United Kingdom

Depart via scheduled air service. The destination is London, England.

Arrive in London. Meet your Faith Journeys Tour Manager who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach for a transfer to Sheffield, a city built on seven hills near the confluence of five rivers. Sheffield is also known for its production of stainless steel and fine cutlery dating back to the 14th century. Late-afternoon hotel check-in. Evening Welcome Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the nearby town of Epworth, birthplace of John and Charles Wesley and the place where their father, Samuel Wesley, was a rector from 1695 to 1735. Our Wesley sightseeing tour will include a visit to the Old Rectory, Wesley Memorial Church, and St. Andrew’s Church, located on a hill overlooking the town where Samuel Wesley ministered to his flock. Lunch, on own (perhaps at the Red Lion Inn where John Wesley used to lodge). Spend the afternoon in Gainsborough or the market/garden town of Scunthorpe, known for its shopping in the old town or at many well-known retailers on High Street
Enjoy some time at leisure for shopping or additional sightseeing. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Oxford via Stratford upon Avon, a charming town owing its status as birthplace of William Shakespeare, and home to the Royal Shakespeare Company. Here we will visit Shakespeare’s birthplace which is now a museum and referred to as a “Mecca” for lovers of literature. Also visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a spacious twelve-roomed farmhouse built in trademark Tudor style architecture. Lunch, on own. Afternoon time at leisure for shopping or additional sightseeing. Continue to Oxford for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will tour Oxford, the ancient city along the Thames River made prominent by the oldest university in the English-speaking world. This beautiful city is rich in Christian history and religious figures such as John Wycliffe, John Wesley, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Lunch, on own. Visit Christ Church College and also see the parish church of Oxford: The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin where John Wesley preached his famous sermon ‘Scriptural Christianity’ in 1744. Transfer to Bristol for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Bristol is the most populous city in Southwest England and will provide us with many unforgettable sights including the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Spanning the Avon Gorge, the bridge was proposed in 1753 but not completed until 1864. We will also see the first iron-built, propeller-driven Atlantic liner, the SS Great Britain. We will also visit Mary Redcliffe Church which was constructed from the 12th to the 15th century. Visit the ‘New Room’ (closed on Sundays), the oldest Methodist building in the world, built when John Wesley started preaching outdoors to the people of Bristol. We will also see Hanham Mount, where a flagged cross mark the spot where the field preachers once stood, and the Charles Wesley House. Lunch, on own. Continue to nearby Bath which is built around the United Kingdom’s only naturally occurring hot springs. Bath has been known as an ancient spa resort in ancient Roman times and today has a variety of theatres, museum, and cultural sites. Visit the Costume Museum and, time permitting, the Wesley Center. Return to Bristol for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will stop in Salisbury en route to London to visit the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral and the chapter house which displays the best preserved of only four original copies of the Magna Carta. Lunch, on own. Continue to Stonehenge, one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world. Transfer to London for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. We will begin our tour of London at Kensington and Knightsbridge, exclusive districts known for their shopping and museums. We will also visit Westminster Abbey, the traditional place of coronation and burial for English monarchs. We will proceed past Big Ben and the House of Parliament to Buckingham Palace where we will see the Changing of the Guard. Lunch, on own. Continue along Fleet Street to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the 900-year old Tower of London. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and served as an armoury, a treasury, menagerie, home of the Royal Mint, and home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Our tour of London continues as we explore St. Paul’s Cathedral, which sits on ground long-held sacred as it is the fourth cathedral to occupy this site. John Wesley worshipped in the chapel on several occasions and his statue is in the northwest corner of the churchyard. We will also visit Wesley’s Chapel on City Road which is considered the mother church of world Methodism. The tomb of John Wesley is in the churchyard and Wesley’s House where he spent the last eleven winters of his life, is nearby. Our visit is a step back into the 18th century because many of his belongings are still in the house. The Museum of Methodism tells the story of Methodism from the 18th to the 20th century. Lunch, on own. Afternoon time at leisure for shopping or additional sightseeing. Farewell Dinner and overnight at the hotel.