Mark Hammond

Rob Knipe

Jonathan Evans

<h2>Highlights</h2>
<ul>
<li>The tour links Victorian and Georgian history with the pre-history and landscapes of Southern England</li>
<li>See ‘the map that changed the world’; an original of the first geological map by William Smith in the historic Burlington House, Piccadilly</li>
<li>Explore one of the world’s most famous landmarks: Stonehenge</li>
<li>Unique invitation and welcome to a private home on the Royal Crescent, one of Bath’s architectural gems</li>
<li>Tour historic Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and Wells Cathedral</li>
<li>Marvel at the visual landscape splendours of Jurassic Coast sites such as Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door and West Bay</li>
<li>Stay at the historic Acorn Inn, featured in several of Thomas Hardy’s novels</li>
<li>Visit the beaches where Victorian geologist, Mary Anning, pioneered the discovery of fossil dinosaurs and experience your own fossil hunt!</li>
<li>The activity level is rated EASY (see our definitions <a href="https://www.geoculturaworld.com/about/health-and-safety" target="_blank">here</a>)</li>
<li>The tour begins and ends in London, England</li>
</ul>
<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>The tour begins with a guided walk around historic St. James and Piccadilly, then a group dinner and overnight hotel stay in London. The following morning, the group will enjoy a private viewing of the first geological map in Burlington House, before heading off by small luxury coach for a five-day loop through southern England to encompass three World Heritage Sites: Stonehenge, Bath, and the Jurassic Coast.</p>
<p>Southern England is steeped in world-famous history and culture, from the prehistoric megaliths of Stonehenge, through the architectural masterpiece of Georgian Bath, to the life and literature of Thomas Hardy.</p>
<p>The tour will be hosted by Seren Welch, with experts Rob Knipe, Jonathan Evans, and GeoCultura's historical adviser, Mark Hammond, joining on different days.</p>

<div><img title="London Skyline" alt="London Skyline" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20London%20Skyline%20(Copyright%20Shutterstock).jpg">
<p>The iconic London skyline, as scene from the Golden Jubilee Bridge (Source: Shutterstock).</p>
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<div><img title="The Queensbury Hotel, Bath" alt="The Queensbury Hotel, Bath" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20Queensbury%20Hotel,%20Bath.jpg">
<p>The Queensberry Hotel, Bath.</p>
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<div><img title="Stonehenge sunset" alt="Stonehenge sunset" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/Z03-T013%20SE%20Stonehenge2-938998.jpg">
<p>Sunset (and sunrise) is key to the development of Stonehenge, as the entrance was aligned with the direction of the midwinter sunset (and midsummer sunrise) since at least 2600 BCE.</p>
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<div><img title="Bath in Somerset" alt="Bath in Somerset" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/Z05-T013%20SE%20Bath-510544.jpg">
<p>Bath is known for and named after its Roman-built baths. Here the Pulteney Bridge crosses the River Avon.</p>
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<div><img title="The Circus, Bath" alt="The Circus, Bath" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20SE%20Circus%20in%20Bath%20KB.jpg">
<p>The Circus in Bath is an historic span of townhouses that form a circle, built between 1754 and 1769.</p>
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<div><img title="Bath Abbey" alt="Bath Abbey" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20SE%20Bath%20Abbey%20KB.jpg">
<p>Bath Abbey viewed through York Street Arch.</p>
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<div><img title="Statue of Mary Anning" alt="Statue of Mary Anning" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20Mary%20Anning%20Statue%20(Group).jpg">
<p>The statue of Mary Anning, English fossil collector, dealer and palaeontologist.</p>
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<div><img title="Stair Hole, Lulworth" alt="Stair Hole, Lulworth" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T004%20Stair%20Hole%20Group.jpg" height="726" width="982">
<p>The 'Lulworth Crumple' is an impressive fold in the native rock caused by the same geological event which created the French Alps.</p>
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<div><img title="Durdle Door" alt="Durdle Door" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T020%20Durdle%20Door.jpg">
<p>The tour will visit Durdle Door, one of the most famous landforms in southern England.</p>
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<h3>Tour Map</h3>
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<p><img title="T013 Itinerary Map " alt="T013 Itinerary Map " src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013v2%20SE%20Location%20Map%20(1).png"></p>
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<h3>Day 1 – Arrival and introductions</h3>
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<p><img title="View from the Cavendish Hotel" alt="View from the Cavendish Hotel" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20Cavendish%20View_edited.jpg" height="375" width="563"></p>
<p>Meet mid-afternoon in London at the Cavendish Hotel, just off Piccadilly.</p>
<p>Optional afternoon guided walk from the hotel to explore the historic area around St. James and the famous Park.</p>
