Details
Day One – By Rail from London Paddington to Penzance
Set off this morning from historic Paddington station in West London, taking one of England’s most evocative rail journeys to the country’s south-western tip. Glide through Berkshire, past Windsor Castle, through the North Wessex Downs, before spearing south through Somerset around the Blackdown Hills to Exeter. From here, hit the South Devon coast and skirt Dartmoor then on to St Austell, Truro and Redruth on the way to your destination at Penzance. (Let us know if you prefer to take the Night Riviera Sleeper to awaken in Cornwall.)
Your Accommodation in Penzance
Perched on the hill overlooking sweeping Mount’s Bay, your independently owned accommodation in Penzance may well be the perfect way to start any holiday. A Georgian former manse, the house has been upgraded to exacting standard, with a hugely appealing collection of art and mid-century, retro-modern furniture expertly utilised to create a soothing atmosphere. Every detail has been pored over to create guest accommodation of quite wonderful quality, while your host is full of advice on how best to make the most of your time.
Days Two and Three – Out and About in Penzance and St Ives
Two of Cornwall’s beautifully contrasting destinations await exploration. On your doorstep, you’ll find windswept Penzance with its Victorian promenade and arcades, subtropical oasis Morrab Gardens, historic, legendary fortress St Michael’s Mount and the extraordinary spectacle of cliffside Minack Theatre.
And just 35 minutes north by train, dazzling St Ives delivers world-class beaches, a maze of cobbled streets and alleyways featuring every type of shopping and dining, the award-winning Tate Gallery and a uniquely Cornish atmosphere.
Day Four – Take to the Air for the Isles of Scilly
After breakfast, take a taxi to the tiny airport at Land’s End. Here, board a Twin Otter aircraft for the thrilling 26-mile flight to the UK’s south-western extreme, the evocative Isles of Scilly. You’ll enjoy expansive views of the edges of the Cornish coast at take-off, and in no time see the clutch of Scilly islands hoving into view, seemingly sprinkled from nowhere in the bright blue Atlantic ocean. Landing at St Mary’s Airport, you’ll be met by a vehicle from your hotel and whisked to ‘capital’ Hugh Town for two nights in a hilltop castle.
Your accommodation in Hugh Town
High on the hill overlooking Hugh Town, your accommodation on the island of St Mary’s is the Elizabethan castle that has kept watch over the islands since the late-16th century. Family owned and run, the castle features an eclectic selection of rooms both ancient and modern, many with panoramic views across Scilly, fine-dining and conservatory restaurants and an atmospheric dungeon bar. During breakfast below the conservatory vine, boatmen take time to meet each guest, helping plan your day ahead if crossings are required, with timings posted on blackboards at hotel reception and around the islands. This is island life at its best.
Day Five – a Private Guided Walking Tour of Hugh Town and Wider St Mary’s
This morning you’ll be met at your hotel by an expert local guide and taken on a day-long walking tour of the island of St Mary’s. Uncover the rich history of the island ‘capital’, starting with the Garrison Walls of your castle hotel, before descending in to Hugh Town with its harbour-side setting, Town Beach and clutch of galleries, shops and cafés. Further afield, stroll the beaches of Porthmellon and Portcressa, and unearth Neolithic Bants Carn, the settlement of Halangy, as well as the burial chambers of Buzza, Innisdigen and Porth Hellick. Along the way, immerse yourself in tales of centuries of seafaring while uncovering some of the UK’s richest sea and marine wildlife.
Day Six – Cross the Water to the Island of Tresco
Take your time over breakfast and plan your day ahead. Prepare for the 20-minute boat-ride to Tresco, the second-largest of Scilly’s inhabited islands. Don’t worry about your luggage, as this will be transported for you to quayside and looked after whilst you make your way there. Taking to the water in one of the islands’ many small craft, accompanied by local boatmen, you’ll motor past uninhabited Samson to the West, navigating between some of the dozens of islets that litter the ocean, before arriving at the quay on Tresco. From here, it’s a matter of yards’ walk to your accommodation.
Your Accommodation on Tresco
Facing West in the village of New Grimsby, your accommodation on Tresco is a welcoming inn at the heart of life on the island. Wreckwood and marine relics feature at almost every turn in the traditional bar, where visitors are invited to share stories over a pint of cider with the friendly locals. The in-house restaurant sees guests dine on the best produce these islands have to offer, including veg from the Abbey Garden, Bryher crab and lobster, and Cornish beef, while comfortable, unfussy rooms are exactly what’s needed after a day ‘s exploration in the sea air.
Day Seven –A Visit to Vivid Abbey Gardens
Enjoy a 20-minute stroll this morning as visitors swish by on electric buggies or by bicycle, the sandstone village spread out along the coast and up the hill. Strolling south, soon you’re in dense, subtropical forest surrounding ‘Great Pool’, a popular watch-spot for the many bird-watchers who flock to Scilly all year round, and shortly Tresco Abbey Gardens present themselves. Acclaimed as some of the UK’s finest, the gardens occupy a vast, multi-level world, where near-tame red squirrels share space with exotic birds, the eerie collection of figureheads at ‘Valhalla’ tell their own story, and a simply breath-taking array of plant-life abounds from across the earth.
Later, enjoy a coffee in the in-house café before the stroll back to New Grimsby, perhaps taking lunch of fresh crab sandwiches at the waterside restaurant or something different at your accommodation.
Day Eight – Return to the Mainland and Journey Back to London
This morning you’ll be transferred back to Bryher quayside to catch your boat to St Mary’s. Here, you’ll be met by a Skybus driver and whisked back to St Mary’s Airport for your return flight to Land’s End. At Land’s End, take a short taxi-ride to Penzance and board the train back to London Paddington.
Sustainable Travel
This holiday is part of our ever-growing collection of public transport based holidays, enabling you to reach destinations around England – in this case, including the Isles of Scilly – without the need to drive. We feel strongly that true sustainability also means promoting and helping to maintain a way of life in areas where the economic benefit of tourism can make a genuine difference to the local community, which is why we have used locally-owned small accommodation and a local guide on this holiday.
Pricing
£1790 per person for departures in April, £1890 per person in May & October, £1950 per person from June to September.
Prices based on two people sharing a double or twin room en-suite, for seven nights on a bed and breakfast basis. Prices include return train travel from London to Penzance, return air travel from Land’s End to Scilly and a private guided walking tour in St. Mary’s. Inter-island boat-travel in Scilly is not pre-bookable, and is payable in cash to the boatmen upon boarding.
Please just let us know if we can tailor this holiday for you, adding a guided walking tour of Tresco and the Abbey Gardens, and perhaps adding a night or two in London, Penzance or Carbis Bay by St Ives.
Overnight sleeper-service train travel from London to Penzance is a wonderful way to start this holiday – please do ask if you’d like to experience this classic journey.
We can also facilitate travel to and from Scilly by helicopter, subject to availability.
Before your departure, you will receive personalised holiday information and suggestions on places to visit depending on your interests and our local knowledge, to help you get the most from your holiday.
All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.
