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The Heart of England

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From the “Dreaming Spires” of Oxford, to the great cathedral city of York, Stratford-upon-
Avon with all its Shakespearean connections, the postcard-picture-perfect Cotswold
villages to the Regency elegance of Bath, it is an area that promises a broad range of
experiences for the touring motorist.

You could explore Sherwood Forest . . . but you are probably chasing a myth, the legend of Robin
Hood. Idolised and stylised in various movie and tv productions, he has now acquired a patina of
respectability. He robbed the rich to give to the poor . . . right? Probably because there’s no point
in robbing the poor.

For a single day trip from London what could be better than a visit to Oxford with all its historical
associations.

Or a weekender taking in Oxford and a visit to Stratford to see one of the plays at the Royal
Shakespearean Theatre.

Like to visit Downton Abbey? Then take the trip from Oxford to Salisbury and on to Stonehenge.

Got more time? Extend that journey to take in the city of Bath, a city so beautiful it has been
declared a World Heritage Site.

York is one of the most historically important cities in England. The Dukes of York have for many
centuries been major players in Britain’s politics.

Indeed the House of York fought a sporadic war for over 30 years with the House of Lancaster in
the War of the Roses, a battle for control of the English crown between two branches of the royal
house of the Plantagenets.

It was finally settled at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 in which the Lancastrian Henry VI
defeated the Yorkist, and infamous, Richard III. Henry was a smart cookie, however, because
shortly afterwards he married Elizabeth of York, thereby uniting the two warring families.

Learn more about York history from Wikipedia . . .

YORK

York Minster Regularly voted one of the most popular things to do in York, the Minster is not only
an architecturally stunning building but is a place to discover the history of York over the centuries,
its artefacts and treasures.

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You can take a tour to learn how 13 century masons used a revolutionary engineering technique
to create a structure that is one of the wonders of medieval carpentry. View the centuries-old
design drawings still visible on the Tracing Floor, see Victorian wooden templates and touch
timber believed to be nearly 1,000 years old.