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Literary Tours in England

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About The Tour

See the country of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stephenson and Thomas Hardy; places associated with Ruskin, Wordsworth, Vita Sackville-West and the Bloomsbury group including Virginia Woolf and D H Lawrence; the homes of the Brontes, George Bernard Shaw, Keats and Henry James and the castle in which Rudyard Kipling lived.

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Jane austen tour, wolf hall tour, james bond, secrets & spies, bloomsbury: literature, love & learning, we really enjoyed our tours with sam. we felt like we had lost a friend after our last tour.

Daniel Baker

Why choose us?

Because you insist on the longest-established and most experienced service available in Britain. Founded in 1958, British Tours is still under the same management. About Us

Who is your Guide?

Our guides are personable educated men and women, chosen for their knowledge, special interests, backgrounds and personality. They will collect you by car from any central London location and guide you inside places of historic importance

Follow us on our journey

• Great-Britain

Literary Tours of England

What's Included:  

• Accommodations, including private bath/shower.
• Breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea daily.
• Full time guide
• Transport to and from your events.
• All taxes (Value Added Tax V.A.T.)
• Train transfers are available from all major cities at an additional cost. Train tickets cannot be confirmed until 90 days before departure. Plan to arrive after 12 noon.

All prices are in US dollars , based on twin or triple occupancy. A few single rooms are available. Book early.

In the company of our knowledgeable leader journey to the Moors of Northern England to explore the Yorkshire home of the Brontë sisters at Haworth and the Lancashire home of the Pendle witches. Follow in the Brontës’ footsteps to the places which inspired Jane Eyre’s Lowood School and the story of the mad woman in the attic. The holiday is accompanied by a booklet of readings associated with the places we visit. Visit beautiful Bolton Abbey, and the Cathedral city of York and learn about the women who were tragically accused of witchcraft in 1612.

Jane Austen - her life and times

Explore some of the places associated with Jane Austen. Begin by visiting the house where she lived for the last 8 years of her life and where she wrote some of her most popular novels. Also visit Winchester, where she was buried.

• Listen to a reading from  Emma  whilst taking in stunning views from Box Hill
• Visit Jane Austen’s house at Chawton
• Tour the city of Winchester

Nestled at the foot of the South Downs, Abingworth Hall is ideally located for a short break or a longer holiday. A peaceful ambiance and excellent facilities make it a relaxing place to stay.

It is well-known that the novels of Thomas Hardy and later his poems are based on places in Dorset, where for example, Casterbridge is Dorchester and Budmouth is Weymouth. This photographing Thomas Hardy's Dorset holiday is a photographic pilgrimage to the county covering his whole life from his birthplace at Higher Bockhampton to Max Gate, his final residence in Dorchester, with easy short walks on landscapes that have inspired many scenarios in his novels.

Suitable for all levels of photographic experience.

Holiday highlights 

• Find out how to get the best results from your own camera
• Our professional photography leader will guide and encourage, in small groups of up to 12 guests
• Daily image review sessions offer constructive feedback throughout your holiday

Price includes

• High quality Full Board en-suite 3 nights accommodation and excellent food in our Country House
• Guidance and tuition from a knowledgeable tour’ leader, to ensure you get the most from your holiday
• All transport to photography locations, via mini-coach or other mode of transport e.g. boat
• Admissions to venues

Just Shakespeare

Immerse yourself in the world of William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest ever playwright. Journey to Stratford-upon-Avon to walk in his footsteps and explore the houses associated with him. See the place he was born and is buried. Visit the beautiful thatched cottage which once belonged to the family of his wife, Anne Hathaway and enjoy a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Holiday highlights

• Walk in the footsteps of William Shakespeare
• Delve into this history of Shakespeare personal life
• Explore the associated houses of Shakespeare, and his wife thatched cottage
• Enjoy a play the Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Hay on Wye has more bookstores than anywhere. It is a fitting site for the best literray festival in England, with talks by famous authors, readings and other literary events. For almost 30 years the Hay Festival has brought together writers from around the world to debate and share stories in the staggering beauty of the Welsh Borders.  

• Soak up the festival atmosphere with a like-minded group 
• Enhance your festival experience with talks and discussions from our knowledgeable leader 
• Free time to attend other events during the festival (book early to avoid disappointment!)
• High quality Full Board en-suite accommodation and excellent food in our Country House
• The services of our knowledgeable tour leader, ensuring you get the most from your holiday
• Coach transport to and from the festival
• Good quality tickets for performances and festival sessions
• Illustrated talks

Literary Whitby

Count Dracula, Ebenezer Scrooge, Sebastian Flyte, Tristram Shandy – Whitby has a rich literary heritage to discover. Explore the home of Caedmon, England’s first poet and inspiration for the gothic world of Bram Stoker. Travel to nearby Scarborough to visit the grave of Anne Brontë and discover the area’s connection with the Sitwells, Wilfred Owen and Wordworth, and visit beautiful Castle Howard, featured in the TV adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited.

• Whitby Abbey, inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula
• Shandy Hall, where Tristam Shandy lived and wrote
• Counting House Museum, Malton on which Dickens modelled Scrooge's Counting House in A Christmas Carol
• Special Offers for Solos  A great deal for single guests save on our twin for single occupancy bedrooms are often in demand. So if you haven't reserved your single room yet, why not guarantee your place? Discounts are available for children  when sharing with one or more adults in a family room: Under 4's FREE 4-17 years 50% off adult rate (20 May to 1 September) 4-17 years 60% off adult rate (All other dates)  Not all areas are available at other times of year.  Planning a group tour? Ask us for a quotation for a group  of any size. Great Britain travel the way you want, with the ultimate choice of hotels and sightseeing. Whether you just want a base for excursions, or are planning an extensive itinerary, we can provide exactly what you want. 
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• Jane Austen, Brontes Tour
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Literary England: 42 Essential Book Destinations to Visit in the UK

Literary England almost seems like a parallel country of its own. The writings of Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, Beatrix Potter, Virginia Woolf and William Shakespeare have created their own imaginary landscape – adding extra romance, mischief and magic to our lives. But what of the real places that inspired them? In this post, we list the top book destinations and landmarks in England that bibliophiles need to see in their lifetime.

Each section is organised by area – starting in Northern England and moving South and you can find a link to the individual places via each heading. We have purposefully left off detailed information as this has changed frequently during the pandemic. Please check the official websites for the latest updates.

This post contains affiliate links which means that we may receive a small amount of commission at no cost to yourself if you buy a product through this page. Please see our disclosure here .

A Literary Map of Britain and Ireland

This lovely map of literary Britain and Ireland by Jen Grenell Illustration depicts a beautiful visual view of bookish places in the UK. You can find some of the locations listed in this post. To see more of Jen’s work, check out her Etsy page .

Planning a Tour of Literary England

Here are our five top tips if you’re planning to tour several literary locations in England.

• It’s generally best to travel via car rather than rely on public transport as many of the rural destinations lie off the main routes. If you visit a city, we recommmend parking at the park and ride stations outside the city centres. If you decide to travel by bus or train then opt for linking several cities (London, Oxford and Bath for instance).
• Book accommodation well in advance . Although there are fewer international tourists due to the pandemic, many more British travellers are flocking to popular spots, which means that quality rooms can be in short supply. If you decide to focus on one area, consider renting a self-catering place.

• Similarly, book tickets for literary houses and attractions early . Many are managed independently, but a good number are run by heritage organisations such as English Heritage and the National Trust. For an annual membership fee, you can visit as many properties as you like and also benefit from free parking. If you’re going to visit 5 or 6 places then it might make financial sense to join.
• Look out for special events while planning . We recently saw a production of Dracula at Whitby Abbey and this was free with our admission. These little extras can make a literary trip really speical.
• Build in downtime to read the literary classics associated with each literary landmark – perhaps set aside a day to walk, dream and journal.

The Lake District

For many, the Lake District embodies the ideal of literary England with its rugged fells, breathtaking lakes and woodland walks. The landscape has inspired many poets and authors, and luckily for the bookish tourist, a number of literary houses are open to the public today. It is well worth factoring some of these iconic locations into your itinerary.

Hill Top – Beatrix Potter’s House

Hill Top is a pretty little cottage nestled in the village of Sawrey and it inspired Beatrix Potter to write a number of her famous stories. Today it is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public. Visits are via timed entry because of its small size. However, the garden is just as enchanting with a vegetable patch that Mr McGregor would’ve been proud of.

Brantwood – John Ruskin’s Coniston Retreat

Writer, art critic and philanthropist, John Ruskin lived at the 250 acre Brantwood estate between 1871 and 1900 The property has spectacular views across Coniston water to the fells and sits in the most beautiful gardens. Now open to the public, visitors can explore the house, gardens, art gallery and treasury (which contains Ruskin’s geological collection). There is also a Terrace restaurant (dogs on leads welcome) and you can book to stay in historic apartments both inside and outside the main house.

Swallows and Amazons – Coniston Water

Live out your childhood adventures and see the sites that Arthur Ransome included in his famous children’s book Swallows and Amazons by booking a cruise on the National Trust Steam Yacht Gondola (possibly the Captain Flint’s houseboat!). Highlights include Wild Cat Island (Peel Island), Octopus Lagoon and Holly Howe. Oodles of fun and back in time for tea.

Wordsworth – Grasmere

Wordsworth was justifiably smitten with Grasmere when he first visited in 1799. As soon as he saw Dove Cottage, he and his sister Dorothy decided to move there, and he wrote many of his poems while living in this cosy nook. During normal opening, you are able to visit the cottage, garden, recently expanded museum and cafe, which also cater for children.

Rydal Mount and Gardens

A Wordsworth journey wouldn’t be complete without a trip to see Rydal Mount and Gardens, the poet’s home in later years. Situated close to Dove Cottage, the property is grander with sweeping landscaped gardens. There is also a tearoom selling home-made cakes.

Sedbergh Book Town

Sedbergh Book Town is England’s Official Book Town and is located to the East of the Lake District. The town is still building its bookish reputation, but is worth a drive just to visit the enormous Westwood Books and see the hulking Howgill Fells. You can read our guide to Sedbergh here .

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Yorkshire covers a huge area with many different landscapes, although in the book world it is best known for its dramatic scenery and windswept uplands. Whitby Abbey is one of the major landmarks in England and its skeletal structure still epitomises the gothic aesthetic today.

Whitby – Dracula’s Landing Point

Whitby provided the iconic setting for Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula , and this dramatic coastal town crowned by the gothic Whitby Abbey is one of the top literary destinations in the world (English Heritage manage this site and there is a large pay and display car park nearby). Bram Stoker spent a few weeks exploring the sea port in 1890 and it is here that he gathered inspiration for his chilling tale. Although Whitby is a busy place these days, it still has a unique character and it’s possible to escape the crowds if you venture off the beaten path.

Other books that have featured Whitby include Possession by A.S.Byatt and Sylvia’s Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell. The Offing by Benjamin Myers was set in nearby Robin Hood’s Bay.

Haworth – Home of the Brontë Sisters

Haworth is justifiably one of the most famous places of literary England. The moorlands that surround the town inspired the Brontë sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Anne to write their classic novels, which include Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. You can book to tour the Brontë Parsonage Museum, where the family lived until their premature deaths and wander the scenic paths that wind above this pretty village. Find out more in our blog post on Brontë Country.

The Old Swan Hotel – Harrogate

At the height of her fame, Agatha Christie left her home in 1926 and disappeared without trace – sparking off a national manhunt. She was finally found after 11 days. It turned out that she’d been been signed in as a guest under the name ‘Mrs Teresa Neele’ from Cape Town at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel. You can still enjoy a stay at the (now called) Old Swan Hotel and experience the retreat for yourself. Crime-writing enthusiasts can boost their visit by combining the experience with a trip to the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival takes place at the hotel every July.

