Lovers of the written and spoken word will be tempted to indulge their interest on our sociable breaks, guided by enthusiastic experts and set in lovely Country House accommodation in some outstandingly scenic areas.

In spring we visit the famous Hay on Wye, in the autumn we offer the Cheltenham literature festival, and in between run themed tours which bring some classic works to life.

From Haworth many have enjoyed the optional Wuthering Heights walk on our Brontës holiday, explore the mysterious worlds of Sherlock Holmes, whilst the regency world of Jane Austen is brought to life in southern England.

Our prices hide nothing and represent remarkable value for money - we include full board accommodation and include any transport but you will probably want to spend on tickets for extra events at the literature festivals.

Please select a holiday from the left hand menu.

Cheltenham Literature Festival

Speakers include writers from all over the world. We include visits to four events but you are encouraged to have a look at the programme, ask or see www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk in August to book any extra events. We spend every day in Cheltenham, and leave one morning free to explore picturesque Bourton-on-the-Water. Between talks there is free time for a bit of celebrity spotting, and to enjoy our introduction to the delights of Cheltenham's churches, museums and art galleries. After dinner we may decide on a literary discussion or to join in other social activities.

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Hay on Wye Literature Festival

An important literary festival with tours to the surrounding countryside as well to make the most of the holiday. Entry to four festival events has been included, and you are free to attend some additional activities that may appeal to you - we advise on these bookings, but you may need your own transport to take full advantage of evening events. On two days we leave around 9.30am and return around 6.00pm or later, but with great flexibility. On one other day we take in evening events, too. Other evenings are a mixture of informal sociable or literature-related activities.

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Literary Cotswolds Tour

Enter the rural English idyll of villages, pubs and churches associated with Flora Thompson (Lark rise to Candleford) and Laurie Lee, grand houses known to John Betjeman and Alexander Pope. We visit Flora Thompson villages - and walk round the Rise at Juniper Hill and the tour would be incomplete without cider at The Woolpack in Laurie Lee’s village Slad, and also visit Bibury, the ‘prettiest village in England’, according to William Morris.

*Under 18's are half price

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Jane Austen and the Regency

The Regency world of Jane Austen’s novels and later life reflects a tension between the ideals of the enlightenment and the newly emerging romanticism and dramatic challenges to social mores. We are well placed at Abingworth to visit Jane’s important biographical sites - Steventon Church, Chawton and Winchester as well as Portsmouth (which is connected with her sailor-brothers and the novel Persuasion) and the Royal Pavilion at Brighton (home of the Prince Regent to whom Jane dedicated Emma). Programmes vary slightly check here for further updates when available.

*Under 18's are half price

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The Brontës Literature and Countryside

Patrick Brontë found himself widowed in a remote corner of the Pennines, with six children to bring up, four of them showed marks of genius, and the three girls, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, became published authors whose works are avidly read today. We offer an introduction to the family through visits to sites connected with them: perhaps Thornton, the Parsonage and Brontë museum at Haworth, the Red House used as a model in Shirley, Wycoller, Norton Conyers Hall, Cowan Bridge School and Tunstall Church. An optional Wuthering Heights walk will add another dimension. There will be a programme of evening talks on the Brontës and their works. Programmes vary slightly according to leader - check here for updates from time to time

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Virginia Woolf

A weekend break of visits and lecture-discussions. We will visit Virginia & Leonard’s home at Rodmell, delightfully set in the Sussex countryside plus Charleston Farmhouse and Berwick Church with its Bloomsbury murals. We will devote time to talks and videos on Virginia Woolf’s life and a selection of her major novels.

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