About the Company
Gardens and Castles
of England is a well-established Family Business with members
living in the Midwest of USA, Bristol in the West of England, and
London. Keith and Carolyn Thornton live in Des Moines, Iowa and
are the main guides for tours in England.
Keith was born and brought up on a farm in the rural North West
of England and has life-long hobbies of gardening, horticulture
and English history. Working in agriculture, he has lived mainly
in England but also for an eight-year period in Spring Green, Wisconsin
as well as two years in Guangzhou, China and more recently in Bucharest,
Romania. His worldwide travels include visits to Australia and South
Africa, all of which allowed him to study gardening in very different
worldwide locations. Keith moved to the USA when he married Carolyn
and over the last five years they have visited stately homes and
gardens throughout England.
Fall Tour
to England 2006
September 11th to September 20th
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The
English Lake District
The Hotel for the first four nights of our stay overlooks
Lake Windermere and the surrounding mountains of the
Lake District.
Places of interest to visit are as follows:
- The Village of Hawkshead, including the Grammar
School of William Wordsworth, and Hill Top, the 17th
Century Farmhouse owned by Beatrix Potter where her
collection of china, furniture, paintings, and doll
houses are on view.
- Scenic Grasmere and Dove Cottage - the home of William
Wordsworth originally built in the 17th century.
- Two outstanding Gardens on drives via Ambleside
through mountains and lakeside scenery.
- A daytime Steamer cruise on Lake Windermere during
your free time or a Jazz/Buffet cruise in the evening;
or Blackwell House, internationally renowned as an
Arts and Crafts Museum.
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The
City of York and the Yorkshire Dales
We shall spend four nights in the City of York at a
Hotel overlooking the Minster (the largest Gothic Cathedral
north of the Alps) where there will be an opportunity
to attend one of the Services.
York and the County of Yorkshire have many places of
interest including:
- Antique shops and the ancient Shambles, the old
City Walls to walk, a floodlit river cruise, or the
Ghost Walk of York!
- The City of York houses the National Railway Museum
and the Jorvik Viking Centre as well as the York Art
Gallery.
- The Yorkshire Dales and the James Heriott Countryside.
- Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens; this
is a World Heritage site encompassing 12th Century
Cistercian Abbey and an Elizabethan Mansion House.
- Cliffords Tower for a wonderful view of the City.
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- You may wish to arrange your own walking and hiking
trails through the fells and around the lakes or in
the Yorkshire Countryside.
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Cost:
$3,250 per person includes hotels (Bed, Breakfast, and
Dinner) in Bowness-on-Windemere and York. Return airfares
from Des Moines, ground transportation, and garden entrance
fees. Lunch and tips not included. Lunch will be taken
in a variety of interesting pubs.
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For further details, daily itinerary, and booking
form, please contact:
Keith Thornton & Carolyn
Lynner
711 56th Street
Des Moines, IA 50312
Phone/Fax: (515) 279-5598
Email: katyee41@mchsi.com
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