Manchester has enjoyed a revival as an English literary location in recent years, recovering its former glory days when novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, dominated the Victorian bestseller scene from her house on 84 Plymouth Grove. Expect to see another cultural boom as publishing houses start to move their hubs to this thriving city,

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

The writer Elizabeth Gaskell lived at 84 Plymouth Grove in Manchester with her family from 1850 until her death in 1865. Restored in 2014, visitors are encouraged to sit on the furniture (not original!) and enjoy Gaskell’s beloved home. The tearoom serves drinks and cake on vintage china. There is also a second-hand bookshop and a small garden.

John Rylands Library

Enriqueta Rylands founded the magnificent John Rylands Library in memory of her husband John Rylands, who died in 1888. The neo-gothic building is located in Central Manchester and holds holds one of the finest collections of rare books, manuscripts and archives in the world. Entry is free, but you need to book in advance.

The Peak District

Much of the Peak District remains untouched and the area is known for its country houses. Book lovers have a range of settings to lose themselves in – from the grandeur of Chatsworth House to the romantic grounds of Haddon Hall.

The Jane Eyre Trail

The Jane Eyre Trail is a 5.5 mile (8km) walk that winds through the dramatic landscape that’s said to have inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre. Starting at the Peak District village of Hathersage, the trail takes you past North Lees Hall, allegedly the template for Rochester’s Thornfield Hall (not open to the public) and up to Stanage Edge, a location that has appeared in films such as Pride and Prejudice. Discover more about the trail.

Haddon Hall

If you adore screen adaptations of classic novels, Haddon Hall is an absolute must for all fans in search of literary England. This picture-perfect manor house has appeared in 1986 movie, The Princess Bride featuring Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin, Zefferelli’s Jane Eyre , The Other Boleyn Girl featuring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman to name but a few. The Hall has a tearoom and exquisite gardens so you can spend all day living your fairytale dreams in this magical nook.

Chatsworth House

Arguably the number one tourist destination in the Peak District. The super-grand seat of the Cavendish family has been associated with Jane Austen’s Pemberley for a number of years and certainly it lives up to its glorious reputation. The late Dowager Duchess, Deborah Cavendish (nee Mitford) wrote a number of non-fiction books and was best friends with acclaimed travel writer, Patrick Leigh Fermor. The house is full equipped for visitors, with shops, cafes and restaurants as well as extensive grounds.

Lud’s Church

Not a church, but an otherworldly natural chasm hidden deep in the Peak District. Reputedly the site of the Green Chapel in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it’s hard to find unless you have the directions . A worthy quest if you want to see one of the strangest sites in the area.

If you’re looking to create a full literary itinerary, see our post on atmospheric bookish destinations in Derbyshire.

Stratford-Upon-Avon

Arguably Britain’s most influencial writer, William Shakespeare grew up and lived in Stratford-Upon-Avon, which is is now a hub for those wishing to learn more about his life and work.

Shakespeares’s Birthplace

Shakespeare’s Birthplace is the first place most visitors want to see when they arrive in Stratford Upon Avon. William Shakespeare was born here in 1564 and continued to live in the property with his wife Anne Hathaway and his three children, Susanna, Judith and Hamnet, were born under its roof.

Eventually the house passed out of the Shakespeare’s ownership, but was purchased as a heritage site after a successful public campaign in 1847. It is now managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Equally as popular, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage belonged to the family of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne. The building was occupied by 13 generations of the family until it was bought by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and contains pieces of original furniture such as a courting settle that William Shakespeare will most certainly have sat upon.

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Located by the River Avon, the 1018-seat theatre is the main venue for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s plays are regularly performed here.

‘The City of Dreaming Spires’, Oxford has inspired countless authors, most notably J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S.Lewis who wrote their fantasy classics while teaching here. The city is perfect for wanderers, thinkers and history buffs.

Oxford Botanical Garden and Arboretum

Many acclaimed authors have featured the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum in their novels. Visitors can follow a Literary Trail to discover more about these connections, which include Will and Lyra’s bench from the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman and the Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

The ‘Narnia Door’ – St. Mary’s Passage

When you approach the famous Radcliffe Camera (pictured from the High Street) via the narrow St.Mary’s Passage, you will pass a wooden door carved with a lion (it opens into Brasenose College). Stand back and you’ll notice two golden fauns on either side. Walk a little further towards Radcliffe Square to find an old-fashioned lamp-post. Although C.S.Lewis never said that this magical combination inspired his famous children’s book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , the similarities are striking and the author would have walked this route many times.

The Eagle and Child Pub

The famous meeting point for the Inklings writing group which inspired C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien to create their fantasy worlds. The pub is closed for renovations at present and is due to open in 2022.

The Story Museum

If you’re visiting Oxford with kids then the Story Museum is an ideal destination for book lovers. This recently re-vamped museum is dedicated to story for all ages and hold exhibitions, activities and author talks. There is a charge to enter.

Bath has long been associated with elegance and sophistication. The city has preserved much of its Regency architecture, making it a fantastic book destination from Jane Austen fans.

The Jane Austen Centre

Jane Austen lived in Bath from 1801 to 1806 when the city was at the height of its popularity. She worked on some of her earlier novels here and had an opportunity to observe society in full swing. The Jane Austen Centre recreates her Regency world, providing immersive experiences for visitors. It also holds an annual Jane Austen Festival .

It’s difficult to narrow down London literary locations. The UK’s capital city is packed with bookish connections and bibliophiles will find plenty to explore. We recommend starting at the breathtaking British Library, which offers a great overview of British literary history.

The British Library

Situated next to Kings Cross Station and open (free) to the public, the British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. With a collection of over 170 million items, the archive includes the Magna Carta and Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook. The entire stock physically occupies 746km of shelving – equivalent to the distance from London to Aberdeen. Inside you can find restaurants, cafes and shops.

The Peter Pan Statue in Kensington Gardens

You can find the Peter Pan statue to the west of the Long Water, in the same spot as Peter lands his bird-nest boat in the story, ‘The Little White Bird.’ Peter Pan creator and local resident JM Barrie was inspired by Kensington Gardens. He commissioned Sir George Frampton to build the statue which has been a favourite feature of the gardens since 1912.

Shakespeare’s Globe

Situated on the bank of the Thames, this unusual building is a reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre where William Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. It is a truly fantastic experience to see the plays enacted in their original format. Standing ticket are £5, but book ahead to get the bargains!

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Enter the home of Sherlock Holmes at 221b Baker Street. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s genius detective is still as popular today as in the 1900s and this attraction in Central London is a must-see for Sherlock fans. Opened in 1990, the four-storey Georgian townhouse dates back to 1815 and is full of Victorian memorabilia, Sherlockian clues and a dedicated gift shop.

Keats House

The poet John Keats lived at Wentworth Place (its former name) for 17 months from December 1818, and wrote some of his best known poems here. He also met and proposed to Fanny Brawne during his time in Hampstead (the film Bright Star re-imagines this period in Keats’ life). The house is open to the public.

London Accommodation Map

This handy London accommodation map from Booking.com shows hotel availability across the city. Do check the latest reviews before you book.

Kent is a county of contrasts. Close to London, but also with an extensive coastline and lush countryside, it has acted as both retreat and muse to many English authors.

The Dickens House Museum

The Dickens House Museum  celebrates Charles Dickens’ long connection with Broadstairs and contains items that once belonged to the author, including letters written about Broadstairs, his writing box and mahogany sideboard. It is closed to the pubic at present.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Home to writers, Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West, Sissinghurst Castle has captured the imagination of bibliophiles and garden-lovers since it was first opened to the public in the 1960s. Now managed by the National Trust, this glorious estate has a restaurant and a shop. It also welcomes dogs.

Charles Darwin wrote ‘On the Origin of the Species’ at Down House, Kent where he lived and worked for 40 years. Visitors can see Charles Darwin’s study, which still has the same structure to this day. Every piece of furniture is original and some of the possessions date from his time on HMS Beagle. The house and garden is managed by English Heritage and the organisation hosts various exhibitions at the property.

East Sussex

As with Kent, many classic British authors have found solace in the pretty southern county of East Sussex – enjoying the rural and coastal life. All three properties listed in this section are managed by the National Trust and are open to the public.

Bateman’s – Rudyard Kipling’s Family Home

Rudyard Kipling bought this pretty Jacobean home in 1902 and lived in the property with his family until his death in 1936. While here, he wrote his famous poem “If—”. The National trust have preserved Kipling’s Study as it was left with cigarette burns and ink stains intact.

Monk’s House – Virginia Woolf

Leonard and Virginia Woolf regularly escaped London to spend time at the 16th century Monk’s House near Rodmell, East Sussex. The tiny cottage is filled with artworks by Virginia’s sister Vanessa Bell, who lived nearby with her companion Duncan Grant. Virginia wrote most of her major works in the writing lodge in the garden.

Lamb House – Henry James

Lamb House in Rye has housed many authors over the years including Rumer Godden and EF Benson although it is most often associated with Henry James who took out a 21 year lease on the building. H.G Wells, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Hueffer (who later became Ford Madox Ford) all visited James during this time there.

The village of Chawton in Hampshire (near Winchester) is a must-see for Jane Austen fans. She lived here for the last 8 years of her life and wrote most of her classic novels during this time. We highly recommend a trip to Winchester too .

Jane Austen’s House

Jane lived in Chawton, a village close to Winchester, from 1809 to 1817 with her mother, sister Cassandra and close friend, Martha Lloyd.  The family moved into the cottage after their brother, Edward Knight, who had inherited nearby Chawton House. Nowadays, the House is run by a charity and is “the most treasured Austen site in the world.”

Read about our visit here.

Chawton House

Jane Austen called Chawton House the ‘Great House’. Only a short walk from Jane Austen’s House, it contains the research library for the   Centre for the Study of Early Women’s Writing, 1600–1830. The gardens are extensive and there is a tearoom on site.

Find out more about what to expect at the house here.

In the southwest of England, Dorset is known for its dramatic coastline. No wonder that some of the most moving English literary classics have been based in this characterful landscape.

Hardy’s Cottage

Hardy was born at this traditional cob and thatch cottage in 1840. It has remained largely untouched over the centuries, making it easy to imagine the young author writing the literary classics Far from the Madding Crowd and Under the Greenwood Tree here.

Belmont – John Fowles’ Lyme Regis House

John Fowles, the author of The Magus and The French Lieutenant’s Woman, lived at Belmont from 1968-2005. His writing room on the first floor overlooks the Cobb. It includes a writing desk and a large number of John Fowles books in the library. The house is not open to the public but stays can be booked via the Landmark Trust .

Devon has a gentle charm with softer lines than its neighbour, Cornwall. Popular as a holiday destination, it was a favourite for Agatha Christie who spent summers overlooking the glorious Dart Estuary.

Agatha Christie’s Devon retreat, Greenway, is both a museum and a holiday destination, having self-catering apartments and lodges onsite. The house contains her personal possessions (five generations of the family collected over 11,000 objects). For keen walkers, there are a number of routes to explore around the gardens and surrounding countryside.

Myth, magic and secrets abound in this remote part of England, making it a magnet for artists and writers. It’s best to travel out of season to experience the true spirit of Cornwall.

Tintagel Castle

Undoubtedly the most famous Arthurian site in the world, the ruins of Tintagel Castle sit upon a Cornish promontory overlooking the sea. Although the connection with King Arthur is still in dispute, the spectacular location has become a setting for many fantasy works, including Lord Alfred Tennyson’s epic poem, Idylls of the King . On the beach below the castle, visitors can explore Merlin’s Cave at low tide. The site is managed by English Heritage and pre-booking is advised during high season.

Jamaica Inn

If you’re travelling to the tip of Cornwall then chances are that you’ll pass the historic Jamaica Inn where Daphne du Maurier set her novel of the same name. Established as a coaching stop in 1750, this characterful hostelry has welcomed many weary wanderers. Daphne due Maurier stayed in Bedroom 3 in 1930 when she became lost while out riding on her horse, and this inspired her to write her dramatic tale. You can still stay here. There is also a Smuggling Museum and a restaurant on site.

