Winston Churchill’s Story
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St Ermin's hotel lobby
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War Room ©By Permission of IWM Imperial War Museums
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Bletchley Park - The Mansion © Courtesy of Shaun Armstrong, Bureau for Visual Affairs and Andy Stagg, Bletchley Park Trust
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Bletchley Park © Courtesy of Shaun Armstrong, Bureau for Visual Affairs and Andy Stagg, Bletchley Park Trust
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Bletchley Park © Courtesy of Shaun Armstrong, Bureau for Visual Affairs and Andy Stagg, Bletchley Park Trust
Winston Churchill is considered by many to be the greatest Briton. But his legacy didn’t always look so secure. From schoolboy failure to wartime hero, Winston Churchill’s astonishing life has made him a British icon. He remains eminently quotable, one of his most relevant lines being: “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” Join us on a Winston Churchill tour and discover how he came to be the man we remember; look at the destiny and defiance of one of the great names of history, and examine his ultimate legacy.
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Dates
2024 dates available on request
Itinerary Summary
Day 1
Welcome to England
Arrive at Heathrow airport where your driver will meet you and take you to Central London. You will be staying at St Ermin’s hotel; this incredible deluxe hotel is built on the site of a 15th century chapel dedicated to St. Ermin and is where Churchill held a historic meeting in 1940. It is rumoured that a tunnel runs from underneath the grand staircase in the lobby all the way to the houses of Westminster! The rest of the day is free to rest, relax and explore the area.
Day 2
Churchill’s London and St Paul’s Cathedral
After a heart English Breakfast at your hotel you will enjoy a full day guided tour of London including key Churchill’s sites such as his statue in Parliament Square (located on the spot where, in the 1950s Churchill himself proclaimed “where my statue will go,” Whitehall, House of Commons and 10 Downing Street (where Churchill lived during his two terms as Prime Minister from 1940-1945 and 1951-1955.)
Finish your day exploring St Paul’s Cathedral where Churchill’s funeral took place in 1965.
The rest of the evening is free to spend at your leisure.
Day 3
Blenheim Palace and Oxford
After breakfast your driver will take you to Oxford where you can enjoy a morning walking tour and explore the history and heritage of this beautiful city including the Christ Church College.
You will then spend afternoon at Blenheim Palace, Churchill’s birthplace and ancestral home; explore newly reinvigorated permanent Churchill exhibition and visit the memorial garden where he proposed to Clementine. The palace, one of England’s largest houses was built between 1705 and 1722 and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Afterwards, visit his burial place (and that of his parents and his wife Lady Clementine) in Bladon churchyard; a small churchyard in a beautifully tranquil and quaint English village.
After returning to London and your hotel, the rest of the evening is free to spend at your leisure.
Day 4
Cabinet War Rooms and Westminster Abbey
After breakfast you will start your day with a visit to the magnificent Westminster Abbey; founded by Benedictine monks in 960AD. Be sure to take a look inside the west entrance, just near the grave of the Unknown Warrior is a green marble memorial stone unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 1965 for Churchill.
Stop by St Margaret’s Church, adjacent to the Abbey, where Winston wed Clementine Hozier in 1908, they remained happily married for the next 57 years until his death.
The next stop will be the fascinating Churchill War Rooms which provided the secret underground headquarters for the core of the British government throughout the Second World War. This is where Churchill conducted operations during the Blitz. See the wartime bunkers that sheltered the Prime Minister during World War II, the chair which Churchill sat in whilst making life-changing decisions – there are scratch marks on the arms showing the stress he was under and the tiny Transatlantic Telephone Room disguised as a private toilet where Churchill used to speak in secret to the President of the United States.
The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Day 5
Chartwell
After a tradition Full English Breakfast you will head underground to visit the secret war rooms.
Churchill was one of the most talented figures in history; his talents were predominantly expressed in the political arena. He was however, also an accomplished writer, historian and artist. Discover another side of Winston at Chartwell, his beloved home set in the beautiful rolling hills of Kent. The house is exactly as Churchill left it and much of the gardens are as he arranged them. Many of his painting are on display in a gallery on the estate. After your guided tour and spending some free time exploring Churchill’s home you will head back to London to enjoy a free afternoon.
Alternatively visit nearby Hever Castle; this fascinated 13th century castle once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and had everything one would want from a castle; crenellated, moated and (supposedly) haunted.
Day 6
Free day
After breakfast you can enjoy a full free day giving you the chance to explore London on your own.
Why not visit the Imperial War Museum which displays collections and memorabilia from World War I and II or perhaps discover Bletchley Park where the German secret codes were broken during World War II?
Alternatively we could organise a hop-on.hop-off sightseeing bus tour for you so you can explore all the famous sites of London.
Day 7
Free Day
After breakfast spend another free day to enjoy England’s capital city on your own.
We can arrange a sightseeing bus ticket for you or perhaps you would like to emabark on a day trip somewhere further afield. We can arrange entrance tickets to almost anywhere in London and beyond, perhaps you would like to visit Stonehenge,
Day 8
Home Time
Private transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
This tour is suitable for small groups and for individuals.