<p>Overnight in London. Group dinner in nearby restaurant.</p>
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<h3>Day 2 – London to Bath</h3>
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<p><img title="The Queensberry Hotel, Bath" alt="The Queensberry Hotel, Bath" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20Queensberry%20Hote%20,%20Bath%20(Front).jpg" height="480" width="854"></p>
<p>After breakfast in the sumptuous surroundings of one of London’s most iconic restaurants, the group will enjoy a private viewing of William Smith’s Geological Map of England, Wales, and <em>Part of Scotland</em>, at Burlington House. The tour will then board the coach for the journey to the first World Heritage Site at Stonehenge and a talk on the history of Stonehenge. After lunch there is a short walk to the world-famous stones.</p>
<p>The coach then travels to Bath, arriving at the hotel mid- afternoon. Following a chance to relax and enjoy the hotel and its central location close to the famous Bath Assembly Rooms, the group dinner will be at a local restaurant.</p>
<p>Overnight at the Queensberry Hotel, Bath. Group dinner in a well-known local restaurant, close-by.</p>
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<h3>Day 3 –&nbsp;Roman and Georgian Bath</h3>
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<p><img title="Ancient Roman Baths" alt="Ancient Roman Baths" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20SE%20Ancient%20Roman%20Baths%20KB.jpg"></p>
<p>After breakfast there will be a tour of the World Heritage Site of the City of Bath, including the Roman Baths in the morning, and after lunch, the best of Georgian Bath. The itinerary will also include some of the most famous architecture of this majestic city, including the Royal Crescent, the Circus and of course Bath Abbey. The tour will review the origin of the characteristic, buff-coloured Bath Stone that defines the city.</p>
<p>For those who might prefer, there will be a chance to divert from the tour for some serious browsing in Bath’s many independent shops, many only 10 or 15-minutes’ walk from our hotel. After a walking day exploring the historical city, the group will be invited to a private visit to a house in the famous Royal Crescent, for a short tour and drinks in the garden of the private home of one of GeoCultura’s founders.</p>
<p>Overnight at the Queensberry Hotel, Bath. Free evening.</p>
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<h3>Day 4 –&nbsp;Bath to Lyme Regis, the Heart of the Jurassic Coast</h3>
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<p><img title="Wells Cathedral" alt="Wells Cathedral" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20SE%20Wells%20Cathedral%202%20KB.jpg"></p>
<p>After breakfast the group travels to Wells for a visit to the Cathedral, described as "unquestionably one of the most beautiful" and "most poetic" of English Gothic cathedrals.</p>
<p>The next stop after lunch is Lyme Regis in Dorset, the historic seaside town in the heart of the Jurassic Coast that has been the setting for many famous films, novels, and TV dramas.</p>
<p>The tide will be right for an exclusive fossil hunt on the beach with the Geology Curator of the Lyme Regis Museum and an opportunity to see the famous Blue Lias rocks with their distinct limestone bands alternating with blue-black clays.</p>
<p>From there we’ll enjoy a unique walk into the town and discussion with our leaders on the life of Mary Anning, the extraordinary collector of dinosaur fossils and subject of the recent film Ammonite. We then visit The Cobb, the striking harbour wall, made famous by Meryl Streep. in The French Lieutenant’s Woman and which also features in the new Netflix film Persuasion (2022).</p>
<p>Overnight, the Acorn Inn.&nbsp;The evening group dinner will be in the Acorn Inn.</p>
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<h3>Day 5 –&nbsp;Jurassic Coast – West Bay, Chesil Beach, Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove</h3>
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<p><img title="The Cobb" alt="The Cobb" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20SE%20The%20Cobb.jpg" height="549" width="824"></p>
<p>Today’s activities begin at the golden cliffs of West Bay which are the stunning backdrop to the recent TV series <em>Broadchurch</em> and the recent Netflix film <em>Persuasion</em>. The yellow sandstones provide a superb example of how geologists can use the landscape to ‘read the rocks’ and decipher deep-time earth history.</p>
<p><strong>Chesil Beach</strong>. This is some 18 miles long, running all the way from Portland to West Bay. It is the location of a large Iron Age Fort and chosen as the beautiful backdrop for many films, including <em>The Dam Busters and On Chesil Beach.</em></p>
<p>The group then travels east to see the wonderful Durdle Door Arch, followed by a short walk around Stair Hole. After a pub lunch, the final stop is the picturesque Lulworth Cove to see the dramatic coastal features.</p>
<p>Return to the Acorn Inn for group dinner.</p>
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<h3>Day 6 –&nbsp;Corfe Castle and Kingston Church , then return to London</h3>
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<p><img title="Lulworth Cove" alt="Lulworth Cove" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/T013%20SE%20Lulworth%20Cove_edited.jpg" height="443" width="653"></p>
