Group Travel Tour Operator and DMC for England
Waterways, Railways and Screenplays
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England's Great West Way
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Caen Hill Locks, Wiltshire ©greatwestway.co.uk
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View of Lacock Abbey on a sunny day taken across the Avon from the south east ©National Trust Images, Andrew Butler
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The Cloisters at Lacock Abbey ©National Trust Images, Mark Bolton
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Steam Museum, Swindon, Wiltshire - Caerphilly Castle TrainSteam Museum, Swindon, Wiltshire - Caerphilly Castle Train
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Steam Museum, Swindon, Wiltshire - The Bristolian Train
This tour journeys through the Great West Way® a touring route between London and Bristol, where you’ll find a mesmerising mix of picture postcard villages, rolling hills and historic sites.
Wiltshire is often overlooked as a destination for tours but is a county filled with hidden gems and steeped in culture. The stunning scenery has provided a fabulous backdrop for many a star of stage and screen and there is an abundance of natural and man-made history. This includes the Great Western Railway and Caen Hill Lock, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’.
Dates
Dates throughout 2024 & 2025
Suggested itinerary by coach
Day 1
Travel to your hotel
Why not journey through the scenic Cotswolds en-route?
Day 2
Waterways and Railways
Today, accompanied by our guide, we discover the wonders of 19th century engineering that created the railways and canals of this area. See the Dundas Aqueduct and the magnificent Caen Hill Lock staircase. In the afternoon, pass through Swindon’s ‘railway village’, enjoy a photo-stop at Box Tunnel and visit STEAM, the Museum of the Great Western Railway. Also housed in the old railway buildings is the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet indoor shopping mall.
Day 3
Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum, Castle Coombe
The picture postcard village of Lacock is famous for its historic buildings, quaint tearooms, specialist shops, and as a TV and film location (the BBC’s Cranford Chronicles and Harry Potter). The Abbey is a quirky country house, where the medieval rooms and cloister court reveal its monastic past. The museum celebrates the achievements of former Lacock resident, William Henry Fox Talbot, famous for his contributions to the invention of photography. After lunch we visit Castle Coombe, often voted the prettiest village in England. Take time to admire the Market Square where Steven Spielberg filmed scenes for War Horse (coaches drop off in the public car park and guests walk 10 minutes down the hill to the village).
Day 4
Return home
Whilst in Wiltshire, why not stop for a look at historic Stonehenge before returning home?
Greatdays offer a selection of quality hotels in Wiltshire.
| Dates | 4 days / 3 nights |
| 2024 dates | From £262.00 per person |
| 2025 dates | Prices available on request |
Single room supplement available upon request.