Frenchman’s Creek

Frenchman’s Creek can be found just off the Helford River and also inspired Daphne du Maurier who honeymooned here in 1932. There are many ways to experience this enchanting spot. You can go on a kayaking tour , a circular walk or stay in this secluded Landmark Trust cottage.

A map of Literary England and the UK

Take your exploration of literary England to the next level with the Great British Literature Map ! It includes many British literary locations as well as independent bookshops – a fantastic treat for serious book lovers.

This wonderful. I am bookmarking this for lots of trips. Thanksxx

Enjoy your trips – we have travelled to many of these places and all utterly brilliant! xx

Great guide, Mel! So many charming places, and I saw so few of them. Hope you’re fine! Silvia

Thank you Silvia. We are good here – hope you are too. Been a busy summer but hoping to get back to blogging imminently! x

All good here too 🙂 It’s been a busy period for us too, as we’re building my redesigned website. It’s a massive effort, but well worth it! We’re almost there, and I can’t wait to start posting again! x

P.S. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems your RSS feed is not working: I’ve only recently started following you via RSS, but it seems like it’s not serving your latest posts.

I’m excited to see the new website. Let me know when it’s ready to view and thank you for letting me know about the RSS. I’ll look into it x

Beautiful! I saw that you talk about Dickens Museum in Broadstairs, can I suggest to add Dickens’ house (Dickens Museum) in London? Very interesting visit,

Thank you so much for the recommendation Andrea! I will check that out.

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Literary tour through England

9 days from $11,745pp

• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Day-to-day Itinerary
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Tour highlights

Marvel at the unspoilt village of Lacock and the mysterious ancient site of Avebury.

Attend a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Explore the wild countryside of the Lake District.

Wander the streets of the university city of Oxford.

Price includes:

• In-destination transfers
• Activities and excursions as detailed
• All accommodations
• 24-hour support while you travel

Itinerary idea in detail

Private customized tour. Ask us about booking your international flights at our preferred rates.

Upon arrival into London you are driven by private car to your centrally located hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour through Bloomsbury, one of the most literature-rich areas of London. The private tour concludes at the British Library, the second largest library in the world, and you are welcome to explore the original pieces exhibited here.

This morning your private driver meets you at your hotel and transports you to Canterbury for a guided walking tour of the city’s history and architecture. Afterwards, you have free time to explore the city on your own. We recommend visiting Canterbury’s iconic cathedral, which combined with St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today meet your driver at your hotel for a private transfer to Bath. Along the way visit the Neolithic stone circle at Avebury and the preserved village of Lacock.

Meet your private guide for a full walking tour of Bath’s highlights that encompasses the ancient Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, and a visit the Jane Austen Centre. The tour also includes entry to the No. 1 Royal Crescent museum, which is a preserved Georgian house, decorated in the traditional style of the times.

Travel via private car to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, schoolhouse, and final resting place on a private walking tour. In the evening, attend a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Travel by train to the idyllic Lake District, whose beauty inspired some of the UK's finest poets and artists. In the afternoon, visit William Wordsworth’s home and some of his treasured viewpoints.

Explore the highlights of the southern Lake District with your private guide. This tour focuses on Beatrix Potter, author of Tales of Peter Rabbit and Friends, who lived here and drew inspiration for her stories from the attractive scenery. A highlight of this tour is spending time with your guide, Mandy, who lives in Potter’s marital home and is an expert on the novelist’s life.

Make your own way to the station for your train to Oxford. Upon arrival, meet your lively guide for a private walking tour of Oxford, including the local connections to Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland. Afterwards, the rest of the day is at leisure for you to enjoy the bustling university city on your own.

Bid farewell to England as you enter a private vehicle for your transfer to the airport and onward flight home.

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Literary England (Best destinations for book lovers)

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: August 18, 2022

Enjoy a tour of literary England! Our guide to the best destinations and literary places to visit in England is perfect for book lovers who would like to discover the home and history behind some of the most famous English literary works (both classic and modern)

If you have an interest in visiting some of the most famous literary locations in England associated with writers such as Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Beatrix Potter (to name just a few) you have come to the right place! 

In this article take a tour around literary England and discover the areas, cities, towns and villages associated with some of the most famous and loved authors (from the classic to modern-day). We have included links to practical information and articles about each destination plus any recommended tours with a literary focus.

Lake District

Stratford-upon-avon – shakespeare, east sussex – aa milne, bath – jane austen, dorset – thomas hardy, canterbury – chaucer, read your way around the uk.

Let’s take a literary tour of England from north to south

Beatrix potter.

Beatrix Potter was a famous children’s writer and illustrator, with some of her much-loved works including  The Tales of Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, and  Jemima Puddle-Duck.

The writer fell in love with the Lake District holidaying at Wray Castle as a youngster. The magnificent castle is still open today. 

Avid fans can visit the writer’s former home Hill Top (now in the care of the National Trust ). Fun fact: She bought the farm in 1905 with the profits from her first book.

Potter penned many of her enchanting tales in Hill Top and the charming home remains just as it was during her lifetime. The nearby Buckle Yeat Guest House also featured in several stories.

Located in Hawkshead , the Beatrix Potter Gallery was once the office of the writer’s husband. Today, it is home to a delightful collection of Potter’s original illustrations and drawings. The Armitt Museum in Ambleside contains even more Beatrix Potter memorabilia. 

Visit Tarn Hows, an area of splendid natural beauty, once owned by Potter. 

Bowness-on-Windermere is home to the fabulous World of Beatrix Potter. Especially popular with kids, the attraction brings Potter’s marvellous tales to life. 

William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth, once Poet Laureate, is another big literary name associated with the Lake District. 

The renowned poet was born in Cockermouth Cumbria. Visit the fine Georgian building of Wordsworth House for a glimpse into his early years. 

See the outside of Ann Tyson’s Cottage in Hawkshead, where Wordsworth lodged while at school, and step back in time at the Museum of the Old Grammar School, where Wordsworth received his early education.

Visit his former homes of Dove Cottage and Allan Bank, both in Grasmere, as well as the Old Rectory and nearby Rydal Mount (open to visitors).

Sit in quiet contemplation amid the springtime daffodils in Dora’s Field, once owned by Wordsworth and named after his daughter. You can also pay your respects to the great poet in St Oswald’s Church. 

Haworth – Bronte Sisters

Yorkshire also has literary connections with the Brontë Sisters.

See where the famous literary sisters—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—were born at the Brontë Birthplace, Thornton. A blue plaque marks the spot. 

A must-visit for Brontë fans is the village of Haworth near Bradford in West Yorkshire. This is where the sisters grew up and where they gained much inspiration for their renowned novels. 

Stroll along the unchanged cobbled streets and visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum, housed in the home where the sisters spent most of their lives and penned many of their books including Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights . The museum contains personal effects, letters, manuscripts, and other fascinating Bronte memorabilia. 

Next door, visit the church where the sisters’ father was minister and pay your respects at the Brontë family tomb.

Nearby, Ponden Hall was the inspiration for Thrushcross Hall in  Wuthering Heights  (Emily Brontë), while Oakwell Hall inspired Fieldhead in  Shirley  (Charlotte Brontë).

Whitby – Bram Stoker

Irish author Bram Stoker holidayed in the seaside town of Whitby , gaining ideas for his famous Gothic horror:  Dracula . 

Visit 6 Royal Crescent, where Stoker stayed, and learn more about the writer’s associations with Whitby at the spooky Dracula Experience. 

Explore the atmospheric ruins of the 11th-century Whitby Abbey and stroll through the eerie graveyard of St. Mary’s Church, both of which are featured in the famous horror. Even the 199 steps up to the church were mentioned in the book. You can hunt for the grave of Mr Swales, which inspired the name of Dracula’s first victim.

Warwickshire’s town of Stratford-upon-Avon will always be famous for being the birthplace of one of England’s most legendary playwrights: William Shakespeare.

The West Midland’s town has a trio of top attractions associated with the Bard: Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, and Shakespeare’s New Place. 

Step inside the gorgeous 16th-century half-timbered building of Shakespeare’s birthplace to see where the playwright spent the first 24 years of his life. Costumed guides and period furnishings take you back in time.

Stroll through the walled garden, peek inside Shakespeare’s father’s glove-making workshop, and find further fascinating collections in the adjacent Shakespeare Centre. 

The quaint cottage where Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway spent her childhood is also a must-visit.

Shakespeare’s New Place was bought on the back of riches made from the world of theatre. Sadly, the building is no more. The land has, however, been transformed into a magical modern interpretation of the Bard’s life and works. 

Catch a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and pay your respects at Holy Trinity Church. (Visiting London? Head to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre)

The city of Oxford is one of the most literary places to visit in England with numerous authors having worked at the university. Let’s take a literary tour of the city!

JRR Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien CBE is one of England’s most famous writers, known particularly for his fantasy fiction works.

He studied at Exeter College, Oxford, and there’s a commemorative bust in the chapel. Tolkien served in World War One, then returned to Oxford, first working at the Oxford English Dictionary. 

He was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College between 1925 and 1945. During this period, Tolkien’s world of middle-earth came to life as he wrote  The Hobbit  and the first two books of  The Lord of the Rings.  

From 1945 to 1959, Tolkien taught English Language and Literature at Merton College. He died in Oxford in 1973, and was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery. 

Along with the cemetery and university buildings, there are other sites associated with Tolkien around Oxford.

You can view many of Tolkien’s original manuscripts and drawings in the handsome Bodleian Library, while Radcliffe Camera is said to have been the inspiration for the Temple of Morgoth.    

Stroll through the Botanic Gardens, as Tolkien used to do, see the curious collection of inscribed rings in the Ashmolean Museum, and stand in front of 20 Northmoor Road, one of Tolkien’s former homes.

Call into the Eagle and Child and have a drink in the very same pub where Tolkien and other members of a literary group—The Inklings—used to meet. 

Speaking of the Inklings, that leads onto the next literary figure associated with Oxford: C.S. Lewis.

Once a friend of J.R.R. Tolkien and a fellow member of The Inklings, C.S. Lewis was the mastermind behind  The Chronicles of Narnia. Other works include  The Space Trilogy, The Screwtape Letters , and non-fictional religious works. 

Born in Belfast , C.S. Lewis moved to Oxford in 1917 to study at University College. He joined the Officers’ Training Corp soon after, which led to him joining the army and serving in World War One. He lived in the Radcliffe Quad during this brief time at the university.  

After the war, Lewis went back to Oxford and completed his studies. He became a tutor of Philosophy at University College and later taught English Literature at Magdalen College. 

During World War Two Lewis served in the Home Guard in Oxford. At the same time, he spoke widely on religious issues and also became the first President of the Oxford Socratic Club. 

Lewis is buried at Holy Trinity Church in Oxfordshire. 

Stop by the King’s Arms and White Horse public houses to see where The Inklings met when The Eagle and Child ran out of beer. 

See where Lewis stayed, on the corner of Mansfield Road and Holywell Street, and where he gave a wartime sermon at The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll (of Alice in Wonderland fame) is another author with links to the prestigious Oxford University.

Lewis Carroll is the pen name of Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a graduate of and later lecturer at Christ Church. 

During his years in Oxford, he became friends with the Dean of Christ Church and his children. He delighted one of the Dean’s daughters, Alice, with wonderful tales, which she begged him to write down. He later expanded this to become the much-loved children’s classic,  Alice in Wonderland . 

Fans can pay homage in the Great Hall of Christ Church, where there’s a stained-glass window and portrait in Dodgson’s (/Carroll’s) honour. The library contains several photographs and notes made by the writer, and his former living quarters at the college are now the graduate common room. 

Philip Pullman

There’s yet another fantasy writer with links to Oxford: Philip Pullman .

Born in Norwich, Pullman spent most of his early years living in Wales. He went to Exeter College in Oxford in 1965 and remained in Oxfordshire after graduation. 

He wrote an adult’s fantasy fiction novel in 1978,  Galatea , which was followed by the children’s book  Count Karlstein  in the early 80s. 

