St. Mark's Episcopal Church

The Reverend Roy Tripp, of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, invites you to join him on a pilgrimage to England. We will travel to places that were pivotal in the history of the church in England - including Canterbury where many of our traditions and theological perspectives took shape. We will travel along the scenic south coast to Salisbury where we will explore the history of English religious architecture. Our program includes visits to the Roman town of Bath, Stonehenge, the picturesque Cotswolds, and the medieval university town of Oxford. Our program concludes with visits to historic sites in London. Throughout our journey we will have the expertise of a full time guide, first class accommodations, and delicious food. Join us for this customized and inspiring journey to the heart and soul of England.  

Program Itinerary

Tuesday, Sept. 10
We will depart on overnight flights from Savannah to London.  Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flights.

Wednesday, Sept. 11
Theme:  We Journey as Pilgrims to Explore Our Faith Heritage

We arrive in London.  We will be met by our local tour manager who will accompany us via private motorcoach to Canterbury. After we check in to our hotel and have a chance to freshen up, we will have a walking orientation of the old city of Canterbury, including a guided visit to the Cathedral.  We will attend Evening Prayer at the Cathedral.  Afterward, we will enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.  Overnight Canterbury.

Canterbury was a Roman colony in the 1st century and became the center of English Christianity in the 6th century when St. Augustine came here to convert the local population.  The monastery at Canterbury was the largest in England and served as an important pilgrimage site – as recounted in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.  The church that St. Augustine built burned in the 11th century and was replaced by the current building which has been renovated and rebuilt over the ages.  It is one of the great cathedrals of the world and is the burial place for some of the most important people in English history.

Thursday, Sept. 12
Theme:  The Roots of Anglican Heritage in Canterbury

Breakfast.  Morning Eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral.  We will continue with a walking visit to other sites in Canterbury – such as St. Augustine’s Abbey, the Roman Museum (with excavations going back to Roman times), and Canterbury Weavers (old Tudor houses).  We will focus on both the Roman and Anglican heritage and the significance of Canterbury for the history of the Church of England. The late afternoon will be at leisure. Dinner/overnight Canterbury.

Friday, Sept. 13
Theme:  Cultural Sites Along the Southern Coast of England

Breakfast. This morning we will drive along the south coast. We will visit Rye – a very picturesque coastal village.  We will continue to Arundel Castle – a magnificent site that is over 700 years old.  We will visit the nearby Weald & Downland Open Air Museum – a museum of typical farming buildings and practices.  We will continue to Salisbury for dinner and overnight.  We may attend Evening Prayer at the Cathedral this evening.

Rye is a small port that used to be right on the coast.  Storms have altered the landscape to leave it further inland.  It is a quaint and charming medieval village of steep and winding streets and unique vistas of surrounding landscapes.  It is a favorite of artists and writers, including Henry James who lived here.  

Arundel Castle dates back over 700 years and is home to the Duke of Norfolk.  The Howard side of the current duke’s Fitzalan-Howard family name goes back to at least the 15th century.  The duke is responsible for organizing State events/functions, such as the opening of Parliament.  The Fitzalan-Howard family has remained Roman Catholic, making them the most prominent Roman Catholics in England. The chapel on the grounds includes a church and chapel – one belonging to the family, the other to the local church – thus Anglicans and Roman Catholics use the same building for worship.  The Castle is an extraordinary monument – one of the finest and most important of England.

Saturday, Sept. 14
Theme:  The Development of Early English Religious Architecture

Breakfast.  We will have liturgy and a guided visit at Salisbury Cathedral this morning.  We will continue with a walking tour of the medieval sites/buildings around the Cathedral. This is one of the purest of the Early English styles of religious architecture – built in the 13th and 14th centuries.  This afternoon we will take an excursion to Stonehenge.  We will return to Salisbury for dinner/overnight.

The town of Salisbury is a charming medieval city dating back to 1227 when the Cathedral was built.  The Cathedral is one of the best examples of Early English style religious architecture – a medieval Gothic and ascetic form. The Cathedral is within a Cathedral Close – an area of ancient stone and terracotta houses from the 16th to the 18th century.  The town that formed around the Cathedral was considered the new town, replacing one that dates back to Iron Age and Roman times.  The only remaining vestiges of the old settlement are some walls of the old fortifications and the foundation of the old cathedral (dating from the 11th century).

Stonehenge is a World Heritage Site and one of the most iconic prehistoric sites in the world.  The building of Stonehenge began around 2950 BC. There are many theories regarding its purpose – some archaeologists believe that it was a sanctuary for a group of sun-worshippers, while others believe it was an observatory.

Sunday, Sept. 15
Theme:  The Historical Palette of England

Breakfast.  Today will be our excursion to Bath – to visit the Roman ruins and other medieval sites in the central village.  We will take a ride through the Cotswolds – the picturesque hill towns northwest of London. We will continue then to Oxford for dinner and overnight.  

