one hour cruise into the heart of Oxford – a unique little Thames cruise not offered as a public service. We glide on shallow broad waters through the ancient common grazing lands of Port Meadow unploughed for 4000 years and skim beneath the lowest bridge on the 
Thames. It was on lazy summer cruises from Godstow to Folly Bridge with young Alice that Lewis Caroll created his Adventures in Wonderland.
We arrive at Folly Bridge around 4.00pm and if the day is fine we can sit in garden at the big jolly Fullers pub by the bridge and buy tea or drinks before we leave for home.
The price for this event includes luxury coach transport, the services of an experienced Blue Badge Guide, morning refreshments, carvery lunch with tea or coffee, afternoon cruise and, of course, treats.
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Bookings are closed for this event.
