Trip Itinerary

Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner 

Day 1: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Depart the USA and take independent flights to England. Please make sure that you book flights that arrive in London before 8:00 AM on Friday to allow time to collect luggage and go through customs. Pre-tour nights are available. (IF)

Day 2: Thursday, June 6, 2024
On arrival at Heathrow Airport, we will meet in the hotel lobby of the Hyatt Place Hotel, which can be reached by bus U3 from the Central Bus Station. Once everyone has arrived, the bus will pick us up and take us to the Hawkwell House Hotel in Oxford, where we will check in for our 6-night stay. Dinner will be in the hotel this evening. (B/D)

Day 3: Saturday, June 8, 2024
This morning we will travel to Marsh Gibbon to meet Jane Berry, for a special private visit of Westbury Manor, where Edward Howell was Lord of the Manor. A light lunch will be served before a special afternoon visit to St Mary’s Church, baptismal site of many members of the Howell family, to explore the church and get an idea of how Marsh Gibbon used to look. On the way back to Oxford, we will tour picturesque Cotswolds villages including Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-World and Burford. This evening dinner will be served in a local pub. (B/D)

Day 4: Sunday, June 9, 2024
After a leisurely breakfast, we will meet our local guide for a walking tour of the city and a visit to New College Chapel. The University of Oxford remains one of the foremost seats of learning in Europe. The afternoon is at leisure to explore Oxford independently. Options include Afternoon Tea, the Ashmolean Museum, Blenheim Palace, or a tour of film / TV filming locations. (B)

Day 5: Monday, June 10, 2024
Our first stop today is Thame to see Dormer Street, followed by a visit to St Mary’s Church, the site of the tomb of Geoffrey Dormer (great-great-great grandfather of Margery Croker-maternal grandmother of Edward Howell) and his wives. The brass monument, from about 1502, is still there to see, including five sons and eight daughters at the foot of his first wife, and seven sons and five daughters beside his second wife. The vicar will be there to welcome us to our historical beginnings and there will be a short bell ringing lesson. We will have an independent lunch in Thame, then view Weedon, as William was known as “William of Weedon”. Finally, we will enjoy a visit at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies in Aylesbury, to view the registers of members of the Howell family. We will return to Oxford, stopping for a pub supper. (B/D)

Day 6: Tuesday, June 11, 2024
In Hook Norton we will have a guided tour of St Peter’s Church to see John Croker’s stone in the north wall. Jeff Demmar will escort us on a tour of Swalcliffe. We will pause outside Swalcliffe Manor, owned by Edward Hawten in 1578 and site of the marriage of Margaret Hawten and Henry Howell on 13th May 1583. A visit will also be included to Swalcliffe Tithe Barns and the private home and gardens of Jeff Demmar, with its connections with John Hawten. St. Peter’s & Paul’s Church was the place of Margaret Hawten’s baptism and marriage to Henry Howell (parents of Edward Howell). This site also includes a stone memorial to her brother, John Hawten. We will return to our hotel in Oxford for dinner. (B/D)

Day 7: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
After breakfast we will depart for a guided tour of Broughton Castle, one of the few moated castles left in England and the home of Lord and Lady Saye and Sele. They are direct descendants of signers of the Magna Carta and the same family who were intimately involved in promoting development of the New World, during the time of Edward Howell’s emigration. The city of Saybrooke, Connecticut was named for the family. This is also the castle used in many films, including “Shakespeare in Love”, as the home of the heroine. Time for an independent lunch in Banbury before taking the drive to Odell for a visit to All Saints Church, where Edward Howell married his first wife, Frances, on 7th April 1616. Dinner will be served in a pub this evening. (B/D)

Day 8: Thursday, June 13, 2024
After breakfast we will depart Oxford for the drive into Wales. Today’s highlight is Caerleon, where we will visit the remains of an open-air Roman theatre, which was built around AD 90 to entertain legionaries. We will also tour the Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths and see how the Romans relaxed. We will continue our journey to Cardiff and visit Llandaff Cathedral. We will also view the statue of Hywel the Good at City Hall. We will stay in the Future Inn in Cardiff. We will dine together this evening. (B/D)