The city of Bath has an interesting history.  In the 1st century the Romans constructed spa baths, a temple, and a gymnasium there.  A hot spring dating from approximately 100,000 years earlier provides the water source.  The spring was regarded as sacred by ancient tribes and archaeologists believe that it was inhabited by early humans. Recent excavations have uncovered many ancient and Roman artifacts that are housed in the museum.  The Bath Abbey is a beautiful Norman and Gothic structure rising steeply from the bath complex.

The Costwolds is a region lying northwest of London along the upper valley of the Thames River.  It is one of the most idyllic areas of England.  Large estates from Roman times gave way to medieval manors specializing in wool production.  Beautiful villages built of nearby limestone and wood rise amongst gentle rolling hillsides and pastures.  

Oxford is England’s oldest university – a complex of religious foundations rising up around the old cathedral.  These monastic autonomous colleges still form the nucleus of Oxford.  The university includes beautiful historic colleges, courtyards (quads) and charming residential and commercial buildings catering to students and faculty.

Monday, Sept. 16
Theme:  The English Monarchy

Breakfast. We will enjoy a walking tour of Oxford University this morning.  In the afternoon, we will travel to London.  When we get to London proper, we will check in to our hotel and enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.  Overnight London.  

Tuesday, Sept. 17
Theme:  The Cultural Palette of London

This morning we will visit Westminster Abbey (with a walking tour of the environs – including a view of the outside of Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, and Whitehall).  We will continue with a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Depending on the preference of the group, we can visit another site or enjoy a walking tour of another neighborhood.  This evening we will gather for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.  

Edward the Confessor built Westminster Abbey. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 13th century. For the first 600 years, a community of Benedictine monks lived there. There are many different chapels within the abbey, many of which contain famous medieval paintings.

There have been churches at the site of St. Paul since the 5th or 6th centuries.  It became an important religious center in London but was neglected in the 14th century.  There were plans to restore it when the great fire of 1666 broke out.  After the fire, Christopher Wren submitted new plans to rebuild it – with some influencing ideas from the great basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome.  St. Paul’s is a symbol of London, and during the bombing raids of the 1940’s, was a metaphor for the resilience of Londoners.

Wednesday, Sept. 18
Breakfast. We will transfer to the airport for our return flights to Savannah.

Inclusive Features:

• Flights (Savannah to London, roundtrip)
• 7-nights accommodations in centrally-located hotels
• Buffet breakfast daily
• Dinner daily
• Local transportation via deluxe motorcoach
• A full-time local tour manager 
• Entrance fees and guided visits per the itinerary

Group Flight Schedule:

Please note this is subject to change.

Complete Program Prices:

Includes group airfare and airport transfers. With group flight reservations you are not permitted to: pre-select your seat assignment, request extra leg room, upgrade your ticket to business or first class, deviate from the group flight dates, or depart from another city. Illume offers the Land Only option for those travelers requiring the customization that comes with booking your own flights.

$5300 per person based on double occupancy

$1350 supplement for single occupancy

Land Only Program Prices:

Excludes all airfare and airport transfers 

$4550 per person based on double occupancy

$1350 supplement for single occupancy

Please note: Single rooms for single use are limited to 10% of the total number of rooms reserved. Should additional single rooms be requested, hotels may impose a higher supplement for all single rooms of $1550. If you have selected double occupancy but no roommate is available due to uneven numbers or if your roommate should cancel you will be in a single room and responsible for the single room supplement.

All prices listed are discounted for payment by check. When paying with a credit card, you will be charged the standard base price, which is 5% higher.

All program prices are based on availability of services at the time registration material is received; currency exchange rates in effect March 26, 2024 —and on 2024 land and air tariffs—and are subject to change. All services are provided subject to Illume’s Conditions and Clauses.  

 

Program Registration:

With questions about the program, please contact:

Rev. Roy Tripp
Saint Mark's Episcopal Church
1110A Paris Ave., P.O. Box 761
Port Royal, SC 29935
stmarkscrector@gmail.com

or

info@travelillume.com 

Step 1: Complete the Event Registration Form before April 15, 2024

EVENT REGISTRATION FORM

Step 2: Submit your $1000 deposit check per person to illume not later than April 15, 2024:

illume
236 Lewis Wharf
Boston, MA 02110

Checks should be made payable to illume. Please include the program number 24.10663 on the memo line. 

You will receive a Welcome E-mail from illume soon after April 12, 2024 once your payment has been deposited. You will also receive a link to add optional Travel Insurance/Protection to your program at that time.

Nonrefundable second deposit of $1000 per person due not later than: May 12, 2024

Balance of payment due not later than: June 12, 2024

Program No. 24.10663