<p>Take a private guided walk around Corfe Castle and the village with a local guide. Built by William the Conqueror, it was one of the first castles in England to be built from stone. It is positioned to defend one of the only gaps in the steep-sided Purbeck ridge which extends across Dorset.</p>
<p>The group will make the short journey to Kingston Church, nicknamed ‘the Cathedral of Purbeck’, which according to John Betjeman ‘gleams with Purbeck marble’ and if time, the Etches Collection Museum.</p>
<p>After a traditional pub lunch the coach will then return to London by late afternoon to an agreed location with easy access to public transport links.</p>
<p>Note: this provisional itinerary is subject to change as specific locations and places of interest release more information regarding access for the coming year.</p>
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<h3>Single Supplement</h3>
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<p>There is a charge of £395 / $495 for solo travellers.</p>
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<h3>Activity Level and Transport</h3>
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<p><strong>Q: How much walking is involved?</strong></p>
<p><strong>A:</strong>&nbsp;Our tours are aimed at people of all ages who enjoy being out of doors and like walking, but we do not describe them as walking holidays.</p>
<p>This tour will include walks of up to 3km (1.5 mi) in London and in Bath city centre. The Jurassic coast days involve walks of up to 3 km (1.5 miles) and take in a few coastal sections with rocky foreshores, and occasionally steps to reach the beach. Sturdy waterproof footwear is essential for these days. Late Spring weather generally means daytime highs between 14-21°C (57-70°F) and night-time lows of 10-13°C (50-55°F). This is England and rain is always possible, so please be prepared. You should bring warm and waterproof clothing.</p>
<p>If walking is an issue, alternative arrangements can be made during the scheduled walks, so please let GeoCultura know in advance.</p>
<p><strong>Q: How does the group travel?</strong></p>
<p><strong>A:</strong>&nbsp;Participants will travel by small luxury coach which has air conditioning.</p>
<p><strong>Q: How much travelling in the coach is planned for each day?</strong></p>
<p>A: The journey from London to Bath takes between two and a half and three hours, but there will be a short stop/stops to break up the journey and for light refreshments. Travel times between locations is kept to a minimum with only the occasional journey of 1hr -1hr 30 mins, and that is usually to return to the hotel at the end of the day.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What happens if the weather is bad, or it rains?</strong></p>
<p><strong>A:</strong> We build flexibility into our itineraries and watch the weather forecast closely. Where possible, we will adjust the itinerary to ensure we take full advantage of the good weather for the outdoor locations in the schedule. We always have plenty of alternative indoor places to visit and great cafes and pubs for a pit-stop if needed. Our tour manager liaises with the tour leader (and the driver) to ensure time in the coach is minimised and there is maximum time to enjoy the stunning Jurassic coastal walks and views.</p>
<p><strong>Alternate Activities</strong></p>
<p>The tour leaders can provide suggestions for alternative activities for individuals who prefer not to participate in any of the tour walks or visits.</p>
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<h3>The Tour Includes/Excludes</h3>
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<h4>The Tour Price Includes:</h4>
<ul>
<li>The services of your Tour Leaders, and your Tour Manager who will be with the group throughout the tour,</li>
<li>Local expert guides at certain locations during the tour</li>
<li>All transportation costs from the start to the end of the tour, including the services of a professional coach driver.</li>
<li>All accommodation costs for the nights stated, based on two people sharing. Solo travellers are welcome. Please contact us for details of the single supplement.</li>
<li>All breakfasts, lunches, and four dinners for the duration of the tour</li>
<li>Entry fees, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour</li>
<li>Most gratuities and all service charges</li>
</ul>
<h4>The Tour Excludes:</h4>
<ul>
<li>Travel Insurance. Participants are required to carry their own health and travel insurance in case of accident or unforeseen circumstances.</li>
<li>Transport to the start point of the tour. However, we can arrange pick-up from a local train station or airport at extra cost. Please contact us for details.</li>
<li>Alcoholic and soft drinks with meals are not included</li>
<li>One free evening in Bath, so no dinner included that day.</li>
<li>Personal expenditures at each hotel, such as laundry and bar bills and any other extras</li>
<li>Extra or optional activities not described in the tour.</li>
<li>Passport and visa fees.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<h3>Alternate Activities</h3>
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<p>The tour leaders can provide suggestions for alternate activities for individuals who prefer not to participate in certain of the tour walks or visits.</p>
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<h3>Accommodation</h3>
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<p>Night 1: <a href="https://www.thecavendish-london.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Cavendish Hotel</a>, London&nbsp;</p>
<p>Nights 2 and 3: <a href="https://www.thequeensberry.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Queensberry Hotel</a>, Bath&nbsp;</p>
