Yorkshire's Crowne Jewels

Day 1

We depart the local area and make a stop for lunch in the historic town of Newark before arriving at The Crowne Plaza Hotel mid-afternoon, with time to settle in before dinner.

Day 2

This morning, we visit the nearby RHS Harlow Carr Gardens. Sitting in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, Harlow Carr offers a variety of growing landscapes, from running and still water, to woodland and wildflower meadows. Highlights include the lavish Main Borders, bursting with generous prairie-style planting, and the lush, moisture-loving plants around Streamside. We return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure in the Victorian Spa town of Harrogate, you may wish to visit the grade II listed pump rooms, browse the various independent shops or sip a cuppa at the famous Betty's Tea Rooms.

Day 3

Today we visit the incomparable Castle Howard. One of England's finest historic houses and the setting for the TV production of Brideshead revisited, Castle Howard is more like a palace. This opulent country house is situated within idyllic sweeping parkland dotted with statues, temples, lakes and formal gardens

Day 4

We spend today in the timbered city of York, beginning with a fantastic York City Cruise. We sit back and relax, taking in the sights of the city and hearing entertaining and informative commentary as we sail the River Ouse. The rest of the day is free in York. An ancient and compact walled city, York can be explored on foot. You can stroll The Shambles, one of the best-preserved medieval streets in the world, the magnificent Minster is well worth a visit along with the state-of-the-art Under croft Museum, located in the chambers underneath the cathedral. There's also the National railway Museum, showcasing over 300 years of Railway history, and the JORVIK Viking Centre, which delves into the sights and sounds of Viking York.

Day 5

After a leisurely breakfast we say farewell to our hotel and make our way south, with a stop on route in picturesque Stamford on market day, we return home mid-afternoon.

D=Dinner, B=Breakfast