Day One – Arrival into Manchester Airport, collect rental car and head east to the Peak District.  Potential sightseeing includes Peveril Castle, above the aptly named town of Castleton, one of the oldest stone castles in Britain.  Treak Cliff Cavern, Peak Cavern and Blue John Cavern offer marvellous natural features and traces of human occupation dating back to the Bronze Age.  Overnight Stoke-on-Trent area.

Day Two -  Day to explore the southern Peak District.  Possible sightseeing in the area includes Arbor Low Henge, Nine Ladies Stone Circle and the highlight, Thor’s Cave.  O’nt Stoke-on-Trent area.

Day Three – Depart hotel.  Optional sightseeing today includes the pretty ruins of Croxden Abbey, National Trust Calke Abbey with physic garden and the stunning stronghold Warwick Castle.  Overnight Stratford-upon-Avon area.

Day Four – Depart hotel and travel south through the scenic Cotswolds.  Options for sightseeing today include the eerie Rollright Stones, English Heritage maintained Hailes Abbey and Belas Knap Long Barrow as well as the many sleepy Cotswolds villages, rolling hills and sparkling streams.  Overnight Frome area.

Day Five – A day to explore Glastonbury, embroiled in two of Britain’s greatest stories, reputed to be the Isle of Avalon and King Arthur’s final resting place, and birthplace of English Christianity where Joseph of Arimathea is said to have brought the holy grail.  Nearby Wells is the smallest cathedral city in England and boast an awe-inspiring medieval cathedral.  You may also wish to visit the natural limestone wonders of Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge.  Overnight Frome area.

Day Six – Depart hotel and travel to Britain’s most famous pre-historic monument, Stonehenge. Although you are no longer allowed to wander among the stones, the informative and entertaining audio-guide soon provokes a sense of wonder at humankind’s achievements here during the Bronze Age.  Overnight Swindon area.

Day Seven – A day to explore the wonders of Avebury Stone Circle, Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow and The Sanctuary.  The UNESCO World Heritage site of Avebury, in many ways more impressive and certainly more atmospheric than Stonehenge, at one time consisted of as many as 250 stones.  The story of the stone circle is told at the Alexander Keiller Museum.  Overnight Swindon area.