Day 9: Friday, June 14, 2024
Today we have the option of a daytrip to the Three Castle of Gwent (Grosmont, White and Skenfrith) and the surrounding area to explore the Howell connections. For those who would prefer a free day, Cardiff has many fun options. (B)

Day 10: Saturday, June 15, 2024
We will depart Wales this morning and visit Great Chalfield Manor, once the home of John Eyre, brother of Anne Eyre, paternal grandmother of Edward Howell. This manor is now a National Trust property but is available today for a special tour. The main building, rebuilt by Thomas Tropnell between 1465-80, with England being torn apart by the War of the Roses, it was at that time something of a fort, with a defensible gatehouse encircled by a curtain wall and a moat. After several centuries of neglect, the house was restored by Sir Harold Brakspear in 1905-12 for the Fuller family. We will then take the short journey to Lacock village, untouched by modern development and dating back to the 13th-century and it remains largely unchanged over the centuries and has many lime-washed, half-timbered and stone houses. During the Middle Ages Lacock became a prosperous and thriving town through its wool industry. It has been used as a location for many TV and film productions and includes Pride and Prejudice, Moll Flanders, Emma and Harry Potter films. We will then depart to Heathrow Airport, stopping along the way for a pub dinner and on arrival check-in at the Heathrow hotel. Once your driver has settled us into the Hyatt Place Hotel at Heathrow, they will then depart. (B/D)

Day 11: Sunday, June 16, 2024
This morning we will transfer to the airport in time for our return flights home. (B/IF)

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

What are accommodations like?

Our hotels are chosen for their quality, amenities and proximity to areas of interest. Whenever possible, we choose hotels in town centers, so that you are able to go off and explore in your free time. It may be necessary for us to substitute hotels for others of equal quality. You will be fully informed of any changes that affect you. Enjoy your stay!

Oxford, England
June 6-13, 2024
Hawkwell House Hotel
Church Way, Iffley
Oxford OX4 4DZ,

Cardiff, Wales
June 13-14. 2024
Future Inn
Hemmingway Road
Cardiff CF10 4AUW

Heathrow Airport, England
June 15-16, 2024
Hyatt Place
The Grove, Bath Rd
Harmondsworth
West Drayton UB7 0DG

Flight Information

When booking your flights, please make sure you land in London on the morning of Friday, June 9 2023 no later than 8:00 AM so you have time to meet the group at the Hyatt Plaza Hotel.  If you would prefer to arrive earlier, we can arrange a pre-tour hotel night.

You are welcome to depart from Heathrow at any time on Sunday, June 18, 2023.  Please send us a copy of your flight itinerary for our records as soon as you have booked it. Please note that if you would like to use air miles you will need to book directly with the airline.

What’s included in the land price of $3,099?

*Price based a minimum of 20 participants.

Your Tour Includes

•   Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coach
•   Accommodations (double-occupancy)
•   Meals as indicated in the itinerary
•   Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
•   Admission to all activities indicated in the itinerary
•   All taxes and tips
•   Full color tour book
•   Personalized travel app

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Round-trip air transportation
•   Transfer (free bus available) to and from Heathrow hotel
•   Single supplement ($780)
•   Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary
•   Items of a personal nature, such as passports and visas. Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond return date.
•   Passenger trip cancellation insurance

Payment Schedule

•   The deposit of $350 per person is due at the time of booking through the registration system. As you register you will be given the option to pay by ACH (direct from your bank) or by credit card (3.5% fee). If you prefer, checks can be mailed to “Reformation Tours”, 12316 244th St, Chisago City, MN 55013-9688
•   Final payment is due by March 24, 2024
•   Reservations will be accepted after March 24, 2024 subject to availability

Cancellations

Regardless of reason, cancellations are costly. All cancellations must be in writing and the date of postmark will determine the amount of refund due. For flight changes or cancellations, revision fees and/or airline cancellation charges will apply. Roommates canceling can result in a single supplement charge for the roommate. The Participant who cancels will be responsible for that charge if a substitute roommate cannot be found. Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is strongly recommended.

Cancellation penalties:

Terms and Conditions

Reformation Tours reserves the rights to alter itineraries without notice should it become necessary.