I have no financial interest in this tour, but I am confident that cider enthusiasts will find it enjoyable. Keith Kintigh is a passionate cider enthusiast and award-winning amateur cidermaker, and this itinerary looks to be a great way to sample the best cider that Somerset has to offer. Please contact Keith at kintighclan@gmail.com with any questions!
Eric
Venture to scenic and historic Somerset in England’s West Country and enjoy some of the world’s best traditional ciders. Highlights of the tour include:
- 1.5 days at the British Cider Championships at the Royal Bath and West Show
- Visits to a number of award-winning Cideries and Pubs throughout beautiful Somerset
- Site-seeing in the Cities of Bristol, Bath, Wells, and Glastonbury
- Six (6) nights’ en suite accommodations
- All breakfasts
- Ground transportation via coach
- All tour and admission fees (excluding free time)
- Plenty of free time to relax, shop, and explore
Participants will be responsible for:
- Airfare and airport transport
- Transportation to and from Bristol, England.
- Meals and drinks other than breakfast
- Free time spending.
The cost of the tour will $995 per participant based on double occupancy. An up charge may apply for those who wish to “snore alone”. The tour will be limited to 8 participants and the deadline to sign up will be December 15, 2015. Contact Keith Kintigh at kintighclan@gmail.com to sign up. A 30% deposit will be due by January 15, 2016 with the remainder of the balance due by May 1, 2016.
Probable Itinerary
Day 1 (Monday 30 May)—Meet in Bristol. We will meet in Bristol (a 90 minute train ride from London) at The Bristol Hotel at 4:00 PM to check in. The Bristol Hotel can be reached on Bus 70A, a mere 5 minutes from the Bristol Temple Meads Train Station. We will have dinner together; take a quick walking tour of the Bristol City Centre, and end at the Bristol Cider Shop for a guided English Cider tasting and education.
Day 2—Travel to Wells. Enjoy some free time exploring Bristol in the morning. At 11:00 AM will meet in the Hotel parking lot to depart for the centrally-located city of Wells where we will find our accommodations for most of the week. Our drive will take us to Thatcher’s Cider, through the Cheddar Gorge and the Mendip Hills, with a stop at the Hunter’s Lodge Inn near Priddy for an early dinner before we check in at Wells. If time allows, we will take a take a trip to Wilkins Cider/Lands End Farm near Mudgley for those who are interested.
Day 3—Wells and Royal Bath and West. Spend the morning exploring sites in Wells including the wonderful Wells Market, the Wells Cathedral, Bishops Garden, and the picturesque Vicar’s Close. At 1:00 PM we will depart for the British Cider Championships at the Royal Bath and West Show. We will visit Royal Bath in West until close at 6:00 PM when we will return to Wells via dinner at country pub if appetites prevail.
Day 4—Royal Bath and West. We will depart at 10:00 AM to again spend the day at the Royal Bath and West. We will return to Wells via The George Inn in Croscombe, the 2015 local CAMRA Pub of the Year.
Day 5—South Somerset and Glastonbury. Depart at 10:00 AM for a tour of southern Somerset with possible stops at Orchard Pig in West Bradley, Burrow Hill Cider/Somerset Brandy Company near Kingsbury Episcopi, and a late lunch at the Brown and Forrest Smokery in Langport. We will then head to the wonderfully quirky City of Glastonbury to visit sites including the Glastonbury Tor, Abbey, the Chalice Well and numerous shops before we return to Wells for the evening.
Day 6—Bath and Return to Bristol. Check-out of our accommodations in Wells and Depart at 11:00 AM for Bath. Spend the day touring sites in the Beautiful Georgian City of Bath including the Bath Abbey, Roman Baths, Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge, and Walcott Street. We will depart for Bristol in the evening.
Day 7 (Sunday 5 June)—Trip Complete. Safe Travels!