The award-winning author started writing full-time in 1996 and popular works include the trilogy of  His Dark Materials  and  The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ , a fictitious biography of Jesus Christ. The shorter book,  Lyra’s Oxford , features the protagonist of His Dark Materials . 

He lectured at Westminster College and became a Fellow at Oxford Brookes University.   

You can visit several places around Oxford connected to Pullman and his stories. Major sites include Pitt Rivers Museum, where Lyra discovered hole-ridden skulls, The Covered Market, where Lyra liked to hang out, and Bodley’s Library.  

East Sussex has associations with a favourite children’s storybook character: Winnie the Pooh .

The brainchild of Alan Alexander Milne (A. A. Milne), the loveable bear had many adventures with his animal friends, including Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet, along with their human pal, Christopher Robin (named after Milne’s son—Christopher Robin Milne). 

Born in London and educated in Cambridge , A. A. Milne served in both World Wars before moving to East Sussex with his wife and child. 

He bought Cotchford Farm as a weekend retreat, a private home today, close to the stunning Ashdown Forest. The magical forest was the inspiration for Hundred Acre Wood, and the area is often referred to as Pooh Country.  

Stroll through the nature-filled woodland and visit Gill’s Lap, the inspiration for Galleon’s Leap. Snap a picture on the bridge that crosses the stream in Posingford Wood—it’s where Poohsticks was first played!

You can also pop into the charming café of Pooh Corner and browse their collection of books and souvenirs. 

If visiting Ashdown Forest and playing Pooh sticks is on your UK bucket list we recommend John England Tours who offers private driver guided Pooh Sticks tour!

Jane Austen, one of England’s greatest female writers from the late 1700s and early 1800s, spent several years living in Bath, Somerset. 

Writing from a young age, Austen had already laid the groundwork for several novels before her move to the English city of Bath at the start of the 19th century. Works included Elinor and Marianne (which became Sense and Sensibility), First Impressions (which became Pride and Prejudice), and Susan (which became Northanger Abbey). 

Though Jane Austen’s time in Bath was fairly unproductive from a writing point of view, she certainly gained inspiration there for future works and changes to existing manuscripts. 

She lived in several places around the city, including Trim Street, Queen Square, The Paragon, and Gay Street. A plaque marks one former home: 4 Sydney Place.  

Austen’s books were largely published after her Bath years, and later works included  Emma, Mansfield Park and Persuasion. 

The obvious starting point in Bath for Austen fans is The Jane Austen Centre. Located in a gorgeous Georgian townhouse on Gay Street, the museum shows what life would have been like when Austen lived in the city. You can even dress up in period Regency attire and sip an Austen-named beverage in the upstairs elegant Regency Tea Rooms. Afterwards, visit the memorial to Austen in the lovely Parade Gardens.  

Follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen along Pulteney Place and around The Circus, relax in Sydney Gardens, take tea in The Pump Rooms (as mentioned in  Northanger Abbey ), and admire the handsome Assembly Rooms (mentioned in  Northanger Abbey  and  Persuasion ). 

If you want to immerse yourself even more in Austen’s Bath, don’t miss the annual ten-day Jane Austen Festival, held each September. Read more – Best places to stay in Bath

Good to know – Jane is buried at Winchester cathedral so if you visit the city do visit her final resting place.

Dorset in the south west of England is famous for the splendid Jurassic Coast . It’s also where Thomas Hardy was born, author of famous works including Far from the Madding Crowd, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and  The Mayor of Casterbridge, to name just a few.  

Born near Dorchester, Hardy trained as an architect before moving to London. Disenchanted with big-city life, he returned to Dorset to focus on his writing in the seaside town of Weymouth . 

Visit Hardy’s Cottage, where he was born, and Max Gate, the home where he lived for many years and subsequently died. 

The small parish church in Stinsford will also be of interest to Hardy fans; the author was christened here and his heart was buried here alongside his first wife. (The rest of his cremated remains were interred in Poets’ Corner at London’s Westminster Abbey. ) 

Daphne Du Maurier

Cornwall has connections to several famous writers. 

Born in London, Daphne Du Maurier’s love affair with Cornwall began at a young age, when she holidayed in the Cornish village of Bodinnick. Du Maurier wrote her first novel, The Loving Spirit, at Ferryside.

Du Maurier later bought a house near Fowey—Menabilly—where she lived for a quarter of a century. Menabilly was the inspiration for Manderley in Rebecca. She later lived in a house called Kilmarth, which inspired House on the Strand. 

None of Du Maurier’s former homes are open to visitors, though you can visit many places where the writer drew inspiration for works like  Rebecca, Frenchman’s Creek, Jamaica Inn, The Birds, and  My Cousin Rachel.

Perhaps the ultimate destination for lovers of Du Maurier’s works is Jamaica Inn on the brooding Bodmin Moor. Once a notorious smuggling inn, it is now home to the world’s only museum dedicated to the writer. 

Winston Graham

Winston Graham moved to Cornwall at the age of 17. He spent many years living in Perranporth, during which time he focused on his childhood dream of becoming a writer. 

Author of titles like  The House with the Stained Glass Windows, The Walking Stick, and  Marnie, Graham is probably most well-known for his Poldark series . The books, set around Cornwall, were later turned into a popular TV series.

Discover the wild landscapes, picturesque beaches, charming villages , and historic hotspots that inspired Graham’s writing, and hear tales of smugglers and pirates.

Top places to add to your Poldark-themed vacation include Porthgwarra, Bodmin Moor, Kynance Cove, St. Agnes Head, Porthcurno, Holywell, Padstow, Predannack Wollas, and Charlestown.

Rosamund Pilcher

Particularly famous for romance novels, including  Coming Home, Sleeping Tiger, The Shell Seekers, and  Under Gemini , Rosamunde Pilcher was born in 1924 in Lelant.

Many of Pilcher’s novels contain nostalgic memories of growing up in Cornwall. 

Several places around Cornwall have been used in TV adaptations of Pilcher’s works, including St. Michael’s Mount , Prideaux Place, Gwithian Beach, Wenford Railway, Newquay, Mousehole, Penzance, and Pencarrow House.

Torquay – Agatha Christie

Devon , home of the English Riviera, is also known for one of England’s most acclaimed mystery writers: Agatha Christie.

One of the world’s best-selling authors, Christie is especially known for her characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. 

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 in the seaside town of Torquay . Today, Torquay Museum has a gallery entirely dedicated to her life and works. 

An avid reader and writer from a young age, Christie lived in many different places before returning to her roots and obtaining a summer retreat in Devon. Greenway House sits on the River Dart and you can peek inside the rooms once used by the mistress of suspense.

Walk around the gorgeous Burgh Island, the setting for  And Then There Were None , and soak up the lavish air of the Burgh Island Hotel where the writer once stayed. Take a stroll to Elberry Cove, which featured in  The ABC Murders , follow the Christie-inspired Torquay Mystery Mile, and see the deadly flora in Torre Abbey’s Poisonous Gardens, again, inspired by the famous author.

Marvel at Kents Caverns, the inspiration for Hampsley Cavern in  The Man in the Brown Suit , and book a stay at the Imperial Hotel, which inspired the Majestic Hotel as featured in three of Christie’s novels. 

Often described as the Father of English Literature, Geoffrey Chaucer is most famous for  The Canterbury Tales . The collection contains more than 20 stories about pilgrims visiting Canterbury, Kent, to pay their respects at the Shrine of Thomas Becket, the ill-fated Archbishop.

Little is known about Chaucer’s life, though it is believed that he was born at some time in the 1340s and that The Canterbury Tales were written towards the end of his life. 

Although it’s not clear whether Chaucer actually visited Canterbury himself, a trip to the city is a must for any fan.

Visit the shrine that inspired his tales at the stunning Canterbury Cathedral, and get even more of a history fix at St. Augustine’s Abbey and St. Martin’s Church.

About an hour away, you can pay your respects at Chaucer’s final resting place at Poet’s Corner at London’s Westminster Abbey . 

Literary legacies are plentiful in the English capital.

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens—one of the best writers from the Victorian era—takes readers back in time to experience the grim realities of London life in the 19th century. As well as being set in the city, many of his works give detailed social commentary about the city and its people. 

Born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and largely raised in Kent, Dickens’ family moved to London when he was eleven years old. He enjoyed a pleasant childhood, with a few years of private education, before being exposed to the other side of life.

With his father sent to debtors’ prison, Dickens had to give up his education to work in a factory to support himself. 

His first-hand experience of poverty, squalor, bed working conditions, and socio-economic disparities, contrasted with his idyllic early life, provided plenty of inspiration for his works. 

To learn more about the man, the writer, his life, and his vast influence, a visit to the Charles Dickens Museum in Clerkenwell is essential. You can also see a number of his personal items on display, including his writing desk, and the museum features period décor and furnishings. It’s housed in 48 Doughty Street, one of Charles Dickens’ former homes, and is where he penned Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, and The Pickwick Papers.

It’s all but impossible to explore London without venturing into a place featured in Dickens’ works. For example,  Great Expectations  mentioned 50 different places around London,  Little Dorrit  mentioned 63, and  David Copperfield  mentioned 79. None of his works feature a greater diversity of London places, however, than  Barnaby Rudge , which clocks up more than 100 different locations!

Starting points include: Seven Dials, the Strand, the Houses of Parliament, The Old Bailey, Covent Garden , Lincoln’s Inn Fields, The Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the former site of the notorious Newgate Prison. See The Old Curiosity Shop, immortalised in the tale of the same name.  

Shakespeare

Turning to one of England’s best playwrights of all time, William Shakespeare spent many of his working years in London. 

Records show that the Bard lived in the Bishopsgate area, The Liberty of the Clink, and Silver Street in St. Paul’s. 

Shakespeare purchased The Gatehouse in Blackfriars, though he never actually lived there. Today a pub—The Cockpit—stands on the site. 

Don’t miss visiting Shakespeare’s Globe, a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, the playhouse for which Shakespeare wrote his plays. 

You’ll find a memorial to Shakespeare in Poet’s Corner at Westminster Abbey.

Joanne Rowling, more commonly known as J. K. Rowling, was born in Gloucestershire, educated in Exeter, and has lived in many places, including Manchester, Edinburgh , London, and Portugal.

One of the most famous characters of all time, Harry Potter, was born in London … in a flat in Clapham Junction. 

Many London landmarks are mentioned in the Harry Potter series of books, and there are even more locations throughout the city that were used as filming locations for the subsequent movies. 

Although focused more on the movies than on the storybooks, no list of Harry Potter things to do in London would be complete without including The Warner Bros. Studio London, where you can go behind the scenes. 

Other top spots include Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station , Harry Potter sculptures at Leicester Square, Leadenhall Market, St Pancras Station, and Piccadilly Circus. 

Visit Trafalgar Square, where the movie premiered, and see where a snake first spoke to the young wizard at London Zoo. 

Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, 10 Downing Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Australia House, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Claremont Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye , and Horse Guards Avenue are more places to add to your HP-themed itinerary. 

Arthur Conan Doyle

From wizards to detectives, London was home to fictional crime-cracking hero, Sherlock Holmes.

Creator of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, was born in Scotland and moved to London in 1891. He initially planned to continue his medical career, but instead focused on writing.

He became known following  A Study in Scarlet  and  The Sign of the Four , which first introduced Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Dr Watson. 

Conan Doyle became a full-time writer while living at London’s 12 Tennison Road; a blue plaque marks the building.

One of the most important London attractions related to Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes is the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Located at 221B Baker Street, it was the home of the fictional super sleuth.

Travel back in time to the gas-lit alleyways and Victorian surroundings featured in the novels, and see plenty of memorabilia related to the stories and their creator.

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(13 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis ) London, Oxfordshire & Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Hampshire, Surrey

Explore England’s rich literary and cultural traditions at their sources on this private luxury tour through the land of Shakespeare, Milton, Austen and Woolf. During flexible touring, visit English landmarks, homes of authors, places that inspired favorite British writers, historic houses and gardens and much more.

