Castles and Houses of Devon & Cornwall

After breakfast today our attention turns to the neighbouring county of Devon as we visit two outstanding historic properties. Cotehele, near Plymouth, is a Tudor house with many stories and legends, festooned with tapestries and adorned with textiles, arms and armour, pewter, brass and old oak furniture; a magical experience awaits us where little has changed over the years. Outside, we can explore the formally planted terraces, the Valley Garden, which includes a medieval stewpond and dovecote, and Cotehele Quay, home of the restored Tamar sailing barge Shamrock. Lunch is available here (not included).

In the afternoon, we head northward to the stunning north-west Devon coast where we find Hartland Abbey. Originally built in 1157 it remained in use until 1539 when it was the last remaining monastery to be dissolved by Henry VIII. The king gifted the Abbey to the ancestors of the family who today call it their home. One of the must-see features of the house is the Alhambra passage with its vaulted and stencilled ceiling. On the conclusion of our tour, we return to our hotel, where dinner is served in the evening.

After a leisurely breakfast we travel the short distance to Lanhydrock, a magnificent seventeenth century house surrounded by nineteenth century formal terraced gardens. When Thomas Charles refashioned Lanhydrock after a fire in 1881 he wanted to create 'an unpretentious family home'. While his idea of everyday comfort might be different from our own, there is no doubting the family is at the very heart of this house. There's a whole suite of rooms dedicated to the children, family photographs throughout and the morning room which was used by the children as a performance space for annual plays and theatricals. We will also discover the fascinating contrast between the upstairs and downstairs worlds as we explore the kitchens and servants' quarters as well as the grand family spaces. We will also have time to wander in the terraced gardens and the informal pleasure grounds beyond.

Following our visit here we head for Padstow on the northern coast of Cornwall, where there will be an opportunity for lunch (not included), perhaps at one of celebrity chef Rick Stein’s various outlets.

In the afternoon we visit nearby Prideaux Place, where on arrival a traditional cream tea will be served.  Prideaux Place is a charming Elizabethan manor which has been lived in by the same family since its completion in 1592. The Prideaux family is an ancient Cornish clan whose origins date back to the Norman Conquest when they are recorded as Lords of the Manor at Prideaux Castle. The house now combines its traditional Elizabethan architecture with the 18th century exuberance of Strawberry Hill Gothic. The house has 81 rooms and some of the finest are included in our guided tour. The North Wing, sadly inaccessible to visitors at the present time, remains as it was the day the 121st Engineer Combat Battalion of the American Army marched from Prideaux to take up its role in the D Day Landings. After our tour, we return to the hotel for the evening at leisure and dinner.

Following breakfast, we check out of the hotel and depart for a visit to Caerhays Castle. This English heritage Grade 1 listed building is the current home of the Williams family. The castle is home to endless accumulations of the family spanning back some 140 years. The artefacts displayed are changed regularly and include Victorian Jugs, crockery that was used for the running of the house, Bric-a-Brac commonly found in an Edwardian Billiard room and much more. After a convivial lunch here we return to our original pick-up points.