Day 1: We travel to Redworth Hall Hotel, an impressive Jacobean Manor House spa hotel nestled within 26 acres of stunning landscaped gardens.
Day 2: Our excursion today takes us to the famous Living Museum of the North, the Beamish Museum. Set within 300 acres of beautiful County Durham countryside, Beamish is an open-air museum telling the story of life in North East England during the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s. With replica towns, villages and working landscapes, live demonstrations and costumed engagers, experience life as it would have been throughout the decades. Visit a 1900s town and pit village and look out for the Land Girls and Home Guard on a 1940s farm. Pop into the 1950s record shop and maybe have your hair styled at Elizabeth’s Hairdressers. Full of nostalgia, this immersive adventure down memory lane is a feast for the senses with remarkable attention to detail at every corner of this world-famous museum.
Day 3: This morning we journey to the ancient, historic city of Durham. Renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Durham offers a stunning skyline dominated by its monumental Norman Cathedral and Durham Castle, both perched dramatically atop a high peninsula carved by the River Wear. There is time to explore the city with its labyrinth of little streets and alleyways, browse the stalls at the infamous indoor market; housed in a magnificent Victorian Hall, or maybe take a leisurely stroll along the wooded riverbanks for picture postcard views of the city.
Day 4: Leaving after breakfast, we begin our day with a drive to the historic market town of Barnard Castle. Nestled in the heart of the Durham Dales, "Barney" (as it's fondly known to locals) is a treasure trove of literary and military history. You can see where Dickens immortalised ‘Dothboys Hall’, take a look at Cromwell’s refuge, browse around the antique shops, or visit the castle itself, high above the Tees. We then head to Bowes Museum, offering a slice of Parisian flair amidst the rolling hills of the North, this majestic French-style chateau will amaze you with its superb collection of over 58,000 objects of fine and decorative arts. One of the most iconic exhibits at the museum is the beautiful Silver Swan automaton. Considered one of the finest 18th century mechanical items in the world, watch in wonder as it preens its feathers and ‘catches’ a silver fish to the chime of a delicate music box.
Day 5 After breakfast this morning we begin our journey home.