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Boon’s Calibre Travel 2022 Splendours of Mid-Wales & the Marches Monday 8th August 2022 for 5 days, half-board
Our wonderful tour is based at the excellent 4* Metropole Hotel, centrally located in the spa town of Llandrindod Wells. Our interesting and varied itinerary includes stunning mountain scenery, historic towns, magnificent reservoirs & beautiful gardens. Our three excursions take us to Victorian Aberystwyth and delightful Hergest Croft Gardens, and, in addition, we take a ride on the heritage Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, tour the Elan Valley Reservoirs and explore the “Black & White” towns and villages of the Welsh Marshes. On our travelling days, we enjoy the mellow Cotswolds, pretty Bourton-on-Water, the rugged Brecon Beacons and the glorious Wye Valley. This is truly a tour not to be missed.
The beautiful 'Heart of Wales' provides a tranquil setting for the welcoming 4* Metropole Hotel. Centrally located in the historic spa town of Llandrindod Wells, the Victorian Metropole has been owned by the Baird-Murray family for over 100 years. All tastefully decorated en-suite bedrooms are furnished to a high standard & are equipped with colour TV, telephone, tea/coffee tray etc. There are lifts to all floors & two bedrooms are adapted for the disabled. The Spa, located in a Victorian-style conservatory, boasts a magnificent indoor pool.
Day 1: We depart from our local boarding points, and make our way through the mellow Cotswolds to the picture-postcard village of Bourton-on-the-water, which sits astride the River Windrush. Here we have the opportunity to take lunch, before crossing the border into Wales, where we arrive at our hotel in good time for dinner.
Day 2: This morning, we are free to explore the spa town of Llandrindod Wells, with its elegant buildings and wide streets. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in Wales, the town became a prosperous resort in Victorian times due to the arrival of the railway and the Victorian’s passion for spas. Today, visitors can “take the waters” in the Rock Park Spa situated close to the 19th century Pump Room. This afternoon, we travel northwards to join the heritage Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. Built in 1903, this narrow-gauge line steams through the serenely beautiful mid-Wales countryside and transports us back to a bygone era.
Day 3: Today’s excursion takes us on a circular “Black & White” tour of Welsh Marches. Our first visit is to the market town of Ludlow, arguably one of the finest historic towns in England, with its wealth of beautiful period buildings and dramatic medieval castle, perched high on a cliff. Continuing on, we pass through the former wool town of Leominster, the quintessentially English village of Pembridge and tiny, characterful town of Kington on our way to Hergest Croft Gardens, where we spend the remainder of the day. Created over the past 120 years by four generations of the Banks family, this 70-acre garden boasts stunning views toward the Black Mountains and contains a unique collection of over 5000 rare plants, trees and shrubs, as well as gorgeous flower borders.
Day 4: This morning, we tour the magnificent Elan Valley Reservoirs, located within the Cambrian Mountains. With their cascading dams, they are the oldest of Mid-Wales’ many man made lakes. Ample time to view the beautiful scenery, and visit the interesting visitor centre and tea rooms, before we travel via Llangurig to Devils Bridge, with its famous waterfall and three bridges, the earliest of which was reputedly built by the Devil himself! Continuing on, we reach Aberystwyth, the largest resort on the west coast of Wales. The town has a grand Victorian promenade, a large harbour, which shelters fleets of leisure craft, and a ruined castle built in 1277. We return to our hotel across the Cambrian Mountains.
Day 5: On leaving our hotel, our scenic return journey takes us across the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park, along the spectacular Wye Valley and past the famous ruins of Tintern Abbey. After crossing the River Severn we make our way home, arriving back in Essex early evening.
Includes: 4 nights half-board in en-suite bedrooms, porterage, lift, leisure centre with swimming pool. 3 included excursions with visits on outward & return journeys. Fare for train. Entrance to Hergest Croft Garden
Cost per person: £529 Single room supplement: £40 (5 only)
Terms: £50 per person on booking, balance 6 weeks prior to departure |