Ancient Oxfordshire and Windsor Castle itinerary   

Overview

A once-in-a-lifetime experience. Imagine visiting the best art gallery in the world with your curator, the British Museum with a historian, or perhaps Shakespeare's Globe with a literary scholar . . . Well, why not visit Britain's ancient sites with your very own expert archaeologist?

Enjoy a countryside walk through the ancient landscape of Oxfordshire with our passionate, expert archaeologists. We will visit the Iron Age hillfort of Uffington Castle, the Uffington 3000-year-old chalk–white horse, and the 5500-year-old Neolithic tomb at Wayland's Smithy. This is a beautiful walk through traditional English countryside.

Enjoy plenty of time to explore the world's largest inhabited castle at Windsor. The castle is almost 1000 years old, providing the setting and burial place for England's most important historical events and Kings and Queens – including William the Conqueror (1066), Henry VIII, Charles I, and Elizabeth II.

Itinerary

7.30am DRIVE, London to the Ancient Oxfordshire landscape, 76 miles

Morning–Ancient Oxfordshire landscape

Uffington White Horse

Uffington ‘Castle’, which occupies the summit of Whitehorse Hill, is a rare and outstanding example of a large Iron Age hillfort. The famous White Horse is the oldest chalk-cut hill figure in Britain, perhaps over 3,000 years old. Nearby Dragon Hill, a natural mound about 10 metres high, is named for its association with the legend of St George.

Wayland's Smithy burial tomb

Wayland's Smithy is an atmospheric historic site about a mile's walk along the Ridgeway from the Uffington White Horse. A Neolithic chambered long barrow, it was once believed to have been the home of Wayland, the Saxon god of metal working. Human remains found on the site indicate that 14 people were interred in an earlier burial structure between 3590 and 3550 BC. Between 3460 and 3400 BC a second far larger barrow was constructed on top. It is the ruins of this that can be explored by visitors to the site today. The countryside walk you will enjoy from Uffington Castle is a 3.2 mile round trip. 

12.00pm DRIVE, Ancient Oxfordshire to Windsor Castle, 57 miles

Afternoon–Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is of a size and magnificence unrivalled in England.

Founded by William I in 1070– the Norman motte and bailey still dominates – Windsor Castle has been occupied by nearly every monarch since (the present King included). Centuries of embellishment has resulted in one of the most impressive palaces in the world.

The gorgeous gilded interiors of the State Apartments and Englands finest Gothic building in St George’s Chapel (burial place of Henry VIII, Charles I, George III and Elizabeth II), are only two of the many highlights this royal residence has to offer visitors.

5.00pm DRIVE, Windsor Castle to London, 20 miles

Testimonials

'This tour was absolutely perfect and well worth the money. It was so nice to be able to have an archaeologist to give more information and answer more questions than you’d get from any other tour guide. The size of the group was excellent, and the inclusion of some of the lesser-known sites was awesome! I learned so much from Kim, and I would do this again in a heartbeat!'

'Even though Stonehenge has fascinated me since childhood, I would have been very disappointed if I had just shown up without someone explaining the what, where, why, and how (at least as much as can be "known"). I signed my adult family up for the tour with Archaeologistguidedtours.com and we LOVED it. I was worried it was going to be dry and geared toward serious archaeology buffs, but it was fun AND informative. Archaeologists have personalities! Who knew?! We learned SOOO much. It was a day well spent, one of our favourite days of our trip to the UK.'

'With an older sister in school for archaeology, I have been on too many history tours to count. This one stands out as the best! I knew nothing about Stonehenge or the history of the land but left with an amazing appreciation for the people and sites here. Our guide was amazing, really making every piece of history incredibly interesting. Also the physical demonstrations he did to show how the architecture was designed to use the sun's light was fascinating. A must-see!'

Travel advice

Before travelling, we recommend that non-UK residents read the advice issued by their government regarding health, safety and security in the UK.

Limitations

As is the case with all European coach and bus operators, our driving and working hours are regulated law in the interests of your safety. Our standard scheduled itineraries are compliant with the current regulations. However, our archaeologists will always advise you if they need to make time or route alterations depending on prevailing traffic conditions.

COVID–19

Vehicle fogging takes place at the end of each day to ensure a deeper clean overnight. We have installed air conditioning pods and these use filters and UV light to cleanse the air as it recirculates, killing 99% of bacteria and viruses.

How strenuous?

Our tours involve some walking between sites. We advise that you wear stout comfortable shoes for walking over different terrains (including fields), archaeological sites and a waterproof coat (as British weather can be unpredictable at the best of times).

You may also want to bring with you anti-bacterial hand gel and a reusable water bottle.

Weather

For a five-day forecast in the run-up to departure we suggest you consult www.bbc.co.uk/weather.