Cruise highlights:

Cuisine Aboard:

ITINERARY
Magna Carta Itinerary - HAMPTON COURT PALACE TO HENLEY-ON-THAMES

Sunday, Day 1
LONDON – HAMPTON COURT PALACE
Meet the Captain or a crew member at the Stafford Hotel in London at 3pm for afternoon English Cream Tea, before being transferred at 4pm to the Magna Carta. Champagne reception and welcome moored outside Hampton Court, former Tudor Palace of Henry VIII, where we remain overnight. Dinner aboard.

Monday, Day 2
HAMPTON COURT PALACE - SHEPPERTON
This morning we have ample time to really explore Hampton Court Palace, the most fabulous Tudor home, once belonging to Cardinal Wolsey until acquired by Henry VIII! We walk through Henry’s great hall and haunted gallery and see his chapel, still used for worship today and with the finest Tudor ceiling in existence. There is much more to see including the stunning privy gardens, the oldest growing grape vine and the famous maze!
After lunch we enjoy our first cruise, up through Molesey Lock and following the meandering path of the river to Shepperton. Dinner aboard.

Tuesday, Day 3
SHEPPERTON - RUNNYMEDE
After breakfast we cruise to Runnymede and moor at Bell Weir Lock adjacent to a luxury spa hotel where after lunch we have the option to use the spa facilities including pool, sauna and steam room. Beauty therapies, massages and other treatments are available but are best booked in advance. In the afternoon we take a short drive to Savill Gardens. These beautiful gardens have something to offer all year round and form part of Windsor Great Park. The stunning new visitor centre was built using sustainable timber from the royal estates and makes a unique architectural statement with its grid shell design inspired by leaf form. Dinner aboard.

Wednesday, Day 4
RUNNYMEDE - WINDSOR
This morning we cruise to Windsor before enjoying lunch on board. Our river journey takes us through Runnymede where King John faced the barons in 1215 and was forced to put his seal on the Magna Carta, the document which was the very first Bill of Rights and from which our vessel takes its name. From the boat we see the Magna Carta memorial and Magna Carta Island where the sealing took place. Our afternoon excursion is to Windsor Castle. Built by William the Conqueror in 1066 and lived in for over 900 years by the Royal Family. This is the largest inhabited castle in the world. We explore the State Apartments, See Queen Mary's Dolls House and St George's Chapel and enjoy the far-reaching views from its elevated fortress position. Dinner aboard followed by an optional pub night (all pubs are now non-smoking) with live entertainment from Stephen Carroll. Steve is a very talented Irish musician who has appeared at the Vienna folk festival. He plays a selection of Irish and American folk music along with many of his own songs and has a fantastic wit and sense of humour.

Thursday, Day 5
WINDSOR - COOKHAM.
This new itinerary includes a special private visit to a country house which may be Dorney Court this morning or Milton Manor on Friday afternoon. Leaving Royal Windsor behind us we cruise up to Boveney Lock and take a walk to Dorney Court. This very special home has been owned by the Palmer family for more than 450 years passing from father to son through 13 generations. King Henry VIII has stayed here and the manor is regularly used for filming including “Poirot” and most recently “The other Boleyn girl” We enjoy a tour usually with Jill Palmer the present owner. We continue our cruise past the fabulous waterside homes of Bray, through the spectacular Clivedon reach and open English countryside. We moor in Cookham, once described as ‘Heaven on Earth’ by artist Sir Stanley Spencer, one of England’s greatest and most eccentric painters. Spencer would transpose biblical scenes into his surroundings and was knighted by the Queen shortly before his death in 1959. We visit his newly renovated gallery and take a walk around the village he loved so much and painted so frequently. Dinner aboard.

Friday, Day 6
COOKHAM – HENLEY ON THAMES
A morning cruise to the village of Hurley where we wander through Peter Freebody’s boatyard and watch in wonder at the traditional craftsman at work, building and restoring wooden boats as they have been done for generations. We have time to explore the ancient 11th century village including Ye Olde Belle, reputed to be the oldest inn in the country before returning to the barge. We cruise to Henley on Thames, our final approach being along the famous Henley Regatta Course. Once we arrive in Henley we have a choice. If we were able to visit Dorney Court earlier in the week we will visit the award winning River and Rowing museum, after which there is plenty of time to explore the 18th century town. Otherwise we take a short drive to Milton Manor, an extraordinarily beautiful family home designed by Inego Jones with Gothick library, Catholic Chapel and a wealth of fine and interesting antiques. The present owner, Gwendoline Mockler-Barrett gives us a private guided tour. For our final night we enjoy the Captains Farewell Dinner aboard.

Saturday, Day 7
HENLEY-ON-THAMES - LONDON
Following breakfast, disembark at 10 am and return to the Stafford Hotel.

NOTE: On alternate weeks, cruise will be in reverse direction. This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change.

MEETING POINT: Sunday 3pm, The Stafford Hotel, St James Place, London for afternoon tea.
(Tel 020 7493 0111 Web site www.TheStaffordHotel.co.uk Email infor@TheStaffordHotel.co.uk)