Hi, I’m Stephen. My tours are personal - you will not be sharing with anyone else. I will be your driver and guide for the day - I will collect you in our luxury Land Rover Defender 130 - Britain’s answer to the Chevy Suburban. My aim is to give you all the background and history you need to enjoy the day. As it’s a private tour we can be flexible - if you want to stay longer or divert to see something else, no problem. I am new to so I don’t have many reviews but i’ve been a guide for many years. You won’t be disappointed!
Start your day with a pickup from your hotel, airport, or cruise terminal in London. Head to the historic Kentish town of Tenterden, known as the “Jewel of the Weald.” Enjoy a walking tour of the high street, historic buildings, and church. Learn about the town's origins as a Saxon woodland clearing and its growth into a prosperous medieval wool trading centre.

Next, depart for Sissinghurst Castle. The castle dates back to the Middle Ages when records show it was a substantial pig farm. It was acquired by the Baker family and converted into a grand Elizabethan manor in the 1500's. Elizabeth I visited for several days in the late 1500's. By the 1700's it had fallen into disrepair and during the Seven Years War with France, the castle was turned into a prison. The prisoners burnt most of the old buildings to keep warm and the site was later abandoned. The property was acquired by writer Vita Sackville-West, who had been disinherited from her grand ancestral home Knowle House, and her diplomat husband Harold Nicholson in 1903. They lived a colourful life maintaining an 'open marriage' and Vita was open about her passionate affair with English author Virginia Woolf. Discover how the couple transformed the neglected old property from fragments of an Elizabethan manor into one of the loveliest gardens in the region.

After your tour, enjoy free time for lunch at Sissinghurst or a local pub. Then, depart for Rye, an English town near the coast in East Sussex. Take a guided walking tour of the town, which is known for its cobbled lanes, medieval half-timbered houses, and strong history of smugglers.

See the redbrick Lamb House, once owned by writer Henry James, and the tower of the Norman St. Mary’s Church, which overlooks the town. Visit the 14th-century Ypres Tower, which formed part of Rye’s defences and is now Rye Castle Museum, with paintings and displays on local history.

Finally, depart for London, where your tour ends.