<p>Nights 4 and 5:&nbsp; <a href="https://acorn-inn.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Acorn Inn</a>, Evershot, Dorset</p>
<p>Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternate accommodations of equal or higher quality.</p>
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<h3>Deposit and Payment Terms</h3>
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<p><strong>Deposit:</strong> A deposit of 10% of the tour price is due upon registration for a tour.</p>
<p><strong>Final payment:</strong> Full payment is due 60 days before a tour begins, or upon registration if within the 60-day window.</p>
<p><strong>Cancellation by participant:</strong> A participant may cancel a registration after securing a confirmed place on a tour for any reason. The following refund terms will apply:</p>
<ul>
<li>Greater than 60 days before tour begins: Any monies paid plus half of the deposit will be refunded</li>
<li>30 to 59 days before tour begins: 35% of tour price will be refunded</li>
<li>15 to 29 days before tour begins: 25% of tour price will be refunded</li>
<li>Within 14 days of tour or during the tour: No monies will be refunded</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Cancellation by GeoCultura:</strong> GeoCultura reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrolment, inability to run the tour or concerns about the safety, health or welfare of participants. If a tour is cancelled before it begins, all monies paid will be refunded (including any deposit).</p>
<p>Please refer to our <a href="https://www.geoculturaworld.com/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank">Terms and Conditions</a> page for additional details.</p>
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<h2>&nbsp;Jonathan Evans</h2>
<h2>&nbsp;<img title="Jonathan Evans" alt="Jonathan Evans" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/Jonathan%20Evans.jpg"></h2>
<p>Jonathan Evans currently resides in Dorset, England, close to Corfe Castle. He has guided many groups along the Dorset and Devon coasts, both&nbsp;for&nbsp;geoscientists and individuals from other backgrounds.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jonathan has spent his career in the petroleum industry, initially in technical roles and then in management roles in India, Pakistan and Oman and, finally, global leadership roles from the UK. More recently, Jonathan elected to retire from industry to pursue other interests.&nbsp;</p>
<p>He was involved in supporting the application for the Jurassic Coast to be recognized with UNESCO World Heritage Site status.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jonathan’s interests include sailing, beekeeping and organic vegetable gardening.&nbsp;<span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 9pt">&nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgba(51, 51, 51, 1); font-size: 1.4em">&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2>Rob Knipe</h2>
<h2>&nbsp;<img title="Rob Knipe" alt="Rob Knipe" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/Rob%20Knipe.jpg"></h2>
<p>Rob Knipe is the Chairperson at GeoCultura and an Emeritus Professor of Structural Geology at the University of Leeds; splits his time between homes in Yorkshire and Wales and revels in engaging the public in the history and application of science. He also created and led ‘Rock Deformation Research Ltd’, a leading structural geological consultancy.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Rob has immersed himself in the Scottish Highlands for more than 40 years, during which time he has developed a passion for its geology and landscapes that almost rivals his passion for his native Wales!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Rob has won awards for his work, including the prestigious William Smith Medal from The Geological Society of London, and is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Rob is currently involved in Energy Transition, and works with local and national groups promoting changes towards a carbon neutral society. He is also part of the World Heritage Site team working to raise awareness of the slate landscapes in North Wales.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<h2>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1.4em">Mark Hammond</span></h2>
<p><img title="Mark Hammond" alt="Mark Hammond" src="https://geocultura.arlo.co/content/img/Mark%20Hammond.png"></p>
<div>
<p><span>Mark Hammond currently resides in Chichester, England.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span>&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><span>A visiting professor at Canterbury Christchurch University and a visiting Fellow at the University of Bath, Mark has an MA in history from Cambridge University and an honorary doctorate from Canterbury. He is currently a non-executive Board Director for the Crown Prosecution Service and for the General Pharmaceutical Council. Mark previously worked as Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission for 5 years and of West Sussex County Council for 6 years. He also served as a diplomat in the British Embassy, Washington, and helped to negotiate the Climate Change Convention.</span><span>&nbsp;</span></p>
</div>

A classic tour visiting three World Heritage sites in Southern England to enjoy the very best landscapes, history, and coasts that England has to offer.

London, Stonehenge, Bath, and the Jurassic Coast: A geo-culture tour of Southern England