Location: 

Dorset; Weymouth, Dorchester

Start and end point, hotels within 90 minutes of Sherborne   

Operator

“A Taste of England Tours” Julia Morris Blue Badge Guide

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Take a tour off the beaten track to uncover the founding links between rural Dorset and the early settlements of North America. Your day will be spent in the company of a local Blue Badge Guide who will take you to forgotten corners of the county to discover how faith and enterprise led many committed pioneers from Dorset to follow the inspiring example of the Pilgrim Fathers and forge new beginnings in the New World.

We seek out Sir Walter Raleigh and his part in the founding of Roanoke and Jamestown in the early 1600s.  We discover the origins of the Star and Stripes in a tiny country church.

We visit places and find family links that were transplanted by the early settlers and bear witness to the influence of Dorset upon the foundation of settlements and new forms of governance on the East Coast of America.

We experience the pleasures of the seaside town of Weymouth where George III took summer refuge in his bathing hut whilst his armies lost the War of Independence in North America and British explorers founded huge colonies further afield.

The Highlights: 

•  A full day tour led by your very own local Blue Badge Guide with private transport.
• A guided visit to Sherborne Castle, built by Sir Walter Raleigh, who founded Roanoke, named Virginia in honour of his Queen and is reputed to have brought potatoes and tobacco back from the New World.
• We explore one of the most beautiful villages in England to discover evidence of the Washington and Churchill families and a remarkable chalk hill figure that may be a Puritan! We travel off the beaten track to find a quiet country church and debate the origins of the Stars and Stripes and we track numerous place names that were carried with the settlers.
• We uncover the Dorset links with Massachusetts in the ancient town of Dorchester and visit the County Museum to learn of the Puritan preacher who inspired many families to seek religious freedom across the Atlantic and find later pioneers who extended the English colonies westwards and northwards.
• In Weymouth we contrast the story of the pilgrims who departed here in the 1620s with the pleasures and health regimes enjoyed by George III whilst recovering from the loss of the American colonies. We visit the little port where the Puritan ships embarked and admire the glorious Georgian esplanade built to accommodate the royal family and their entourage in the 18th century.
• Enjoy time to sample local Dorset food in a traditional pub or restaurant.

Customisable Options:

• 2-6 people in SUV transport or 20-45 people by coach
• Refreshments and meals
• Additional locations:

Minterne House and Gardens - a private visit to discover the family home links with the war of 1812 and the Churchill family.

Poole Old Town and Harbour Discover the later links between Newfoundland, the cod banks and the wealthy port of Poole.

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Price

From £150.00 per person (SUV) Min 2 Max 6 people. Transport included.  

From £50.00 per person (coach groups)   Max 45 people. Transport included.

Group Size

Min. 2 max. 45

Contact

Julia Morris Blue Badge Guide

https://www.atasteofenglandtours.com/dorset-faith-and-enterprise

+44(0)7817364981
julia@atasteofenglandtours.com