Begin in London , one of the world's greatest cities. Discover the best of London—heritage architecture, fascinating museums, important historic attractions, exclusive boutiques, traditional pubs and incredible food markets—during private touring customized to your interests. Visit sites related to authors and notable literary characters such as the Charles Dickens Museum, the Keats House, Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, Hotel Cafe Royal, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the British Library and Harry Potter locations, according to your interests. Also tour famous landmarks such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, Covent Garden, the London Eye, St. Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. Perhaps explore other incredible museums around the city such as the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, Churchill War Rooms, Sir John Soane's Museum, the Tate Modern or the Tate Britain. Also visit hidden squares, renowned British shops, atmospheric tea rooms and other highlights. One day, continue touring in London, or opt to take an excursion to a literary destination outside London such as Canterbury, Hampton Court Palace or the Harry Potter Studios.

Upon request, Artisans of Leisure will also arrange reservations for dining and afternoon tea, book tickets to performances, and provide recommendations for the best shopping in London. Accommodation is at one of London's best luxury hotels.

Continue into the English countryside to Oxfordshire and Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, a refined luxury estate with extensive grounds, including vegetable gardens that provide fresh produce for the hotel's renowned restaurant. En route, stop at one of the oldest continuously operating pubs in England (recorded in the 11th-century Domesday Book ), and perhaps also visit Milton’s Cottage, the historic house where poet John Milton wrote Paradise Lost.

One morning, enjoy a guided tour of Oxford and the University of Oxford, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. During private touring customized to your interests, visit sites associated with notable Oxford residents such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), as well as Harry Potter filming locations. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange tours of the renowned Bodleian Library and Divinity School. Also visit a landmark pub where Lewis, Tolkien and friends met weekly to discuss literature. In the afternoon, take a private excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon, a picturesque riverside town famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. During private touring, visit the most important historic homes and sites associated with the bard and his family, such as Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Hall’s Croft.

En route to Bath, see Stonehenge , an iconic ring of standing stones that’s one of England’s most enduring landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Continue with your expert driver-guide to Bath , a UNESCO World Heritage-listed city. During private touring, see the ancient Roman baths, the 18th-century Pump Room that long attracted British society, the elegant Georgian architecture of the Royal Crescent, and local gardens, antiques shops and other attractions. Visit locations that inspired Jane Austen, one of Bath’s most famous residents, and her novels. Additional options include exploring landscaped gardens designed by Capability Brown or taking an excursion to Salisbury Cathedral to see the landmark church and its copy of the Magna Carta.

Next, visit Hampshire , and stay at a luxurious manor resort. Enjoy the best of the refined English country lifestyle, including the historic architecture and beautiful scenery of the resort, as well as its excellent spa and dining facilities. Artisans of Leisure can arrange additional activities on the grounds and in the surrounding countryside such as fishing, horseback riding, golf, croquet, tennis, secluded picnics along the river and visits to local villages. One day, enjoy a private excursion to Highclere Castle (the filming location for the Downton Abbey TV series). Also visit Jane Austen’s House, a museum dedicated to the author in the house where she wrote her novels.

Continue to Surrey. During private touring in Surrey and Kent , visit historic houses and gardens steeped in literary heritage. Touring is tailored to your interests and can include highlights such as Sissinghurst Castle Garden, the renowned gardens created by novelist Vita Sackville-West; nearby Monk’s House, the country cottage of Virginia Woolf; and Charleston, the atmospheric house and garden of Vanessa Bell that was frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. Other options include Bateman’s, the 17th-century home of Rudyard Kipling that has well-preserved interiors and a celebrated rose garden designed by the author; Knole, one of England’s largest historic houses and the inspiration for Woolf’s Orlando ; the gardens that inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden ; Ashdown Forest, the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh books; Chartwell, the country estate of Winston Churchill; and Hever Castle & Gardens, the picturesque castle and childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

Return to London for a final night.

Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange tickets to literary festivals and performances at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. We can also recommend the best places to browse for rare books and make reservations for special meals and afternoon tea. This tour can easily be extended to incorporate touring in other famed literary destinations such as Cornwall, Yorkshire and the Lake District.

Booking Information >

All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.

Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.

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Testimonials

Our tour through England was extraordinary. Thank you for your input, organization and implementation. We loved every minute of the trip. ~ M.G., Calgary, Canada

Our family had a wonderful time in England and Scotland…we feel that we saw the very best of each place. ~ L.S., Newtown Square, PA

The whole trip to England was incredible. Thank you for such great touring. We were so happy to have all the restaurant reservations made in advance—we never would have gotten tables without you! It was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken.  ~ J.K., La Jolla, CA

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• Luxury Tours

Literary Tour of the UK for Groups

A celebration of some of the UK's greatest authors, poets and playwrights. A must for any lover of the written word. 

Your Details

Your enquiry, tour highlights.

• London, the Dickens Museum and the Sherlock Holmes House Museum on Baker Street.
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter, to see the studios where the Harry Potter films were made, plus other famous Harry Potter sites in London including Platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross.
• Monk's House in East Sussex, a National Trust property, home of Virginia Woolf.
• The British Library, home to over 170 million items including earliest versions of some of the greatest works of English literature (such as Alice's Adventures Under Ground by Lewis Carroll and Shakespeare's First Folio).
• Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey where more than 100 poets and writers are buried or have memorials, including William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters and Charles Dickens.
• A performance of a Shakespeare play at The Globe in London or Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap .
• Jane Austen's House and Museum in Chawton.
• Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen is buried and the house where she died.
• The historic city of Cambridge, with the University, its buildings and the beautiful Backs.
• University town of Oxford, seat of ancient learning and the city of Dreaming Spires which inspired Thomas Hardy. Visit one of the famous colleges and attend a private educational lecture.
• The church where C.S. Lewis is buried and the pub where he and JR Tolkien met regularly.
• Stratford upon Avon, including Shakespeare's birthplace and Anne Hathaway's Cottage.
• The home of the Brontë sisters at Haworth Parsonage, the museum and church.
• Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, home of the youngest of the Mitford sisters and also Jane Austen's inspiration for Mr Darcy's Pemberley.
• Lake Windermere, the location for Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons .
• Wordsworth's home at Dove Cottage
• Beatrix Potter's home at Hill Top Cottage, a National Trust property. Also the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.
• Abbotsford and the fabulous home of Sir Walter Scott
• Rosslyn Chapel, made famous in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code as the final resting place of the Holy Grail.
• Edinburgh, key sites associated with JK Rowling's work on the Harry Potter series and Writer's Museum, with exhibitions on Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott.

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What Our Clients Say

I was very fortunate to be on their 70th and 75th D-Day celebration tours. The service and attention to details was exceptional. It was very moving to go back.

As a Jane Austen enthusiast, this tour was perfect - and the Jane Austen Festival in Bath was just fabulous to see!

Words fail me...The Downton Abbey was a perfectly wonderful travel experience! We did not know we would be the ONLY guests at the Abbey. When we realised how truly exclusive our tour was we were speechless! Surreal being there and actually meeting Lady Carnarvon.

Other Tours our Clients Liked

William Shakespeare Group Tour

Charles Dickens Group Tour

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Thomas Hardy Group Tour

• Tours from London - Out of London Tours >

Private Literary Tour of England

Our private literary tours of England takes you to some of the most important sites associated with British literary giants such as Austen, Hardy, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Brontes, Potter and Dickens. Accompanied by a friendly and experienced tour guide with luxury transportation, explore some of the most beautiful regions and charming towns and villages in England. Below is a Jane Austen itinerary as well as some inspirational ideas. All tours are flexible and custom-built to meet your interests and can range from day tours to multi-day trips depending on your time period.

inspiration:

Jane austen tours.

Our Jane Austen private tours are a perfect way to see the sites closely associated with her life and work. This includes Austen’s birthplace, the house where she lived for 8 years, and her burial location. We can also visit many of the filming locations that featured in the most recent screen adaption of Pride & Prejudice. These private literary tours can be taken as day tours from London, or as part of extended trips.

Shakespeare Literary Tour

• A private literary tour of England heading into the Cotswolds, the heart of Shakespeare country
• Head to Stratford-upon-Avon, a charming Cotswolds town that is closely associated with the life of this literary giant
• Visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare and discover rare artefacts associated with his life
• See Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, his wife’s childhood home
• Visit Hall’s Croft, the wonderfully decorated home of Shakespeare’s daughter Susannah and her husband Dr John Hall
• Walk around the town and get a feel for Shakespeare with visits to other properties such as Harvard House, Shakespeare’s New Place, and Mary Arden’s Farm.
• This literary can be taken as a day tour from London, or as part of a multi-day trip

London Literary Tours

• There are many ways to enjoy London literary tour, seeing some of the capitals most inspirational literary sites
• Wander the streets that were used in the novels of Charles Dickens, including a trip to 221b Baker Street
• Visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Charles Dickens Museum
• Visit the British Library with a collection of over 150 million items. The library contains rare manuscripts of important works, from the Magna Carta to works of Jane Austen and Brontes
• You can see more about private guided London tours here

Thomas hardy

• Head to the county of Dorset which is where Thomas Hardy set many of his fictional novels and where he spent much of his life
• Visit Hardy’s Cottage, and Max Gate, the two homes that Hardy inhabited for most of his life
• Discover the charming little hamlet of Stinsford. See the church where Hardy’s family is buried
• Admire the beautiful landscapes and historic buildings that inspired novels like Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Far From the Madding Crows and Jude the Obscure
• Check out two magnificent churches: Bere Regis with its amazing 15th Century Roof and Moreton with extraordinary hand-engraved glass windows
• Visit the Dorset Museum which houses the largest Hardy collection in the world as well as a reconstruction of his study, furniture and manuscripts

Wordsworth & Beatrix Potter

• Discover the Lake District, one of England’s most beautiful regions which has inspired many writers, artists and poets
• Visit the village of Grasmere where the great English poet William Wordsworth lived most of his life
• See Wordsworth’s former home at Dove Cottage and check out the Wordsworth museum
• Admire some of the region’s stunning lakes and drive along magnificent country roads
• Head to Hill Top farm, an idyllic location near Lake Windermere which was the home of Beatrix Potter where she wrote about Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle.
• In the nearby village of Hawkshead, her husband’s office has been made into the Beatrix Potter Gallery, displaying many of her drawings of characters such as Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher and Jemima Puddleduck.
• A private literary tour heading to the rugged Yorkshire countryside to see the landscapes that inspired the Brontes sisters.
• See how masterpieces such as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre , Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall relate to the surrounding landscapes
• See the pretty cobbled village of Haworth where the Brontes grew up and visit the house that details their lives
• Take a walk through the glorious Yorkshire countryside and discover the impressive landscapes that inspired the writers.

other ideas:

Some of our other ideas for fascinating places to visit include:

• Exploring Agatha Christie and South West England
• Visiting Edinburgh and discover its connection to J.K Rowling, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott
• Head to Kent and learn about the region where Charles Dickens spent most of his life and where he set novels like Great Expectations
• Visit Salisbury, a town connected with Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Edward Rutherford and William Golding

get in touch:

For more information and prices for our private literary tours, feel free to contact us by filling out our form below

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Discover Jane Austen’s England: An Unforgettable Literary Journey

Explore the enchanting world of jane austen on our immersive seven-day tour that delves into the life and legacy of one of england's most beloved literary figures., easy garden tours.

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Transportation

Single Supplement

$ 3,570 – $ 4,400

• Cost & Book

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Tour Summary – What’s Included

• Explore the life and legacy of Jane Austen one of England’s most beloved literary figures
• Accommodation at the excellent 4* Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow T2 and Mercure White Hart Hotel (Salisbury  (or similar)
• Transportation by comfortable private coach.
• Entrance fees for all places visited, Lunches and Dinners (where indicated).
• Experienced tour guide with renowned knowledge of the life and work of Jane Austen.

