Social Upheaval and the Lessons Learned

On arrival meet with your professional tour guide for the transfer in to central London for a panoramic sightseeing tour of central London. See iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, The Tower of London and Piccadilly Circus. Overnight stay in London.

An exploration of London's industrial past begins with some extraordinary glimpses into the past and the present. A visit is made to The Ragged School Museum set up by Thomas Barnardo in 1866 and still shows life in a Victorian "East End" School. Continue to The Foundling Museum; Britain's original home for abandoned children and London's first ever public art gallery set up with major donations from people like Hogarth and Handel. Spend some of the afternoon at the world renowned Florence Nightingale Museum and learn more about "the lady with the lamp" the museum also has a section on Mary Seacole a less well known but equally important visionary. A walking tour of the South Bank area with lets us walk in parts of London that do not appear to have changed in over 150 years, right next to brand new developments of the modern city. A tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is included. Overnight stay in London.

Bringing things up to date head out to the new developments of The Docklands. Travel on the driverless trains, walk through Canary Wharf and see the Museum of the Docklands which traces the history of the area from the days of trade to the present day. Free afternoon in central London. Overnight stay in London.

Travel in to The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and explore Bibury; a charming, typically Cotswold, village once described by William Morris (1834-96) as "the most beautiful village in England". Travelling through this glorious part of England, arrive in Tetbury a charming town now much associated with Prince Charles and his nearby Highgrove Estate, time it right and you visit the farm shop of the estate and try some of the prince's own carrots! 30 minutes or so away arrive in the small Gloucestershire village of Berkeley to visit the Edward Jenner Museum in the place where his pioneering work on vaccinations and smallpox in particular has saved the lives of countless millions since May 1976. Overnight stay in The Midlands.

Spend the day at the World Heritage Site of The Ironbridge Gorge Museums. This place is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. The bridge itself was the world's first cast iron bridge and was built over the River Severn at Coalbrookdale in 1779. Not only iron founders and industrial spies flocked to see this wondrous bridge, but also artists and travellers. The Bridge had a far reaching impact: on local society and the economy, on bridge design and on the use of cast iron in building. The site has 10 museums and your ticket includes admission to all of them. Overnight stay in The Midlands.

After breakfast it is a short hop to Stoke on Trent where a visit is arranged the Gladstone Pottery Museum. Gladstone is the only complete Victorian pottery factory from the days when coal burning ovens made the world's finest bone china. Explore the cobbled yard, with huge bottle kilns and take part in daily workshops. Head West to the city of Chester to walk in the footsteps of the Romans in this well preserved walled city. Overnight stay in Chester.

A full day excursion from Chester takes us on to The Wirral Peninsula for a morning visit to Port Sunlight. It is argued to be the finest surviving example of early urban planning in the UK. The late 19th Century village was built by William Hesketh Lever (later Viscount Leverhulme) to house his soap factory workers at Lever Brothers which eventually turned into the global giant Unilever. The village is close to the River Mersey which will be crossed before an arrival in to Liverpool. Out city tour will be focused on the art and culture of the area and includes The Beatles Story in The Albert Dock and visits to Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. Overnight stay in Chester.

Today, travel east to visit The National Trusts Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate. Discover the compelling story of mill workers, entrepreneurs and the Industrial Revolution. Watch hand-spinners at work, experience the clatter of machinery and the hiss of steam engines, and marvel at Europe's most powerful working waterwheel. Take a guided tour of the Apprentice House, which housed the pauper children who worked in the mill. Visit the stunning garden;the Greg family's picturesque valley retreat adjoining the mill. Stroll to Styal village, built by the Gregs to house the mill workers and still a thriving community. Crossing over The Pennine Mountain range, known as the backbone of England, arrive in Yorkshire and model village of Saltaire Bradford. Sir Titus Salt built this amazing model Industrial Village between 1851 & 1876 and it is now a World Heritage Site. The village consisted of Salts Mill, which produced 17 miles of cloth every day, neat stone houses for the workers, alms houses for the poor and needy, a girls' and boys' school and an institute, shops, wash houses, a hospital, churches and a park - but no pub - there was no drunkenness in Saltaire! The Village still stands and most of the buildings have survived even if their function has changed. Our local expert will show us all this on a walking tour and of course the gallery with large collection of works by local artist, David Hockney. Overnight stay in York.

A full day walking in the city of York helps you get under the skin of the city that has been home to Romans and Vikings. This history can clearly be seen at the excellent Jorvik Viking Museum, a walk along The Shambles, along the city walls (the most complete in Britain) and by a tour of the stunning York Minster. Free afternoon in York. Overnight stay in York.

Heading towards Scotland, pause south of the border to visit Vindolanda on Hadrian's Wall. This is an active archaeological site and research centre, particularly focussed on the life that the Roman Soldiers had in this lonely outpost, a long way from Rome! Now enter Northumbria and discover the world of Lord Armstrong -Victorian inventor, innovator and landscape genius. Cragside house was a wonder of its age. Built on a rocky crag, it is crammed full of ingenious gadgets and was the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity. The gardens are incredible with one of the largest rock gardens in Europe. Overnight stay in New Lanark Mill World Heritage Site.

Discover the fascinating history of the impressive cotton mill village of New Lanark and the life and times of mill manager and social pioneer Robert Owen in the award-winning New Lanark Visitor Centre. As you explore the village it is easy to imagine how people lived and worked in Owen's time, a highlight of any visit is the fascinating "Annie McLeod Experience" ride which features the ghost of mill girl Annie who magically appears and takes you on a journey back in time to 1820. Free afternoon to relax in the site or the enjoy one of the woodland walks on the banks of the River Clyde. Overnight stay in New Lanark Mill World Heritage Site.

Full day in the city of Edinburgh. Admission is included to Edinburgh Castle and work your way down The Royal Mile, making sure you listen out for the one o'clock gun. Free afternoon in Edinburgh before the short drive back to New Lanark. Overnight stay in New Lanark Mill World Heritage Site.

An executive motor coach is provided for the transfer to Edinburgh Airport.