Group Travel Tour Operator and DMC for Hertfordshire
Romans, Gardens and Hertfordshire
The county of Hertfordshire, sitting just to the north of London, is a too often overlooked by visitors as they head in and out of the capital. So here’s a new short break that includes visits to Hatfield House and Gardens, built in 1611 but Robert Cecil, the First Earl of Salisbury, and the Roman city of Verulamium, better known today as St Albans, where you can visit Verulamium Park and the medieval Clock Tower. The Hertfordshire tour also includes visits to Knebworth House, one of England’s most colourful stately homes, home to 28 acres of beautiful gardens to explore.
Dates
Dates throughout 2024 & 2025
Suggested itinerary by coach
Day 1
Travel to your hotel
Depending on your route and timing, why not call in at Knebworth House. Set in 250 acres of rolling Hertfordshire countryside, Knebworth has been the family home of the Lyttons for more than 500 years. Its romantic exterior, complete with turrets, domes and gargoyles, conceals a red brick house dating from Tudor times.
Day 2
Hatfield House and Gardens and St Albans
This morning we visit Hatfield House and Gardens, the home of the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury. Inside, the many rooms feature striking examples of Jacobean craftsmanship. Outside, the extensive gardens have a 17th century character with terraces and garden enclosures. In the afternoon we travel to St Albans, named after St Alban, Britain’s first Christian Saint. His shrine can be seen in the St Albans Cathedral, its great tower including Roman bricks salvaged from the ruins of Verulamium. We include admission to the Verulamium Museum, an award-wining museum with re-created Roman rooms, objects from the old city, and superb mosaics. A short walk away, a modern building (free entry) houses a preserved Roman mosaic that covers a hypocaust, a Roman system of underfloor heating. This remarkable piece of history was part of a suite of rooms in a large town house built around AD 200 and brings to life the scale and magnificence of a major Roman town house.
Day 3
Return home
If there wasn’t time on the outward journey, why not add in a visit to Knebworth House.
Suggested Hotels –
Doubletree by Hilton Elstree ****
Newly refurbished hotel (was formerly the Holiday Inn Elstree) , adjacent to the A1, a short distance from the M25 and only 25 minutes from Central London . In the stylish Brasserie and Bar, guests can enjoy traditional and internationally inspired cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. There is a gym / fitness centre . All bedrooms feature an HD LED TV, complimentary high speed Wi-Fi and tea and coffee making facilities. This hotel has rooms adapted for disabled use and ample car parking on-site.
Jurys Inn Watford ***
Located on Clarendon Road and a two-minute walk from the station, this hotel is ideally located to enjoy all that Watford city centre has to offer. Guests who fancy going into Central London can reach London Euston Station within 18 minutes. A stylish bar menu is available all day and a seasonal Restaurant menu is available from 6pm. All 216 bedrooms are with en-suite bathrooms and feature a flat screen TV, hairdryer and tea and coffee making facilities. This hotel has rooms adapted for disabled use and a public car park is close by.
Hilton Hotel Watford ****
Located only 5 minutes from Watford Town Centre and 20 minutes from central London by train, this 4-star hotel is the perfect base to explore scenic South East England. After a long busy day, guests can unwind in the LivingWell Fitness centre before enjoying a delicious meal in the restaurant. The spacious and stylish bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms and TVs with on-demand movies. With the largest ballroom in Hertfordshire, Hilton Watford is an ideal location to host an event and offers flexible facilities for business meetings, events and conferences. This hotel has free coach parking on-site.
Hatfield House has limited opening and is currently open Thursday to Sunday between May and August – this could however change in 2023
| Dates | 3 days / 2 nights |
| 2024 dates | Prices on request |
| 2025 dates | Prices on request |
Single room supplement available upon request.