Tour Description

Explore the enchanting world of Jane Austen on our immersive seven-day tour that delves into the life and legacy of one of England’s most beloved literary figures. Beginning in Chawton, a charming village where Jane Austen spent a significant part of her life, you’ll visit the Jane Austen’s House Museum and the historic Chawton House, gaining intimate insights into her daily life and literary works. You’ll also have the opportunity to pay your respects at the graves of Jane’s close family members, connecting with her personal history in a profound way.

The journey continues in Winchester, where you’ll walk in the footsteps of Jane during her final days, visiting College Street and the iconic Winchester Cathedral, her resting place. Then, travel to Bath, a city intrinsically tied to Jane’s novels, exploring the Jane Austen Centre and immersing yourself in the architectural splendor of this historic city. Along the way, you’ll also experience the natural beauty that inspired her writing at Stourhead House & Gardens and gain insights into her formative years in Steventon. This tour is a must for Austen enthusiasts and literary aficionados, offering a captivating blend of history, culture, and the enduring charm of Jane Austen’s world.

Day 1- 23 June 2024: Arrival & Check-In – Heathrow Airport – Dinner Included

• Check in at the Hilton Garden Inn at Heathrow Airport and rest after your flight and before the start of the tour.

Accommodation : Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow T2

Day 2 – 24 June 2024: Chawton – Jane Austen’s Village – Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Included 

Our day commences with a visit to Chawton, a charming village that played a significant role in Jane Austen’s life.  We visit the   Jane Austen’s House Museum , offering a glimpse into the author’s daily life with her personal items and the very table where she penned her famous novels. This museum serves as a tangible connection to the world of Jane Austen.

Accommodation : Mercure White Hart Hotel (Salisbury)

After lunch, we tour  Chawton House which was once the residence of Jane’s brother, Edward Austen-Knight.  Afterwards, we visit the the family church and the graves of Mrs. Austen and Cassandra Austen.  L unch today is a picnic at Chawton House & Gardens, if weather permits in the garden; otherwise in one of the beautifully decorated rooms in the house.   After an early dinner, we will spend an evening with the Hampshire Regency Dancers. Jane Austen loved dancing, and in all of her books, the balls play an important role. You are invited to put on your Regency dress or festive outfit and dance along!

At the end of the day we return to our hotel.

Day 3 – 25 June 2024: Winchester – Exploring Jane’s Last Days – Breakfast Included

Today, we delve into the later years of Jane Austen’s life, starting with College Street, where she spent her final days.  Our morning walk paints a vivid picture of the atmosphere that surrounded Jane during her last days.  The journey leads us to the iconic Winchester Cathedral, the final resting place of Jane Austen.  Here, we’re treated to a captivating guided tour, shedding light on the author’s life and the significance of her grave site. After our cathedral visit, we have free time to lunch in the delightful city of Winchester.

This afternoon, we explore Winchester College (founded in the 14th   century) which held special meaning for Jane and her family. If schedules align, we may even be able to attend and experience Choral Evensong at the cathedral. Choral Evensong is  known for its reverence, beautiful music, and the sense of contemplation it offers. It has a long history in the Anglican tradition and remains a beloved and cherished form of worship for many Anglicans and those who appreciate its musical and spiritual elements.

Afterwards we return to our hotel.   Dinner is on your own.

Day 4 – 26 June 2024: Stourhead and Steventon – Lunch & Dinner Included 

Our day unfolds with a visit to the breathtaking Stourhead House & Gardens, a paradise for gardening enthusiasts. These gardens exemplify the art of English landscape design and have been featured in film adaptations of Austen’s novels. As we wander through these gardens, we appreciate the natural beauty that inspired Jane’s pen.

Following a delightful morning at Stourhead we’ll have lunch at the Spread Eagle Inn, a traditional English pub.   After lunch we can explore more of the gardens or visit Stourhead House, one of the first grand Palladian-style villas to be build in England. In the late afternoon on our way back to the hotel, we travel through the quaint village of Steventon.  Dinner is included.

Accommodation :  Mercure White Hart Hotel (Salisbury)

Day 5 – 27 June 2024: Salisbury – Breakfast,  Lunch & Dinner Included

Today you’ll have free time to explore Salisbury.  Visit Mompesson House, a homely and welcoming 18th-century townhouse in the heart of Salisbury’s Cathedral Close. It’s a much used film location for adaptions of Jane Austen’s novels, just like Wilton House (see Afternoon). Next, why not visit Salisbury Cathedral, renowned for its magnificent architecture, the tallest spire in Britain as well as the world’s oldest working clock.  Alternatively, visit Chapter House, housing one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta, a historic document that profoundly influenced modern constitutional law. Or, simply immerse yourself in Salisbury’s rich history by taking a leisurely stroll through its charming, cobbled streets which are flanked by medieval buildings.

This afternoon, we will journey to Wilton House, where we will enjoy a delightful lunch together before embarking on our exploration of the estate.  Wilton House is renowned for its rich history, stunning architecture, and beautiful grounds. Dating back to the 16th century it has been the ancestral home of the same family for over 400 years !

Afterwards we return to our hotel.

Day 6 – 28 June 2024: Bath  – A Glimpse of Jane’s World – Breakfast and Dinner Included 

Our day takes us to the enchanting city of Bath, a city deeply intertwined with Jane Austen’s life and her novels. Our first stop is the Jane Austen Centre, providing an immersive experience into the author’s world, complete with a re-imagined writing space and a wax statue of Jane Austen.

The afternoon is free to explore Bath independently. You can wander through the Georgian streets, explore the historic Roman Baths, and savor a leisurely lunch in this captivating city. Bath, with its architectural splendor and Jane’s connections, is a true delight for Austen enthusiasts.   After our visit, we’ll travel to our London hotel for the last evening of the tour.  Dinner is included.

Day 7 – 29 June 2024: Check-Out & Departure – Heathrow Airport – Breakfast included

Checkout of the hotel will be 12 noon.  After check-out, travel the short distance to London Heathrow Airport for your onward flight or perhaps you’ll stay in the UK for a little longer. Either way you will be taking away with you memories of rural England, grand country houses and more knowledge of England’s much beloved writer!

• Category Garden Tours by Season , Summer Garden Tours
• Location English Gardens , Our 2024 Garden Tours , Our 2024 Tours , Specialist Tours
• Grade Easy Garden Tours
• Start Date 23/06/2024
• End Date 29/06/2024
• Accommodation 4* Hotels
• Transportation Coach
• Flights Excluded
• Single Supplement 690
• Group 15-20
• Breakfast 6

What's Not Included:

• Flights to and from the UK

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• Click on the tab above for a detailed tour itinerary.  For practical information, visit our FAQ  page and our Bookings Conditions . Please Contact Us if you have any questions or comments or visit our Home page for more of our superb British garden tours.
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• Small Groups
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• England, UK
• Literary Heritage Tours

12 Day Classic Literary England

12 days/11 nights beginning London and finishing Manchester

from the SGT ‘Classic Route’ Collection

“...The very well-planned and wide-ranging itinerary and size of the tour group [small] resulted in both content and pace...outstanding, incorporating literature, history, culture, place, and natural environments, and the variety of accommodations could not have been better. The SGT tour guide...was extremely helpful with and thoughtful about all of the travel details, knowledgeable, good humored...The downside to my experience? I have nothing to add! I can think of nothing that would have made for a better experience … well, a bit of rain and fog on the Yorkshire Moors would have been a nice touch!"

Canterbury, Dover, Chawton, Salisbury, Bath, Cotswolds, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Lake District, York

Shakespeare-Dickens-Jane Austen-Wordsworth-James Herriot-Brontes-Tolkien-Lewis Carroll-Beatrix Potter-’Downton Abbey’-‘Harry Potter’

This tour is geared towards visitors who wish to see the classical heritage sites of England. Our goal is to also appeal to fans of classic literature, as we use the country’s rich literary heritage as our theme.

You are invited to get off the beaten track, see thatch roofed villages, oast houses and charming market towns as well as the iconic sites, hopefully away from the mad tourist throng. Meander the countryside and enjoy evenings out among the locals.

See ‘big day trip’ destinations Canterbury & Dover, Salisbury & Bath, Stratford & Oxford but also Dickens’ Rochester, Jane Austen’s Chawton and Winchester, Vita Sackville-West’s famed Sissinghurst Gardens and then north to the amazing Yorkshire Dales of James Herriot, the sweeping Moors of the Bronte sisters and the stunning Lake District, home of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. See some Downton Abbey  and Harry Potter film sites along the way too.

CLASSIC scenery, CLASSIC tradition, CLASSIC history, CLASSIC authors…join us for a real CLASSIC ROUTE tour experience!

LOGISTICAL NOTE: This itinerary is a ‘sampler’ tour visiting several regions of England so involves a bit more driving than the ‘solo region’ itineraries but is still a Small Group Touring Experience, any longer drives are broken up and balanced by ample ‘off the beaten track’ explorations – and NO back and forth daily to London!

This itinerary is available for private groups, modified to your specific wishes, at the date of your choice – subject to vehicle and guide availability. Great for school groups!

Starts London, UK and finishes in Manchester, UK.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Day 1 Monday

We depart our Central London meeting point at approximately 09:00 and travel via the old coaching route, tracing the path of Chaucer’s Pilgrims. This was an area of London also well known to Shakespeare and Dickens.

Our first stop is Charles Dickens’ Rochester . This gem of a city, with its cathedral and Norman castle, overflows with Dickens’s sites, places mentioned in his books such as ‘Miss Havisham’s house’ and Dickens himself lived here for a time.

Spend some quality time in Chaucer’s mediaeval city of Canterbury . Meander the charming high street, filled with charming shops and cafes, and of course pay respects inside of the historic cathedral.

NIGHTSTOP: KENT, Canterbury area

PROPERTY: Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, The Falstaff or similar, https://www.canterburycathedrallodge.org/ http://www.thefalstaffincanterbury.com/

Day 2 Tuesday

Visit Vita Sackville-West and Sir Harold Nicholson’s world famous garden of Sissinghurst . Here, we’ll find a Tudor tower complete with Vita’s writing workshop, a walled herb garden, mixed border gardens, an oast house museum, a white garden and a cottage garden. Writer and friend to the ‘Bloomsbury Group,’ Vita’s home usually has Virginia and Leonard Woolf’s printing press on display.

Another home and garden is Rudyard Kipling’s home of Bateman’s . The rooms, described by him as ‘untouched and unfaked’, remain much as he left them, with oriental rugs and artefacts reflecting his strong association with the East.

Spoilt for choice should we manage additional touring time today, Kent is steeped in literary heritage! In consultation with your guide, explore based on the particular interests of the individuals aboard as time permits.

NIGHTSTOP: KENT, Canterbury area , same property as above

Day 3 Wednesday

A full day today as we make our way west to “Jane Austen Country” the county of Hampshire. It was in the quaint village of Chawton  that Jane Austen spent the majority of her later years, where she completed most of her most famous works, Sense & Sensibility  and Pride & Prejudice  amongst others. Once inside her cottage, we are in her world.

Winchester  is a place well known to several authors – this is Thomas Hardy’s ‘Wintoncester’ and the final resting place for Jane Austen in Winchester Cathedral. A walking tour of this original Saxon capital of England will introduce you to the general sights, including England’s oldest public schools.

NIGHTSTOP: HAMPSHIRE: Winchester/Southampton area

PROPERTY: Chilworth Manor, Swan Alton or similar, http://www.bw-chilworthmanor.co.uk/ https://www.oldenglishinns.co.uk/our-locations/the-swan-alton

Day 4 Thursday

Salisbury, Bath

A day simply filled with classical British places! Salisbury  is one port of call, where we can pay our respects inside the stunning gothic cathedral and see one of the greatest pieces of writing, the Magna Carta.

Bath , the city of Georgian splendor and Roman antiquity, is our base for tonight. Upon arrival, your guide will be on hand for an orientation walking tour of the highlights. This place was enjoyed by the social set of the 18th and 19th centuries, a setting for many writers; Jane Austen fans will immediately recognize several streets and squares from her novels such as Northanger Abbey  and Persuasion . You can also see places where the author herself lived. The remains of the day is open so you can explore Bath as you please. We highly recommend time in the Roman Baths and Pump Rooms, the Jane Austen Centre or you could simply wander the lovely tea rooms and antique shops – the choice is yours!

