Maryland’s British Roots Tours

 

These museum-sponsored tours conducted in association with Cole Travel are adult education experiences.  Their focus is sites connected to early Maryland settlers, although a rich assortment of places related to significant aspects of British and Irish history are always included.  Conducted since 2002, these custom-designed excursions have explored places directly associated with the Calvert and Arundell families, and visited fascinating sites in England’s south, the West Country, Yorkshire and the North, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.  The 2019 tour is presented below.

 

 

From Hadrian’s Wall to Kiplin Hall, with a Scottish Tattoo
31 July – 10 August 2019

 

The 2019 exploration of Maryland’s roots focuses upon Northern England and Lowland Scotland.   Led by Dr. Henry Miller, Maryland Heritage Scholar for Historic St. Mary’s City, this is the 12^th history tour of Britain and Ireland conducted by HSMC and partner Cole Travel.

 

After landing in Edinburgh, we begin our tour by visiting the oldest house in Scotland, then through the borderland to Newcastle.  This area allows us to experience the 2000 year old Hadrian’s Wall and the remarkable Roman settlement of Vindolanda, where the oldest writing in Britain is being discovered.  In this area is the ancient homeland of the Fenwick family and its American progenitor Cuthbert Fenwick who arrived on the Ark.  A highpoint for Maryland history enthusiasts is George Calvert’s magnificent Kiplin Hall in Yorkshire.  We have a special tour of this grand house, see for the first time a previously unknown 1622 letter from George Calvert and perhaps visit Calvert’s nearby manor of Danby Wiske.  Next is the opportunity to learn about Calvert’s only hobby – the ancient sport of falconry.  Our next stop is York, the capital of the north, where we see its inspiring York Minster medieval cathedral and learn about the Vikings and their vanished city discovered by archaeologists under York at the fascinating Jorvick Centre.  Our journey next goes to Holy Island on the North Sea, only accessible at low tide, the romantic ruins of Melrose Abbey, where Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried, and on to Glasgow.  We see beautiful Scottish scenery, visit Robert the Bruce’s greatest battle of Bannockburn, visit the impressive royal castle of Stirling and explore Culross, an amazing 17^th-century village used for filming parts of The Outlander.  A tour of Scotland’s capital of Edinburgh follows including the Queen’s Holyrod Palace, and we cap our experience by attending the world-famous Royal Military Tattoo on Edinburgh

Castle’s parade ground.  It will be a fascinating experience with free time in Edinburgh and York, and lodging in first class hotels.  For more information about the sites and arrangements, please contact Shirley Walker at Cole Travel –301-863-9497/ shirley@coletravel.biz.  We are only being awarded 30 Tattoo tickets, so space is strictly limited.  And we will need to block the tickets by the end of December so please apply soon.  Cost per person based on double occupancy is $4,695.00. Single supplement rate is additional $980.00.  A Nonrefundable deposit of $350.00 per person is required by check.  Nonrefundable final payment is due by April 08, 2019.  SPONSORED BY HISTORIC ST. MARY’S CITY. Historic St. Mary’s City will receive $100.00 per person tax deductible donation.  ARRANGEMENTS BY COLE TRAVEL.

 

Download the informational flyer and registration form!