NIGHTSTOP: Bath

PROPERTY: The Kennard, Edgar Townhouse or similar, http://www.kennard.co.uk/ https://www.edgar-townhouse.co.uk/

Day 5 Friday

Lacock, Gloucester

Our first destination is the medieval village of Lacock , which has hardly changed in the past 200 years. With its magnificent abbey, half timbered cottages and greystone houses, it provides a perfect setting. This lovely place, where TV ariels, telephone wires and advertising are banned, has been used as a film set for many popular films such as the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle production of  Pride and Prejudice , the BBC series of Cranford  and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone .

The lovely, historic city of Gloucester  has many wonderful literary connections. Gloucester Cathedral and the King’s School have enjoyed a recent surge in popularity since each was used as locations for ‘Hogwarts.’ Gloucester also features as a setting for Beatrix Potter and Humpty Dumpty can claim his origins here.

Evenings in Stratford-Upon-Avon provide the opportunity, dependent upon schedules, to attend the theatre at the RSC. There’s a wonderful viewing tower and highly rated restaurant so worth a visit even if not attending a performance! See what’s on at the RSC: http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/

NIGHTSTOP: Stratford-Upon-Avon

PROPERTY: Swan’s Nest or similar http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-swan’s-nest-hotel/

Day 6 Saturday

Downton Abbey  Cotswolds villages, Oxford

Our route will take us via a few of the quaint, thatch-roofed Cotswolds villages known in this region. Several places have literary and film connections, JM Barrie, Jane Austen, Flora Thompson’s Lark Rise to Candleford and Tolkien’s The Hobbit  to name a few. We will explore two places that may be recognizable to Downton Abbey  fans, Bampton , where many outdoor scenes are filmed, and Swinbrook , home to a wonderful pub with connections to the famed Mitford sisters, location in Downton for the elopement of Lady Sybil & Branson.

Spend time in the ‘city of the dreaming spires’ Oxford . This is the jewel in the literary crown. The Dean of Mathematics at Christchurch College was one Charles Dodgson, better known as ‘Lewis Carroll’ and one finds ‘Alice’ everywhere here. See the ancient pub in the town centre where the Inklings (CS Lewis, Tolkien…) met to talk and drink. And, of course, contemporary literature is represented by Colin Dexter’s detective ‘Morse’ and there is Harry’s ‘Hogwarts’ to discover too. A walking tour of the city will introduce you to these highlights and to many others.

NIGHTSTOP: Stratford-Upon-Avon , same property as above

Day 7 ND Sunday

Stratford-Upon-Avon

Our whole day will be spent in Stratford-Upon-Avon  itself, so you have ample time to discover the charming town and Shakespeare connections. You’re spoilt for choice here – visit the local church, burial place for the Bard, his mother Mary Arden’s home with its bird of prey centre as well as the well known iconic sites such as his Birthplace. You will have free time to wander the cobbled streets, shopping and relaxing as you wish. Perhaps catch a matinee at the RSC. Your guide will be on hand for a possible walking tour, advice and assistance but the day is yours to spend as you decide.

Day 8 Monday

Lyme Park, Midlands

Continuing our way north, a rare bit of motorway driving will speed our way. We will be passing through areas of inspiration for popular works of fiction, the heart of industrial England and the landscape of the harsh life in the textile mills. From this world came parts of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings  trilogy, Martin Cruz’s Rose  and George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier , vivid portraits of the past.

In the scenic Peak District, visit Lyme Park , used by the BBC for the hugely popular Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice . Fans may recognize the lake as well as the house itself. Here, we’ll find the Palladian mansion surrounded by a medieval deer park of almost 1400 acres, an amazing formal garden and lavish interiors.

This afternoon, if we’ve fans on board, we may choose to get inside another novel setting, the Cheshire town of Knutsford, perhaps better known as Elizabeth Gaskell’s “dear adopted, native town” of Cranford . Later, arrive in the Lake District, the place where many authors chose as their home including William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and John Ruskin.

NIGHTSTOP: LAKE DISTRICT, Windermere area

PROPERTY: WIllowsmere or similar http://www.thewillowsmere.com/

Day 9 Tuesday

Lake District

Today we have a full day discovering and sharing the vistas that so inspired the literary tradition in the Lake District . We simply have to use the cliché ‘breathtaking’ to describe the spectacular scenery you’ll be seeing as it is so very appropriate. We’ll visit one of Wordsworth’s homes, Dove Cottage . There’s the town of Grasmere, where, in addition to literary connections, we can sample the famous gingerbread, and the exquisite Coniston Water. We can wander a garden or two in search of Beatrix Potter’s ‘Peter Rabbit’ and take a lovely boat ride. In keeping with our literary theme, did you know that the graphite for pencils uniquely comes from the Lakeland?

NIGHTSTOP: LAKE DISTRICT, Windermere area , same property as above

Day 10 Wednesday

‘James Herriot Country’ Yorkshire Dales  

This morning, we have some time to perhaps ‘potter’ a bit more around in the Lakes, then we’ll take a beautifully scenic route through the charming Yorkshire Dales National Park , the focus of the day. This is the area that so inspired local vet Alf Wight, better known as "James Herriot", to pen the All Creatures Great and Small  books. Certainly something to read prior to the tour! This lovely scenery was also recently featured in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . We can call into the old market town of Thirsk and Richmond, called one of the nicest towns in England, situated in the heart of the dales at Swaledale. Its castle dominates the town and the steep streets are around the pretty cobbled market square. Another day where we are simply spoilt for choice!

Our base for the next few nights is the historic city of York, filled with the heritage of the past – including Romans, Viking and King Richard III.

NIGHTSTOP: YORKSHIRE, York

PROPERTY: The Churchill, Grange or similar http://www.churchillhotel.com/ http://www.grangehotel.co.uk/

Day 11 Thursday

Yorkshire Moors, ‘ Harry Potter ’ steam train, Whitby

Today, we head westward across the sometimes heather-covered North Yorkshire Moors . We’ve the opportunity to board a steam train (subject to schedules) at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, surely a treat to relive the nostalgia of the steam age. Harry Potter fans may find the station somewhat familiar – yes this is ‘Hogsmeade!’

Enjoy some time in the lovely town of Whitby . A wonderful place to sample the freshest of fish & chips, this was the home of ‘Captain Cook’ and legend has it that Bram Stoker created ‘Dracula’ here. Explore the local heritage that this seaside town has to offer.

NIGHTSTOP: YORKSHIRE, York , same property as above

Day 12 Friday

York, ‘Bronte Country’ Haworth

This morning, we have more time to explore the walled city of York , to meander the splendid Minster and the medieval shopping ‘Shambles’ as guests choose. Seeking a literary connection, York is the home town of poet WH Auden, Behind the Scenes at the Museum  author Kate Atkinson and has been the inspiration for many including Dickens and Dafoe.

Later today, the lovely village Haworth . Imagine the everyday lives of the Bronte sisters, walking around Haworth Church, their home now the Bronte Parsonage Museum and the village itself. The dramatic Yorkshire Moors here inspired the sisters to pen their novels that are some of the classics of English literature. We will have the worlds of Jane Eyre  and Wuthering Heights  leaping from the page!

Tour finishes by approximately 18:00, dropping off in Manchester. Accommodation in Manchester is separate from the main tour package. SGT is happy to assist you with arrangements as you wish.

Please note: All attraction opening times are correct at time of printing this website. While we will do our utmost to include all of the properties mentioned as central visits, we reserve the right to change an attraction should it become impossible to deliver a planned visit due to changes in opening days or times beyond our control.

Oft imitated, never duplicated! This is an original SGT itinerary, property of Special Group Tours and to be used only with express permission/in conjunction with SGT.

PRE and/or POST tour OPTIONS

Our SGT Classic Literary England sampler tour begins in London, UK and finishes in Manchester, UK.

There is much to see and do in each city so please discuss options with us if you want to extend your stay and explore independently pre-tour and/or post-tour.

We recommend that you spent time in Manchester as this charming city has much to discover! The rich heritage featuring a fine cathedral and historic Rylands Library. Explore the activities of the rejuvenated docklands area, now full of theatres, music venues, sports centres and museums including the Imperial War Museum North. For any football/soccer fans on board, perhaps a tour of Manchester United’s stadium Old Trafford will be top of your list?

Everyone LOVES London so why not spend some quality time?! You can explore the capital at your leisure and see some of the city’s iconic sites or perhaps go on your very own ‘Literary London’ tour. You can choose to do it yourself or we can assist you with a custom day or multi-day tour extension. London accommodation, airport transfers, London city tours, London attraction passes and London transport passes are separate from our tour but can be added to your overall package as you wish.

Jane Austen never lived in London but there are a few places of interest here for fans; she did visit her brother Henry at his London homes of 10 Henrietta Street and 23 Hans Place. Her cousin Eliza de Feuillide, often regarded as the model for the character ‘Mary Crawford’ in Mansfield Park, is buried in St John’s Hampstead. We recommend paying respects at Jane’s memorial plaque in Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey and a visit to the British Library to see her manuscripts. Another choice is the National Portrait Gallery, where among the many painting and photographs of famous Britons, you can see the sketch done by her sister Cassandra. This is the only undisputed portrait of Jane Austen.

There are London’s literary museums and houses to be seen, properties connected with Keats, Dickens, Carlyle and Dr Johnson. Possibly you’d prefer to just take a stroll through the areas rich in literary history, the neighborhoods of Bankside, an area well known to Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens or the Bloomsbury of Virginia Woolf, TS Elliot and Lytton Stratchey among others.

Prefer the iconic sites? Go around on the hop-on/hop-off bus, the best introduction to the city. Hop off when you want then hop back on. SGT highly recommends a visit to St Paul’s Cathedral. Their included multi-media personal Ipod Touch tour guide brings hundreds of years of British history to life – literary at your fingertips! Avoid the queues/lines and pre-book your tickets via us. We can also assist you with pre-booking The Tower of London tickets too.

For your evenings, we recommend London’s fantastic theatres – West End, Shakespeare’s Globe or one of the modern ‘off West End’ gems like the Royal Court or the Donmar Warehouse. Spoilt for choice in Literary London!

What Your Tour Package Includes:

Your accommodation for 11 nights while on the tour including breakfast daily, entrance fees to listed attractions, transportation, services of driver/guide-companion and all taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide.

Dinners, beverages and any items of a personal nature are not included in the package price.

Airport transfers, accommodation pre and post tour, London city tours, London attraction passes and London transport passes are not included but can be added to your package for the appropriate supplemental cost. Pleasesk us for details.

The Special Group Tours Advantage is our unique and intimate understanding of what you expect traveling in the UK and Europe. We have not only visited but have spent many years living in and loving the cultures you will experience down the ‘B’ Roads and off the beaten track. We have worked with local suppliers and our guide/companion team for over a decade, creating unique special interest itineraries. Special Group Tours offers our “insider” knowledge to you.

The SGT Small Group Touring Concept is traveling with just 4 - 14 guests per departure. It is our aim to introduce you to the 'real' country and its people, not just ticking the boxes of a standardized route and treating you as an individual and not a number. Our concept allows for a leisurely touring pace and flexibility to get off the beaten track to discover hidden gems. Of course you'll see the major sites but so much more too!

At Special Group Tours, it is our priority that you have the most enjoyable holiday possible. You deserve it!

Call us Toll Free on: US 866 725 5250; or London UK 0790 552 4717

Email: Tours@SpecialGroupTours.com

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Small Group Literary Tours of England for Seniors

Explore Britain's literary heritage on small group package holidays and tours for mature and senior travellers each year from Odyssey Traveller. Small group tours for couples and solo travellers with a passion for exploring and learning.

24 Sep 21 · 9 mins read

Small Group Literary Tours of England

Odyssey Traveller has been offering small group tours since 1983 to mature and senior travellers. Literature based tours is one of the many themes that Odyssey has built its collection of small group tours of interest for couples and solo travellers to experience and learn from.

England offers amazing attractions to lovers of literature and art. Many famous figures lived and worked here over the years, and because of the country’s beautifully preserved history, it is possible to feel as though you are being transported back in time.

The year 2022 marked two hundred and five years since the death of Jane Austen. One of the world’s most popular and enduring authors, Jane Austen’s fans and literary pilgrims flock to Britain in order to retrace her steps. Her former home in Chawton has been preserved and operates as a museum, welcoming guests who seek to catch a glimpse of her world. Her small, wooden desk is a favourite attraction, because on it she penned some of her most famous and loved works.

Odyssey’s Shakespeare, Austen, Turner, the art and literature of England tour includes the a visit to the world of Jane Austen and covers the lives of other writers including the Bronte sisters, Chaucer and Wordsworth. The list of artists and writers touched upon in this literary tour is extensive, and specialised guides, museum visits and lectures ensure that travellers have the best and most informed experience possible. Over 21 days, we explore their worlds – both the landscapes that inspired them and the domestic spheres in which they lived and worked.

Highlights of the tour include touring the Globe Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, where we also enjoy a theatrical performance, as well as visiting the Charles Dickens Museum in London, where we discover more about this iconic nineteenth-century novelist. We will stroll through beautiful scenery while hearing about the fascinating history and culture of England.

We also take in the famous Bronte Parsonage in Haworth, and explore Jane Austen’s house at Chawton. In addition, we experience the majestic natural beauty of the Lake District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site .

For information on the next departure, follow this link . Early booking is advised on this popular tour.

Jane Austen and literary tours of England for seniors

Discovering Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born on the 16th December 1775 in Steventon, North Hampshire. The daughter of the village rector, she lived here for the first 25 years of her life. Her father’s extensive library provided Austen with her at-home education. His live-in students, along with the adventures of her brothers, furthered her access to the outside world. When her father passed away in 1805, Austen, her mother and sister Cassandra were moved to Southampton. It is reported that Austen struggled with city life, being accustomed to the pace of the countryside.

Meanwhile, Austen’s brother Edward inherited property from cousins in the Knight family line. Chawton House is an Elizabethan Manor that propelled him to the status and wealth we might associate with Mr. Darcy – the rich bachelor and love interest from Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Edward provided modest housing for his mother and sisters within his estate. Their situation is often compared to that of sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood – characters from Austen’s Sense & Sensibility. Now called the Jane Austen House Museum, it is here – back in her beloved countryside – that Austen produced her greatest work. She remained here until 1817 when she began to suffer from illness. Now thought to have been the onset of Addison’s Disease, Austen moved with her sister to Winchester in order to be closer to her doctor. Tragically, she passed away just a couple of weeks later aged 41, on the 18th of July, 1817.

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral is Austen’s final resting place. Her black marble tombstone lacks any mention of her writing, though it does note “the extraordinary endowments of her mind”. In 1875, a brass plaque was added to the site in order to address the extraordinary success that followed, sadly, only after her death. Many fans visit to pay respect to the beloved author, spending a few silent moments reflecting on her surprising life.

The Jane Austen Society is an informative resource for more information on the writer, and they work closely with the Jane Austen House Museum .

The Jane Austen House Museum

After Austen’s death, her mother and sister continued to live in the cottage in Edward’s Chawton estate. But after Cassandra died in 1945, it was used to house labourers, before being put up for sale two years later. Luckily for us, The Jane Austen Society published an appeal in the Times, and it was purchased by a man named T.E. Carpenter. He turned it into a museum dedicated to the life and work of Austen, and it has remained this way ever since.

In honour of the 200th anniversary of Austen’s death, the Jane Austen House Museum has made special preparations. Two rooms have been redecorated using wallpaper based upon recovered fragments, making the experience all the more authentic. In addition, you can now retrace her steps toward Edward’s residence, Chawton House, where she is rumoured to have spent many an afternoon passing the time away.

Jane Austen’s writing desk

A favourite feature of the museum is Austen’s desk. Made from walnut, it is scarcely big enough to house a single book! It is incredible that she penned so many masterpieces on here. She revised the manuscripts of Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice and Northanger Abbey, and wrote Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion. Other historical artefacts are also on display within the museum. You may gaze out the windows at the leafy landscape and imagine Austen doing so, too. Visitors can check out the kitchen and bakehouse, and even picnic in the gardens.

Writer Nigel Richardson details his own own 200th anniversary Austen pilgrimage, which you can read about by clicking on this link . For him, a highlight was meeting volunteer guide Jeremy Knight, who is actually a descendent of Edward. This makes him Austen’s great-great-great-great nephew, and because of this, he has posed for many a fan photo!

Critical reception of Austen’s work

Austen received little critical attention during her lifetime. She was first outed as a “lady author” with the publication of Sense and Sensibility. Subsequent books did not make mention of this fact directly, but included lists of her other work. The few early reviews she received tended to be favourable but superficial, and focused on the moral lessons to be found in her texts. Evidence suggests she was well respected by some famous authors and aristocrats, who credited her sardonic wit and social observations skills. So, it is interesting that today she is often dismissed as “chick lit” or a romance novelist. This is due in part, perhaps, to the strange fan culture that is associated with Austen.

Jane Austen Societies

There are societies based in England, the U.S., Australia and beyond which boast thousands of registered fans. Some identify as “Janeites”, a subculture fascinated by the novels’ fashion, language – and in producing their own sequels. There is abundant “fan fiction” – both unpublished or amateur, and professional. And in addition to the BBC and Hollywood adaptations are films inspired by her novels, including Bridget Jones Diary (Pride and Prejudice) and Clueless (Emma). Many “Janeites” and fans attend conventions – meeting, costumed, in gardens for themed activities. The New York Times published this recent article on Austen’s fans and the 200th year celebrations . The academic version of the fan is sometimes to referred to as an Austenite instead, and the writer herself remains a respected and key figure in literary history.

Read more in our article “ Exploring Jane Austen’s England “.

Turner’s Twickenham house restored to former glory

Joseph Mallord William Turner was an English, Romanticist painter of landscapes. He was born in 1775 to a barber and a butcher’s daughter, and exhibited his first painting aged 15. He created classical paintings that elevated landscapes to the cultural status of history painting. His late works marked a stylistic departure; they were swirling and ethereal. They were dismissed at the time as a sign of the artist’s madness, but are lauded now as a precursor to impressionism. For an excellent discussion of Turner’s life and influence, see this 2012 article by Michael Prodger .

Sandycombe House

Very recently, Turner’s Twickenham home has come into public attention. He first trained as a draughtsman, and reportedly said that if he wasn’t a painter, he would be an architect. So, Sandycombe House, designed by the artist himself, is regarded as his only 3-dimensional piece of art. Now owned by the Turner’s House Trust, the house is Grade II listed. Considerable funds have been invested to save it from demolition. Victorian extensions were demolished and modern fittings stripped from the interior. Its exterior white paint was removed to reveal the original red brick, after 150 years of being concealed. So, the house itself has shrunk – in stark contrast to the surrounding homes in West London! It’s doors are now open to the public, and those that venture inside will experience its bitter cold, while admiring the tall arches and stained glass windows.The original interior wall colour was excavated from layers of paint added later, and Chair of the trust Catherine Parry-Wingfield has been filling the house with special commissions and pieces found in charity shops.

Turner sold the property in 1826, and after this time, it served many different purposes. It was a private home, a laundry, and during the second world war, was turned into a factory to manufacture pilot’s goggles. The heavy machinery during this time nearly shook the house to pieces. It survives, though, and the public can visit Sandycombe House daily from Wednesday to Sunday. For more information on its restoration and history, see this article by Maev Kennedy, published in the Guardian.

Literary history in England

Jane Austen is one of a long list of famous artistic figures of British history. The home of the Bronte sisters also attracts travellers from far and wide, and it similarly operates as a museum. So, too, Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Bronte sisters

The Bronte family comprised six children who, along with their parents, settled in Haworth, Yorkshire in 1820. Father Patrick was a published author of poetry and fiction and ensured his children had access to literature too. Following the death of their mother and two older siblings, the three surviving daughters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, trained to become governesses. This was the only acceptable career for women at the time. They were not terribly successful however, and continued all the while to produce poetry. “Poems” was published in 1846, but sold just 2 copies. Nonetheless, they persisted, and Charlotte’s Jane Eyre was published to some acclaim in 1847. Several other books by the sisters followed, who famously operated under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. They were forced to reveal their identities to their publisher when attempts were made to attribute all the books to the more successful Currer.

Tragedy for the Bronte family

Their newfound celebrity was short-lived, however, as the death of their brother from tuberculosis only spurred further tragedies. Charlotte lost her two beloved younger sisters to the disease. She continued to write during her grief, revising Shirley and writing Vilette – the last of her novels. Charlotte eventually married but in 1855, she died in the early stages of pregnancy, aged 39. The Bronte Society is an excellent resource for further reading , and they manage the Bronte Parsonage Museum. Set within the Bronte family home, it contains manuscripts, letters, early editions and other paraphernalia. Visitors can explore its layout, including Mr Bronte’s study and Charlotte’s room.

Shakespeare’s birthplace

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, and baptized on the 26th April 1564. A poet, playwright and actor, he is among the most highly regarded figures in literary history. In the absence of any surviving evidence, biographers believe he was educated in Latin classical authors at the King’s New School in Stratford. Aged 18, he wed the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. The pair had three children, including twins. The period directly after this is referred to as Shakespeare’s “lost years”, where no mention of this work appears in any historical record. Little wonder! By 1952, however, his work was being performed on the stage.

Shakespeare’s earliest works tended to be comedies or histories. He then moved to tragedies, producing some of the most acclaimed work of his career, including Hamlet and Macbeth. The final phase of his writing was in tragicomedies and romance. He continued to work until his retirement in 1613, and he died 3 years later.

His home, along with other key sites from his lifetime, survive to be enjoyed today. We can visit his birthplace, and tour the cottage of Anne Hathaway, which is set in impressive grounds. Be sure to check out what’s on during your visit, and try to catch a Shakespeare performance if you can. More information on this hub of all things Bard can be found here .

Art and literature tours of England

Odyssey Traveller’s Shakespeare, Austen, Turner, the art and literature of England tour explores the history of some of our most famous artists and writers. Designed especially for senior travellers, we spend time in London, Bath, Manchester, Cambridge, and more in an educational journey through time. Visit Tintern Abbey, which inspired both Turner and Wordsworth. Hike through Constable country and ramble across the Bronte’s moors. Experience the beauty of the Lake District and enjoy a performance of Shakespeare’s work. Details of this popular, small group literary tour can be found here.

Originally published July 24, 2017.

Updated on October 11, 2019. Refreshed September 24th 2021

British Isles

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Colin Firth as Mr Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) – Jane Austen

Joan Fontaine as Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre) – Charlotte Brontë

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot – Agatha Christie

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes – Arthur Conan Doyle

Daniel Craig as James Bond – Ian Fleming

Winnie-the-Pooh – AA Milne

Ian McKellen as Gandalph (The Lord of the Rings) – JRR Tolkien

Who Wrote That?

Do you sometimes remember a book, play or poem you enjoyed, but you can’t recall who wrote it?

Listed below are 250 titles, in alphabetical order, showing the medium of each (novel, play, poem, etc) and its year of publication. Also shown, for reference, are the years of the most popular and/or recent film and TV adaptations. If you would like details of a film or TV adaptation, go to the  Internet Movie Database (IMDb)  and search for the respective title.

The year that a book or poem was written is used when the publication date is unhelpful: eg. when the work was published posthumously. For plays we generally use the year it was written rather than first performed. Some dates are approximations based on the best available information, eg. Shakespeare’s plays.

Looking at the list, check the writer’s name against each title that interests you. Then click “Go to Plan” to transfer your selected writers to the Personalized Tour Planner.

Summary list of writers

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